Last weekend, Michigan Hockey faced off with one of their Big Ten rivals, the Wisconsin Badgers. As the friday game started it was clear that this was not going to be an easy win for either team. Both teams were evenly matched in skill, size and agility, yet Michigan dominated the first period in shots. This was not problem for the Badgers though, since they had their star goalie in net, Jack Berry. Berry had some crucial saves for the Badgers in the first period, not letting Michigan score at all. The score remained 0-0, until Wisconsin forward, Tarek Baker, scored off a rebound given up by Michigan goaltender, Hayden Lavigne, leading the Badgers to have a one goal advantage. Finally during the third period, Adam Winborg, gets his first goal of the season to tie the score 1-1. The third period ended in a tie calling for the first overtime of the season at Yost.
The five minute overtime started with the same intensity as the first period but at the end of the “fourth period” both teams still remained tied. As the fifth period, three-on-three began, it was Michigan’s three star players out on the ice that lead to a quick goal by Josh Norris with the assist from Quinn Hughes. After two overtimes, Michigan Hockey took home the win against the Badgers and got ready to play them again the next night.
    Saturday night at Yost started with Michigan’s top line on the ice. They now had their starting forward, Jake Slaker, who was injured on Friday night and had not dressed for the game. Wisconsin had their back up goalie, Daniel Lebedeef, starting in net. The first period was dominated by Wisconsin, who got the goal off of Michigan’s first penalty. Defenseman, Ty Emberson, got the goal in the powerplay for the Badgers. With the second period underway, Wisconsin continued off of their first-period momentum and scored another goal, from a blue-line slap shot by Jack Gorniak. With the score 2-0 Wisconsin, Jack Becker got the quick rebound off Lebedeef, making the score 2-1 with Michigan trailing into the third. With the third period underway, Michigan got a lucky breakaway and scored another goal tying the score at 2-2. This goal was scored by Luke Morgan, his first of his career here with the Wolverines.
As the buzzer went off to signal the end of the third period, the game was tied yet again. As the first overtime started, both teams had shots on net but both Lavigne and Lebedeef were ready to compete. This caused the two teams to enter double over time for the second night in a row. However, the Hughes, Lockwood, and Norris line could not do what the did the night before and were unable to score a quick goal in the three-v-three. Both teams were unable to score in the fifth period overtime causing this game to enter a third and final overtime, a shootout, with sudden death elimination. Both Hughes and Lockwood shot for Michigan but were unable to secure the overtime win. The Badger’s third shooter, Max Zimmer, had the hard top-shelf slapshot goal, to lead to the triple overtime win.
However, in college hockey when a game enters triple overtime, the match will go on both teams records as a tie, but the winner of the shootout gets the extra point for the Big Ten. The Wolverines remain number 14 in the USA college hockey polls. Overall, Michigan hockey played well and will continue to move forward as they play their brother-rival, Michigan State this upcoming weekend.

Written by Vanessa Litchard

​As the Michigan Wolverines warmed up to play the North Carolina Tar Heels, in Ann Arbor on Wednesday night, they were haunted by the memory of what happened last year in Chapel Hill. A devastating 86-71 loss in which the Wolverines got out played, both offensively and defensively. This year with a top ranked defense and their leading scorer Ignas (Iggy) Brazdeikis, only a freshman, this team is a fair matchup against the Tar Heels’ fast offense. 
        Last night Crisler Center was packed to the brim with students and fans filling the seats to watch the Michigan Basketball team go on a “Revenge Tour” of their own. The Wolverines got off to a rough start leaving an uneasy feeling within Crisler. Trailing North Carolina 11-21 halfway through the first half, the team stepped up the intensity and got into their groove. Brazdeikis took it upon himself to minimize their deficit with 6 points in less than 30 seconds.
        As the first half was wrapping up, the crowd experienced a very familiar sight. The Michigan defense forced a UNC turnover in which sophomore guard Jordan Poole got the ball. With 2 seconds left on the clock he sunk a 3 pointer. His famous buzzer beater shot last year in the March Madness tournament against Houston flashed across every fan’s mind as the crowd roared out of their seats. The Wolverines ended the half leading 39-37. Despite the lead, the team was falling short shooting free throws, shooting only 40% in the first half compared to UNC’s first half 100%. Although a small aspect of the game, increasing that percentage could make a big difference in future games.
        During the second half, a new team stepped out of the locker room. A flashy display of scoring got the fans off their seats and loud. With Iggy and Poole shooting two three-pointers in the first three minutes the tide seemed to pull toward the Wolverines. A dunk by Jon Teske increased Michigan’s lead to over 10 points, which was all the team needed to get the ball rolling. They strengthened their defense, holding the Tar Heels to 30 points lower than their points per game average, although the defense did allow more points than normal by their standards.
        Key players of the game were Iggy Brazdeikis with 24 points, and Charles Matthews with 21 points, scoring a combined 45 points. They also led defensive rebounds with 5 each and while Matthews racked up 2 offensive rebounds. The part they played in their 84-67 win last night gives the team momentum going into their game against the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday at Crisler Center. With this win bumping their record to a perfect 7-0 they are ranked 1st in the Big Ten after Ohio State and Michigan State’s losses last night.

By: Alex Drain

This week is the Big Ten-ACC Challenge in basketball, which pits the 14 Big Ten teams against the 14 ACC teams to see which conference wins more games. It's a major barometer of which teams are good and which teams are not and also provides March contenders with an opportunity to beef up their tournament resume early in the season. Without any ado, let's dive right in, dividing the games into tiers based on intrigue. 

Tier 1: The Big One

North Carolina at Michigan, 9:30 pm Wednesday
This is the only game that features two top 10 KenPom teams, let alone two top 7 KenPom teams. By nature of the site that I’m writing this for, most of the readers are probably well-aware of Michigan. The Wolverines are off to a tremendous- and uncharacteristically good- start for a John Beilein team, opening the year 6-0, beating every team by at least 19 points, including a systematic dismantling of Providence (#60 KenPom) and a blowout of #15 Villanova on the road. They have the nation’s #1 defense, which will set up a fascinating matchup when North Carolina, the nation’s #3 offense, comes to town. The Tar Heels are 6-1 and have scored at least 90 points in all but one of their games. They are led by returning seniors Cameron Johnson and Luke Maye, as well as top tier freshmen recruits Nassir Little and Coby White. This is the marquee matchup of the Big Ten-ACC challenge and will be a huge W for the March resume of whoever emerges victorious.

Tier 2: Other good matchups

Nebraska at Clemson, 7 pm Monday
A matchup of two similar teams brings plenty of intrigue as 5-1 Nebraska visits 5-1 Clemson. Nebraska is a team looking to make it back to the NCAA Tournament after having previously made it in 2014 and most of all, are looking to win their first NCAA Tournament game in program history. Nebrasketball is led by three seniors, all of whom are Jrs., ironically: James Palmer Jr., Glynn Watson Jr., and Isaac Copeland Jr.. The very talented Isaiah Roby is also a factor for the 5-1 Huskers, who beat Seton Hall at home and dropped a game against a very good Texas Tech squad at a neutral site. Clemson on the other hand was a Sweet 16 team a year ago and they currently check in at KenPom #24, with no real quality wins and a close loss to Creighton. This would be a prime opportunity for the Big Ten to steal a game and for Nebraska to prove they have what it takes to be a Big Ten player.

North Carolina St. at Wisconsin, 9 pm Tuesday
Wisconsin missed the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time in ages but they appear to be back on the right track in 2018-19. The Badgers beat Oklahoma and Stanford as part of their non-conference tournament before losing narrowly to Virginia. They are led by 17th year senior Ethan Happ, who is the best post player in the conference, and have also seen considerable growth from D’Mtrik Trice, as well as the return of Brad Davison. Their stellar start to the year have slingshot the Badgers into the KenPom #12 position and they host KenPom #35 at the Kohl Center on Tuesday. The Wolfpack are 6-0 on the year and have played literally no one, with their best win being over KenPom #175 Mercer (!!!!). Half of their opponents so far are in the bottom 20 of KenPom teams nationally. Basically, we have no idea how good this NC St. team is, which is why this game is worth watching.

Indiana at Duke, 9:30 pm Tuesday
This is a game that features four of the nation’s top seven recruits from the most recent class. Duke has three of them: RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson, while Indiana has Romeo Langford. Duke has quickly established themselves as one of the nation’s best teams, beating up Kentucky but also losing to a very good Gonzaga team in Maui. They are #2 in KP offense and #8 in KP defense for an overall ranking of #1. Indiana is KenPom 22, having destroyed a solid Marquette team at home and dropped a close one on the road to a mediocre Arkansas team. The Hoosiers are led by Langford, who is shooting over 50% from the field despite not being much of a three point threat and 6’8” senior Juwan Morgan has been blazing hot, averaging over 17 points per game on 9 of 15 from three and 72% from the field. Because this game is in Durham, I would expect Duke to win pretty easily, but if Indiana can just play it close for a half, that’s a good sign for both them and the Big Ten overall.

Syracuse at Ohio State, 7:15 pm Wednesday
This is an interesting matchup of a pair of teams that are solid but not great. Ohio State has had a better than expected start to the year, beating a pretty solid Creighton team on the road in the Gavitt Games and besting Cincinnati at home. Syracuse on the other hand has had a bit of a disappointing start to the year, being ranked in the top 15 before losing to both Connecticut and Oregon. The Orange were a sweet sixteen team a year ago (albeit a bad one at that), led by star guard Tyus Battle and the trademark Jim Boeheim 2-3 zone, while Ohio State has had to weather the losses of Keita Bates-Diop and Jae'Sean Tate by getting improvement from Kaleb Wesson and solid play from a few freshmen early on. This game is another test to see if Syracuse was simply overrated or if we need to temper expectations on the Buckeyes.

Purdue at FSU, 9:15 pm Wednesday
Purdue lost a lot of talent off of last year’s squad, including four of five starters. However, they did bring back the league’s best player: Carsen Edwards. The Boilermaker point guard is having a sensational start to the year, averaging over 25 points per game, including 41% from three and 92% from the free throw line. His supporting cast isn’t as strong as last year, with Matt Haarms attempting to be the new Very Tall Foreign Blonde Dude, the role Isaac Haas held last year, though he isn’t the same offensive threat in the post that Haas was. Ryan Cline has emerged as the number two scoring option for Purdue on the perimeter, but it’s really the Edwards show. Purdue is 5-1 to start the year, with no good wins but one close loss to a pretty good Virginia Tech team and they check in at #13 in KenPom. Florida State returns after making the Elite Eight a year ago and are pretty much the same team: a bunch of hyper athletic dudes who are not that well coached. However, they’ve started the year 5-1, and are #14 in KenPom. This should be a good measuring stick for both teams.

Tier 3: Upset potential

Virginia Tech at Penn St, 7:00 pm Tuesday
Buzz Williams has helped to rebuild Virginia Tech and has the Hokies in KenPom top 16 at a sterling 5-0 record. VT has three players averaging over 15 points per game and they have the nation’s #7 offense, led by sophomore guard Nickeil Walker-Alexander. The Hokies already have one win over a Big Ten team (Purdue) and are looking to procure another when they travel to State College on Tuesday. Penn St. has had to stomach the loss of star guard Tony Carr but have made up for it thanks to a monster start to the year by Lamar Stevens, averaging over 24 points per game and running the Nittany Lions as a one-man show. Despite checking in at KenPom #38, Penn St. does not appear to be a good team, having lost to DePaul and Bradley, but the Bryce Jordan Center is never an easy place to play.  

Michigan St. at Louisville, 7:30 pm Tuesday  
Michigan St. is off to a strong start to the year, ranking in the top 10 and having just won their non-conference tournament in Las Vegas. The Spartans have one loss, to Kansas, but seem to be about what we expected. Point guard Cassius Winston is still the playmaker, Nick Ward is still a good post player, but a point of surprise has been Joshua Langford, who has discovered how to shoot from three. The Spartans head to Louisville Tuesday to take on the KenPom #59 Cardinals, who are 3-2. This is a game MSU should win, perhaps easily, but it’s never easy to go on the road in a hostile environment.

Virginia at Maryland, 7:30 pm Wednesday
UVA is the same team they’ve always been under coach Tony Bennett: a defensive powerhouse that’s ready to dominate the regular season and tank in the NCAA Tournament (sorry UVA fans). The Cavaliers are #3 in KP nationally with the nation’s #2 defense, sporting a sterling 6-0 record. With a win over Wisconsin, Virginia seems to be for real and they return DeAndre Hunter and Ty Jerome off of last year’s ACC Championship team. Maryland is trying to return to the NCAA Tournament off the backs of returners Bruno Fernando and Anthony Cowan, as well as five-star freshman PF Jalen Smith. The Terps are 6-0 but haven’t really played anyone, so an upset over Virginia in this border state “rivalry” could be an opportunity to show the Big Ten that they are a contender.

Tier 4: Do Not Watch These Games

Georgia Tech at Northwestern

Illinois at Notre Dame

Rutgers at Miami

Minnesota at Boston College

Pittsburgh at Iowa

This is mostly the bottom tier Big Ten against the bottom tier ACC, with the exception of Pitt-Iowa, which is a very bad ACC team against a solid Big Ten team. Watching these games is a waste of your time, so don’t do it.

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​Indianapolis Colts:
 
            This Colt’s offense has looked outstanding this season with Frank Reich as Head Coach and Andrew Luck returning from his never-ending shoulder injury. Evidently, Reich was a significant factor in the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl run last season, and the Colts are currently 9th in total offense this season. Last season they were 30th. Granted, this was without the play of their franchise quarterback, but the offense is more cohesive and fluent as a whole this season, and the addition of Eric has bolstered this offense in a huge way. He is having the best season of his somewhat criticized career, and is currently second in the league in receiving touchdowns with nine. They can run the ball effectively with Marlon Mack or Nyheim Hines and throw on you all game, and I haven’t even begun to talk about the defensive side of the ball.
                                                          
            Second round pick out of South Carolina State, Darius Leonard, has shown that he is a star in the making. Leonard leads the league in tackles, and plays with a chip on his shoulder. After being stiffed on a scholarship to Clemson and tweaking his hamstring at the combine, Leonard plays with a chip on his shoulder and it certainly shows. Keep an eye on this guy and Malik Hooker next time you watch this Colts defense.
 
            The Colts get a tough match-up in Week 11 against a hot Titans team at home, but my prediction is they will win this game 27-24. Their schedule down the stretch is not difficult, facing the Dolphins, Jags, Texans, Cowboys, and Giants. Although their schedule is not as easy as the Texans, they are in a great position to win some games, and compete for the second wild card spot in the AFC.
 
            I think rookie guard out of Notre Dame Quenton Nelson is fitting well in his NFL role:
 
https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/1063480983767445505

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Tennessee Titans:


           I know what you’re thinking, “Dean, you have two AFC South teams in this write-up one of them is going to get bounced cause the Chargers are taking that first wild card spot.” You’d be right, but I think there’s a scenario where both the Colts and Titans make the playoffs. I still believe the Titans or the Colts could make a run at the division title, and knock the Texans out. The Texans have the easiest schedule in football, but face both the Titans and Colts in the remainder of their schedule. Both of those games will be must wins for them to secure the division title, and their offensive line is the worst in football according to Pro Football Focus. Jurrell Casey of the Titans is licking his chops thinking about that matchup in Week 12, and it has been a big reason why we have not seen the same DeShaun Watson during the last two months of last season.


           The Titans are coming off big wins against the Cowboys and Patriots over the past couple of weeks, and it looks like Marcus Mariota is finally getting comfortable taking risks with this offense. He FINALLY has a go-to receiver in Corey Davis (Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe could only go so far). This addition has made the offense more dynamic and opened things up down field. Davis had a few big plays last week against the Patriots and logged seven receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown. Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur has done a great job with Mariota and making him comfortable throwing downfield, and this Week 11 matchup with the Colts will be fun to watch.


           Prediction: The Titans lose to the Colts this week 24-27, but barring a potential losing streak from the flukey Texans still have a shot at the playoffs. Plus, a huge win for first-year coach Mike Vrable last week against his former coach. A win like that is reaffirming to both the coach and the players that everyone is all-in on a playoff push. ​
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Welcome to Five-Hole Features, our new series of blogs dedicated to interesting aspects of the NHL that don't necessarily have to do with on-ice performance. This week we're taking a look at the alternate jerseys Adidas has announced for their second season as the NHL's official jersey provider. Not every team will wear a 3rd sweater this season, but here we do a quick breakdown of our thoughts on what has been announced, released, or leaked so far.