Michigan coach Red Berenson lost his voice.

His team’s 5-1 loss and subsequent sweep at the hands of No. 1 Miami (Ohio) on Saturday prompted Berenson to talk to his team longer than usual in the postgame locker room. With a raspy voice, after he had addressed the Wolverines, he called the their weekend performance “the low point of the season” thus far.

Following a rebound goal from junior David Wohlberg, Michigan gave up five unanswered goals to the RedHawks, who came to Ann Arbor with just three wins at Yost Ice Arena.

But regardless of previous records, Berenson’s concerns lie strictly in the Wolverines' inability to live up to their lofty potential.

“It was like we were skating in sand," Berenson said. "I don't know whether it was preparation, I don't know if it was distractions, I don't know, but that's what it was.”

After the RedHawks took a three-goal lead in the third period, the Wolverines began to lose their composure.

Junior Tristin Llewellyn, senior Chad Langlais and freshman Kevin Lynch all received 10-minute misconduct penalties. The three major penalties were all a part of Michigan’s 51 third-period penalty minutes.

“I’m embarrassed,” Berenson said. “We don’t want to get into a game like that. We played like a bunch of spoiled brats, and we’ve got to suck it up. When you’re getting beat, you keep working hard for the team, you don’t take it out on the other team or take stupid penalties that are going to hurt you further. That’s not the way we play hockey, and this team will learn that.”

Adding to that loss of composure was an inconsistent performance in net from junior goalie Bryan Hogan.

After giving up a goal through the five-hole in Friday’s 3-1 loss to Miami, Hogan was victimized by two more RedHawk goals in the same fashion the next night.

With Michigan’s style of defensive hockey, Hogan saw just 13 shots on goal in Friday’s loss, making it difficult to stay focused during long stretches of inaction.

But after seeing 29 shots Saturday, Hogan’s mediocre play spoke to the team’s overall struggles to beat ranked competition.

“I think (Hogan’s) game is kind of like our team’s game, it’s inconsistent,” Berenson said. “And our whole team is. There’s nobody in there that are even close to playing at their potential.”

The loss to Miami gives the Wolverines their sixth straight loss against ranked opponents, a streak that dates back to February of last year. And junior forward Matt Rust knows that without a marquee win to start the season, Michigan will have trouble finding momentum and an offensive rhythm.

"It takes having a little bit of success to loosen up the grip a little bit,” Rust said. “I thought we had that last weekend before playing Miami. I just don't know what it was this weekend — maybe we were trying to be too cute.”

With emotions at a high in the third period Saturday, it will be interesting to see how the Wolverines will handle next weekend’s matchup against intrastate rival Michigan State – a series where now-senior defenseman Steve Kampfer go down with a serious neck injury after a cheap shot from two Spartan players last year.

But for now, senior defenseman Chris Summers says that performing better against teams of Miami’s caliber starts in practice and falls on the upperclassmen's shoulders.

“Everything will be addressed on Monday,” Summers said firmly.