If you walked into a Michigan hockey practice having never met sophomore goalie Bryan Hogan, you might leave the rink thinking he was a little too hard on himself.

“You would think it’s pretty obnoxious,” sophomore forward Matt Rust said. “You’d maybe think he was a bit of a psycho. But that’s just how he is. He’s a competitor.”

In last weekend's series split against then-No. 1 Notre Dame, Hogan stopped 47 of 51 shots in the Wolverines' biggest games of the year. He owns a 16-3 record with a 1.92 goals-against average, which is eighth best in the country.

Hogan, a Highland Township native, is notorious for his flaring temper after someone scores on him in practice. His cursing reverberates off the walls of Yost Ice Arena, and any teammate who fires a shot past him can expect a puck or stick flying back in their direction.

The act of frustration is one of Hogan's trademarks – both senior goalie Billy Sauer and sophomore Shawn Hunwick are much more even-keeled during practice, regardless of the number of goals they give up. And as strange (and entertaining) as it may be to see Hogan lose his bearings during shootout drills, the coaching staff sees no problem with players using practice to vent.

“I’ve seen goalies before get upset like that,” Michigan coach Red Berenson said. “And they get upset with themselves. … They appear mad at the player, but they’re just mad at themselves. So I like that rather than a player who doesn’t seem to care.”

The mood swings during practice give Hogan’s teammates endless ammunition for teasing. But don't expect to see Hogan unravel during this weekend's series between No. 4 Michigan (13-7 CCHA, 19-9 overall) and Lake Superior State (6-8-6-1, 9-11-8). He has an emotional switch he can turn on or off on cue.

“(Hogan) told me that, and I didn’t believe him,” goaltending coach Josh Blackburn said. “But he seems to handle it pretty good in games. I expected maybe a busted stick or something like that in the beginning of the year.”

Given Hogan's unique practice reputation and this season's circumstances, it is that much more surprising how easily he can keep his emotions in check. Hogan and Sauer were involved a well-publicized starting goalie competition during the first half of the season. Though their statistics mirrored each other’s, Hogan received far better offensive support than Sauer – 4.26 goals per game for Hogan, compared to just 1.28 for Sauer – and won the starting job.

It’s been an incredibly pressure-packed year for Hogan. This is his first season as a full-time starter, and he’s playing the sport’s most scrutinized position at a premier national collegiate power.

Plus, Sauer isn’t a second-string netminder. The Walworth, New York native is prominently featured in Michigan's record book: he ranks in the top five in career wins, shutouts, goals-against average and save percentage.

So while Hogan has established himself as the Wolverines’ starting goalie, each game is treated like a 60-minute audition for the job.

“Hogan’s always been a hothead,” Rust said, smiling. “He always will be a hothead. I don’t think he’s any looser. Although he is our No. 1 right now, Billy is a skilled, top-flight goalie. I don’t think you can let up for one second. His spot is not set in stone.”

Hogan appears uneasy at times when discussing his individual success. He hates discussing winning and shutout streaks and is always quick to credit his defensemen for making games easy.

Though Hogan needs to maintain a high stress level to stay on edge and sharpen his focus, coaches and teammates acknowledge that he might be best served cutting back on his outbursts.

“We’re trying to get him to calm down a little bit, so the boys don’t give him such a hard time,” Blackburn said with a laugh.

Blackburn took on the role of Hogan’s makeshift, on-ice therapist this season. He may, by all accounts, be a little calmer than last year, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

“(Blackburn) just says funny things when I’m getting mad out in practice and tries to lighten the mood a little bit,” Hogan said. “Does it help? I don’t know. I don’t think so. He just does it anyway. But it’s funny. It’s gotten a lot better over last year with that situation.”