Anthony Nolin remains confident after tough weekend at Western Michigan in Miami – Hockey Writer – College Hockey
This past weekend, many of the Miami Redhawks played their first National Collegiate Hockey League (NCHC) road game, but it didn’t go as planned. Miami (7-3-0) was swept by the Western Michigan Broncos, losing 5-2 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday. The Broncos dominated in every area: special teams, offense, defense, goaltending and anticipation.
RELATED: Western Michigan completes sweep with 6-2 win over Miami
It was Miami’s first real road test this season in a building they’ve struggled with for years, and it showed just how inexperienced their roster is. With a total of 21 new players, including 12 freshmen and several transfers, the challenge is huge as they are still adjusting to the rhythm of the NCHC.
Lawson Arena is Miami’s loudest and most hostile venue of the season. The “Lawson Maniacs” went all out, and from my spot in the press box above the student section, you could feel how much the energy changed every time Miami took a penalty kick. The Redhawks spent too much time in the box over the weekend, taking 15 penalties in a total of 41 minutes of play.
I spoke with head coach Anthony Nowlin after Saturday’s series finale. He had a lot to say about the team’s struggles, what they’ll take away from the weekend and how young teams can learn from opponents like Western Michigan.
Redhawks chased games both nights
The biggest issue in both games was the amount of time Miami spent in the defensive zone. The Redhawks trailed 91-38 over the weekend, and Western Michigan dominated possession from start to finish. Western Michigan shot up 39-5 through two quarters on Saturday night, which is a pretty impressive stat. However, Miami spent both nights playing catch-up, struggling in transition and suffering too many defensive mistakes that turned into goals, many in transition and poor changeups.
When Miami did manage to clear the paint and get some chances, Western Michigan quickly took those chances away. They blocked shots, blocked passing lanes and cleared the puck before Miami could do anything. Reigning national champion goaltender Hampton Sluzinski also made several big saves that halted any momentum Miami was trying to generate.
Western Michigan won most of the 50-50 battles and dictated the tempo of the game. Miami’s Matteo Drobac allowed 11 goals on all 91 shots he faced. He excelled in the press, but struggled with outside shooting and rebounding as Western Michigan used traffic and screens in front to make his job more difficult.
Noreen said after the game that Western Michigan could limit Miami’s shots just by keeping the puck in the offensive zone.
“Spending time in the offensive zone, that’s the answer. The best defense is a good offense. When they take time on your end, when you come out and you’re no longer able to run the offense, now you think I’ve got to get off and get back up, now they’re back on you. When we’re at our best, that’s what we’re able to do. Obviously, it’s a whole different level than a really good team,” he said.
Saturday’s face-off results were fairly even (45.5%), but not Friday (32%). It doesn’t matter considering how much time Miami spent on its own end.
Miami’s weekend goals came from Ilya Morozov (twice), Vladislav Lukashevich and Michael Quinn. Lukashevich continued his stellar minutes and led Miami with 24:30 of ice time on Saturday.
red hawks special teams Struggle and Punishment
The special teams struggle played a big role in the sweep. The Miami Heat finished 1-for-11 on the power play and missed several big opportunities, including a five-minute grand slam on Friday in which they made just one shot and failed to extend their 1-0 lead. Western Michigan shot 10 of 11 in the shootout over the weekend and stayed tight and aggressive.
Miami’s penalty kill was solid overall, going 10-for-12 from the field and 5-for-5 on Saturday, but the penalty kill itself was a problem. The bat violation slowed the team’s momentum and forced Miami to be more defensive than ever. NCHC umpires have been cracking down on baseball penalties this season, and Miami has struggled at times, most notably in Game 1 against Ferris State and in the loss to Arizona State.
Noreen said Friday’s punishment hurt the most.
“What we didn’t like last night (Friday) was some stick penalties. I thought we needed to get out of the zone. I thought we did a better job tonight (Saturday). Obviously special teams, whether it’s the power play or the kill, is a huge power swinger. I think the 50-50 battle is really a key area against these guys,” he said.
He added that the power play is still looking for chemistry.
“We’re well represented. We have two brand new units, still getting used to each other, still getting to know each other,” he explained. “That’s not an excuse; it’s a fact. We will continue to build continuity through repetition, allowing our consistency and habits to allow us to be creative and apply our skills.”
Despite the lopsided score, Noreen praised Saturday’s third-period effort: “The confidence in this team hasn’t diminished at all. I thought we played until the last second both nights. Tonight (Saturday), you make it 4-2, you have a chance, and then you get an unfortunate goal. That’s how it goes sometimes, but you’ve got to believe and you’ve got to keep working.”
Noreen also emphasized that this weekend is a learning opportunity for the young players.
“Every time we get on the ice with this team it’s a teaching moment. We’re still in the early stages of this so far and we have to take advantage of every opportunity to learn. A big part of that is learning and seeing what they did and why they were able to do what they did last year and why they are the team they are,” he said.
Noreen also said Miami will have something to remember in the rematch later this season (Feb. 6-7).
“It was a 6-2 game and their first power play was with two minutes left. Those are the things you remember. We’re going to play these guys again. They’re a good team. They’re well-coached. They’re a great organization. That’s what we aspire to be.”
Looking ahead to St. Cloud State
Miami now sits in last place in the NCHC with three points and a 1-3-0 record. St. Cloud State held just one point ahead of them entering the weekend, making this series an important opportunity to move up the standings.
The Redhawks will take lessons from Western Michigan, tighten up their defense, eliminate stick penalties and find more consistency on special teams as they continue to navigate college hockey’s toughest conference.
