Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson wants his team to play with more of an edge, but also with some smarts when it comes to establishing a physical presence.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Red Berenson always searches for ways his Michigan hockey team can improve.

His current wish list includes a little more grit.

The No. 7-ranked Wolverines may be known for its disciplined style of play, But heading into this weekend's home-and-home series with No. 19 Ferris State (7:30 p.m. Friday at Yost Ice Arena, CBS College Network, Channel 734; 7:05 p.m., Saturday in Big Rapids, Comcast Channel 900), Berenson wants Michigan to play with a hard-nosed edge.

"We're big enough, we're strong enough, but we've got to play with a little more tenacity - I'm telling them to play harder," Berenson said. "If there's a race for a loose puck, then, we're not going to give up for that puck. If there's a battle for a loose puck, we're not going to give up on that battle."

But with harder play comes responsibility.

In Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Spartans, Michigan (13-6-4, 10-4-1 CCHA) was called for 11 penalties. Many were retaliatory - including a double-minor that was called against goalie Shawn Hunwick with the score tied at 1-1 in the third period.

Hunwick got into it with 5-foot-8 forward Dustin Gazley and was ultimately called for two penalties - the second of which came after Hunwick knocked Gazley to the ice with a forearm.

It ended up costing the Wolverines, who fell behind by two goals - both which came on Michigan State 5-on-3 power plays.

"When the goalie starts getting involved in that, he might get away from his mindset of stopping the puck and playing the game," Berenson said. "That's what another team is trying to do is to get into your kitchen."

Hunwick said he momentarily lost his composure.

"I was upset and I just took a shot at him," Hunwick said. "The blood was boiling, we were in their face, they were in our face, and I just lost my cool and for a few minutes, got a little too worked up.

"I definitely showed I'm not afraid to do that, but a 1-1 game with 12 minutes to play on the road isn't the best time to do that. "

Back to normal Senior forward Louie Caporusso will move back to his natural center position after a one-game experiment when he switched positions with left winger David Wohlberg.

Berenson wanted to give the change a chance, thinking moving Caporusso outside would open up his game a little more. Berenson believed allowing Caporusso to come in on the wing rather than bringing the puck up the ice may create more scoring chances. chances.

But when Wohlberg kept drifting back to the left side and Caporusso found himself sliding back to center, Berenson went back to normal.

"It was obvious the switch hadn't taken," Berenson said. "They just weren't ready for it - at least not in a game. It's not like it's crucial to our team, but we can't jeopardize poor defensive play in our zone because of confusion over who's playing center."

Michigan men Freshman defenseman Jon Merrill and sophomore Chris Brown made nearly a seamless transition back to the Wolverines after missing the Great Lakes Invitational while playing for the United States' U-20 world junior team that captured a bronze medal at last week's world championships.

Both are known for their physical styles, which was evident in last weekend's split with rival Michigan State. Berenson initially wondered if they would have enough energy to play against the Spartans after returning to the team last Thursday.

Berenson knew loyalty played a big part in their decision.

"(Merrill) couldn't wait to get back here," Berenson said. "He was only gone a couple of weeks, but he was excited to come back. Brown's the same way. This is their family, this is their team, this is their school. And on the ice, I think they both gave us really good games considering everything they had been through."

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.