Skating on the power play and with its net empty, Miami escaped against Alaska-Fairbanks with a 2-2 tie when senior Matt Medvecz scored with eight seconds left in regulation Friday night.
The Nanooks (3-6-2, 2-5-2 CCHA), coming off a bye week, were the first to score in the game. Blaine Bablitz netted his fourth goal of the season at 1:39 in the second period.
Bablitz’ goal was key in that it erased any Miami (11-3-1, 6-2-1 CCHA) momentum that may have carried over from a scoreless first period, in which the RedHawks outshot the visiting squad 10-3. Credited with an assist on Bablitz’ goal was defenseman Felipe Larranaga.
After a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct was handed out to UAF’s Kelly Czuy for checking from behind at 5:25 in the second period, it appeared the RedHawks were on their way to tying the game. But while killing the major, the Nanooks broke out of their zone and scored a shorthanded goal only 1:10 into the RedHawks’ first power play of the game.
Netting the shorthander was Jared Sylvestre, his fifth goal of the year. The feed on the break came from David Keough.
Not all was lost for Miami as the RedHawks found the back of the net on that same power play. Freshman Chris Michael planted himself in front of the crease and stuffed home his second goal of the season at 6:54 to make it a 2-1 game. Senior Nick Jardine and junior Mike Kompon assisted on Michael’s power-play goal, Kompon improving his point-scoring streak to 13 games in the process.
With the Nanook defense on its heels, the Miami offense continued to press, but could not get anything by the defense of UAF goalie Preston McKay, who stopped 12 shots in the third period and 37 for the game.
Miami was finally able to get the best of McKay one more time before the end of the game, when Medvecz came to the rescue with the tying goal. Already skating a man-up on the power play, the RedHawks pulled their goalie to have two extra attackers. Senior Danny Stewart fed Medvecz on the give-and-go score.
The RedHawks rifled five shots on McKay in the extra period, but never managed to sneak past the game-winning goal. Earning the tie in goal for Miami was senior David Burleigh, who stopped a total of 24 shots.
In addition to making 24 saves, Burleigh and the RedHawk penalty-killing unit runs its streak to 15 consecutive power plays without allowing a goal.
