The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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michigan hockey schools and the Western schools," head coach Red Berenson said. "We can create a good schedule that might help us in the RPI. And I think it's good for the fans. I bet already they're saying, 'This is the best schedule we've seen' and we haven't even played a Big Ten opponent. It speaks for itself." U-M is already off to a 2-0 start in conference action, beating Ohio State 4-2 Nov. 29 and 5-4 Dec. 2. The Wolverines will play 18 consecutive games against league foes starting with a two-game series at Wisconsin Jan. 10-11. ❑ Hockey Rewind: Nov. 22- Dec. 17 Overall Record: 10-2-2. Record Nov. 22-Dec. 17: 3-0-1. National Ranking: No. 3. Pairwise Ranking: Not available yet. RPI Ranking: No. 5. Best Win — 4-3 vs. Ohio State: Commissioner Jim Delany was on hand for opening night of Big Ten action Nov. 29, and the game between rivals Michigan and Ohio State did not disappoint. U-M jumped out to 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads, but in each instance the Buckeyes found a way to combat their deficit. The Wolverines surrendered the game-tying goal with only 3:13 remaining, but instead of sulking they rallied. At 3:38 of overtime, senior defenseman Mac Bennett found sophomore center Andrew Copp on a lengthy pass up the middle, Copp split two defenders, broke in on the goalie and scored, sending the Yost crowd into a frenzy. Worst Loss — None: Though the Maize and Blue did not lose during their most recent four-game stretch, they did cough up a chance for a 2-1 victory over No. 4 Ferris State Dec. 11, squandering a third-period lead when the Bulldogs scored with just 5:38 remaining. The two each had three good chances in overtime, but could not net a goal. It took seven skaters in the shootout to determine a winner when U-M rookie Alex Kile slipped one past the goal line. Officially, however, the game went down as a 2-2 tie. MVP — Sophomore Andrew Copp: One of Michigan's three captains, Copp continues to prove himself the best all-around forward on the team, leading the Maize and Blue in goals with nine and points with 14. During the past month, the 6-1, 201-pound walk-on has netted four markers, including the game-winner against OSU Nov. 29, and boasted a plus/minus of plus-4. For a team that has struggled to score goals — only 3.21 per game to rank 16th nationally — Copp has consistently found a way to hit the back of the net. On The Rise — Junior Alex Guptill: In his first nine games this season, the 6-3, 183-pound left winger recorded two goals and four assists. However, over Michigan's last four contests, he has tallied a team-high four goals (sharing