Freshman winger David Deputy continued his breakout surge with three goals in the series, while goaltender Matteo Drobac delivered another steady weekend in net.
Miami outshot Western Michigan 29-23 Saturday and controlled long stretches after a sluggish start, and the performance left RedHawks second-year coach Anthony Noreen encouraged about what his team can be in the season’s closing month.
Miami, which had a five-game winning streak snapped, sits at 17-9-2 and is receiving votes at No. 21 in the most recent USCHO Division I Men’s Poll.
Here are five takeaways from Miami’s series against Western Michigan:
1. Miami can stand toe-to-toe with the champs
A split against the defending national champions validated Miami’s rise over the past month.
Noreen said the weekend reinforced what his locker room already believed.
“If you watch that game and you don’t believe in this group and what this group’s capable of, then I don’t know what you’re watching,” Noreen said. “That is an excellent team — committed, well coached, great goaltender — and we’re right there with them.”
2. Deputy is a difference-maker
The freshman forward continued his transformation from promising newcomer to primary weapon.
Deputy scored three times on the weekend, including Friday’s overtime winner and a shorthanded goal Saturday that cut the deficit to 2-1. He now has a team-high 14 goals and has scored in three straight games.
His confidence with the puck has changed the look of Miami’s attack, particularly on the rush. Defenseman Shaun McEwen, who set up one of Deputy’s goals Friday, said the chemistry is obvious.
“Deputy is a good buddy of mine — he’s easy to play with,” McEwen said. “He makes a lot of plays for us. He drives us offensively and makes my life a lot easier on the back end.”
3. Drobac, defense passed a championship test
Goaltender Matteo Drobac delivered another statement weekend, stopping 30 of 32 shots in Friday’s win and adding 20 saves Saturday.
Miami was outshot 32-16 in the victory yet never looked rattled with Drobac between the pipes. Noreen called his sophomore goalie “excellent again” and pointed to a defensive group playing without injured minute-leader Vlad Lukashevich.
“Our D-corps one through six played a lot of minutes — more than they normally do — and I thought every one of them stepped up,” Noreen said. “We defended the rush way better, tightened our gaps and were physical on entries.”
McEwen, whose role has grown steadily, credited the staff’s trust for his development.
“The coaches have trusted me to play a larger role, and that helps a lot,” he said.
4. Power play created momentum even without a goal
On paper, Miami’s power play went empty, including a five-minute major Saturday, but the chances told a different story.
The RedHawks generated multiple looks that were erased by Western Michigan goaltender Hampton Slukynsky, an NHL prospect.
Noreen defended his unit.
“There were some mega, mega grade-A chances that an unbelievably elite goaltender makes look routine,” Noreen said. “Those were not routine saves.”
Even without a goal, Noreen felt the power play tilted the ice.
“We fed off it and got downhill for a while after those,” the coach elaborated. “It generated a lot for our bench and our momentum.”
5. The lesson moving forward — start on time
Both games began with Western Michigan scoring early into the first period, a trend Miami knows it must correct before next week’s trip to North Dakota.
Noreen was blunt about Saturday’s opening 20 minutes.
“Didn’t like our start at all — it just wasn’t up to our standard,” Noreen said. “Second and third period, probably as proud as our team as any game we’ve played all year.”
“If there’s one thing I learned, it’s definitely got to start on time,” McEwen added. “Those last 40 minutes we played Miami hockey — physical, in your face, our identity.”
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