Many Miami RedHawks had their first taste of National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) road games last weekend, and they didn’t go as planned. Miami (7-3-0) was swept by the Broncos of Western Michigantraps 5-2 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday. The Broncos were dominant in every area: special teams, offense, defense, goaltending and forechecking.
Related: Western Michigan completes sweep with 6-2 win over Miami
This was Miami’s first real road test of the season in a building they’ve struggled in for years, and it showed with such an inexperienced roster. With 21 new players, including 12 freshmen and several transfers still adjusting to the pace of the NCHC, the challenge was great.
Lawson Arena was the loudest and most hostile environment Miami has played this season. The ‘Lawson Lunatics’ were in full force, and from my spot in the press box above the student section you could feel the energy shift whenever Miami took a penalty. The RedHawks spent too much time in the box over the weekend, finishing the weekend with 15 penalties for a total of 41 minutes.
I spoke to head coach Anthony Noreen after Saturday’s series finale. He had a lot to say about the team’s struggles, what they will take away from the weekend and how a young group learns from an opponent like Western Michigan.
RedHawks chased the game both nights
The biggest issue over the two games was the amount of time Miami spent in the defensive zone. The Red Hawks was outscored 91 to 38 this weekend as Western Michigan controlled possession from start to finish. Saturday night, Western led Michigan 39 to five in shots through two periods, which is a pretty alarming statistic. However, Miami chased the game both nights, struggling in transition and having too many defensive breakdowns that resulted in goals, many in transition and after bad changes.
When Miami managed to clear the zone and get some looks, Western Michigan quickly took away those opportunities. They blocked shots, closed down passing lanes and cleared the puck before Miami could build anything. Defending champion Hampton Slukynsky also came up with some big saves, halting any momentum Miami tried to generate.
Western Michigan won the majority of the 50-50 battles and dictated the pace. Miami’s Matteo Drobac gave up all 91 shots that reached the net and allowed 11 goals. He was strong in tight situations, but struggled with outside shots and rebounds as Western Michigan used traffic and screens up front to make his job more difficult.
Noreen said after the game that Western Michigan was able to limit Miami’s shots on goal by simply keeping the puck in the offensive zone.
“Spending time in the offensive zone, that’s the answer. The best defense is a good offense. If they spend time on your side, if you come out, instead of being able to go on the attack, now you’re thinking I’ve got to get out and get fresh legs, and now they’re coming right back at you. When we were at our best, that’s what we’ve been able to do. Obviously, this is a whole different level against a really good team,” he said.
The confrontations were fairly even on Saturday (45.5%), but not on Friday (32%). It didn’t matter, considering the amount of time Miami spent on its own end.
Miami’s goals this weekend came from Ilia Morozov (twice), Vladislav Lukashevich and Michael Quinn. Lukashevich continued to log heavy minutes and led Miami with 24:30 of ice time on Saturday.
Red Hawks Special teams Fight and punishment
Special teams struggles played a big role in the sweep. Miami finished one-of-11 on the power play and missed several big chances, including on a five-minute major on Friday where they produced just one shot on goal and failed to extend their 1-0 lead. Western Michigan’s penalty kill went 10-for-11 this weekend and remained tight and aggressive.
Miami’s penalty kill was solid overall, finishing 10 for 12 and going a perfect five for five on Saturday, but the penalties themselves were an issue. Stick violations slowed the momentum and forced Miami to defend even more than they already had been. NCHC referees have been cracking down on stick penalties this season, and Miami has struggled with them at times, most notably in their first game against Ferris State and the loss to Arizona State.
Noreen said Friday’s penalties hurt the most.
“What we didn’t like last night (Friday) was some stick penalties. I thought we had to stay out of the box. I thought we did a better job of that tonight (Saturday). Obviously, special teams, both power play and kill, are huge momentum swingers. And I think 50-50 battles are really the key area against these guys,” he said.
He added that the power play is still finding chemistry.
“Our reps have been good. We have two completely new units that are still getting used to each other and still getting to know each other,” he explained. “That’s not an excuse; that’s the truth. We will continue to build continuity through repetition and let our consistency and our habits allow us to be creative and use our skills.”
Despite the lopsided score, Noreen praised the effort of the third period on Saturday: “There is not an ounce of less belief in this group. I thought we played until the very last second both nights. Tonight (Saturday) you get the 4-2, you have a chance, and then you get about as unlucky a goal as you can get. Sometimes that’s the way it goes, but you have to believe in it and you have to keep working.”
Noreen also emphasized that the weekend was a learning opportunity for a young squad.
“Every time we step on the ice with this group is a learning opportunity. We are still in the early stages of this process and we have to take every opportunity to learn. A big part of this is learning, seeing what they do and why they were able to do what they did last year, and why they are that team,” he said.
Noreen also said Miami will remember things for the rematch later this season (Feb. 6-7).
“It’s a 6-2 game and their first power play is on the ice with two minutes left. Those are things you remember. We’re going to play these guys again. They’re an excellent team. They’re well coached. They’re a great organization. That’s what we want to be.”
Looking ahead to St. Cloud State
Miami now sits in last place in the NCHC with three points and a 1-3-0 conference record. St. Cloud State is just one point ahead of them entering the weekend, making the series a key opportunity to move up in the standings.
The RedHawks will look to learn the lessons from Western Michigan, get tougher defensively, clean up stick penalties and find more consistency on special teams as they continue to navigate the toughest competition in college hockey.
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