As impressive as the Michigan hockey team’s initial weekend step had been, the second wasn’t nearly as easy.

Just 24 hours after using an early offensive burst in a runaway victory, the Wolverines had to protect the slimmest of leads, holding on for a 3-2 victory over Lake Superior State Saturday night at Yost Ice Arena.

The victory gave Michigan its second series sweep of the season and kept the Wolverines in second place in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association standings, one point behind Notre Dame.

Maintaining their standing wasn’t a simple task.

"We had a great night (Friday), but we put that behind us," said sophomore right winger Kevin Lynch, who scored twice in the win. "We knew they were going to come out tough tonight and we just wanted to match their intensity."

Michigan (8-3-3, 7-2-1 CCHA) spent the entire third period clinging to a one-goal lead. But the Wolverines got the defensive assistance they needed from senior goalie Bryan Hogan, who stopped all nine of the shots he faced over the final 20 minutes.

The Wolverines kept its focus locked on its defensive effort in the final period, capped by an impressive shift when Lake Superior State couldn't get its goalie off the ice to add an extra attacker.

"You want to win the third period, but you can't win it at the expense of good team defense," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "But I thought our team played hard, we played team hockey and that last shift was a great way to finish the game."

Hogan was the difference-maker. The senior made his customary Saturday night start after Shawn Hunwick earned the win in Friday's 7-2 Michigan victory. Despite facing 15 first-period shots Saturday, Hogan always had the luxury of playing with a lead - one he preserved down the stretch, finishing with 34 saves.

Although the Wolverines they never trailed, they couldn’t manage to break free of the Lakers.

Lynch gave Michigan a 3-1 lead, scoring his second goal of the night at the 13:13 mark of the second period. But Lake Superior State (5-7-2, 3-6-1 CCHA) needed only 17 seconds to creep back within a goal, using Fred Cassiani’s marker to again close the gap.

But Michigan never relented, allowing the Lakers only one serious scoring chance in the final 20 minutes.

The Wolverines relied on their penalty-killing unit to maintain a one-goal lead in the period after David Wohlberg and Tristin Llewellyn were whistled for back-to-back penalties.

The Lakers couldn’t capitalize on the two one-man advantages despite Michigan played short-handed for nearly four straight minutes. That opened the door for Lynch, who also scored in the first period, giving Michigan a 1-0 lead.

Lynch’s rebound past Kevin Kapalka proved to be the game-winner, keeping the Wolverines unbeaten on Saturday nights this season. The key, though, was getting off to a good start.

"After all those Friday losses, it really had to hit home," Hogan said. "Last year, we had a tough time saying, 'Oh, we'll (turn things around) next week' but this year, I think we learn from our mistakes and we're really kicking it in the butt and really getting going."

Now, having won three straight, the challenge gets even tougher. The Wolverines, who also got a goal from Brandon Burlon Saturday, step out of conference play for next weekend's College Hockey Showcase. Michigan faces Wisconsin Friday afternoon and then travels to Minnesota on Sunday.

Both teams have struggled a bit this season as Wisconsin currently sits sixth in the Western College Hockey Association while the Golden Gophers are fourth, one game over .500.

Both games will be played on the road and will force the Wolverines to build off of this weekend's success when Michigan found ways to win two different types of games to protect its home ice.

"Now, we go into a whole new setting," Berenson said. "We know they'll be tough games, but we'll have a lot more confidence."

Jeff Arnold covers Michigan hockey for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.