Frozen Four | 4/1/2010 12:46:00 PM
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ROCHESTER, NY – Miami University (Ohio) makes its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Redhawks have earned four straight NCAA Tournament berths and are in the Frozen Four for the second straight season. Last year, Miami was the National Runner-Up.
Miami, the top ranked team in the latest USA Today/USA Hockey Division I USCHO.com Division I polls, is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Redhawks won the NCAA Midwest Region and enter this weekend with a sparkling 29-7-7 record. The Redhawks won the Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title with a 21-2-5 mark in CCHA play.
The top-seeded Redhawks defeated No. 4 Alabama-Huntsville, 2-1 in the NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal in Fort Wayne, Ind., on March 27, and used an Alden Hirschfeld goal 1:54 into double overtime to defeat No. 3 Michigan in the championship on March 27. Goaltender Conor Knapp was named the NCAA Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player after stopping 55 shots in the win over Michigan.
Currently, 15,766 students are enrolled at Miami University, which was founded in 1809. Miami's colors are red and white. The hockey program was founded in 1978, and has enjoyed plenty of recent success. Miami earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1993, and has gone to the big dance in five of the last six years.
In all, eight Redhawks are NHL draft picks, including Knapp, a Rochester native, who was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in 2009. Will Weber was a second round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2008.
Senior forward Jarod Palmer leads a deep Redhawks team in scoring with 45 points (18-27-45). Andy Miele is right behind with 44 points, while Carter Camper, and Tommy Wingels each have 42 points.
In goal, sophomores Cody Reichard and Knapp have split time almost evenly. Reichard leads the nation with a 1.76 goals against average in 26 games, while Knapp is second nationally with a 1.85 goals against average in 19 games. Reichard is 19-4-3, while Knapp is 10-3-4. The Redhawks are the top defensive team in Division I, allowing a miniscule 1.84 goals per game.
Miami Head Coach Enrico Blasi is in his 11th season at the helm of the Redhawks and boasts a 239-158-40 record. The Redhawks were the NCAA National Runner-up last season. He has led the Redhawks to seven 20-win seasons. Blasi has established Miami as one of college hockey's elite programs. Since the start of the 2005-06 season, Miami is 135-51-21.
Three former Redhawks currently play in the NHL, including 2010 Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Dan Boyle of the San Jose Sharks. In all, 16 former Redhawks have appeared in the NHL. Boyle won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
Since the beginning of Miami University hockey in 1978, 12 individuals have been recognized with 14 All-American honors. Boyle and Andy Greene were two-time All-Americans.
