Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio - The Alaska Nanooks saw their 2010-11 season come to an end Saturday night, as they were beaten 4-1 and swept on the weekend at the hands of the No. 7 Miami RedHawks in the second round Central Collegiate Hockey Association Series. Alaska finishes the year with a 16-17-5 mark.
Sophomore left wing
Chad Gehon scored the lone goal for Alaska and junior goalie
Scott Greenham made 32 saves in the loss as the Nanooks finished postseason play at 2-2.
For the second straight night, the Nanooks took the early lead. Sophomore defenseman
Scott Enders started the play at the right point, sending the puck just wide of Miami's goalie Connor Knapp and off the end boards. Junior forward
Ron Meyers collected the rebound on the left at the goal-line and spun around directing a pass to the high slot, where Enders skated in and fired a slap shot through traffic that hit Knapp in the logo on his sweater. Fortunately for the visitors, he could not control the rebound and sophomore left wing
Chad Gehon collected the rebound and backhanded it for the score at 4:31 of the first period.
The RedHawks evened the tally almost nine minutes later, when Cameron Schilling one-timed a shot at the left point that beat Greenham just over his blocker at 13:23 and made it 1-1. The teams remained tied heading into the first intermission, while the RedHawks held the 12-8 shot advantage.
Alaska worked to regain the lead in the middle frame, but the RedHawks exploded for a three-goal second period for a 4-1 lead at the second intermission.
MU's Andy Miele gave the home team their first lead of the night just 16 seconds into the second period on an odd-man rush, when he skated through the left circle and sent a wrist shot that beat Greenham high on his gloveside.
Vincent LoVerde made it 3-1 at 9:59 with a short-handed marker. Miele sent a feed cross ice through the neutral zone that beat Alaska's lone D-man
Scott Enders and found LoVerde 's stick. He skated in uncontested and attempted to tuck it under Greenham's left leg pad. It appeared as though he made the stop, but LoVerde's forward momentum pushed the puck and his leg pad over the goal line.
Enders assessed a tripping penalty on the play, which set up Miami's fourth lamp-lighter. Reilly Smith deflected a feed from Carter Camper to make it 4-1 at 11:29, which would hold as the final score.
Both teams would see one opportunity with a man-advantage in the third period, but neither squad could casch in on their chance. For the game the Nanooks were held scoreless in four power-play opportunities, while killing off 3-of-4 penalties successfully. For the second consecutive night, Alaska was outshot by more than double as Miami held a 36-15 advantage in shots on goal.
Third-year head coach
Dallas Ferguson moves to 51-45-5 in his time with Alaska and the Nanooks five-member senior class ends their careers combining for 652 career games played, while scoring 76 goals and 114 assists for 190 points from 2007-2011. The were part of Alaska squads that made it to Joe Louis Arena and the CCHA Championships in 2008-09 and the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history last season (2009-10).
