The Michigan hockey team hadn't had a positive COVID-19 test result since mid-July. Not one throughout the fall or the winter, as the entire athletic department dealt with shutdowns and game cancellations, as the coronavirus had its way with Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County.
Then came Tuesday, when a Michigan player tested positive, and was subsequently left behind as the team traveled to South Dakota for the NCAA Tournament.
Then came Thursday, when another player, a roommate of the other player, tested positive.
Then came Friday, around 11 a.m. local time, when head coach Mel Pearson received a call from an athletic-department staff member.