NOTE: I meant to post this on Sunday morning. Really I did. After I wrote it up, I guess I got busy doing something else and forgot to transfer it from Word to cyberspace.
So at this point, I figure the best thing to do is post it anyway, then bury it with newer entries.
For the third time in four games, Miami skated to a tie on Saturday.
Junior center Carter Camper netted the RedHawks' goal, breaking a 10-game scoring drought, and sophomore Connor Knapp stopped 29 shots as Miami and Western Michigan finished even, 1-1.
Miami (9-1-4) won the shootout, thanks to penalty shot goals by Camper and senior Jarod Palmer, earning the RedHawks the extra point in the CCHA standings.
The game was scoreless after one period, but Camper took advantage of a Broncos turnover and backhanded it home to make it 1-0 just over two minutes into the middle stanza.
Western Michigan (5-5-2) evened the score 11 minutes later, when Derek Roehl netted his first goal of the season.
The RedHawks put 23 shots on goal in the second period, and 43 in the game, but they could not beat senior Riley Gill.
BOTTOM LINE: This Miami team is a tough to evaluate.
Should fans be happy because the goaltending is so great, or frustrated that such a talented offense is having such difficulty finding the net?
Should they be happy because the team is unbeaten in its last eight with only one loss on the season, or irritated at winning just one of four against perennial league dormats Ferris State and Western Michigan.
It's worth noting yet again how far this team has come in such a short period of time (in 2004-05 Miami had a 15-18-5 record), so Miami fans haven't earned the right to complain about a team that has been No. 1 six straight weeks, even if the RedHawks haven't always played up to their potential.
North Dakota lost twice to No. 3 Denver over the weekend. Miami still had a decent cushion in the No. 1 spot, so the RedHawks should hold first place for the seventh straight week.
GRADES
FORWARDS: D+. And only a "plus" because Miami had 43 shots. The top team in the country cannot score one goal against the last-place team in the league.
DEFENSEMEN: B-. The Broncos had 30 shots, but not that many great scoring chances. It would nice to see some of that blueliner contribution on offense that we had earlier in the season - Miami defenseman have scored one goal in the last six games.
GOALTENDING: A. It was Knapp's second straight outstanding start. He had a save percentage of .967 and is 61-for-63 since his extended absence between the pipes.
MORE LINEUP CHANGES: The week between the exhibition and opening night, coach Enrico Blasi said during a luncheon in Cincinnati that he intended to get a lot of different players ice time, and Saturday the dressing carousel continued on Saturday.
In the forward spots, senior Dane Hetland played in his fourth game, and senior Brandon Smith dressed after sitting on Friday. Benched in their places were senior Gary Steffes, who has no points in 10 games, and junior Justin Vaive.
I believe Vaive was suspended for a game after receiving a game misconduct on Friday.
Sophomore Matt Tomassoni again played forward, allowing freshman Steven Spinell to start his second straight game on defense.
MIGHT AS WELL JUST DECLINE PENALTIES: After an oh-for-4 on Saturday, Miami has one power play goal in its last four games. The RedHawks are 1 of 17 in the stretch, two for their last 29.
But Miami did not allow a PPG for the second straight game and the fourth time in its last five. The RedHawks killed off all 11 chances over the weekend, and are 30-for-31 in their last five games.
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