Blackburn escapes weekend

It's not a stretch to say that the play of Michigan goaltender Josh Blackburn has helped keep the Wolverines in the running for the CCHA regular season title.

Michigan coach Red Berenson has thrown him into the deep end of the pool this season with only his teammates as a life preserver, and Blackburn has responded, carrying a 15-3-2 record and a goals-against average of only 1.75 after this weekend's games.

But, as solid as Blackburn has been at times (allowing a total of one goal in a series against Michigan State and Notre Dame Nov. 20-21), and as shaky he has been on certain nights (being pulled after yielding four goals to Northern Michigan Halloween night), this weekend facing Ferris State, Blackburn was just mediocre.

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Michigan goaltender Josh Blackburn was good when he had to be this weekend, making the necessary saves to lock up two clutch victories for the Wolverines.

There were multiple mistakes made by the freshman. He mishandled the puck behind his own net a few times, and it finally caught up with him Friday, as Ferris State's Ed Kowalski beat an out-of-position Blackburn to unnecessarily give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead and plenty of confidence.

Blackburn couldn't shake the soft-goal plague on Saturday night either, allowing Kenzie Homer's first-period shot to slip past him and wipe out Michigan's early 1-0 lead.

"The first shot can handcuff you - it's how you react to the goal," Berenson said. "If you go into the tank and give up five after that, then there's an issue. I don't think there's an issue with Blackburn. I like the way he finished the game."

Whether or not Blackburn played perfectly, the Wolverines earned two victories on the weekend. And winning sure helps make a lot of mistakes look insignificant.

"I don't think this weekend was that great," Blackburn said. "We managed to win, but it wasn't one of my better weekends."

Luckily, it didn't have to be. The freshman found his bearings at the crucial junctures of each game, helping Michigan to victory.

Blackburn's diving stop of Brent Wishart on Friday night was possibly one of his best efforts of the season, but it was in the third period of Saturday's 4-3 triumph where "Blackie" saved the day, stuffing Wishart again, this time with an acrobatic glove save on a rifle of a slapshot from the Ferris State forward.

Even when he is off his game, the modest, soft-spoken freshman doesn't expect any loose treatment from his teammates or Michigan fans.

"I'd imagine I'm my own harshest critic," Blackburn said. "I don't expect anyone to take it easy on me. The fans want to win.

"I want to win, too, obviously."

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