The Miami RedHawks (NCHC) defeated the RIT Tigers (AHA) 4-0 in their first match of the Friendship Four in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Friday. Miami remains undefeated in non-conference play this season with a 7-0 record and improved their overall record to 9-4-0. RIT dropped to 9-5-0 with the loss.
Related: Giampa Lifts Miami to OT Win for Biggest Goggin Crowd Since 2015
Four different skaters scored for the Red Hawks: Bradley Walker, Ilia Morozov, Matteo Giampa and Doug Grimes, while goaltender Matteo Drobac earned his second shutout of the season, stopping 23 of the 23 shots he faced.
Summary of the game
Walker opened the scoring just under three minutes into the first, firing one home from the slot on an Ethan Hay pass for an early 1-0 Miami lead. It was Walker’s second goal as a RedHawk and Nick Mikan’s first point as a RedHawk, who earned an assist on the goal.
On Miami’s second power play of the game, Morozov blasted the top shelf from the right circle off a pass from Vladislav Lukashevich to make it 2-0 Miami.
Despite heavy pressure from RIT late in the second and most of the third, Miami held onto the lead on a pair of great penalty kills.
Late in the third, Giampa dumped the puck across the ice into an empty net, then Grimes deflected a Casper Nassen shot into another empty net, making it 4–0 Miami, ending regulation.
Through 60 minutes of play, Miami outscored RIT 31-23 in shots on goal and 61-43 in shot attempts.
Miami finished 1-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
In the faceoff circle, Miami won 30 draws, compared to RIT’s 24.
Miami blocked a total of nine shots as a team, with Ryder Thompson, returning from injury in this game, and Hay both blocking two shots each.
Miami will face No. 20 Union College, which defeated Sacred Heart early Friday at 2 p.m. EST, by a final score of 8-1.
#Miami #shuts #RIT #advances #Friendship #finals #Hockey #Writers #NCAA #Latest #News #Analysis