Rested RedHawks are ready for Ohio State

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By Rick Cassano, Staff Writer Updated 12:26 AM Thursday, March 11, 2010

OXFORD — Parity is a great thing, especially when it’s all below you.

Miami University’s hockey team has been dwelling on the Central Collegiate Hockey Association mountaintop all year, winning the regular-season championship by a whopping 20 points.

Now that the CCHA tournament is in full swing, can anybody beat the well-rested, top-seeded RedHawks?

“There couldn’t be a harder draw for us in the nation,” said Ohio State coach John Markell, who will bring his Buckeyes to Steve Cady Arena this weekend for a second-round series against Miami, which is ranked first in one national poll and second in another. “They’re deep, they deserve the ranking they’ve got, and they’re at home. We need to go in and try to create some of our own luck.”

OSU (14-16-6) is seeded eighth and coming off a first-round sweep of Notre Dame. MU (24-5-7) has been idle since a scoreless tie/shootout loss against the Buckeyes in Columbus on Feb. 27.

“We’ve had a little bit of rest, a little bit of hard work, and we’re excited to have the puck drop again,” RedHawks coach Enrico Blasi said. “I think we’re pretty safe in making the NCAA tournament. We’re not a team under consideration or a team fighting for a spot. So we can just focus on trying to beat Ohio State.”

The best-of-three series will begin Friday, March 12, at 7:35 p.m. Game 2 is slated for 7:05 p.m. Saturday, and Game 3 (if necessary) will be Sunday at 7:05 p.m.

Miami faces some daunting history as it heads into the tournament. The RedHawks have never won the CCHA’s postseason event.

“I’ve never seen a team dominate the CCHA like Miami has this year,” Markell said. “But we’ve been getting healthy, and we’re playing some pretty good hockey. Our guys know what it takes.”

Ohio State is playing better, but it’s still just 3-3-4 in its last 10 games. MU is 8-1-1.

Here are the other three quarterfinal series:

No. 7 Michigan (21-17-1) at No. 2 Michigan State (19-11-6): The Wolverines may be down a bit this year, but it’s doubtful anybody in East Lansing is taking Michigan lightly. This will be a fierce rivalry series.

No. 6 Nebraska-Omaha (20-14-6) at No. 3 Ferris State (19-11-6): Upset seekers, cast your eyes this way. The Mavericks are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, with Miami and Bemidji State providing the losses during that time. They’re also motivated — they will be moving to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association next season. Ferris, meanwhile, has staggered to a 2-4-4 mark down the stretch.

No. 5 Alaska Fairbanks (18-9-9) at No. 4 Northern Michigan (17-11-8): Both teams have played very well recently. The visiting Nanooks haven’t lost since Jan. 30, closing with an 8-0-2 record.

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