The Miami RedHawks hosted the #16 ranked University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks for the second game of their two-game series on Saturday night, after UND stormed back to win 5-4 in the third period the night before. Brett Miller was starting goal for the Redhawks (his first start of the season), while TJ Semptimphelter was in for the Fighting Hawks.
First Period:
University of North Dakota came out flying to start the first and earned a power play a little into regulation. UND later capitalized on the power play, with Abram Wiebe one-timing the puck past Brett Miller of Miami.
Only a couple minutes later, the Fighting Hawks took a 2-0 lead, as Andrew Strathmann beat Brett Miller with a slick backhand to forehand move on a breakaway.
Miami began pressuring more in the o-zone the rest of the period, eventually trimming the deficit to 2-1 with a goal scored by Christophe Fillion, where he tapped a beautiful pass from the blue-line by Michael Quinn into the open net, beating Semptimphelter.
The period later ended 2-1 in favor of the Fighting Hawks, with two unsportsmanlike penalties by each team heading into the second, making it 4 on 4 play to start.
Second Period:
Opening up the second period, Semptimphelter made a great save on a breakaway, keeping UND’s 2-1 lead intact. Brett Miller also made a flurry of saves in the first five minutes of the second, keeping Miami within striking distance. Later on, Johnny Waldron of the RedHawks one-timed a shot past Semptimphelter, evening the game at 2-2.
Play was back-and-forth the rest of the period, with each team taking multiple penalties, but both PK units stayed strong. The period later ended at 2-2 score.
Third Period:
Starting the final regulation period, Ryan Sullivan took a minor penalty after laying a hit from behind, sending UND to the power play. During the man advantage, the RedHawks blocked many shots, keeping the score tied at 2-2, but right after it ended UND took a 3-2 lead, with a one-timer goal from Jackson Kunz.
Christophe Fillion later took a ridiculous holding penalty 6:33 into the third period, making Head Coach Anthony Noreen livid on the bench, and the Fighting Hawks power play later answered this time around, as Jayden Perron sniped a shot past Brett Miller, extending the lead to 4-2 in favor of UND.
In a desperate attempt to turn things around, Anthony Noreen pulled Brett Miller from the net with just over two minutes remaining, but it was to no avail. North Dakota finished strong, winning the game with a final score of 4-2. Miami played their hearts out this weekend, but North Dakota showcased greater skill and structure in their play. Climbing back from a 2-0 deficit on Saturday night against a team of North Dakota’s caliber was impressive; however, the third period revealed which team was a contender and which was not.
With this loss, Miami has now dropped their tenth consecutive game, leaving them with an 0-7-1 record in NCHC play and a 3-13-2 overall record. They will have a month-long break before heading to face the defending national champion Denver Pioneers for a two-game series starting on January 10th.
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