Rivalry sells out Joe Louis Arena

DETROIT - College hockey is big in Michigan. That can be said safely at this point. Saturday night was the fourth consecutive sold-out matchup between Michigan and Michigan State at Joe Louis Arena.

"I don't think there's another state or two other schools in the country that can draw 20,000 people in a regular-season game," said Michigan State coach Ron Mason after the Spartans' victory.

Technically, the attendance was 19,983. But then technically, that's exactly the same attendance as the Red Wings-Devils game on Friday at the Joe.

Mason said, though, that the Red Wings have something of a trickle-down effect on the college game.

"It all started a couple years ago when the Red Wings really got it going," Mason said. "That filters down to us."

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Hard-nosed Wolverines like Andrew Merrick had their hands full with a physical Michigan State team.

Including the Spartans and Wolverines, there are seven Division I hockey teams currently competing in the state - soon to be eight with the addition of Wayne State.

"This is hockey country here in the state of Michigan, and I think it's evidenced by the crowd here tonight," Mason said. "And the job Joe Louis does to really support college hockey."

That job has been extensive, especially when it comes to advertising. From newspaper ads to billboards to banners on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, "College Hockey at the Joe" gets significant publicity.

Streaking apart: Like two trains that seemed to be at the same station in December, Michigan and Michigan State have been traveling in different directions ever since.

The Wolverines' winless streak has reached eight games - a skid Michigan hasn't experienced since 1988, when the team went nine straight games without a victory.

Conversely, the Spartans have broken a school record for consecutive unbeaten games with 20. Interestingly, the record this streak eclipses is also from 1988, when the Spartans won 19 in a row.

Bubble dancing: With the weekend results, Michigan has fallen to 13th in the Pairwise college hockey rankings.

Pairwise is the ranking method the NCAA selection committee consults when selecting the tournament field of 12 teams. Although the committee consults other factors, Pairwise boasts to having perfectly predicted the field in past seasons.

But, despite seemingly being a place off the pace, the Wolverines can take some solace in the fact that Quinnipiac (currently No. 8 in the rankings) will likely be overlooked due to a weak schedule.

Teaming up: Michigan captain Bubba Berenzweig will set aside CCHA rivalry and join forces with Michigan State captain Mike York at season's end.

The two have been selected as co-captains of Team USA for the North American College Hockey Championships - a two-game series which will take place on April 10-11.

The remainder of the US roster will be announced at a later date.

- Comments about our hockey coverage can be sent via e-mail to dailyhockey@umich.edu

02-22-99