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Sports TwitterRedHawks blank Lakers
Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff records first shutout of season; victory improves Miami to 23-3-0 overall, 15-3-0 in CCHA.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
OXFORD — Now the Lake Superior
State Lakers have a better idea of what Miami hockey is all about.
Extras
Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff recorded his first shutout of the season and Alec Martinez, Ryan Jones and Carter Camper each had a goal and assist as the RedHawks roughed up the Lakers 5-0 Saturday night at Steve Cady Arena.
It was all Miami, all the time this weekend as the RedHawks outscored the Lakers 11-1 in the two-match sweep.
Last season LSS had stunned Miami in the second round of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association playoffs, eliminating the RedHawks with two 2-1 upset victories in Oxford.
"Coming into this weekend it was the in back of our minds," Zatkoff said. "We felt we owed them from last year, that we are a better team than that."
Zatkoff came into Saturday's contest with the nation's second-lowest goals-against average (1.63 per game) despite having no shutouts in his previous 20 games.
"Finally, huh?" he said with a grin. "The team did a great job. I only faced 18 shots."
Martinez dominated the opening minutes, scoring Miami's first goal just 1:16 into the first period and assisting Jones on a second goal less than 3 minutes later.
Martinez now leads the nation in both goals by a defenseman (seven) and points by a defenseman (22).
"Everybody's done a great job," Miami coach Enrico Blasi said. "Tonight it happened to be Alec, last night it was somebody else, next time it will be somebody else.
"Everybody's contributing," Blasi said, explaining "That's how our team works.
The victory improved Miami to 23-3-0 overall, 15-3-0 in the CCHA. LSS fell to
3-15-4, 1-12-3 CCHA.
The goal by Jones was his 21st of the season, which keeps him one behind national leader Kevin Porter of Michigan, who scored his 22nd Saturday.
Miami's other goals were scored by Nino Musitelli in the second period and Pat Cannone and Camper in the third.
Vincent Loverde had two assists and
Jarod Palmer, Gary Steffes, Brad Robbins and Mitch Ganzak had one apiece.
Laker Superior State's Zac MacVay received a 10-minute misconduct penalty following a couple of skirmishes at the end of the second period, and teammate Dan Eves got 10 minutes early in the third.
The RedHawks face a long northwest trek next weekend when they try to extend their five-game winning streak with matches Friday and Saturday at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
