Intrastate war brings out emotion, intensity

Hockey at Michigan is big.

There is no question about it. How else can you explain the 6,000-plus crazies that fill Yost Ice Arena on Friday and Saturday night, yelling their lungs out as the Wolverines battle the opposition?

Hockey at Michigan State is big, too.

There is no question about that, either. How else can you explain the capacity crowds at Munn Arena, dressed in green and white, urging their Spartans to kill?

So what happens when Michigan and Michigan State lock horns and battle it out on the ice? Big and bad, things.

The Wolverines and Spartans don't like each other. Separated by an hour's worth of highway and a few national championships, there is no love lost between the two schools.

Especially when it comes to hockey.

In football, Michigan has fierce rivalries with Ohio State and Notre Dame. Michigan State also has a rivalry with the Fighting Irish.

In basketball, Indiana and Purdue offer heated contests against the Wolverines and Spartans.

But in hockey, Michigan and Michigan State is it. While there are nine other schools in the CCHA, none of them offers the intensity that the Wolverines and Spartans bring to the table when they face each other.

It doesn't hurt that the Wolverines and Spartans are usually neck-and-neck atop the CCHA standings. This season is no different, as Michigan State enjoys a slim two-point edge over Michigan heading into tomorrow's game at Munn.

Michigan and Michigan State also share other similarities besides the fact that they sit atop the CCHA and are from the same state.

The Wolverines and the Spartans both boast legendary coaches in Red Berenson and Ron Mason. The teams have split two games this season.

Both teams even have a starting goalie with the last name of Blackburn - Josh for Michigan, Joe for Michigan State, no relation. The Blackburns are in their first season starting between the pipes and are second (Joe) and third (Josh) in the nation in goals-against average.

With all these similarities, both teams want to prove why they are different - or at least, why they are better. This desire to prove themselves leads to an unrivaled intensity.

That intensity isn't always put into words. It really isn't necessary - in fact, the adrenaline-pumping feeling is better left undescribed. The actions, in this case, do speak louder than words.

For example, yesterday Michigan's strength and conditioning coach Jim Plocki came in to coordinate strength drills. Breaking up into six groups of four, the Wolverines beat and pushed and pulled each other until they could barely stand up.

Berenson even got in the act, wrestling a freshman center to the ground. Although almost 40 years his senior, Berenson handled the frosh easily, inspiring a highly intense workout to follow.

This was the first time Michigan did on-ice strength drills, and the timing was no coincidence. With a game in East Lansing tomorrow night, it seemed as if Berenson had saved this workout for this specific moment.

Whatever the Wolverines and Spartans are saving will be used on the ice tomorrow night. When Michigan faces Michigan State in hockey, there's no such thing as tomorrow.

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