Chris Brown searches for solutions, trying desperately to fix what's broken.

The sophomore forward can't put his finger on why he hasn't able to contribute more to the Michigan hockey team.

His season-long slump is a daily fixation. After scoring 13 goals and finishing as a finalist for the CCHA's top freshman last season, Brown's offensive production has come to a screeching halt. He has registered one goal in 10 games. Although he has delivered five assists - three in the Wolverines' 5-2 win over Alaska last Saturday - Brown has struggled to find a rhythm.

"Welcome to a hockey player's mind every day," Brown says matter-of-factly. "I think I need a little more confidence in myself. I know I'm a good player and that I can produce the way I did last year. It's just getting that right balance, getting that puck going in and again getting that chemistry back with my line mates."

Brown's offensive issues have left Michigan coach Red Berenson no choice but to drop the forward to the Wolverines' third line. Throughout the first 10 games of the season, Berenson has tweaked his lineup.

Last weekend at Alaska, Brown was paired with sophomore A.J. Treais and freshman Luke Moffatt. That line combined for six points in the Wolverines' win at Alaska, with each player earning a +3 rating for the game.

Brown continues to be a physical presence for Michigan. But Berenson said this week that he’ll pressure Brown to do more.

The biggest push, however, comes from within.

"I need to start putting my time in here," Brown said. "I need to keep up with those two because they're playing really well right now, and I'm not playing the way I want to.

"I think I need to just play, just do what I did last year only better - and relax. If I relax, I know I will play well."

Michigan (5-2-3, 4-1-1 CCHA) faces a critical home series with first-place Notre Dame beginning Friday at Yost Ice Arena. The Wolverines haven't captured a Friday night victory since Oct. 8, when Berenson registered his 700th career victory in a 4-2 win at Bowling Green.

Since then, Michigan is 0-2-1 in series openers. Michigan has dropped four spots to No. 9 in the USA Today/USA Hockey poll.

Michigan remains in second place in the CCHA, one point behind the Irish (6-4-1, 4-1-1 CCHA).

"I'm sure there's not a player in the locker room that is satisfied with what we've done in the first 10 games," Berenson said. "There's a point of realism where you have to look in the mirror and say, 'What am I doing?'

"It's not like we're not scoring at all, but as a team, we're getting by."

While it's early, Berenson said his team has to move closer to the standard it sets for itself.

"We're like everyone else (in the CCHA), but we don't want to be like everyone else," he said. "We expect to be better. That comes from the top. That comes from me. It comes from the coaching staff, and it comes from the tradition at Michigan. We don't want to be a seventh-place team in this league again."

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.