#8 MEN'S HOCKEY FALLS TO #3 MIAMI, 6-3
OXFORD, OHIO – Phil
DeSimone (East Amherst, N.Y.) registered a goal and
two assists, but the University of New Hampshire eighth-ranked
men's ice hockey team fell, 6-3, to No. 3 Miami University in the
season opener Friday night at Goggin Ice Center. New Hampshire
trailed 4-3 with under two minutes to play but a power play and
empty-net goal sealed the win for Miami.
UNH falls to 0-1, while the RedHawks improve to 1-0.
The teams were scoreless in the first period with Miami holding a
slim 11-9 advantage in shots. The Wildcats were 0-3 on the power
play in the period, while Miami was 0-1 in its extra-skater
opportunity in the frame.
New Hampshire drew first blood as DeSimone scored 53 seconds into
the second period. DeSimone entered the zone unmark as Dalton
Speelman (San Jose, Calif.) won a puck away from a
pair of RedHawks and centered it to a charging DeSimone. DeSimone
made quick move to slide the puck past Cody Reichard to make it
1-0. The RedHawks responded with a pair of quick goals in the first
10 minutes of the period. Justin Vaive scored from the center high
zone at 4:16. The goal, which was assisted by Pat Cannone, came on
a screen shot that went five-hole on Matt
DiGirolamo (Ambler, Pa.). The second goal came on a
one-timer from the top of the left circle at 6:56 just after a UNH
penalty had expired. Steve Mason scored with an assist from Vaive
and Vogelhuber. UNH tied it with a power play goal at 16:30.
DeSimone won the faceoff back to Blake
Kessel (Verona, Wis.), who made a pass to Mike
Sislo (Superior, Wis.) along the right boards. Sislo
skated in and made an odd-angle shot that went under Reichard's
glove-side shoulder to tie it at 2-2. Miami closed out scoring in a
five-goal second period as Carter Camper scored his first of
two on the night from Alden Hirschfield and Matt Tomasson at 17:47
of the period. Miami held an 18-9 shot edge in the frame.
Camper potted his second goal of the game at 3:11 of the third,
which gave Miami the game's first two-goal lead at 4-2. Patrick
Tiesling and Vincent LoVerde assisted on the goal. The lead did not
last long as the Wildcats cut it to 4-3 as defenseman Connor
Hardowa (Edmonton, Alberta) scored his first career
goal from the right point at 5:36 of the third. DeSimone kept the
puck alive and was credited with the assist. The RedHawks secured
the win with a power play goal and an empty-net goal in the final
90 seconds. Alden Hirschfield scored a power play goal at 18:43
with an assist from Carter Camper and Hirschfield added an
empty-netter at 19:25 with assists from Tiesling and LoVerde.
UNH was 1-5 on the power play, including a 6.5 second opportunity
at the end of the game. The RedHawks were 1-4 on the power
play.
Miami held a 41-26 shot edge skewed by an 18-9 margin in the third
period.
DiGirolamo, who falls to 0-1, stopped a career-high 35 shots,
while MU's Reichard (1-0) stopped 23 shots.
New Hampshire and Miami conclude the two-game series
Saturday, Oct. 9 (7 p.m.). UNH opens its home slate on Saturday,
Oct. 16 (7 p.m.) against Michigan. Tickets to the Michigan game and
all UNH home games are available online at UNHWildcats.com.
