What Michigan hockey learned from football's national title as it enters Frozen Four

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Michigan hockey team finds itself a bit of an underdog here at the Frozen Four.

Three of the final four teams remaining in college hockey are 1-seeds. Then, there's Brandon Naurato’s group, which had a losing record in the Big Ten as late as last month before it got hot at the right time.

When the Wolverines take the ice at Xcel Energy Center against Boston College on Thursday (8:30 EST, ESPN2) to play for a spot in the national championship game, their chances feel much better than the chances did for the coach who is synonymous both with hockey upsets and the twin cities.

Herb Brooks, the leader of the United States’ "Miracle on Ice" team that defeated the USSR in the 1980 Winter Olympics, is from St. Paul., and a statue in his honor sits less than a quarter mile from the Minnesota Wild's arena.

BACK TO BUSINESS: U-M hockey enters third straight Frozen Four with 'nothing to lose,' but a point to prove

Call it fate, or inspiration, Michigan is doing whatever it can to end its Frozen Four skid, which has seen three consecutive losses at this stage and a 1-7 record in the round since winning the national championship a quarter century ago.

"I think it's cool when people doubt you in a way," said defenseman Marshall Warren, a transfer from BC, when asked about the parallels. "Adversity kind of breeds champions. I think we've been through a little adversity all year, so it's cool to prove people wrong and I think we're going to keep doing that."

For the underdog, the stars seem to be aligning in more ways than just the one.

U-M isn't just playing as a team with "nothing to lose" in the miracle city and against the program, Boston College, it last defeated to win a national title, but its last national championship came in April of 1998.

That was three months after Michigan's football team won its last Rose Bowl to earn a split of the national title in 1997; a streak that was snapped just more than three months ago in Pasadena, California. The U-M hockey team watched that game together, a 27-20 OT instant classic, and Wednesday shared some of the lessons they learned from the national championship football team that they hope can translate to the ice.

"I just remember that Alabama game, the semis, the momentum swings were crazy in that game," said fourth-liner Philippe Lapointe. "I remember (Naurato) coming in after and saying 'you see those swings? That's how it is in the tournament,' and we know that, we've been here two years in a row.

"That's what it's all about, controlling those emotions through the momentum swings and staying even keel."

Naurato later explained that U-M football's new head coach, Sherrone Moore, asked if he could meet with the team to share a few of the lessons he learned throughout the past season. There was no magic potion or secret sauce he could share that would guarantee success, instead Naurato called it, "simple stuff, but stuff that matters."

"Just a business approach," U-M's hockey coach explained of the message. "We’re here like any other road trip all year. Not walking around the town happy to be here. We’ve got a job to do and we’re ready to do it."

It won't be easy, as BC (33-5-1) is the top overall seed, has won 14 games in a row and two of its losses came to the other two teams (Boston U. and Denver) in the Frozen Four.

The Eagles are No. 2 in scoring offense (4.59 goals per game) thanks to the nation's top line of Will Smith, Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perrault, the No. 4 defense (2.23) and the nation's top penalty kill unit (89.3%). TU-M has been the top power play (29.9% conversions) in the nation throughout the season.

But as Jacob Truscott said Wednesday, the game isn't simply about talent, otherwise U-M likely would've won it all perhaps each of the last two seasons.

But these one-and-done tournaments are about capitalizing on the moments and not getting tight when it matters, which U-M has struggled to do in this round.

"The biggest thing (the football players) talked about with us and we have it in the locker room is having that swagger," Truscott said. "I believe it's the closest teams that win championships."

Naurato told the Free Press that not only did U-M have the 1998 national championship on display in its locker room throughout the season, but members from that team have come back to campus to speak with the current players. He also has one secret weapon, which will be unveiled approximately 24 hours before his team takes the ice: a video montage from members of the last title team providing some inspiration.

"It's my job to make sure they keep it all between here," Naurato said pointing to his head. "But I'm going to show the video to the team tonight. I mean, to see these grown adult men, 25 years later and you can tell it still means just as much to them. That's what it's about.

"But no doubt, you see (the parallel to that season) and think about the similarities."

Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.

Next up: Eagles

Matchup: Michigan (23-14-3-0) vs. Boston College (33-5-1), national semifinal.

Faceoff: 8:30 p.m. April 11; Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota.

TV/radio: ESPN; WTKA-AM (1050).

At stake: Winner takes on the winner of Denver-Boston U. in the national championship game on April 13.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football finally snapped its streak. Now, it's hockey's turn.