After leaving New Hampshire last weekend with a 3-3 overtime tie to the ninth-ranked Wildcats, Michigan coach Red Berenson and the fourth-ranked Wolverines have an opportunity to make a statement on their home ice with another chance at defeating a top-10 team.

Michigan (2-0-0 CCHA, 2-0-2 overall) takes on No. 10 Nebraska-Omaha in its first home series of the year this Friday and Saturday. The Mavericks (2-0-0 WCHA, 4-0-0 overall) walk into Ann Arbor with their heads held high, coming off a weekend sweep of then-No. 13 Minnesota in Minneapolis.

“We don’t know yet what kind of a home team we’re going to be,” Berenson said after practice on Thursday. “But you’re seeing some of these good teams now win on the road. We hope to win on the road too, but one of our goals is to win at home. We’ve got to take advantage of home ice, that’s huge and it’s going to be a good challenge.”

The Wolverine offense was strong last Saturday, as the power play was a perfect 3-for-3 against New Hampshire. But the Wolverines couldn’t put New Hampshire away, despite having the lead three times in the road matchup. Defensive improvement is key for the Wolverines this weekend, as Nebraska-Omaha is tied for first in the nation in total offense, averaging 5.50 goals per game.

The Mavericks have two senior forwards who are atop the nation statistically in goal scoring and assists. Rich Purslow is in a three-way tie for nation’s top scorer, netting three goals and six assists in four games for Nebraska-Omaha, while teammate Joey Martin leads the country with seven assists.

“It all depends on you coming out of your zone quick and clean and keeping the puck in their zone,” Berenson said. “If you look at their goals, they’re leading the country in offense, but most of it is 5-on-5 goals. It’s not like their power play is lighting it up more than anyone else, but it’s the 5-on-5 game.”

To combat the prolific Maverick offense, Berenson will send senior netminder Shawn Hunwick out to start between the pipes on Friday and senior Bryan Hogan on Saturday. Hunwick is coming off a career-high 45 saves against New Hampshire, including eight in overtime.

Hunwick was a vital component of Michigan’s penalty kill unit against the Wildcats, and his play Saturday kept the Wolverines in the game, as Michigan found itself in penalty trouble late in the game — taking a total of six penalties for 12 minutes. The Wolverines held the New Hampshire power play unit to one conversion in five attempts.

But the defensive play will be especially critical this series to give the goaltenders a shot at keeping the Wolverines in the game and the offense an opportunity to sustain pressure in the Maverick zone.

“We have pretty good forwards,” senior center Louie Caporusso said. “It’s always great for our defensemen to practice against our own forwards. The passing is the biggest thing, not messing up on the passing. The things that we should be doing correctly every single time are what we have to concentrate on (this weekend).”

After being swept on the road by Nebraska-Omaha last February, Caporusso and some of the Wolverines carry some extra incentive into this weekend’s matchup. But Berenson prefers to look at the future — knowing that beating top-ranked teams is the only way for his Wolverines to show what they’re made of, starting with the home series this weekend.

“You’re as good as your last game,” Berenson said. “We tied a team that outshot us, and they beat a team in their own building, convincingly.

"This team is the real deal.”