St. Paul, Minn. — Michigan has lost to Michigan State four times. The Wolverines lost in the conference championship, but defeated North Dakota 4-3 in the NCAA Tournament Regionals. The previous year, they boasted a Hobey Baker Award winner and finished the season with a Frozen Four.
Sound familiar? That's because these are some of the hallmarks of his 2023-24 season for the Michigan State hockey team.
But the story doesn't end there. The Wolverines went on to win the national championship. That's why it's not the season. That was in 1998.
“We see (the similarities) a lot, yeah,” sophomore forward Rutger McGroarty told The Michigan Daily on Wednesday. “So every time something happens, we're like, '98!'” “98!”
That reaction is no exaggeration. The similarities are almost hard to believe, especially since they only add up.
The Wolverines are currently preparing to face the Eagles on Thursday night, with both teams' seasons on the line. Twenty-six years ago, you guessed it, the University of Michigan was also preparing to play Boston College in his NCAA Tournament.
Indeed, the two teams clashed in the 1998 National Championship game and are meeting in the semifinals this year. But beyond those slight differences, the Wolverines are well aware of many similarities, and notable similarities. All that's left is to finish the job.
“Obviously it's great to see the stats of the '98 team and how everything worked together,” senior defenseman Jacob Truscott said. “But at the end of the day, it's up to us whether we repeat history or not. Something like this hasn't happened since 1998, when football and hockey won in the same year. So it's definitely great to see these stats. But it’s up to us to make that happen.”
However, they are not doing it alone. McGroarty explained that many of the Class of '98 graduates are more involved with the Michigan team this year than last season. They talked about the current Wolverines through their stories and trivia about team chemistry.
The connection runs especially deep for McGroarty, who recently had dinner with the 1998 graduate and his son, a Michigan State hockey player.
“Their stories, as well as his stories about their team and our team in the locker room, there's so much correlation between the two,” McGroarty said. “And the last time Michigan football won, we won. So, hopefully we can get it done.”
You might get a little more motivation from the physical hardware as well. According to graduate defenseman Marshall Warren, the 1998 national championship trophy sits in the Wolverines' locker room.
Courtesy of Bentley Historical Library.
“Just looking at it every day makes me feel kind of cool,” Warren says. “You strive for it every day and you want it. So how far are you willing to go for that trophy?” That's kind of our mantra and our approach going into this week. It's the attitude. ”
Ahead of Thursday's Frozen 4 showdown, Michigan State has already solidified this season as one that will make many, perhaps even the '98s, proud. But the Wolverines aren't satisfied.
Because there's one more thing Michigan needs to do in order for history to repeat itself. It's all about bringing home another National Championship trophy.