Miami seeks redemption vs. NMU

By John Lachmann

WHO: Northern Michigan Wildcats (11-8-5) at Miami RedHawks (14-10-2).

WHERE: Cady Arena, Oxford, Ohio.

WHEN: Friday—7:35 p.m.; Saturday—7:05 p.m.

TV: ONN both nights.

MIAMI RADIO: None.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN RADIO: Both games—WUPT-FM (100.3), Marquette, Mich.

NOTES: Eight weeks after an abysmal trip to the UP, Miami faces Northern Michigan again, but this time the games will be played on the RedHawks’ home turf.

MU was swept, 2-1 and 5-1 in games in Marquette on Dec. 2-3 a week after sweeping Providence and Denver on the road the week before.

Miami’s discipline was somewhat lacking that weekend, as the Wildcats were awarded 15 power plays that resulted in four goals, but the RedHawks have improved in that area since.

Northern Michigan was probably lurking when Miami came to town in early December, considering the RedHawks outscored the Wildcats, 13-1 when NMU came to Oxford early last season.

But Miami has traditionally struggled against the defensive-minded Wildcats, compiling a 19-41-3 all-time record against Northern Michigan.

NMU is currently ninth in the CCHA with a 6-7-5 record and two shootout wins, but the Wildcats are 7-2-2 in their last 11 games and have allowed two goals or less in eight of those outings.

Senior forwards Justin Florek and Tyler Gron are still the top two offensive threats for Northern Michigan. Gron has 11 goals and a team-high 16 assists for 27 points, and Florek – a Boston Bruins draftee who has scored four times and added four helpers vs. Miami – leads the Wildcats in goals (13) and he has eight assists.

Junior Matt Thurber and sophomore Stephan Vigier have also been major contributors to the NMU offense. Thurber has eight goals and 11 assists, and Vigier has scored nine times and assisted on seven more.

Reed Seckel is the top freshman scorer for the Wildcats with five goals and eight assists, and Andrew Cherniwchan has played 135 games for NMU, with five goals, four assists and 59 penalty minutes this season.

On defense, junior Kyle Fullmer is fourth on the team in points (18) and second in helpers (15). He and fellow junior Scott Macauley (2-9-11) are the lone NMU blueliners with double-digit points totals.

The Wildcats have used six other defensemen this season, and all are freshmen or sophomores.

Senior Reid Ellingson and sophomore Jared Coreau have split time in net this season, although Coreau has played in seven of Northern Michigan’s last eight games.

Coreau is 7-3-2 with a 2.07 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage, and Ellingson has a 4-5-3 record with a 2.68 GAA and .914 save percentage.

For Miami, junior Reilly Smith – as well as the entire JAR (Jimmy-Austin-Reilly) line has been on fire. Smith was named CCHA player of the week after scoring four goals last weekend, and freshman Austin Czarnik was named top rookie for his three assists.

Mullin scored a breakaway goal and dished for two assists vs. Western Michigan.

And of course senior goalie Connor Knapp has been on fire. Knapp has won six straight starts and has a 0.60 goals-against average and .977 save percentage since the start of 2012.

It’s unlikely Miami has forgotten the butt-whooping Northern Michigan laid on the RedHawks in Marquette. The question is whether or not Miami will find a way to beat the Wildcats’ defensive system, which has given the RedHawks fits the past few years.

-- Contact John at kypostsports@yahoo.com