CCHA tournament quarterfinals
Who: Alaska Nanooks (16-15-6) at Miami RedHawks (19-9-6)
When: 7:35 p.m., Friday, 7:05 p.m. Saturday, 7:05 p.m. Sunday (if necessary)
Where: Steve Cady Arena, Oxford
Radio: WKBV-AM (1490)
TV: ONN
Tickets: $21 per game ($3 for students). Available at www.muredhawks.com/tickets/mioh-tickets.html or by calling 513-529-4295
OXFORD — Miami University’s hockey players intend to keep hammering at the defensive shell Alaska likes to form around its net in the hope that, sooner or later, that shell will crack.
“They like to pack it in, in front of the net,” Miami senior Carter Camper said. “You can’t get frustrated.”
The seventh-ranked RedHawks will pit an offense led by three of the nation’s top 14 point-makers against the defensive-minded Nanooks tonight in the opening game of their second-round series in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association Tournament.
Camper ranks second on the team (behind Andy Miele) and third in the nation in scoring with 17 goals, a career-high 33 assists and a career-high 50 points. He knows a good defense when he sees one and said the Nanooks aren’t the only team that can block a shot.
“We definitely have a strong offense, that’s no secret,” he said, “but we can play a defensive game as well.”
Miami ranks second in the CCHA in scoring defense and Alaska is third, and there is little difference in the goals-against averages among Miami goalies Connor Knapp (2.10) and Cody Reichard (2.11) and Alaska’s Scott Greenham (2.13).
“They’re a team that’s really around the net in the defensive zone and they block a lot of shots,” Miami senior defenseman Vincent LoVerde said.
“They’re a very tight defensive team, as we are,” he said. “Every goal, every play is going to be big, as they always are in the playoffs.”
That’s a lesson Miami has learned all too well in its last two second-round series. Two years ago the RedHawks suffered a stunning series loss to Northern Michigan, and last March they were taken to a third game by Ohio State before prevailing 2-1.
“You learn that you need to come out hard every single game,” LoVerde said. “You can’t take a game off in the playoffs. Every game is going to be a grind.
“You have to do your best to stay focused,” he said.
Camper agreed.
“Every second can be the difference,” he said. “You just can’t take time off.”
Alaska swept its first-round series against Michigan State last weekend with a pair of clutch goals by sophomore Nik Yaremchuk, the first in overtime, the second in double-overtime.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
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