The Miami University RedHawks will face the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in their final home series of the season after losing to the Denver University Pioneers last weekend.
After a bye week that gave the RedHawks a chance to have some added rest before the final push of the regular season, they traveled to Colorado to face the No. 3 Pioneers.
The sentiment heading into the weekend for the RedHawks was all about belief, and the first game reflected a belief that fans of the team have only seen a couple of other times this season.
The RedHawks made it through the first period tied thanks to a goal from senior forward Matt Barbolini, but Denver came out swinging in the second, recording 19 shots before Miami could earn one, taking the lead 2-1.
If it wasn’t for first-year goaltender Bruno Bruveris, it could have been another ugly scoreline in Miami's history of ugly scorelines when they play the Pioneers.
Miami went down 3-1 with just under half the third period to play, but after a charging penalty on Denver, they were given a golden opportunity to cut the Pioneers’ lead to one. A wrist shot from the point by first-year defenseman Rihards Simanovics was deflected in front by junior forward Raimonds Vitolins to make the game 3-2.
With just under three minutes in the period, Barbolini scored his second goal, deflecting another shot from the point by junior defenseman Spencer Cox to send the game into overtime.
Bergeron was asked about his team’s effort in the final frame and was only complimentary.
“I thought the third period was great,” Bergeron said. “We’ve been on the receiving end of some pretty good beatings in this rink before, and we were able to stop that momentum. Yes, they made it 2-1, which didn’t turn into 4-1. We kept it there. It wasn’t a great second period, but I thought our guys responded well in the third, and [I’m] really proud of how we played.”
The overtime period was back and forth, with Denver controlling most of the possession by the end of the five minutes. Their best chance came with one minute remaining, when junior defenseman Shai Buium wound up for a one-timer with an open net that would have ended the game for the RedHawks.
Bruveris managed to stretch all the way across and rip the puck away from its intended target, saving the game for the RedHawks. His save would also be the NCHC number-one play of the week.
The game went to the shootout, and Denver’s Tristan Broz scored while all of the RedHawks couldn’t, giving Denver the extra point but going into the record books as a tie.
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They didn’t come out with a win, but the RedHawks came into a building they have struggled in historically and defied all expectations to start the series.
Unfortunately, game two went about as well as many believed it would, especially considering that Bruveris, after playing his heart out in game one, wasn’t feeling 100%.
“Bruno was a little under the weather, and they scored a couple of goals on pucks that he would normally smother,” Bergeron said. “I’m not placing blame by any means; it was something we couldn’t recover from. We go down 2-0 against that team, we get a fortunate bounce to make it 2-1, and we’ve got a breakaway at 2-1 in the second period, and all of a sudden, we miss the breakaway, and you blink, and it’s 5-1.”
That fortunate bounce Bergeron is referring to might be one of the rarest goals anyone will ever watch in hockey.
The Pioneer forward Broz received a pass from first-year defender Zeev Buium and tried to thread another pass through the slot after a delayed penalty created a 6-on-5 for Denver.
Miami senior defenseman Robby Drazner had other ideas and deflected the puck hard enough to bank off the boards in the neutral zone and into the vacated net.
It's an odd goal that could have been the spark for the RedHawks, but they failed to capitalize on the momentum and fell 8-1.
The RedHawks' next contests will be their final home games of the season against the No. 18 Mavericks. It’s a big series because Omaha plays a little differently than some other teams in the conference.
Instead of having a few extremely talented scorers, their depth includes 12 players with at least 10 points and five with at least 15. Their goaltending is led by the Slovakian sophomore Simon Latkoczy, who made his name at 18 years old with Team Slovakia at the 2020-21 World Junior Championships.
Latkoczy had a 2.32 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage last year in 20 games with the Mavericks.
“They’re a good team,” Bergeron said. “Their ranking is one they’ve earned. They’ve got really good players in all three positions, their depth is good. I think they play a bit more of a heavy game than some of these other teams play. Omaha will make you earn it down below the tops of the circles, down below the hash marks, they’ve got some size. To me, it’s another NCHC team.”
The RedHawks have won five of the last seven home games they have played against Omaha, but last season, they fell in both home games and two on the road.
Since these are the final two home games of the 2023-24 campaign, the seniors on the roster are going to be honored for their contributions to the team, no matter how long they have been a part of the program.
“I believe in my heart that these guys are leaving Miami hockey better than they found it,” Bergeron said. “It’s a staple of this program; it’s a pillar of this program. It’s one that has been a pillar since I was here as a player and as an assistant [coach]. It’s always going to be, as far as I’m concerned.”
The list of the seven seniors that will be honored includes Barbolini, Robby Drazner, PJ Fletcher, Thomas Daskas, Hampus Rydqvist, Dylan Moulton and Albin Nilsson.
The puck drops at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 1, and Saturday Mar. 2. It will be an emotion-filled weekend for two games the RedHawks would like to see their efforts be rewarded in.
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