Ohio Hockey Digest T-Show Game(s) of the Week
Ohio State, Miami clash in home-and-home series
For the first game(s) of the week in the second half of the season, we have a home and home series between two in-state friendly rivals. Ohio State travels two hours west on Friday to face the red-hot Miami Redhawks in Oxford, and Saturday both teams come back to face off at the OhioHealth Ice Haus in downtown Columbus.
Both teams had a remarkable first half, Miami with a dominant 17-3-2 record and OSU with a solid 10-4-2 mark. Miami capped off the first half with a sweep over a struggling Xavier team, winning games 8-0 and 4-1. Ohio State dropped two close Midnight Madness games against the #3 ranked Kentucky team, losing both games by a one-goal margin. Both teams also solidified a Top 25 ranking in ACHA Division II, with Ohio State #23 and Miami #12.
Goaltender Colt Hanks has been the story so far this year for Miami, putting up a 6-1-0 record with a .940 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average.
“If (Hanks) can stay in form, I think we’re one of the best teams in the country,” Miami head coach Mike Rooney said. “Hanks is still looking for his first shutout of the season, a mark that both goalies Zach Waizmann and Noah Kinsinger have achieved in the first half of the year.”
Matt Orlowski leads the way on the offensive side of things for the RedHawks, with 10 goals and four assists in nine games played.
“(Orlowski) can break the game open himself,” Rooney said. “He can play anywhere in the lineup and score from anywhere.”
Other key players for Miami include captain Hunter Wallace, with 19 points in 13 games, and forward Michael McCormick, with 14 points in 13 games.
After losing to Ohio State 2-1 in tournament play last year, Rooney said that Miami has considered them “close rivals” and they have been looking forward to this weekend for a while.
“There is still a sour taste in our mouth for sure.” Rooney said. “Whenever you play Ohio State, there is always that little bit of extra motivation”
--- Ian Phillips for Ohio Hockey Digest
