WHO: No. 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-5-4) at No. 1 Miami RedHawks (9-2-5).
WHERE: Cady Arena, Oxford, Ohio.
WHEN: Friday, 7:35 p.m. and Saturday, 7:05 p.m.
TV: ONN (Time Warner digital channel 362 in Cincinnati), ComCast South Bend.
NOTRE DAME RADIO COVERAGE: Both games--WHFB-FM (99.9), Benton Harbor, Ind.
MIAMI RADIO COVERAGE: Friday--WKBV-AM (1490), Richmond, Ind. Saturday--WPFB-AM (910), Middletown, Ohio.
NOTES: Easy trivia question.
Which team leads the CCHA in conference ties?
Miami, right?
Wrong. It's Notre Dame, with four ties in 10 league games, and a fifth overtime game that was decided in the extra session.
The Fighting Irish were ranked fifth in the USA Today preseason poll, but they've never been above eighth after losing to Alabama-Huntsville opening weekend. At home.
Last weekend, Notre Dame beat perennial CCHA doormat Bowling Green with two seconds to go in overtime, then skated to a 4-4 tie with the Falcons the following night. Again at home.
Thus dropping the team's ranking to No. 15.
Junior Calle Ridderwall led Notre Dame in goals last season with 17, and he's xth in the nation with 10 this year. He has 15 power play goals since the start of 2008-09.
Sophomore Billy Maday has been another major offensive threat for the Fighting Irish. Maday, coming off a 30-point freshman campaign, is leading the team in assists (11) and points (15).
Nashville draftee junior Ben Ryan has three goals and 10 assists, senior Kevin Deeth had 11 points (1-10-11), and freshman Riley Sheahan has 10 (3-7-10). Deeth led Notre Dame in assists last season with 27.
On the blueline, Notre Dame has four NHL draft picks among its starters. Senior Kyle Lawson (Carolina) is the Fighting Irish's leading defensemen scorer with three goals and eight assists.
Junior Ian Cole (St. Louis) has a goal and eight assists, and sophomore Sean Lorenz (Minnesota) has one assist. Cole led all Notre Dame blueliners with 26 points in 2008-09.
Senior Teddy Ruth has missed 10 games this season, but he played against Bowling Green, and the 6-feet-1, 208-pound Capitals draftee is one of the top defensive defensemen in the CCHA. He played for the U.S. Junior team in last season's World Championships.
In goal, junior Brad Phillips, a Philadelphia draft pick, has been splitting time with freshman Mike Johnson. Despite his college experience and draft status, Phillips has been outplayed by Johnson thus far.
Phillips was pulled on Saturday after allowing four goals on 17 shots. He has a 2-3-2 record with a 2.26 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
Johnson has been phenomenal, posting a 4-2-2 record, 1.35 GAA and .947 save percentage.
While the RedHawks have struggled on the power play this season, Notre Dame has not. The Fighting Irish are second in the CCHA with 18 power play goals, and are fourth in power play percentage at 21.2. Miami is seventh at 16.9 percent.
Notre Dame is also tops in the conference in penalty killing, allowing just six power play goals on 74 chances for 91.9 percent. Miami is No. 4 at 86.8 percent, but the RedHawks lead the league in power plays killed and power play chances allowed.
Translation: Miami is taking too many penalties.
Miami holds a 32-15-8 advantage over Notre Dame in the all-time season series, including 16-8-2 in Oxford.
Leave a comment