The only game that counts Uof M 2, OSU 0

I know the University of Michigan is not having a great year in football. The games have almost become painful (and I'm a lifelong fan) and the punter (an amazing Zoltan Mesko) has been the best player game in and game out. That said, the offense had sparks of life in the defeat at West Lafayette this weekend and the healthy Brandon Minor was tremendous! But the defense was abysmal and you should be able to win any game in which you score more than 40 points.

At the greatest game on earth (with apologies to Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilley, and Abby Wambach and my second favorite sport of soccer), Michigan's men's ice hockey team triumphed over arch-rival Ohio State on two consecutive nights at Yost Arena in Ann Arbor. On Friday, Michigan topped OSU 4-3 on the ice. At Yost in Ann Arbor on Saturday (a game my perennial dining companion and I were thrilled to be at and I was still hoarse from cheering Sunday morning, I must say), Michigan thumped Ohio State 6-1, surviving and thriving in the challenge of multiple power plays, cheap hits, and marginal referees.

Bryan Hogan was brilliant in goal and the line of Palushaj, Miller and Caporusso was tremendous. Last night was the first time I had a chance to see the new freshmen and I was impressed. I think the hockey program is in great shape (even given the loss to the Phoenix Coyotes of Chad Kolarik and Hobey Baker award winner Kevin Porter - last year's senior stars and Max Pacioretty to the Montreal Canadians a year early).

For those of you who haven't seen a hockey game at Yost before, being in the crowd is an experience not to be missed, assuming you are of a certain age. That age could be either old enough to appreciate the wit of the cheers and jeers issued by the student section (an uncanny, unified mass of sound) or young enough not to understand or question. Plus, as an added bonus, the alumni pep bend was in the house tonight and ROCKED it. The conductor, a gentleman well over 50, danced and shimmied his way through the band's repertoire, earning cheers from the student section. Great stuff all around!


Read about the game: http://www.mgoblue.com/ice-hockey/article.aspx?id=154352