NCAA: Berenson not pleased with No. 1 ranking

Even as Michigan was upsetting No. 4 Boston College last Friday and the scores from Minnesota and Denver were trickling in – both teams were knocked off last weekend – no one in the Yost Ice Arena press box believed the Wolverines would be ranked No. 1 in the country this week. On Monday, when college hockey's two polls were released, we were wrong.

U-M is the consensus No. 1 team in the nation following its 4-0 start, but head coach Red Berenson is not too happy about it.

"I'm disappointed. It's too early to say anybody is No. 1. What would you call it – it's a meaningless exercise right now," said Berenson said. "We just happen to be unbeaten and maybe we've been on TV more. Now, if we can go unbeaten for a long time or have the best record then we'll be one of the teams that could be No. 1. The poll becomes meaningful in the second half of the year, but it's meaningless right now."

Michigan's unexpected ranking was enough of a shock to Berenson and his two assistant coaches to address the issue with their young team. As Berenson put it, the No. 1 ranking "is just ammunition for our opponents" which isn't especially good news considering instate rival Michigan State comes to Ann Arbor on Saturday night.

The Spartans have started 2-0-0 and though they are banged up, they will present a stiff challenge to the Wolverines.

"Well, I'm glad we played Boston College," said Berenson. "We'll have an idea of the level of intensity the game needs to be played at because I think this will be that same type of game. These are great games to play. It might be a good thing we're playing MSU early because everybody has to be really ready."

The Wolverines will benefit from playing in front of the Yost crowd. Each of Michigan's four games this season have come at home, which has contributed greatly to the team's strong start.

"I liked the home start for this team," Berenson said. "If it would have been last year's team, I would have just assumed played on the road, but this has been a good challenge for this young team. I like the schedule. It's good to be unbeaten. Would we be if we had to play those four games on the road? You never know."

At Tuesday's sit down with TheWolverine.com, Berenson addressed a few other issues coming out of the weekend.

On the number of five-minute major check-from-behind penalties being called:

"We had the referee come out before the Blue-White game to explain how games were going to be called. The players are sensing it. I think you've seen a lot of players pull up. We've done a good job. Your opponent will often put himself in a tough situation where -- just like T.J. Hensick the other night -- where you have to be ready to not make the hit. I think our team has done a good job of that.

"Even Andrew Ebbett's hit [which resulted in the penalty] was a soft hit. It was a push, but we're learning a push is a hit. We're learning, but we're doing a pretty good job of avoiding them."

On freshman Jack Johnson drawing too many penalties:

"All of these young kids have played in an environment that is different than this. Johnson, Travis Turnbull … Timmy Miller has been in more fights than anybody, but not here. They're all learning what they can do and can't do. Jack will be one of those players. He's a physical player and hopefully the referees will learn just because a player goes down, doesn't mean it's a penalty."

On the success of U-M's special teams:

"We've worked on them. I can't tell you we're there or even close to being there. We've got a couple of breaks that has helped us looked good number-wise. You're goalie is your best penalty killer and our goalie is making saves maybe that might embellish our penalty killing.

"I would say this, we have tried to work on it and we've tried to get our team prepared for the importance of the special teams. I thought against Boston College, that was a real good test for both teams. It was a good test, but we're not there yet. We have to keep working. Some nights it goes and some nights it does not."