The RedHawks scored three goals in the second period and held a 46-9 shot advantage over visiting Lake Superior State, taking a convincing 4-0 decision at Goggin Ice Arena Friday that brought No. 9 Miami within one win of to Joe Louis Arena and the CCHA Super Six for the first time since 1996-97.
Freshman Matt Christie got the birds on the board first when he scored his team-leading 20th goal of the season at 5:29 in the first period.
A quick shot from the left wing was all Christie needed to get the puck past LSSU goalie Jeff Jakaitis. Sophomore Stephen Dennis started the play when he pokechecked the puck away from an LSSU forward at the blueline, and senior Derek Edwardson chipped it ahead to Christie on the wing.
With a 13-3 shot advantage after the first period, the RedHawks kept the offense flowing in the second frame when senior Greg Hogeboom opened up a 2-0 lead with a 4-on-4 marker at 7:59.
Moments after the 4-on-4 ended and the RedHawks went on the man advantage, freshman Marty Guerin one-timed a pass from Edwardson into the back of the net to make it 3-0 at 8:33. Edwardson’s pass to Guerin was threaded from the right boards across the zone to Guerin on the left wing.
Miami capped off the scoring at 19:09 in the second period when junior Todd Grant ripped a shot through the five-hole of Jakaitis to make it 4-0. Credited with his third assist of the contest was Edwardson, while sophomore Andy Greene logged his second helper of the evening.
The beneficiary of the offensive outburst by the RedHawks was freshman netminder Brandon Crawford-West, who needed just nine saves to record his second career shutout. Suffering the loss for the Lakers between the pipes was Jakaitis with 26 stops, while Matt Violin played the third period and made 16-of-16 saves for LSSU.
Miami and Lake Superior play again Saturday at 7:35 p.m.
