Preview: UND at Miami
Jan. 27—OXFORD, Ohio — One area that's really hurt the Miami men's hockey team this season is faceoffs.
The RedHawks rank only ahead of Lindenwood, Brown and Alaska Anchorage in that department.
Last weekend against Omaha, the RedHawks lost the initial draw on nearly every power play and the puck immediately went down the ice. After that, the RedHawks had great trouble with puck retrievals and setting it up.
If Miami can set up its power play, it can make things happen. Omaha just never let the RedHawks set up — which all started with that initial faceoff.
This week, UND coach Brad Berry lamented losing defensive zone draws — something that could be a big key when the Fighting Hawks meet Miami at 6:30 p.m. Central on Friday and 6 pm. Central on Saturday.
The Fighting Hawks will have Jake Schmaltz back in the lineup and its expected centermen will be Schmaltz, Owen McLaughlin, Louis Jamernik V and Ben Strinden.
They will all have important roles in the dot to help UND's puck possession numbers.
In the past, it has been a foregone conclusion that Ludvig Persson will start in net, but that's not necessarily the case this weekend.
Last Saturday, Logan Neaton played against Omaha and only allowed one goal.
The RedHawks could go either way this weekend.
UND Stat MU
3.36 (13th) Off 2.12 (55th)
3.20 (48th) Def 3.67 (59th)
30.7 (2nd) PP 18.5 (34th)
83.0 (17th) PK 76.6 (54th)
53.0 (16th) FO 44.9 (58th)
.872 (61st) SP .888 (56th)
National rank in parenthesis. Stat categories are: offense (goals per game), defense (goals allowed per game), power play, penalty kill, faceoff percentage and team save percentage.
When UND and Miami faced off in the first half of the season, the Fighting Hawks did not have to go against RedHawks forward Red Savage, who stayed back in Oxford due to an injury. The Detroit Red Wings fourth-round draft pick is back now and can make an impact in nearly every phase of the game — power play, penalty kill, offensively, defensively and in the faceoff dot.
In much the same way Judd Caulfield always scores against Western Michigan, Riese Gaber does the same to Miami. His first-career goal came in his first-career game against the RedHawks. Gaber has seven goals in seven games against them. So he would be the obvious pick. But right now, UND needs to find ways to score more at five-on-five, and the guys who are doing that are the ones who go to the net most often. Forward Gavin Hain is terrific at it, so he's the call this week.
UND didn't get the result it wanted last weekend — it split with Minnesota Duluth — but there were a lot of elements present that it needs if it wants to go on a run. UND defended much better. It kept chances to the outside for the most part. Drew DeRidder was strong in net. If the Fighting Hawks can replicate those things, they will get rewarded.
Friday: UND 5, Miami 2
Saturday: UND 4, Miami 3
