Western Michigan’s comeback bid falls short at Hockey City Classic

Photos by Andrew Knapik/MiHockey

By Nick Barnowski –

CHICAGO — A three-goal third period wasn’t enough for Western Michigan to overcome Miami University Saturday night outdoors at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Four Miami goals in the first 40 minutes put Western’s comeback attempt just out of reach, as the RedHawks won by a score of 4-3 in a NCHC battle at the Hockey City Classic.

“There’s no moral victories in sport,” Western Michigan head coach Andy Murray said. “I did like the battle of our team in the third period to come back under tough circumstances.”

Goals 37 seconds apart from Josh Pitt and Victory Honda alum Aidan Muir brought the Broncos (11-11-4, 4-8-4-3) to within two midway through the third. Sheldon Dries (Macomb) scored WMU’s third with 45 seconds left in the game, but the Broncos were unable to tie it up.

The game was delayed by an hour and 40 minutes due to poor ice conditions, but both teams tried to stay focused during the delays and did their best to adjust to nature’s demands.

“Every line was deeper than the white ice so every time we’d rush it up pucks would start bouncing,” Muir said. “But we adjusted our game to get pucks deep and get to the net.”

With an emphasis on keeping passes short and getting pucks in close to the goalie, all seven of the game’s goals came from within the slot area.

“You play in a situation where the ice is bad, you got to get pucks to the net and I thought we did that,” Miami head coach Enrico Blasi said. “There’s no secret to playing in an outdoor game with the ice the way it is. You’ve got to keep things simple.”

The pace in the first period was faster than expected considering the ice conditions, but only one puck found the back of the net. Miami’s Alex Gacek skated down the right flank and found Alex Wideman in the slot with a centering pass. Wideman redirected it past WMU goalie Lukas Hafner to make it 1-0.

In the second period, a trio of Miami (16-9-1, 9-6-1-1) juniors led an offensive explosion that put the game out of reach for Western.

Immediately after a WMU charging penalty, Louie Belpedio’s shot bounced straight to Compware alum Riley Barber, who put it home from the right of Hafner.

Miami again capitalized on the power play at 17:50 of the second period when Kevin Morris scored at the top of the crease, giving Miami a 3-0 lead. Forty seconds later, Sean Kuraly made it 4-0 in favor of the RedHawks.

“We didn’t do the proper things in the second period and that’s what led to our downfall,” Dries said. “We finally simplified our game, getting pucks to the net, but it wasn’t enough.”

Western Michigan took six penalties in the game, including five in the second period. Murray felt three of his team’s five penalties in the second period were “not just.”

“We’re trying to play a professional game at the college level, and we need better than what we got tonight from the officials,” Murray said. “Our responsibility no matter what goes on it to kill penalties and we didn’t do a good enough job at that.”

Pitt’s goal, his first of the season, came at 8:02 of the third period. He was all alone in front of Miami goalie Jay Williams and slid the puck through the five-hole to put Western on the board.

Muir made it 2-0, and Dries tipped a shot past Williams with Broncos goalie Frank Slubowski (who entered the game in the third period) pulled for an extra attacker for Western’s third goal.

While Murray doesn’t believe in moral victories, he was pleased with his team’s resolve in the third period.

“We came back and we battled but that’s kind of what our team is known for,” he said. “We don’t quit.”