Miami of Ohio is an unlikely college hockey power

OXFORD, Ohio - Located on the sport's southern fringes, Miami University has become an unlikely power in college hockey.

A program long overshadowed by the nation's northern elite - most often Michigan and Michigan State - Miami has made greater leaps in recent years than perhaps any program.

It won a Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title in 2006, opened a state-of-the-art arena last season and this season was No. 1 in the rankings for eight weeks and is now ranked second.

The next step: make a splash in the NCAA Tournament, where Miami has one win in its 30-year history.

At 32-7-1, the RedHawks earned a No. 1 seed and will play fourth-seeded Air Force (21-11-6) at 2 p.m. today in Worcester, Mass.

"To be considered a powerhouse, you have to accomplish something at the national level, and that's something we're building toward," senior forward Ryan Jones said. "When you look at the teams they consider powerhouses - the North Dakotas, the Minnesotas, the Denvers - those teams have all won national championships. So we can't be put in that category yet, but we're well on our way of getting there."

Expectations are at an all-time high.

Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff said he went to Miami without taking an official visit, "basically on word of mouth. I knew they had a good program, that they were on the rise and they had a new rink. But I never thought it would rise this fast."

Miami hockey has generated a rabid and almost cultish fan base - students pitched tents more than 24 hours before the Michigan game to ensure themselves a ticket.

But outside of this Cincinnati suburb, the RedHawks also have their share of skeptics.

"Everybody's questioned this team at every point in the year," Jones said. "People criticize our strength of schedule, they criticize us for not beating Michigan. We just play the hand we're dealt. And those things are decided four, five years in advance."

The program's recent breakthrough has had its sobering moments. Boston College has knocked Miami out of the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons by a combined score of 9-0.