Just like last season, Michigan is once again heading to the Frozen Four. Perhaps in this case it will be the Fervent Four as temperatures are supposed to be SLIGHTLY WARMER than the last few endings to the college hockey season. Should I even bring a coat? Regardless, the Wolverines have achieved back to back appearances -their record maintaining 27th overall- for the first time since the days of Jed Ortmeyer, Eric Nystrom, David Moss, and Milan Gajic. Those were the days when making the Frozen Four was BOR-ING. Between the springs of 1992 and 2003, the Maize and Blue made the national semifinals NINE times in twelve tournaments. That's absurd.or maybe it wasn't. Maybe that's just what elite programs did. Only twice, though, in those couple of handfuls of Final Weekends did Michigan hang the banner. In fact, the only times they won a single game were the times they won two: '96 and '98, obviously. (That actually rings true to this day, sans 2011). Once agai
3/24/2023 – Michigan 11, Colgate 1 – 25-11-3 3/26/2023 – Michigan 2, Penn State 1 (OT) – 26-11-3, Frozen Four When I'm planning to do a game column for a given game, I spend my time watching it unfold while searching for predominant storylines. Narratives, overarching themes, something that links the action together. As a game shifts, that storyline may shift as well and so it's not uncommon to have multiple different themes/headlines circulating through my head over the course of the game. You have an idea of what you want to write about, then something new comes along and boots it from the spotlight. On Sunday I had a couple different themes in my head during the Michigan/Penn State Regional Final. As Michigan peppered Liam Souliere with shots, hitting the post multiple times and dictating play, I figured an ice-breaker goal was inevitable and the plan was to talk about how the Wolverines just kept coming at Penn State until they finally cashed it in. Then Penn St