Recap: Miami hockey splits first weekend series against Northern Michigan Wildcats

The 2026-27 college hockey season is officially underway, and the first weekend of action was a storm of goals, comebacks, upsets and much more. 

For the Miami University hockey team, not everything went as smoothly as they might have drawn up. However, a series split against the Northern Michigan University Wildcats gave them plenty of information to work with heading into a bye week.

Game 1

The RedHawks began their season with a couple of key pieces missing from the lineup. Freshman defenseman Timofei Runtso was out with an injury, alongside the team’s leading  scorer from last season, sophomore David Deputy. 

Miami also was without their leader in assists from last season, junior defenseman Vladislav Lukashevich. The Russian defender was initially penciled in on the line charts that came out at 5 p.m. ET, but at 6:04 p.m., the Miami hockey social media team deleted the post and sent out another with him in the “Miami Scratches” box.

Playing against one of the best goaltenders in the country last season was going to be a challenge, and playing him without three top offensive weapons in the lineup made the game even harder. The Wildcats defended well, but sophomore Oliver Auyeung-Ashton showcased why he was named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) All-Rookie Team last year and was voted by the media for the All-CCHA Preseason Team, as well.

In front of nearly 2,200 fans (out of the 3,800 seat arena), the RedHawks and Wildcats took the ice following a jersey retirement ceremony for current Columbus Blue Jackets general manager, Don Waddell, and two of his teammates, Tom Laidlaw and Steve Bozek, who played for Northern Michigan’s inaugural team in 1976 and were NCAA runners up in 1980. 

The first period was uneventful, as neither team found themselves on the scoresheet. However, it wasn’t for a lack of chances, especially for the visitors.

Miami had their first chance on the power-play less than 10 minutes into the game, but they didn’t score. However, the team’s biggest opportunity came with three minutes left in the period, as Wildcats sophomore forward Reilley Kotai racked up 17 minutes of penalties in one play. 

After the puck bounced to the side of RedHawks junior netminder Matteo Drobac, Miami sophomore defenseman Ryder Thompson took a crosscheck from Kotai, which was the initial penalty. Then, after Thompson responded with a shove, the Northern Michigan forward came back with a butt end to Thompson’s midsection, drawing ire from referee Morgan Shepherd.

The RedHawks were given an unusual seven minute man-advantage thanks to the minor cross-checking penalty, the major penalty and the game misconduct.

Miami did not score in the final three minutes of the first period, and they didn’t score in the first few minutes of the second, either. It was the Wildcats who struck first on a shorthanded rush on the seven-minute penalty to get the scoring started. 

Freshman Coster Dunn scored his first collegiate goal as a result of the two-on-one chance.

Another Miami power play didn’t result in anything once again in the middle of the second, but Northern Michigan scored later in the period, this time on their own power play.

Miami freshman forward Matouš Kucharcík received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for facewashing following a big scrum in front of Auyeung-Ashton, and after a two-minute four-on-four session, the Wildcats had a three-minute power play.

Freshman defenseman Darik Olson smoked a one-timer from the right side and put the Wildcats up 2-0 before the end of the second.

Despite a far better performance in the third period for the RedHawks, it seemed as if nothing was going to bounce their way. 

Auyeung-Ashton had an answer for everything Miami threw at him. Sophomore forward Kocha Delic tied his career high with six shots on goal throughout the game, including three in the third period, but no effort was good enough. 

The Wildcats iced the game with a minute and a half remaining on the power play after Miami’s Ilia Morozov took an ill-advised boarding penalty. Sophomore defenseman Ian Engel shot the puck all the way down the ice and into the empty RedHawk net to put Northern Michigan up 3-0 before the final buzzer sounded.

Auyeung-Ashton delivered the second shutout of his young career, a 30-save performance. The RedHawks finished 0-for-6 on the power play and gave up a shorthanded goal in the process.

“We hope it was a wake-up call to everyone in our room just how challenging college hockey is,” Miami Head Coach Anthony Noreen said. “It’s not easy. Ever. I didn’t think we executed great. I didn’t think we generated nearly enough or got inside enough. It was kind of a choppy game. Certainly that was challenging. It was one of those where we’ve got to learn quick. We’ve got to be fast learners here.”

And fast learners they were.

Game 2

The RedHawks looked like a completely different team to begin the second game of the weekend series. They came out in the first period and fired 13 shots on goal – the most of any period through the two contests. Freshman forward Ryan Seelinger led the team with three in the first 20 minutes (and five through the game).

More importantly, the special teams woes for Miami appeared to dissipate overnight. 

With just over 13:30 elapsed in the first frame, the RedHawks took to the power play following a tripping minor by Dunn, the Wildcats shorthanded goal scorer on Friday. And just over a minute and a half into the man-advantage, it was Kucharcík that took the play into his own hands. 

After a nice bank pass off the left boards to Thompson at the point, the second Miami power-play unit went to work. Thompson sent a pass to space on the right side that senior forward and captain Doug Grimes was occupying at one point, but he was there no longer. Kucharcík recovered the loose puck against two Northern Michigan defenders, and found Thompson once more at the point. 

The Miami point man played catch with sophomore forward Austin Baker before giving the puck back to Kucharcík. 

The freshman took a couple of backwards strides toward the goal line, ripped a shot over the right shoulder of Auyeung-Ashton and found twine, giving Miami a 1-0 lead, their first goal of the season and Kucharcík’s first collegiate goal with 25 seconds remaining on the power play.

That goal was the only tally until the third period. 

With the RedHawks up a goal and leading the shot counter 20-13 entering the third period, continuing to attack was of the utmost importance. 

The Wildcats and RedHawks each killed off a penalty  before the visitors went back to the power play just over seven and a half minutes into the final frame. A cross-checking penalty was assessed to junior defenseman and Clarkson University transfer, Noah Houle.

Northern Michigan’s penalty kill seemed to be clicking on all cylinders, but it was once again the second Miami power-play unit that found its footing and converted.

Kucharcík was the catalyst of the play, entering the offensive zone with possession of the puck before examining his options and taking a couple of strides down the left side. 

Dragging and firing a puck toward the Wildcat net, Auyeung-Ashton couldn’t keep the rebound of Kucharcík’s shot within his vicinity. Miami junior forward Ryan Smith had a whack at it, but he couldn’t convert. 

Then, when it looked like the Northern Michigan defender could clear the threat away, Baker lifted his stick, slapped the puck along the ice and into the net, giving the RedHawks a 2-0 lead with their second power-play goal of the night. It was his first collegiate goal as well.

“I thought Matouš was excellent tonight,” Noreen said postgame Saturday. “You can see why we missed him so much last night when he was out of the game. He does some pretty special things, and obviously scores a big time goal on the power play. He just made a ton of plays all night while still being really responsible through the middle. 

“And for (Baker) getting his first goal, it was the reason we brought him here. We love his two-way game. We think he’s a guy that can chip in offensively and also just play the right way and be a leader throughout the game. He’s done that, so really good to get him on the board early, as well.”

With 4:08 remaining in the period, Grimes took a high-sticking penalty in the offensive zone, giving the Wildcats a key opportunity with plenty of time left on the clock. And after a handful of chances, a home team timeout with 39 seconds remaining on the penalty and a goalie pull, Northern Michigan made things interesting. 

A puck shot along the ice toward the slot on the 6-on-4 power play was deflected in front by sophomore forward and Colorado College transfer Merril Steenari, cutting the RedHawks lead in half, 2-1.

But instead of crumbling, playing the game safe or trying too hard to protect the one-goal lead, Miami came out and swarmed the opposition. For the final 2:09 of the game, the Wildcats couldn’t hold on to the puck. 

With 1:38 remaining, Miami senior forward Matteo Giampa forced a turnover and fired the puck toward the empty net from the right point of the offensive zone and scored to make the game 3-1. One minute later, sophomore forward Bradley Walker put home Miami’s second empty-netter to ice the game for a final score of 4-1.

“I just liked that there was no panic on our bench,” Noreen said. “It didn’t feel like it was one of those where we were on our heels. I think special teams overall, especially after last night’s game, to right that ship, get two power-play goals which was awesome, really good for those guys, and then 5-on-6, to see that situation at the end and handle that situation well, as well.”

Despite a challenging first game of the weekend, the RedHawks responded well on Saturday night. The win was the first that the Miami program has had at Northern Michigan since 2009, and while some things remained the same, including the final shot total (30), the execution and effort level over 60 minutes exceeded the previous night. 

“I thought it was really clear how much the game mattered to our group today,” Noreen said. “It’s easy to talk about, the hard part is them going out and executing. It was clear from the first shift, really from our first rotation through everybody just how committed and dialed and detailed our guys were going to be tonight. And it wasn’t easy. 

“Again, you ran into a hot goaltender who made save after save. But that was just what Miami hockey looks like. I loved our overall response as a group.”

The RedHawks are 1-1-0 with a bye week before the home opener at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 at Steve “Coach” Cady Arena against Robert Morris University.