Nearly a month removed from the Big Chill at the Big House, the No. 8 Michigan hockey team is poised to take the ice against in-state rival Michigan State once again. But this time, the Wolverines won’t have a crowd of 113,411 at their beck and call.
On Friday, the Spartans will host the first half of the home-and-home weekend series at Munn Ice Arena, a rink widely regarded as one of the most hostile environments in collegiate hockey. But it’s Michigan (9-3-1-0 CCHA, 12-5-4 overall) who has all the momentum, coming off the program’s 14th Great Lakes Invitational Championship and a 5-0 drubbing of Michigan State in the Big Chill.
And if their last meeting at Munn is any indication, the Wolverines may have the edge not only on the ice, but in the stands too. After posting one of the poorest records since Red Berenson became coach and being backstopped by an unproven goaltender in junior Shawn Hunwick, Michigan traveled to East Lansing in the second round of the CCHA Tournament last March fully expecting to be trounced by the 11th-ranked Spartans.
Aided by the fact that Michigan State students were on spring break during the tournament, much of the crowd was a roaring Michigan contingent. And the Wolverines rumbled past the Spartans, 5-1 and 5-3, en route to a surprise finish in the NCAA regional finals.
For Hunwick, who at the time was making only his second road start in net, the playing experience at Munn featured an atmosphere that was nowhere near as hostile as he expected.
“Going up there and seeing all those Michigan fans was unbelievable,” Hunwick said. “You could never think that you’d come to Yost and see a bunch of Michigan State fans. So to see it up there, everyone wearing maize and blue, was pretty special.”
Students are back on campus for this weekend’s matchup, but the Spartans (3-8-1-0, 7-10-4) are faltering in the CCHA as of late — currently sitting in tenth place in the conference. And Michigan fans may have the opportunity to muster another takeover of Munn on Friday.
While Yost Ice Arena has a thriving fan base and is already sold out for Saturday’s contest, Michigan coach Red Berenson has sensed a decline in support for the hockey team at Michigan State.
“(Munn) is obviously anti-Michigan, and it used to be that they were sold out every game,” Berenson said. “Fifteen years ago and beyond it was sold out, there were no Michigan fans … But now it’s a different scenario. Their crowds haven’t been that good, so the opportunity for Michigan fans is there. I think (the CCHA Tournament) was the first time that our fans really sensed that.”
Along with the edge in fan support, the Wolverines have built a lot of confidence against this Michigan State team. In his three starts against the Spartans, Hunwick has allowed just three goals, and the Michigan offense has backed him with 15 scores on the other end of the ice.
“If you’ve already beat the team you feel like you can win again,” Hunwick said. “If I was 0-3, I’d probably be a little nervous going up there.”
The two teams haven’t played a regular-season, relatively low-stakes game in nearly a year. And while this isn’t a postseason matchup or in front of a world-record crowd, there should be no shortage of intensity.
Michigan took a 2-0 first-period lead in the Big Chill with a pair of goals from freshman defenseman Jon Merrill. The Wolverines are hoping for a similar scorching start.
“We have to get off to a good start,” Hunwick said. “If we give Michigan State the first goal to give them the lead, they’re going to have the confidence.” We have to get a strong first period like we had against Colorado College (in the GLI) … If we let them dictate the play out there, we’re going to be in trouble.”
With 21 games played, the Wolverines are rounding the corner for the second half of the season — the same time the team picked up its play last season.
According to Berenson, the Michigan State series is reminiscent of last year in that the teams have switched roles — Michigan now is nationally ranked and atop the conference, while the Spartans are the bottom feeders at the halfway point.
“We had to battle back, and that’s what they’ll be doing,” Berenson said. “They’re a really tough team. I think you can forget about the Big Chill and you can forget about the playoffs last year. We’re going to have to go in there and start all over again and get it together.”
Added Hunwick: “You know they’re a good team. Michigan and Michigan State, doesn’t really matter, you throw the record books out. It’s going to be two teams ready to go.”