Oakland Splits Season Opening Weekend
9/27/2021
Oakland University DIII Hockey opened the 2021-2022 season this past weekend against the Miami University RedHawks. The teams met for two games at Detroit Skating Club and walked away with a game apiece. On Friday, Miami took the lead in the middle of the first period and controlled the game throughout most of the contest. Goals from returning forwards Logan Rey and Brendan Danou weren’t enough to overcome the RedHawks as the Grizzlies fell by a final score of 5-2.
After the game, coach Stirling commented on the play of the Golden Grizzlies: “It wasn’t our best performance on the ice tonight and the little things cost us the game. Although the result wasn’t what we wanted, for a bunch of new guys and for not having played a real game in almost two years, I am encouraged by the way we competed. The main difference in the game came at our defensive zone faceoff circle which will continue to improve over time.”
Returning goaltender Domenico Munaco made 42 of 46 saves in the loss.
On Saturday, the Grizzlies took control early and began to settle in for the season. Goals by newcomer JP Ayar, Evan Chippa, and Jackson Heacock opened the scoring in the opening frame as Oakland skated to a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period. Consistent goaltending by freshman Tate Potteiger held the RedHawks in check for most of the game. Logan Rey added the difference-maker in the second period and the Golden Grizzlies were able to complete the split with Miami by a final score of 4-3. JP Ayar had his first goal as a Golden Grizzly and Tate Potteiger made 41 of 44 saves in his first victory in an Oakland University uniform.
Coach Stirling added the following after Saturday night’s game: “We played much better tonight than we did yesterday, and I think that already says a lot about our team. We could have easily folded and walked away with nothing from the weekend, but our guys came back and competed. There are always things that need to be addressed but overall, it was much improved from the night before.”
Looking Forward
The Grizzlies will rest up and continue with a week of practice as they gear up for this weekend’s contests with MCHC East opponent Saginaw Valley State University. The start time for Friday night’s game at Detroit Skating Club is 8:10 PM. The Golden Grizzlies will travel to Saginaw Bay Ice Arena for the Saturday Night contest against Saginaw Valley. Saturday’s game has an 8:45 PM puck drop.