Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Junior Geoff Smith’s (Toronto, Ontario) second goal of the season, with just 10.8 seconds remaining in overtime, gave the No. 2-ranked Miami University Red Hawks (13-2-2, 10-1-1 CCHA) a 3-2 win over the Rensselaer Engineers (8-7-3, 2-1-3 ECAC) in the first game of the Ohio Hockey Classic on Thursday night.
Miami jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 4:40 mark of the first period on freshman Bill Loupee's (Bloomfield, Mich.) first career goal. Junior Joe Cooper (Toronto, Ontario) won a battle for the puck deep in the Miami zone and moved it to freshman Kevin Roeder (Glenview, Ill.) just inside the blue line. Roeder found senior Matt Davis (Rocky River, Ohio) streaking down the right wing boards who carried the puck the length of the ice before circling behind the Rensselaer net and into the slot where he wired a wrist shot that deflected off Loupee and past Mathias Lange.
Sophomore Brad Robbins (West Bloomfield, Mich.) gave the Red Hawks a 2-0 lead at 13:27 of the first. Senior Stephen Dennis (Toronto, Ontario) gained the Rensselaer blue line and left the puck for freshman Alexandre Lacombe(Orleans, Ontario), at the top of the right circle. Lacombe dropped the puck to the right point for Robbins who unloaded on a slapshot and beat Lange low on stick side.
After a scoreless second period, Rensselaer cut the Miami lead in half with a power-play goal at the 8:04 mark of the third. Miami goaltender Charlie Effinger(Belleville, Ill.), made the initial stop on a shot from the point but the puck was swatted at and trickled through Effinger's legs and made its way over the goal line. The goal was credited to Jonathan Ornelas, with assists going to Brad Farynuk and Kevin Croxton.
The Engineers evened the score with 6:00 remaining in the third when Miami scored on its own net. Sophomore Mitch Ganzak (Canton, Mich.) stepped out from behind the Miami net and looked to pass the puck through the slot. Lacombe was circling in front of his own net and Ganzak's pass deflected off of him and the puck rolled behind Effinger, sending the game to overtime. The goal was credited to Keith MCWilliams.
With time winding down in overtime, sophomore Nino Musitelli (Macomb, Mich.) picked up the puck just inside the Rensselaer blue line and left it for Ganzak at the left point. Ganzak walked the puck down the wall before sliding a pass into the high slot where Smith beat Lange glove side.
Miami and Rensselaer each had 25 shots on goal. Effinger made 23 saves for Miami while Lange turned away 22 shots for Rensselaer. The Red Hawks were 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Engineers were 1-for-4.
Miami will play in the championship game of the Ohio Hockey Classic versus Ohio State at 8:05 p.m. Rensselaer will play Holy Cross in the consolation game at 5:05pm.
