March 18, 2011
ND-Miami Game RecapND Post Game Press Conference
Final Stats
Detroit, Mich. – Miami University ruined Notre Dame’s return to the CCHA Championship at Joe Louis Arena on Friday evening as the third-seeded RedHawks blitzed the Irish for four first-period goals on the way to a 6-2 win in the first semifinal game. The win sends Miami to the championship game on Saturday evening while Notre Dame will play in the third-place game at 3:35 p.m.
Senior Carter Camper scored two first-period goals and assisted on a third as the RedHawks scored four times in an 8:40 span to take a 4-0 lead by the 13:32 mark. Bryon Paulazzo and Alden Hirschfeld added single goals in the first period as Miami out shot the Irish, 14-2. Andy Miele, the nation’s leading scorer, scored the final two goals for Miami.
Billy Maday, on the power play, and Calle Ridderwall scored for Notre Dame. T.J. Tynan assisted on both goals, giving him 51 points on the season (21 goals, 30 assists) to become the first Irish player with 50 or more points since Curtis Janicke `93 had 50 in 1991-92.
The loss drops eighth-ranked Notre Dame to 23-12-5 on the year while sixth-ranked Miami is now 22-9-6 on the season.
“Obviously that was a great performance by Miami,” said head coach Jeff Jackson.
“They put us on our heels right from the beginning and we didn’t recover. I thought our team responded a little in the second period, but when they scored the fifth goal, I thought that was pretty much it. It was obviously a disappointment. It’s a learning process for this group and hopefully we will be better tomorrow.”
Miami dominated the play early in the first period and broke through on starting goalkeeper Mike Johnson at 4:52 of the first as Camper scored his first of the night on the power play.
Miele moved the puck from below the goal line to Camper in the slot. The center whipped a low wrist shot on goal that broke through Johnson’s pads and trickled into the goal for his 18th of the season.
Just 1:01 later at 5:53, the lead would go to 2-0 as Paulazzo scored his second of the season. Alden Hirschfeld fed the freshman left wing from behind the goal and he was able to redirect the puck inside the left post. Camper picked up the second assist on the goal.
The RedHawks would get a second power-play chance at 8:37 when Ben Ryan went off for slashing. One minute later, Miami had a 3-0 lead. This time Hirschfeld would get the goal as he tapped in a centering feed from sophomore Reilly Smith at 9:47 for his 12th goal of the year.
Notre Dame finally got a break when defenseman Will Weber was called for holding at 13:21. Instead of the Irish breaking through, the RedHawks extended the lead to 4-0 as Camper scored a short-handed goal just 11 seconds into the power play as he stripped a Notre Dame defender on the right side of the goal and tucked the puck past Johnson for his 19th goal of the year.
“Miami’s a very skilled team and when you give a skilled team with skilled players that kind of space, they are going to capitalize on it,” said Notre Dame defenseman Joe Lavin.
“If you turn the puck over – that was obviously an issue for us – some games you can get away with it, some you can’t. We were excited to play and ready to go, but Miami was too.”
The two shots by the Irish in the period were a season low for one period.
Notre Dame showed some life in the second period as they got on the scoreboard at 6:46 while on a five-on-three power play. Tynan took a pass from Riley Sheahan on the left side of the RedHawks’ goal and threw a centering pass in front that Maday was able to redirect past goaltender Cody Reichard for his eight goal of the season.
The RedHawks answered that with their fifth goal of the game as Miele scored from his stomach at 12:01 for his 22nd goal of the year and third point of the game for a 5-1 lead.
Notre Dame continued to battle and was rewarded at the 18:05 mark as Ridderwall deflected a Tynan shot of a Miami defender’s skate and through Reichard’s legs for his 14th goal of the season but that was as close as the Irish would get.
Miele closed the scoring at 3:35 of the third when he whipped a one-timer from the slot past Johnson for his 23rd goal and fourth point of the game. Smith set up the goal for his third assist of the night. The goal sent Johnson to the bench with freshman Steven Summerhays playing the final 16:25.
On the night, the RedHawks out shot the Irish 30-27. Reichard finished with 25 saves while Johnson had 18 and Summerhays added six for the Irish.
Notre Dame will face the loser of the Michigan-Western Michigan game at 3:35 p.m. on Saturday.
** IRISH NOTES**
* The last time that Notre Dame played in the third-place game was the during the 2007-08 tournament. The Irish lost that game, 2-1, to Northern Michigan.
* With his two points, T.J. Tynan reached the 50-point plateau to become just the third Notre Dame freshman to score more than 50 points in his first season. With 51 points, Tynan trails Dave Poulin `82 and John Noble `73 who had 59 points each in their rookie careers. The last Notre Dame player to record more than 51 points in a season is David Bankoske `93 who had 56 during the 1989-90 season.
GAME SUMMARY 1 2 3 - F#6/#6 Miami (22-9-6) 4 1 1 - 6#8/#8 Notre Dame (23-12-5) 0 2 0 - 2
Scoring First Period: MU: Carter Camper 18 (Andy Miele, Chris Wideman), PPG, 4:52; MU: Bryan Paulazzo 2 (Alden Hirschfeld, Camper), 5:53; MU: Hirschfeld 12 (Reilly Smith, Miele), PPG, 9:47; MU: Camper 19 (unassisted), SHG,
Penalties: MU: 3 for 6 minutes; ND: 3 for 6 minutes.
Second Period: ND: Billy Maday 8 (T.J. Tynan, Riley Sheahan), PPG, 6:46; MU: Miele 22 (Smith), 12:01; ND: Calle Ridderwall 14 (Tynan, Bryan Rust), 18:05.
Penalties: MU: 4 for 8 minutes; ND: 2 for 4 minutes.
Third Period: MU: Miele 23 (Smith), 3:35.
Penalties: MU: 1 for 2 minutes; ND: 2 for 4 minutes.
Shots On Goal:Miami 14 - 9 - 7 - 30Notre Dame 2 - 14 - 11 - 27
Goaltender Saves:MU: Cody Reichard (60:00) 2 - 12 - 11 - 25ND: Mike Johnson (43:21) 10 - 8 - x - 18 Steven Summerhays (16:25) x - x - 6 - 6
Power Plays:MU: 2 for 5ND: 1 for 6
Attendance: N/A