New Conference, New Season, New Team
Lots has changed from last year's Michigan team that saw it's 22 year NCAA playoff streak come to an end. A team that ended up 18-19-3, and fell one game short from winning the last ever Mason Cup. Significant improvements have been made to a team that had inconsistent offense, defense and most of all, goaltending in 2012-2013. With the new, young season already underway, Michigan looks optimistic as they look to reload, instead of rebuild.
It's hard for perennial powerhouses to stay out of the national spotlight. Last season the Wolverines found themselves in the wrong kind of spotlight. As Michigan struggled, it was Red Berenson who also struggled with making the decision of whether or not to leave Michigan (you may recall, he spoke publicly about debating whether he should leave Michigan due to poor performance). The iconic Head Coach cited that a strong playoff push was enough to see him come back for the remaining three years of his contract. After an NCAA tournament that was unwelcoming to Michigan for the first time in 22 years, early departures that left multiple questions on the blue line, and a very long off-season for fans of the maize and blue, Michigan took center stage in the College hockey world last Thursday in a showcase matchup vs. #4 ranked Boston College.
#11 Michigan - 3, #4 Boston College - 1
Michigan embarked on a new conference, new season, and revamped lineup on Thursday. The opening night for the college hockey season saw an epic battle of two legendary coaches. With Red Berenson and BC Head Coach Jerry York behind each bench, there couldn't have been a more exciting way for both teams to prove themselves early in the year.
After Michigan's exhibition loss to Windsor, it was unclear on which team would show up on Thursday. Admittedly, Michigan did play very well in their 2-1 loss to Windsor. They moved the puck very well, limited chances, and saw pretty decent goaltending. All in all, they looked like your typical Michigan hockey team (other than not being able to put the puck in the net). Thursday was a new challenge against a team that always looks to play into early April, and Michigan showed up. The Maize and Blue looked like they picked up exactly where they left off from last seasons late push. Luke Moffatt scored just 7:25 into the opening stanza, and Michigan never let up from there. After taking a 1-0 lead into the first intermission, Michigan got an early 2nd period goal from Andrew Copp (the eventual GWG), and Steve Racine backstopped the Wolverines, recording 20 saves en-route to a 3-1 win.
