Red Berenson has an affinity for puck luck.

When his Michigan hockey team is working hard, good fortune often follows. That would explain Saturday night's second period, when the Wolverines scored three times - twice on fortuitous bounces - in a 5-3 win over Notre Dame at Yost Ice Arena.

The victory earned No. 9-ranked Michigan (6-3-3, 5-2-1 CCHA) a weekend split, again using a solid second-night effort to avoid being swept. Michigan remained unbeaten on the season in series finales, bouncing back after Friday night's 3-1 loss to the Irish.

A bit of luck didn't hurt, especially for a team still trying to find its offensive identity.

"We're not the offensive juggernaut we were once and we've got to be a blue-collar lunch bucket hockey team," Berenson said. "We've got got to kick 'em in, deflect 'em in, bounce 'em in and we did. And that way, you find a way to win."

With Miami's 3-2 loss to Alaska, the Wolverines regained possession of second place, one point behind 11th-ranked Notre Dame (7-3-1, 5-2-1 CCHA).

Senior Carl Hagelin scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at the 16:27 mark of the second period, finding the puck on his stick after it deflected off a Notre Dame defender.

Greg Pateryn finished the win with a goal with 7:40 remaining, firing a shot from the point that hit a pair of Notre Dame defenders before glancing over shoulder of stunned Irish goalie Mike Johnson.

It was just that kind of a night.

"It's good to be lucky," defenseman Chad Langlais said. "I think when you're working the hardest, you're going to get some bounces your way. So I think that was just a testament to how hard we were working all night.

Hagelin's go-ahead goal was the second straight goal when puck luck came into play. Earlier in the period, Langlais gave Michigan a 3-2 lead registering the Wolverines' second goal in 28 seconds.

Langlais scored on a rebound of a Jon Merril shot that hit teammate Luke Moffatt in the shoulder. Just as play appeared to stop with players unsure of where the puck was, Langlais gathered the puck and fired a shot past Johnson from the right circle as Irish defenders struggled to figure out what happened.

"They scored three goals that must have bounced off 15 things," Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson said.

But given Michigan's weekend inconsistency over the first 12 games of the season, the Wolverines are willing to take victories any way they can get them.

Saturday night's win was perhaps the Wolverines' most complete win, coming a night after Michigan struggled in the final half of Friday night's loss. Michigan was forced to hang on in the end, taking two straight penalties that gave Notre Dame two late power-play chances.

But after giving up a couple of soft goals earlier in the night, senior Bryan Hogan made 14 saves in the third period, preserving the win. Hogan finished with 30 saves, playing well at times, but struggling at others.

Berenson said he will continue to rotate between Hogan and Hunwick who has been the unfortunate victim of Michigan's Friday night struggles. Berenson said he will make a decision on a No. 1 goalie when one emerges as the clear-cut favorite.

"That hasn't happened yet," Berenson said.

Yet, as the season goes on, Berenson's players understand they can't afford many more weekends of playing well on only one of the two nights. Although Michigan improved to 5-0-1 on Saturday nights this season, but have only one win to show on Fridays.

If the Wolverines are hoping to construct a season that has Frozen Four possibilities, they know things have to change.

"We're trying to come out strong on Friday nights, but we just don't have that pissed off attitude that you need to win the game," said forward Matt Rust, who scored the first of Michigan's three second-period goals Saturday night. "I think on Saturday, after losing, we finally get that edge, but Friday night, we need to find a way to find that."

So after 12 games, why hasn't that happened?

"I think if anyone could figure that out, it would be fixed by now," Rust acknowledged. "Coaching staff, us, captains, anyone on the team I think we're just lost on that point."

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.