DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — All talented athletes have ambition. Miami University's Ryan Jones is no different.

Except that Jones' ambition has nothing to do with winning the Hobey Baker Award (college hockey's version of the Heisman Trophy), reaping All-American recognition or finishing his senior season as the national leader in goals scored, all of which are real possibilities.

No, Jones' dream is to be a cog.

You know, a cog in a wheel. One of many. A cog that keeps the wheel rolling, that keeps the Miami RedHawks rolling, relentlessly, toward the simple goal of winning the next game on the schedule.

"I don't attribute the team's success to anything I've done personally," Jones said Thursday afternoon after practice. "It's been the team the entire way. We all take pride in the team's success."

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound forward from Chatham, Ontario, Canada, won't even take credit for helping the team — as Miami's second-year captain and therefore the player with the most responsibility — overcome the early-season loss of All-American Nathan Davis, who has missed 20 of Miami's 28 games with shoulder and back injuries.

"When Nate went out, I knew we had some guys who could step up in goal scoring like (Justin) Mercier and (Carter) Camper," Jones said, referring to the fact that Mercier and Camper have combined for 33 goals.

Jones does take his duty as captain seriously.

"One of the most important things is keeping your leadership consistent," he said. "It doesn't matter if I have an awful game, I have to be consistent in the locker room."

There haven't been many "awful games" for either Jones or the RedHawks.

The team has won seven straight, Jones is tied for the national lead in goals scored (26) with Michigan's Kevin Porter, and Jones and the top-ranked RedHawks and Porter and the second-ranked Wolverines are scheduled to collide next weekend in Oxford in a Friday-Saturday series which could make history.

Should Michigan come to Steve Cady Arena still ranked second in the two national polls, it would mark the first time any Miami team in any sport would be involved in a matchup of No. 1 against No. 2. Miami is idle this weekend, while Michigan hosts Northern Michigan for a pair of games.

But Jones and the RedHawk veterans learned the hard way that it doesn't pay to get too caught up in the hoopla.

"You try to stay humble," Jones said. "Two years ago we were ranked No. 1 and then the next week we weren't No. 1 because we let it go to our heads (and lost the next game).

"It was the first time we'd been No. 1 and there was a lot of hype about it," he added. "It was hard not to think about it. This year we have a lot of guys who have been there and are comfortable in that position."