Team looks to continue hot streak

If history repeats itself, IU is in for a tough battle this weekend. IU (8-5-0, 2-2-0) will take a four-game win streak into an arena where they've never won. IU heads to Oxford, Ohio Friday night to take on Miami University. Saturday, Miami will come to Bloomington to complete the series.\nEvery year since the 1994-1995 season, IU or Miami has won the conference title. Last year, the teams split a series on the last weekend of conference play to give MU the regular season title in the Great Midwest Hockey League. IU got its revenge later in the season, beating the Hawks in the championship game of the GMHL tournament. Miami holds a 12-8-2 advantage all-time against IU.\n"It's a huge rivalry for us; it's just been back and forth between us," junior defenseman Mike Piotrowski said. "They've put us out of contention a few times, so it's definitely one of our biggest rivalries."\nMU (4-2-0, 2-2-0) and IU are tied in GMHL standings with four points each through four games.\nBoth teams trail the University of Michigan, which leads the GMHL with nine points through five conference games. Michigan will also play two conference games this weekend, so if IU is to make up points in the standings, they will have to get help from either Ferris State or Oakland University. \nIU has many players with streaks of their own coming into this weekend's series. Freshman forward Pete Johnson has a goal and an assist in each of the Hoosiers' last three games. Johnson (7 goals, 8 assists) leads IU in scoring, averaging 1.15 points per game.\nBoth junior forward David Dassel and sophomore forward David Ravensberg have four-game goal scoring streaks. Ravensberg has racked up eight of his 12 points this season in the last four games, scoring six times and assisting on two other goals.\n"David is the kind of player who is capable of being a big scorer," coach Rich Holdeman said. "He's going to the net more and starting to pick it up."\nHoldeman may reach his own milestone this weekend if the Hoosiers can manage a sweep. Holdeman currently has 198 career wins at IU, and Saturday's game could be his 200th.\nBesides being a GMHL conference game, MU is also a Southeast opponent for IU. Regional rankings determine which teams will travel to Anaheim, Calif. at the end of the season for the American Collegiate Hockey Association national tournament. IU is currently No. 1 and MU is No. 2 in the Southeast region. IU would help themselves out by winning for the first time in Oxford this weekend.\n"Each time we get out there, it just contributes to (the team's success)" Dassel said. "I think we're starting to play for each other more than we were at the beginning of the season, and we have to play that way if we want to be successful this season."\nIU will play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at Frank Southern Arena.