2008 Woodie Awards
Ice hockey firing on all cylinders
Patrick Murray
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: Sports
The start to the 2007-08 season for the Miami University ice hockey team has been tremendous for the RedHawks, and nothing short of terrifying for their future competition.
Miami's 6-0-0 record and No. 1 national ranking should say enough about the kind of season that this team is putting together so far, but a couple other statistics can shed some light on just how good the RedHawks have been.
Miami is averaging 4.67 goals a game through its first six contests. This is impressive in itself, but it becomes a posted warning to the opposition when one takes into account that Miami is 38-0-1 over the past three seasons when scoring at least four goals.
On the net-minding and defensive end of the ice, Miami has been no less impressive-allowing an average of only 1.33 goals per contest. In games were Miami allowed two or fewer goals last season, the RedHawks compiled a record of 17-4-2.
The team's low goals against average comes courtesy of the brilliant play of Jeff Zatkoff and Charlie Effinger early this season. Zatkoff won CCHA Player of the Week honors two weeks ago and was joined by three of his teammates-Justin Mercier (offensive Player of the Week), Alec Martinez (defensive Player of the Week) and Tommy Wingels (rookie Player of the Week). This was the first time in CCHA history that a team has swept the entire Player of the Week categories. This past week Ryan Jones and Carter Camper continued to represent the RedHawks in the Player of the Week categories.
However, the resurgence of Ryan Jones, after what was a statistically slow start in the first couple of series, seems to be one of the keys to the continued excellent play of the RedHawks and provides good reason to believe that things will only get better for Miami.
Jones added three goals and an assist in last weekend's sweep of University of Nebraska-Omaha. This offensive outburst came after what was less than the fast offensive beginning of the season (only one goal and no assists through the first four games) that many have come to expect from Jones. After tallying his 100th career point with a goal in Friday night's game, things kept going right for the senior captain.
Miami's 6-0-0 record and No. 1 national ranking should say enough about the kind of season that this team is putting together so far, but a couple other statistics can shed some light on just how good the RedHawks have been.
Miami is averaging 4.67 goals a game through its first six contests. This is impressive in itself, but it becomes a posted warning to the opposition when one takes into account that Miami is 38-0-1 over the past three seasons when scoring at least four goals.
On the net-minding and defensive end of the ice, Miami has been no less impressive-allowing an average of only 1.33 goals per contest. In games were Miami allowed two or fewer goals last season, the RedHawks compiled a record of 17-4-2.
The team's low goals against average comes courtesy of the brilliant play of Jeff Zatkoff and Charlie Effinger early this season. Zatkoff won CCHA Player of the Week honors two weeks ago and was joined by three of his teammates-Justin Mercier (offensive Player of the Week), Alec Martinez (defensive Player of the Week) and Tommy Wingels (rookie Player of the Week). This was the first time in CCHA history that a team has swept the entire Player of the Week categories. This past week Ryan Jones and Carter Camper continued to represent the RedHawks in the Player of the Week categories.
However, the resurgence of Ryan Jones, after what was a statistically slow start in the first couple of series, seems to be one of the keys to the continued excellent play of the RedHawks and provides good reason to believe that things will only get better for Miami.
Jones added three goals and an assist in last weekend's sweep of University of Nebraska-Omaha. This offensive outburst came after what was less than the fast offensive beginning of the season (only one goal and no assists through the first four games) that many have come to expect from Jones. After tallying his 100th career point with a goal in Friday night's game, things kept going right for the senior captain.
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