The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN HOCKEY the 12th time in its long history. An- nual participants Michigan Tech (the tournament host), Michigan and Michigan State will be joined by Fer- ris State. Michigan and Michigan Tech will clash in the tourney opener Dec. 28 at 3:30 p.m., followed immediately by Michigan State and Ferris State at 7 p.m. The opening-day losing teams will play a third-place game at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 29. The opening-day winning teams will play in the cham- pionship final at 7 p.m. following the third-place game. The opening-round matchup with Michigan Tech will give the Wolver- ines a chance to avenge two losses suffered earlier this season on the road in Houghton at the hands of the Huskies. Michigan has thrived in the holiday tournament environment presented by the GLI, winning a record 15 times and finishing runner-up on 13 other occasions in 44 years of participation. U-M went on a remarkable run of dominance from 1988-96, winning the championship nine straight years. During that span, Michigan forward Brendan Morrison won three straight tourney MVP awards. "We are excited to return to Joe Louis Arena for the 50th Great Lakes Invitational," Michigan head coach Red Berenson said. "The GLI has always been one of the highlights of the college hockey season. We're looking forward to our trip to Detroit for a milestone year in tournament history." Tournament host Michigan Tech will be looking for its second win in three years, having beaten Western Michigan in the 2012 championship game. "The GLI is a very special tourna- ment, not only for me, but I think for Michigan Tech and all of our fans in general," Michigan Tech head coach Mel Pearson said. "It gives us an op- portunity to showcase our team to a lot of our alumni down in south- east lower Michigan that don't have a chance to come up to the Upper Peninsula to see us play. "It's one of the, if not the, premier college hockey tournaments in the country. It's played in a great venue with a lot of history and with very good teams in Michigan, Michigan State and Ferris State this year." The players' experience has always made the tournament a special mem- ory for the on-ice participants. Former Michigan forward Andrew Merrick, who played in the GLI from 1996-99, said of the experience, "The biggest thing for me was always that it was a chance to play in Joe Louis Arena where I grew up watching the Red Wings play and my favorite player, Steve Yzerman. The oppor- tunity to play in that building was always special. "The Christmas theme and the Christmas season was always spe- cial as well, having my family there. It was always a great time." Merrick's Michigan teammate, Sean Ritchlin, remembered added benefits. "The GLI was always a great way to get your team environment back