Miami University RedHawks hockey team commenced the second half of their 2026 season with a trip to Tempe, Arizona, to face off against the Arizona State Sun Devils. The RedHawks, holding a record of 11-7-2 (2-6-2 in the NCHC), aimed to start the new year strong with this NCHC matchup against the Sun Devils, who themselves had a record of 11-10-1 (4-5-1 in the NCHC).
The series at Mullett Arena began on Friday, January 9, with a 9 p.m. ET faceoff, followed by a second game on Saturday, January 10, at 7 p.m. ET. Broadcast coverage was available on NCHC.tv, with audio streaming provided by Greg Waddell on MiamiRedHawks.com.
Miami entered the series following a third-place finish at the Great Lakes Invitational in December, where they lost to Michigan Tech but bounced back with a win against Ferris State. Arizona State, on the other hand, claimed the Desert Hockey Classic title, defeating Alaska Anchorage and Air Force. The Sun Devils have been on a strong run, winning eight of their last 11 games and securing victories against four top-10 teams, including North Dakota, Denver, Minnesota Duluth, and Dartmouth.
Key players for Miami include Matteo Giampa, who leads the team in points with 19 (9 goals, 10 assists), and shares the lead in goals with Maximilion Helgeson, who has 9 goals and 5 assists. Vladislav Lukashevich leads the team in assists with 14. In goal, Matteo Drobac holds a 10-7-2 record with a 3.14 GAA and an .898 save percentage. Freshmen forwards Ilia Morozov, Kocha Delic, and David Deputy have also been key contributors, with Deputy recently earning NCHC Rookie of the Week honors.
Despite Miami's struggles in conference play, with only one win in their last eight games, their non-conference performance and strong start to the season have kept them in contention. Their 11 wins so far represent their highest win total since the 2017-18 season, surpassing their combined total from the previous two seasons. The RedHawks briefly returned to the Top 20 in the USCHO poll in December, marking their first appearance since January 2019.
Arizona State, currently ranked 30th in the NPI, presented a tough challenge for Miami. A series sweep was crucial for the Sun Devils to maintain their chances for an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. The Sun Devils had previously split a series against Miami in Ohio at the end of October, where they handed the RedHawks their first loss of the season after a 6-0 start. Forebet algorithms predicted Arizona State was favored to win with a 64% probability.
