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HOCKEY: Miami completes home-and-home sweep of OSU

Four third-period goals lift top-ranked RedHawks to 4-2 victory in Oxford.

Photos: '09-'10 Miami hockey

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 1:22 AM Sunday, December 13, 2009

OXFORD — Maybe this newly charged offense of Miami University’s hockey team should be called the “Shock and Awesome.”

The Ohio State Buckeyes are in shock, and for the RedHawks it’s “awesome.”

For the second straight night the top-ranked RedHawks erupted for four goals in the third period against OSU, this time wiping out a 2-0 lead by the Buckeyes to win a 4-2 thriller Saturday, Dec. 12, at Steve Cady Arena.

Junior Andy Miele scored the game-tying and game-winning goals for the RedHawks, who won their fourth in a row to improve to 13-2-5 overall, 10-1-3-1 in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

“That was huge for us,” said a beaming Miele. “Going into our break in first place is awesome for us.”

Miami had rocked OSU 6-0 on Friday night in Columbus. The RedHawks had a feeling the return match in Oxford wouldn’t be so easy.

“It’s always tough when you blow a team out of the building because they’re going to want to come back on you,” said Miami freshman Steven Spinell, who scored his first collegiate goal to spark the RedHawks’ comeback.

Miami had recorded three straight shutouts and pushed its scoreless streak to 239:13 minutes — fourth longest in NCAA history — before Ohio State junior Hunter Bishop ended it with a goal 11:59 into the second period.

Seven minutes later, the Buckeyes made it 2-0 on a power-play goal by sophomore Zac Dalpe.

“(Ohio State) played extremely well the first two periods,” Miami coach Enrico Blasi said. “We’d been in this situation before, most recently at North Dakota.”

Miami had trailed North Dakota 5-3 on Nov. 28 but tied it with two late goals.

“They blocked a ton of shots those first two periods,” Blasi said of OSU’s defense, “and if any did get through (goalie) Dustin Carlson was there to make the save.”

Miami finally broke through with Spinell’s goal with 12:53 left in regulation.

“That was such a momentum builder, which carried on the rest of the game, as you saw,” Miele said.

Miele’s first goal tied the score with 8:17 to go. “(Alden Hirschfeld) threw a great pass at me and I just put it in the net,” he said. Chris Wideman also had an assist.

Miele struck again with 2:19 remaining, assisted again by Hirschfeld.

Jarod Palmer concluded the scoring with an empty-net goal.

“We’ve dug ourselves quite a hole and it’s a deep one,” said Ohio State coach John Markell, whose Buckeyes fell to 7-12-1, 5-8-1-1 in the CCHA.

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