All season long we have been discussing Miami's less that challenging schedule. A schedule lined with cream puffs and cup cakes. All the while the media pundants have lectured and have become defensive in telling the know nothing fans/hockey bloggers how great of a team the Miami RedHawks are. Okay, the Miami RedHawks are a good team not great and they are better than than about 9-10 teams in the CCHA. We have been told that we can't fault them for the played a very weak schedule because they have beaten the teams they had to play well except Michigan and three softies. Well that weak schedule came back to bite the paper champion Miami RedHawks again. So now the Miami squad has lot to CCHA powerhouses Alaska, Bowling Green and Ferris State. Big Rapids, MI - Miami extended its winless streak to three games Friday night, dropping its opening contest with Ferris State, 6-5.(Read the Rest of the Story)
Senior captain Ryan Jones netted his third hat trick of the season, scoring goals number 25, 26, and 27 on the year, pushing Jones in front of Michigan's Kevin Porter for the nation's lead in goals scored.
Junior forward Justin Mercier scored twice and added an assist for the RedHawks, extending his point streak to five games. Mercier has four goals and four assists during that span.
Ferris State came out with plenty of pressure, out shooting the RedHawks, 9-0, through the first seven minutes of the game. FSU forward Cody Chupp opened the scoring early in the first period, when he picked up a rebound off of the leg pad of senior netminder Charlie Effinger and put the loose puck into the RedHawks' net. The score was Chupp's sixth of the season.
Ferris State extended its lead to 2-0, when forward Aaron Lewicki picked off an errant Miami pass while the RedHawks were on the power play, and wristed a shot past the stick of Effinger.
Just 44 seconds later, as the Bulldogs returned to full strength, sophomore Blair Riley skated in alone on Effinger, putting his shot through the Miami goaltender's legs. Junior goalkeeper Jeff Zatkoff came into the game after the third goal, his first action in relief this season.
