The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines take a 4-0 record to Denver this weekend for a two-game series against the No. 1 Pioneers, a rematch of last spring’s Frozen Four semifinal. The teams play Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. Mountain time (9 p.m. Eastern) and Saturday, Oct. 17, at 6 p.m. Mountain (8 p.m. Eastern) at Magness Arena.
It is the first regular-season meeting between the programs since 1981, when both played in the WCHA. Denver leads the all-time series 48-36-1 and has knocked Michigan out of the national semifinals twice in the last five seasons, both times in overtime. The most recent came on April 9, when the fourth-seeded Pioneers beat top-ranked Michigan 4-3 in double overtime to end a season that included a Big Ten Tournament title.
Where things stand
Michigan has outscored its first four opponents 28-8, sweeping Bowling Green and Alaska Anchorage, and leads the country at 7.00 goals per game. Denver opened its season with a sweep of Alaska Anchorage and had last weekend off.
Senior forward Jayden Perron leads the nation with 13 points (seven goals, six assists), carries a 10-game point streak, and has been named the Big Ten’s first star in each of the first two weeks. Senior Michael Hage leads the country with nine assists and needs four points to reach 100 for his career. Freshman Jack Nesbitt has won 69 percent of his faceoffs, and sophomore Drew Schock leads Michigan defensemen with six points.
In goal, sophomore Jack Ivankovic has a .931 save percentage and sits 18 saves short of 1,000 for his career.
How to watch
Both games stream on NCHC.tv, with a regional broadcast on Altitude Sports. Michigan’s radio call is available through MGoBlue.com.
What’s next
Michigan returns to Yost Ice Arena on Friday, Oct. 23, to host Western Michigan.
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