OXFORD, Ohio -- Western Michigan fell 5-3 to Miami in the first round of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference at Steve Cady Arena on Friday night.
The Broncos led twice during the game but both leads were erased by RedHawk power play goals, including the game-tying goal by Kevin Morris at 6:54 in the third period. Miami finished the night 2-for-5 on the power play while Western Michigan was awarded just one power play on the night.
WMU picked up goals by Colton Hargrove, Sheldon Dries and Kyle Novak, while Lukas Hafner made 20 saves with Miami's Ryan McKay making a game-high 31.
Blake Coleman gave the RedHawks a 1-0 lead at 9:42 in the first period. Riley Barber dug the puck out of the corner and found Coleman in the slot for his 14th goal of the season.
Hargrove tied it up at 18:43 after Dries won a faceoff and it kicked to Hargrove at the blue line. The junior forward powered past his marker and buried a wrister for his 13th of the year.
Dries gave WMU a 2-1 lead at 6:11 in the second period on the team's first short-handed goal of the season. Dries was forechecking in the Miami zone and forced a turnover. He gloved the puck out of the air and put it on the ice before firing it between McKay's legs for his team-best 14th goal of the season.
Louie Belpedio tied it up at 2-2 at 12:07 on a power play goal. The freshman defenseman fired a shot with Hafner making the initial save. The puck bounced right back to his stick and he put it in the net.
Novak gave the Broncos the lead once again at 1:44 into the third period. Aidan Muir found Novak behind the net and the sophomore forward tucked it inside the post for his fourth goal of the season. The goal was reviewed for several minutes as the goal light was not turned on but it was ruled a goal by the NCHC referees.
After Morris tied the game up Coleman gave the RedHawks a lead at 12:48 when Barber found him in the left circle and he punched it into the net for his second of the night and fourth point of the night.
Alex Gacek added an empty-net goal with 42 seconds remaining to push the lead to 5-3.
Game two of the best-of-three series is set for Saturday night at 7 p.m.
