Friday night’s game between North Dakota and the Michigan Wolverines, was not a game, it was a street fight. Within the first five minutes, it was clear the Fighting Hawks wanted to bully the Wolverines and attempted to impose their will any chance they could get. It was a style Michigan prepared for, but experiencing it firsthand was something different and the Wolverines were caught off guard.
On Michigan’s first power play of the game, the Wolverines were completely stifled and the best scoring chance came from the shorthanded Fighting Hawks. Before the first five minutes had passed, a defensive miscommunication resulted in the Wolverines trailing, 1-0.