Preview: Miami hockey faces Robert Morris in home opener

The Miami University hockey team will play their first home game this season against the Robert Morris University at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 at Goggin Ice Center.

Miami opened up its season with two games against the Northern Michigan University Wildcats on Oct. 2 and 3. The team suffered a 3-0 defeat to the Wildcats in its opening game, and bounced back with a 4-1 win the next day.

The RedHawks are looking to win their home opener for the fourth consecutive season. This will be the 10th time these teams have faced off, with Robert Morris winning each of the last five meetings. The two teams last faced each other two seasons ago, with Miami losing by scores of 1-4 and 1-5.

The Colonials finished with a 16-21-4 last season, their best since the 2020-21 season. The team is in its 21st year of existence, and the program has been led by head coach Derek Schooley since its inception. In 2021, the university the program would be shut down due to financial issues. Later that year however, the university’s board of trustees reinstated the hockey team for the 2023-24 season.

Robert Morris lost their opening two games of the season against No. 6 ranked University of Wisconsin, by scores of 4-2 and 1-0 respectively. Goals for the Colonials came from junior defender Dominic Elliott and senior forward George Krotiris.

Their top scorer last year, forward Tanner Klimpke, transferred to the University of Maine in the offseason. Senior forward Jackson Reineke returns for the Colonials. He was their second-highest scorer last season with 11 goals, and their joint-highest assist-maker with 15.

Another Robert Morris player to look out for is sophomore goalkeeper Charlie Schenkel. Last season, he set the program record for most saves made in a single game, making 60 against the Air Force Academy.

For the RedHawks, sophomore forward Austin Baker netted his first goal in college, as well as an assist in their 4-1 win over Northern Michigan. Baker transferred to Miami from Michigan State University in the offseason after limited playing time. He played just 14 games last season.

“It was a sigh of relief, honestly, to get that first goal,” Baker said. “Just being able to play and be able to play my game. I was super excited.”

Also recording a goal and assist was Matouš Kucharcík, a first-year forward from the Czech Republic. He played junior hockey for the Youngstown Phantoms last season, scoring nine goals, and also represented his country at the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation U18 Men’s World Championship.

“You watch that game Saturday night, it doesn’t take an expert to figure out that there’s a lot there,” head coach Anthony Noreen said about Kucharcík. “It’s not just his skill level and his brain, it’s his competitiveness. He makes the second goal happen because he is just determined to win.”

Senior forward Matteo Giampa, last year’s second-highest scorer, and sophomore forward Bradley Walker both added goals late in the game to secure the victory.

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In the goal for the RedHawks is junior Matteo Drobac. He started all but one game last year, and was nominated for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Goaltender of the Year award. He made 18 saves across Miami’s first two games.

The RedHawks went 18-16-2 last season and are hoping to build on that momentum this year. They went 7-5-2 at home, using the Goggin ice to their advantage.

Puck drop will be at 7:05 p.m. at Goggin. Miami will then travel to Moon Township, Pennsylvania to face Robert Morris at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17.

smithat4@miamioh.edu