Big Ten Hockey?

Before delving into details of the newest University of Wisconsin men's hockey schedule, circumstances almost beg that we first look further down the road.

The schedule for 2012-13 will be the last for UW in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association before the new Big Ten Conference makes its debut in 2013-14.

In addition to playing their final set of WCHA games, the Badgers will be expected to accommodate as many future Big Ten opponents as possible.

That includes Penn State, which is scheduled to play its inaugural season in NCAA Division I in 2012-13, as well as Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State, which are leaving the Central Collegiate Hockey Association to join the Big Ten for hockey.

Of course, Minnesota, which will join the Big Ten after being a member of the WCHA since 1959-60, will be on the schedule.

UW coach Mike Eaves acknowledged those new priorities exist but said his scheduling canvas for 2012-13 has a ton of white space.

Let's hope that Bucky can make the adjustment.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Badger Hockey is picking up

For No. 16 Wisconsin (5-6-2 WCHA, 9-7-3 overall), the first two and a half minutes of play against Bemidji State (4-8-1, 5-9-1) could not have gone much worse Friday night.

The Beavers scored two goals—on their first two shots of the night— in the opening minutes, as the youthful Badgers continued a season-long trend of starting a step slow. Still, UW got the first of two goals from sophomore center Craig Smith at the 12:16 mark of the first and tacked on a goal in each of the next two periods to earn a 3-2 victory in front of 11,358 spectators at the Kohl Center.

"Let's call a spade a spade," Badger head coach Mike Eaves said. "That was probably a disappointing a start as we've had this year."

Despite the win and two conference points, Eaves said he is considering changing the team's pregame routine to combat the sluggish starts, and might draw from other coaches for inspiration.

"When we were in Finland, there was a Russian coach that had his guys play two-on-two in the corners to make sure his team was ready," Eaves said. "I've never seen that before but I've pretty much resigned myself to the fact that we may have to try that with this group."

The Badgers tied the game just after the mid-point of the second period when senior forward Podge Turnbull took a break-out pass and, with a defender in front of him, fired a wrister at the net. The puck took a strange hop and handcuffed junior Beavers goaltender Dan Bakala, skipping by him and into the net.

"I'm not sure if it hit the guy's stick or if I just kind of muffined one in there, but it went in and that's the important thing," Turnbull said.

Smith added the game-winner at the tail end of a five-minute power play early in the third period. Junior Bemidji forward Shea Walters earned an ejection along with the penalty for checking sophomore Badger defenseman Justin Schultz into the boards.

"It's a good sign when your team battles back," Smith said. "But it's not good when you're putting yourself in a hole right away."

Both of Smith's goals Friday came with a man-advantage and the team finished two-for-five on the night, improving their conversion rate to a WCHA-best 30.0 percent. The Badgers have scored a power play goal in 16 of 19 games this season, but have struggled to produce offense in even-strength play.

Between the slow start and power play-reliant offense, Friday's game continued multiple trends that have plagued UW through the first half of the season, but ended with the Badgers earning their first one-goal victory of the year.

"It was a frustrating night as a coach," Eaves said. "But you know what, we won a game where we played ugly. We'll put that in the bank, come back tomorrow and hopefully be better."

Let's hope Bucky can keep it rolling.  GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Badgers are headed to the Frozen Four

Ben Street knows it. Mike Eaves and Brendan Smith do too.
The Wisconsin men’s hockey team has had a charmed season in making its run to the Frozen Four — and possibly the program’s seventh national title. Lots of little things happened that added up in a big way: players staying, opportunities to play in big games and maybe most importantly, a lack of injuries.
“It’s not wood, but it will do,” Street said with a chuckle, as he tapped the practice rink boards in reference to the Badgers’ health this season.
Aside from senior tri-captain Blake Geoffrion missing a game early in the season and a two-game series at Michigan Tech at the end of February, Wisconsin has been lucky to avoid the injury bug. The fact he was able to return from the concussion with no ill effects is a big reason the Badgers are one of the last four college hockey teams standing, as the Brentwood, Tenn. native had two goals and three assists in Wisconsin’s two West Regional games.
“Any coach will tell you that you need a little bit of lady luck on your side, and having good travel and having people that are healthy makes a big difference,” Eaves, UW’s head coach said.
“The biggest thing I think is people not getting hurt,” Smith said. “That comes along in the season when your top players go down and it really affects — because somebody else has to step up and maybe they don’t do the exact same job.”
WCHA tournament champion North Dakota knows the pain of injury — the Sioux lost former All-WCHA defenseman Chay Genoway to head injury in November and UND struggled until a second-half surge.
In addition to staying injury free, the Badgers have also stayed, well, for lack of a better term, the same team. UW’s seven-man senior class is the Badgers’ biggest since the groups that won it all in 2006 and fell one overtime goal short of the Frozen Four in 2007.
Lets hope the Badgers can win another National Championship. GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike Eaves May be the Coach of the Year

Mike Eaves of the University of Wisconsin has been selected as one of 10 finalists for the Spencer Penrose Award, given annually to the top coach in NCAA Division I men's hockey.
The list of finalists for the award, presented by the American Hockey Coaches Association, includes the coaches of all four teams at the Frozen Four: Eaves, Enrico Blasi of Miami (Ohio), Wayne Wilson of the Rochester Institute of Technology and Jerry York of Boston College.
Eaves was runner-up to Blasi in 2006 for the award, marking the only other time he was nominated. No UW coach has ever won the award, which is celebrating its 60th year.
To be a finalist for the award, a coaches must either be voted Coach of the Year in his conference or take his team to the NCAA Frozen Four.
The Spencer Penrose Award is named in honor of the former Colorado Springs benefactor who built the Broadmoor Hotel Complex, site of the first 10 NCAA hockey championships.
The 2010 winner will be announced after the Frozen Four and presented at the American Hockey Coaches Association banquet on May 1 in Naples, Fla.
If he wins the award it will be great for Wisconsin. GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frozen Four Preview?

For hockey fans who just can’t wait until April’s Frozen Four, heading to the Kohl Center this weekend might not be a bad idea, when No. 1 Denver takes on No. 3 Wisconsin. Both teams could find themselves earning No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament come late March.
The Pioneers (14-5-3, 10-3-3 WCHA) are riding a four-game unbeaten streak. But more important than the current unbeaten streak is DU’s recent domination of UW in Madison.
Denver is 11-2 at the Kohl Center since 2002 and only one of those losses was in the regular season. Although UW is 8-2-2 at home this season, DU plays well on the road, with a 6-3 mark. The Pioneers currently have a five-game winning streak over the Badgers, including a 3-0 victory in the WCHA Final Five last March.
Lets hope Bucky Badger can sweep the Pioneers. GO BUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!