From 1987 to 1997, the Michigan hockey team compiled a 20-game winning streak in the Great Lakes Invitational, a holiday-season tournament held in Detroit every year since 1965. The Wolverines won nine straight GLI titles from 1988 to 1996.
But Michigan hasn’t taken home the tournament trophy since the final year of its improbable streak. It’s been seven fruitless years, but Wolverines coach Red Berenson hopes to turn things around when No. 3 Michigan (11-1-0 CCHA, 13-4-1 overall) faces Michigan Tech (1-13-0 WCHA, 1-14-1 overall) on Dec. 29. The following day, the Wolverines will play either Michigan State or No. 6 New Hampshire. Michigan tied New Hampshire, 4-4, at Yost Ice Arena in October. In mid-November, the Wolverines earned their first win at Michigan State’s Munn Ice Arena in nearly five years and completed their weekend sweep two days later.
“A few years ago, it was our tournament to lose,” Berenson said of the GLI. “Now it’s our challenge to go in there and try and win that tournament — especially for the seniors.”
If Michigan finally comes away victorious this year, it will have to do so without some key ingredients to the team’s success thus far. Forwards Kevin Porter, Mike Brown and T.J. Hensick will accompany defenseman Matt Hunwick and goalie Al Montoya in North Dakota and Minnesota to represent the United States in the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship from Dec. 25-Jan. 4.
“We’re losing one line,” Berenson said. We’re losing some key players but we’ll have a good team. We’re the only team to lose players, (but) I still like our chances.”
Junior goalie Noah Ruden will step in for Montoya as he did last year when Montoya was backstopping for the U.S. team. Ruden allowed four goals in a loss to Boston College a season ago but rebounded nicely in Michigan’s 6-2 victory over Michigan Tech in the second game of the 2003 GLI.
Despite Michigan Tech’s lowly record, Berenson refuses to take the GLI opener lightly. It will be Michigan’s first game in more than two weeks, and players may find it tough to jump right back into full-speed hockey after taking a holiday break.
“The first game is the toughest game because of conditioning,” Berenson said. “Even if you skate every day when you go home, it’s not the same as being on the ice with these players and these coaches. You never know what you’re going to get when (the players) come back.”
Berenson and his coaching staff have scheduled a final practice today and open ice for independent skating until Friday to shorten the physical layoff as much as possible. The players will begin leaving for home tomorrow, but will be back at practice on Dec. 26.
“We’re practicing to stay sharp and to work on some things that we need to do better,” Berenson said. “When we get back together, we don’t need a lot of dialogue about what we have to do and how we have to play.”
The Wolverines have been hot lately, sweeping conference opponents Notre Dame and Bowling Green in back-to-back weekends. But with so much time before the team’s next game, Berenson is concerned that any competitive advantage will be nullified in the interim.
“Everybody starts off on a clean slate when you go to the GLI,” Berenson said. “Your record really doesn’t matter that much. You’ve been off the ice for two weeks. Your players come back, and they’re all fired up. So it’s not like they’re looking over their shoulder at losing the last two weekends or winning the last two weekends. They haven’t played the last two weekends.
“They really don’t have a lot of momentum one way or the other, and I think that can hurt a team like us. Michigan Tech could go down there and save face for the first half of the season by beating Michigan.”
Notes: Sophomore forward T.J. Hensick and sophomore defenseman Matt Hunwick both received CCHA Player of the Week honors yesterday. Hensick was named Offensive Player of the Week, while Hunwick completed Michigan’s awards sweep by taking home the defensive honor.