No. 4 WMU Takes Down Miami in Decisive Second Period

OXFORD, Ohio– No. 4/5 Western Michigan broke a 1-1 tie with a seven-goal second period and went on to defeat the Miami University hockey team 8-3 Friday night at Steve “Coach” Cady Arena.
 
Colby Ambrosio, Max Dukovac and Raimonds Vitolins each scored a goal for the RedHawks (3-27-3, 0-22-1 NCHC). Zach Nehring produced two goals to lead WMU (25-7-1, 18-4-1 NCHC).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• 6:09 1st (WMU 1-0) | Wyatt Schingoethe put the Broncos ahead 1-0 early in the game. After a turnover in the Miami zone, Grant Slukynsky snatched the puck and fed it to Schingoethe, who scored with his backhand.
• 17:35 1st (Miami 1-1) | Late in the first, Ambrosio grabbed the puck near the blue line and skated it through the offensive zone before finishing it himself, tying the game at 1-1.
• 00:31 2nd (WMU 2-1) | Alex Bump scored 31 seconds into the second period to put the visitors back on top. Owen Michaels tipped the puck along the boards for Matteo Costantini, who played it up the right side of the rink to Bump. Bump cut inside a defender and quickly gave the Broncos the lead.
• 00:52 2nd (WMU 3-1) | Still in the first minute of the period, Nehring doubled the Broncos’ advantage. Grant Slukynsky sent the puck to Nehring from behind the net to set up a one-timer in front. Liam Valente earned the secondary assist on the scoring play.
• 4:46 2nd (WMU 4-1) | Zack Sharp scored from the far faceoff circle four minutes later, extending the Broncos’ lead to 4-1. Bump cycled the puck to Robby Drazner at the point, and Drazner then found Sharp on his left to finish the play.
• 15:46 2nd (Miami 4-2) | Dukovac answered back for Miami, carrying the puck forward on a 2-on-1 break with Johnny Waldron and keeping it himself to trim the deficit to 4-2. Waldron initially poked the puck forward after Bruno Bruveris stopped a WMU shot to create the scoring opportunity at the other end.
• 16:51 2nd (WMU 5-2) | A minute later, the Broncos restored their three-goal lead. Grant Slukynsky worked to keep a rebound alive and knocked it out for Cole Crusberg-Roseen, with his shot deflecting off of Nehring and in.
• 17:23 2nd (WMU 6-2) | Western made it 6-2 after Tristan Lemyre tracked down an Iiro Hakkarainen shot and slid a pass to Washe near the goalpost for the finish. 
• 17:41 2nd (WMU 7-2) | A Cam Knuble faceoff win set up Ty Henricks for a goal 18 seconds later, pushing the score to 7-2.
• 19:55 2nd (WMU 8-2) | Before time expired in the middle stanza, the Broncos added one more goal, as Washe won a faceoff and Joona Väisänen did the rest.
• 2:56 3rd (Miami 8-3) | The RedHawks fought back early in the third period with a power-play goal from Raimonds Vitolins, cutting the difference to 8-3. Conner Hutchison dropped the puck off behind him to Matt Choupani, who split the Broncos’ defense and laid a pass off to Vitolins for the goal.

 
NOTES

• Bruveris made 13 saves and recorded his first career assist; Brett Miller played the final 22:19 of the contest in net and made 10 stops.
• Ambrosio scored the 35th goal of his collegiate career.
• Hutchison’s assist was the 35th of his career.
• Choupani picked up his 10th assist of the season.
• Miami was 1-for-2 on the power play, while WMU went 0-for-2.

 

UP NEXT:
The RedHawks conclude the regular season Saturday, March 8 at 7:05 p.m. against the Broncos at Cady Arena. Miami will honor its senior class before the game; tickets are available here.