Detroit Bound: RedHawks Earn Second Straight Frozen Four Berth

Miami's hockey team once again earned its way to the NCAA Frozen Four with a 3-2 double-overtime win against Michigan. Scoring just 1:54 into the second overtime, sophomore Alden Hirschfeld put an end to the marathon game in the Midwest Regional finals Sunday night at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. 

"It was a heck of a battle tonight," head coach Enrico Blasi said. "There was a lot of passion and determination on both sides tonight."

Sophomore goaltender Connor Knapp made a career-high 55 saves to hold the Wolverines at bay and junior Pat Cannone scored twice in regulation to lead the RedHawks.

Cannone put the RedHawks up 1-0 at 12:08 of the first period. Working on the power play, Cannone took a pass in the bottom of the left circle from freshman Curtis McKenzie. He settled the puck and sent a high wrist shot from the sharp angle that beat Michigan goaltender Shawn Hunwick high, stick-side. Junior Carter Camper earned the second assist.

The Wolverines quickly evened the score, 1-1, at 13:42 of the first period with an even-strength goal by David Wohlberg. The teams battled back-and-forth for the rest of the first, with neither team able to gain the upper hand.

Miami came out of the first intermission on the attack, but freshman Reilly Smith was whistled for holding just 38 seconds into the second period. Michigan took the 2-1 lead just 11 seconds later with a power play goal by Chad Langlais.

At 3:18 of the second, Cannone struck again with help from McKenzie and Camper. McKenzie took a pass from Camper deep in the Michigan zone, wrapped around the net and tried to stuff the puck between Hunwick and the left pipe. The goalie made the initial stop, but couldn't cover as Cannone crashed the net and hit it home to tie the score at 2-2.

For the rest of that period as well as the third period and first overtime, neither team was able to get anything past the goaltenders. Finally, at 1:54 of the second overtime, after 58 minutes and 36 seconds of scoreless hockey, Hirschfeld netted the game winner with a wrister from the left circle. Sophomore Trent Vogelhuber set the play up by chasing a Michigan skater into the left corner and feeding the puck back to Hirschfeld.

"Vogelhuber did a great job of playing the body," Hirschfeld said. "The puck just kind of popped out. I picked it up around the top of the circle and just shot it though on net and it went in. I know it went under his arm. I think it went through the legs of the defender who tried to block the shot first."

The RedHawks move on to face Boston College in the second semifinal game of the 2010 Frozen Four at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 8 in Detroit. Wisconsin and RIT will faceoff in the first game.

"It feels like ten years ago," Blasi said about the return trip to the Frozen Four. "It's hard to believe a year has gone by. We're excited. We'll get a couple days rest and then start preparing for Boston College."

Tickets

Tickets for the 2010 Frozen Four at Ford Field in Detroit, MI are available by calling the Miami Athletic Ticket Office at 1-866-MUHAWKS or 513-529-HAWK. To be eligible to purchase tickets to the Frozen Four, fans must be an active member of the Red & White Club. Those fans that placed their Frozen Four ticket orders by the deadline will be fulfilled before anyone else, given they are active Red & White Club members. All other orders will be fulfilled based upon requirements being met and tickets still being available through Miami.

Frozen Four ticket orders will be processed under the following Red & White Club guidelines:

$2,500 and above = maximum of six (6) tickets per membership;
$1,000-$2,499 = maximum of four (4) tickets per membership
$250-$999 = maximum of two (2) tickets per membership;


Seat locations will be filled based on active membership level of the Red & White Club. The Frozen Four ticket price is $189 for an all-session ticket (2 semifinals and the National Championship game).

The Miami Athletic Ticket Office will be open on Monday, March 29 at 8 a.m. to answer any questions regarding tickets to the 2010 Frozen Four.

Travel Packages

Miami University will be providing travel packages (hotel options) to fans wanting to travel to the Frozen Four in Detroit, MI. More information regarding the travel packages will be available on Tournament Central on MURedHawks.com by Monday, March 29. Travel packages will NOT include game tickets. Game tickets must be ordered through the Miami Athletic Ticket Office. Please check back on MURedHawks.com for more information on travel packages in the coming days. Miami Student Travel Packages to Detroit are currently being worked on and will be finalized in the coming days.