DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — The Miami University hockey players say they are more than teammates. They are part of a concept conceived by head coach Enrico Blasi.

They call it The Brotherhood.

And it's one reason, the RedHawks say, that they find themselves back in the NCAA Tournament, preparing to face fifth-ranked New Hampshire in Saturday's first round of the Northeast Regional in Manchester, N.H.

So what, exactly, is The Brotherhood?

"Everybody has each other's back," said sophomore goaltender Jeff Zatkoff.

"It's the idea that everybody on our team thinks of ourselves not as an individual, but as one big team," said senior forward Marty Guerin. "That we count on each other for whatever we may need. For being best friends in every area of our life."

"It means Miami hockey, in all honesty," said senior forward Matt Christie.

Blasi said The Brotherhood is all-encompassing, and it leads to one, ultimate goal.

"It starts with recruiting," Blasi said, "and it goes down to everyday decisions and work ethic. We go in every year with the same goal — to win a national championship, and every decision we make is focused on that."

Most if not all college teams in all sports strive for team unity and championships. These are common themes.

But Blasi taken it to a new level, Guerin said.

"One thing about college hockey, you don't have much free time," he said. "You spend a lot of time with your teammates. You're not only teammates, you're best friends as well.

"One of the main reasons we've had success in that area, (the coaches) recruit not only good players, but good people who've had good backgrounds," Guerin added. "We all have respect for each other, and we know the guys coming in are guys you can trust and depend on."

This trust, Christie noted, has helped the RedHawks get through some pretty tough times this season.

• The RedHawks, who opened the season with a dynamic 1-2 punch at goaltender, lost junior Charlie Effinger to illness for three weeks in November and early December and then lost sophomore Jeff Zatkoff for two weeks when he played for Team USA in the World Junior Championship in Sweden.

• In the middle of the season, Miami played in seven straight two-game series without winning back-to-back games.

• Miami seemingly saved its best for last with a five-game winning streak late in the season, but now has lost its last three.

"This year, with all the ups and downs we've had, now we're going to the tournament again," Christie said. "Hopefully (The Brotherhood) will bind us together, and hopefully it will carry us for another two weeks."

According to Blasi, "It shows our guys are buying into The Brotherhood and what we stand for."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.