Although the Miami RedHawks sit at the bottom of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) at this season’s midpoint, massive strides have been made. Miami sits at 10-6-2 overall, 2-6-2 in NCHC play, and remains undefeated in non-conference play at 8-0-0.
They handled business early on against Ferris State (#59 NPI), RPI (#57 NPI), Lindenwood (#26 NPI), RIT (#38 NPI), and Union (#28 NPI) on the way to winning the Friendship Four.
Miami sits at No. 25 in the NPI rankings and has taken down two ranked teams: Union (No. 20) and Colorado College (then No. 19).
RedHawks Holding Their Own
The RedHawks remain undefeated in non‑conference play, with wins over a solid RIT team, a strong Union group, and a sneaky‑good Lindenwood squad. Miami took both games in overtime during the sweep at Lindenwood and is now 3‑0 in overtime this season. The group has handled their business outside the league and continues to show it can close out tight games.
Against NCHC programs, Miami has shown it belongs, even if many of those opponents sit in the bottom half of the league standings. The group came close to sweeping Arizona State, dropping a tight Friday game before earning a split. A similar story played out against St. Cloud State, where Miami had chances to take both games but earned a split, taking Friday night’s game.
Related: Giampa Lifts Miami to OT Win in Front of Largest Goggin Crowd Since 2015
Miami was in position to take one of the Denver games before an unfortunate shorthanded goal swung the momentum. The RedHawks then grabbed three out of six points in two ties against No. 19 Colorado College, another example of this group belonging in games against high‑level opponents.
While in Kalamazoo for the Western Michigan series, the RedHawks were overwhelmed after the first period in the Friday night game. Miami led 1-0 through one, but Western took control in every area the rest of the way. The following night, the RedHawks fell behind 4-0 yet pushed back to make it 4-2 midway through the third period. An unlucky bounce off a Miami skate ended the momentum, and the game finished 6-2.
Even with those results, this group is not far off from taking down the top teams in the NCHC, and the opportunities to do it are still there later this season.
Now for the team statistics. Miami is allowing 3.5 goals per game and taking 5.1 penalties per game. The RedHawks rank 27th nationally in shot attempts with 965, faceoffs sit at 46.2%, and the power play is converting at 15.6%, tied for 46th in the country with Alaska. Despite ranking seventh in the nation in power-play shot attempts with 119, the group has scored 12 goals with the man advantage. The penalty kill sits at 76.3%, which is 47th nationally and second to last in the NCHC, also facing 122 shot attempts against (third most in the country).
Matteo Drobac has faced 557 shots on goal so far as he’s started all 18 games. He holds a 10-6-2 record and has allowed 57 goals with a 3.14 goals-against average (GAA) and a .898 save percentage (SV%).
Head coach Anthony Noreen first reflected on the Colorado College series, where his team took three out of six possible points in the standings.
“It was definitely a hard-fought series. I think it was very indicative of the strides we have made as a program in a short amount of time. Having said that, the feeling in our locker room was disappointment. That is a major stride for our program. We got through that weekend, and everyone on the inside felt disappointed. We have high expectations.
Did we play well? Yes. Did we feel like we played as well as we possibly could? No. Did we feel like we left points out there? Yes. We just keep chasing and doing whatever we can to put ourselves in a position to be better the next time we are in a game situation.”
Young Defensive Core Making Strides
Miami’s defensive core is developing. There have been moments of struggles and some costly mistakes, but the group has grown throughout the first half of the season, especially the young defensemen playing alongside the veterans.
With all of the group now healthy, Noreen has paired the older players with the younger guys: Ryder Thompson (FR) with Vladislav Lukashevich (SO), Shaun McEwen (FR) with 25-year-old Owen Lalonde (GR), Kyle Aucoin (GR) with Michael Phelan (FR), and Michael Quinn as the seventh defenseman.
Noreen has been encouraged by the way the group has handled heavy minutes.
“The amount of hard minutes we have been able to play with a number of young and inexperienced defensemen is something we think will reap massive benefits for them and for us long term. We will continue to put them in those situations. They have earned it, and we feel like we are seeing strides in their game.
The older guys, Kyle Aucoin, Nick Donato, and Owen Lalonde, have been really good leaders and mentors. The rest of the defensive group is young with not a lot of college games played. There is a long runway for them to get better. They have taken to the coaching, and we are seeing better habits and details game in and game out. The next step after defending and breaking pucks out is adding offense from the blue line. You are seeing more of that, and it is something we will continue to develop.”
Lukashevich leads all Miami defensemen with 14 points on the season, scoring two goals and adding 12 assists. He plays a massive workload, averaging 22:20 of ice time per game, the highest on the team. He is paired on the right side with freshman Ryder Thompson to his left, forming Miami’s most relied‑upon pairing. Lukashevich is plus‑8 on the season and has blocked 19 shots, second most on the team.
Noreen spoke about what he’s seen from Lukashevich.
“Vladdy has been a great addition. He has brought exactly what we thought he would. He can play a lot of minutes, break pucks out effectively, defend well against anyone, and add offense on the power play and at five on five. He is the guy who quietly gets through all the minutes, and you look, and he always seems to have two or three points. That consistency is huge. We still feel like there is room for him to grow.”
He added how important it is to have a low-risk defenseman who can log heavy minutes.
“That is what elite-level defensemen do. They play 25 or 26 minutes, and you do not even notice them that much. That is a skill, and then you look, and he has a point or two. That is a really effective defenseman.”
Quinn has recently served as the seventh defenseman, but his usage remains significant. He has averaged 13:28 of ice time per game and carries a team-high plus-11 rating. Quinn is strong on the power play, consistently gets pucks through traffic where most of his goals have come from, and is a reliable passer in all three zones.
“Quinny is similar. Last year, he played a ton of meaningful minutes as a young guy, maybe even unfairly, because we needed him to. That helped his game grow. He is extremely comfortable at the offensive blue line and running the power play. He prides himself on being a two-way defenseman and works every day to round out his game.”
Thompson leads the entire team with 31 blocked shots and has five points this season, all assists. He is still searching for his first collegiate goal. His shooting accuracy and overall offensive game are areas that can continue to grow, but his defensive side has been very valuable. He is a player who can go unnoticed to many because he doesn’t score much, but not to me.
Phelan has been impressive, especially considering how far his skating has come since the start of camp in September. He has two points on the season with a minus-2 rating, rarely takes penalties, and plays a smart, composed game. His decision-making continues to improve with more minutes.
McEwen brings physicality and is still developing his overall game. He is minus-4 on the season with three assists and 14 blocked shots.
Donato and Charlie Michaud have been out of the lineup recently. Both saw time earlier in the season before Owen Lalonde made his debut in the St. Cloud State series after being a healthy scratch for all of October and most of November.
Deep Forward Group
Noreen has been able to roll all four lines most nights this season, and each line has produced. The Kocha Delic – Ilia Morozov – Matteo Giampa line has been the most productive and dynamic with 49 combined points.
Giampa leads the team with 19 points on nine goals and 10 assists, including four game-winning goals and two power-play goals. He does take his share of minor penalties with 10 for 20 minutes so far.
Morozov continues to climb draft rankings and is pushing toward late to middle first-round potential in the 2026 NHL Draft. He has 14 points with seven goals and seven assists. It says a lot that the youngest player in college hockey is centering the top line and playing on both the top power-play and top penalty-kill units.
He has eight blocked shots and plays a strong defensive game as a 200-foot forward, along with his offensive capabilities. In Friday’s game of the Colorado College series, Noreen trusted him to win it in the shootout, and he did just that with a smooth forehand to backhand finish to grab the extra point.
I will have more coming on Morozov soon, including a full article on his development with thoughts from Noreen and a full prospect profile after the season.
Delic is also a major driver on that top line. He leads the team in shots on goal with 56 and is second in points with 16 on seven goals and nine assists. He averages 21:34 of ice time, which leads all forwards and is second on the team overall. He has taken the second-most penalties on the roster with seven for 25 minutes.
Second on the depth chart is the Ryan Smith – Max Helgeson – David Deputy line, the fastest trio, which provides consistent production with 33 combined points between the three. Helgeson leads with 13 points: eight goals and five assists, while Deputy has put up nine points in 13 games. He returned from injury on Halloween night vs Arizona State after missing five games, and has been putting up 0.66 points per game this season.
The third line of Casper Nassen – Justin Stupka – Doug Grimes is Miami’s checking and grinding unit with 32 combined points. Nassen has taken major steps defensively and at even strength while still possessing his heavy one-timer and seeing consistent power-play time. Grimes brings important physicality and is the team’s enforcer. Stupka’s production has dipped slightly against NCHC competition, but he continues to develop in all areas, especially skating, and has been disciplined with only one penalty this season.
The fourth line of Nick Mikan – Ethan Hay – Bradley Walker is the most physical group, forechecking hard and finishing checks. They have combined for 13 points, 10 of them from Hay.
The bottom six has been just as important as the top six. Hay, in particular, has become a crucial depth piece. He plays on the penalty kill, wins key faceoffs, and scored Miami’s only shorthanded goal of the season in the 6-5 overtime win against St. Cloud State. He averages 15:28 of ice time and has 14 blocked shots.
Noreen did not hold back when talking about Hay’s importance.
“When we said we want to recruit and build a team based on character and compete level, he embodies everything we want to be. Highly competitive, a winner, a leader, team first. Whatever you need as a teammate, Ethan Hay is going to do it.
The faceoffs, penalty killing, shot blocking, battles, those do not always show up on the score sheet, but they are winning habits. They are the intangibles. You look at the best teams in the world. They have their high-end superstars and the rest of the guys are Ethan Hay. He can score, he can defend, he can play against top lines, he is extremely consistent in his effort and attitude. As a freshman, that is highly encouraging.”
Midseason Change In Goal
After a long struggle with the NCAA, Shika Gadzhiev, the projected starter among the fanbase all offseason and a Clark Cup champion, left the program a few weeks ago. He was never cleared despite multiple attempts at gaining eligibility. He then served briefly as the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones backup goalie but never appeared in a game and was released once their second goalie returned from the American Hockey League (AHL) Toronto Marlies. His next step is unclear.
Noreen and general manager David Nies prepared for this possibility by holding an extra roster spot, which allowed Miami to add Mathis Langevin, according to John Lachmann of viewfromtheglass.com. He is a goalie they pursued in September after he was cut from the Colorado Avalanche training camp roster following a strong showing at their development camp.
Last season, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound netminder led Rimouski Océanic of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) to a league final and a Memorial Cup with a 12-4-0 record, a 1.57 GAA, and a .944 SV%. According to MiamiRedHawks.com, he holds the team record for most time without a goal allowed in playoff history, which dates back to 1995. This season, he lost the starting job and was rumored to be traded, which led to his decision to join Miami this month. He was 3-7-0 with a 3.74 GAA and a .891 SV% before leaving.
Noreen explained the addition of Langevin.
“He will be eligible immediately. He will join us for practice this week and be eligible for the GLI.
David Nies deserves the majority of the credit on that. We had to pivot quickly. In our business, you are always focused on the present, but you also have to be ready for the next move. David has been excellent at that. When it was time to potentially get someone else, he was confident this was the guy. He had done his research. We had good intel on him as a person and a player.
We feel like he checks the character boxes. He is competitive, he has the right mindset, and he is a legitimate prospect. He played great games at the Memorial Cup and went through an NHL training camp. With his size, skill set, and mindset, we feel like he has the makings of an elite-level goalie.”
Drobac has been solid this season in most games and has bailed the RedHawks out of several almost costly turnovers. He’s played especially well in non‑conference action, but NCHC teams have started to figure out how to beat him by shooting high and creating traffic in front. Even with those adjustments from opponents, Drobac remains strong in tight and moves well post to post with his blocker.
However, Miami still needed a true tandem, and with Benji Motew not entering the mix, the addition of Langevin becomes important. Langevin went undrafted last season and has the potential to be selected next summer as a re‑entry, giving Miami another high‑upside option in net. Now the question becomes who wins the starter role.
In less than a week, Miami has another opportunity to climb the NPI rankings in the Great Lakes Invitational. The RedHawks will face Michigan Tech in the semifinal at 3:30 PM EST on Sunday, Dec. 28, and will either face Ferris State or No. 3 Michigan State the next day.
