Girls Hockey 2008 Sectionals

Here's a link to the Girls Hockey 2008 Sectional Brackets. It appears that girls hockey is expanding from 23 teams to 25 teams next season. The additional teams are being provided by the break up of the Madison Metro Lynx into a Madison Memorial Coop, a Stoughton Coop and a Sun Prairie Coop.

Coaching Openings...at UW-Stevens Point

UW-Stevens Point is looking for both a Men's Head Hockey Coach and Women's Head Hockey Coach this offseason. Joe Baldarotta resigned his position after the season, allegedly under pressure to do so. Ann Ninneman was the Interim Head Coach of the Women's team and took them to the Division 3 Final Four, finishing third, but was not asked back. So, whether you've actually got all the hockey answers a team will need over a season or just think that you do, here's a link to apply for the Men's Head Coaching job, and here's a link to apply for the Women's Head Coaching job.

Eaves Update from Andy Baggot

Update from Madison State Journal writer Andy Baggot. Sounds like it's just been a hot rumor going around the American Hockey Coaches Association Convention this week.

Important quotes from Baggot: "Eaves didn't return a message left on his cell phone Sunday night, but multiple sources indicated the rumor is just that.

One source said he didn't know if Eaves had been contacted by Lamoriello, but the source said Eaves was aware of the rumor and dismissed it."

So it sounds like it's just a rumor and isn't going to happen. Makes me a happy Badger fan!

LINK

Edit: My apologies to any Current or future Badgers, Coaches, and fans of the program if this rumor ends up not being true. (Which looks like it's not) I only brought it to light to keep Badger fans informed of anything that I've heard. Again...sorry.

Rumor has it: Eaves to New Jersey...:(

I know on April fools I told you guys that Mike Eaves may leave for Philladelphia for the Flyers open job at the end of the season. That was a joke. This however is not. Today I heard from reliable sources that University of Wisconsin head coach Mike Eaves is slated to take over the head coaching duties for the New Jersey Devils next season.

I wish I had more information on it but at this time I don't. Eaves has always ran an NHL type system at Wisconsin and the characteristics between styles of Wisconsin and New Jersey aren't that far off. He seems like the perfect fit with General Manager Lou Lamoriello.

Keep in mind that the sources were quoted as being extremely reliable but at this point it needs to be treated as a rumor and not fact yet.

Edit: If Eaves were to leave there are a few names I would hope are being throw out there...:

Dean Blais (Recently left his job at Columbus I believe)
Mark Johnson (Best player in Wisconsin Hockey history, has won back to back titles with the Wisconsin women)
Mark Osiecki (Current Badger top assistant coach)

Anyone else want to throw any new names out there?

Women's Prospects Tournament

The Women's Prospects Tournament in Toronto was last weekend. There were girls there with birthdates from between 1988 and 1993 in the tournament from what I could see. Here are the players with Wisconsin ties that were in attendance:

Team Colgate-G Sarah Ethington Shaw Varsity Boys 9/14/1990
Team Dartmouth-G Alyssa Koniar Wisconsin Wild U19 12/23/1988
Team Guelph-F Kellie Dineen Madison Capitols U16 11/18/1991
Team Guelph-F Jamie Kenyon Madison Capitols U16 9/23/1991
Team Guelph-F Kinzey Johnson Madison Capitols U16 10/2/1991
Team Harvard-G Ilana Friedman Madison Capitols U16 11/3/1990
Team Maine-G Emily Siira Madison Capitols U16AA 1/10/1991
Team Pink Panthers-G Barb Bilko Shattuck St. Mary's U16 3/13/1990
Team Quinnipiac-G Erin Callahan Wisconsin Wild U16 2/28/1991
Team Western-F Stephanie Slinde Madison Capitols U16 10/11/1990

Six goaltenders with ties to Wisconsin is an amazing number of girls to make the trip to Toronto.

Wisconsin '92's at the Toronto Prospects Tournament

There is a team entered in the Toronto Prospects Tournament with the entire roster hailing from Wisconsin. The team name is Team Five Alarm which is 2-1 in the tournament so far. Here's the roster:

1 Smith Eric 11/9/1992 Madison Capitals
30 Kujava Tony 1/5/1992 Green Bay Jr Gamblers
2 Larsen Matt 7/30/1992 SPASH
3 Bishop Chris 1/20/1992 Superior
4 Fiala Joey 2/11/1993 Wisconsin AAA
6 Barktowiak Danny 10/22/1992 Madison Capitals
8 Nadler Matan 4/8/1992 Chicago
9 Delgaddillo Jose 2/28/1992 Wisconsin AAA
10 Allen Garrett 3/7/1992 Wisconsin AAA
12 Lennon Matt 9/25/1992 Madison Capitals
14 Rabey Jarred 9/18/1992 Wisconsin AAA
15 Mauer Gage 11/23/1992 Madison Capitals
16 Eick CJ 1/21/1992 Green Bay Jr Gamblers
19 Salinas Kevin 11/22/1992 Wisconsin AAA
20 King Lane 1/4/1993 Wisconsin AAA
26 Landowski Truman 4/7/1992 Wisconsin AAA
29 Komplin Kyle 2/7/1992 Madison Capitals
34 McLaughlin Shayne 2/6/1992 Eau Claire Memorial
41 Klasinski Kamen 7/31/1992 Green Bay Jr Gamblers

Shaughn Dean from the Madison Capitols is also in the tournament, playing for the Culver Prospects who are 1-1.

Derrick LaPoint Interview

Hockey's Future has a very good interview posted with Derrick LaPoint. Topics range from his experience with the Green Bay Gamblers, to why he chose North Dakota over Wisconsin and Minnesota, to whether the Florida Panthers will be having a rookie camp he will attend.

2007-2008 Boys State Hockey Tournament Brackets

It's never too soon to start thinking about the playoffs, so why not check out the Boys 2007-2008 State Tournament brackets? There appear to be some new teams which has caused some shuffling of the sections. I didn't think it was possible, but defending State Champion Fond du Lac's Sectional Five actually got easier for next season with the loss of Sheboygan and Waupun from that bracket, and the addition of some new teams.

Knight Time

Hilary Knight had verballed to the Badger Women's team earlier this season, but was not able to sign a letter of intent at that time as her application was hung up in admissions. Knight was finally able to sign her national letter of intent in the late signing period and becomes the sixth member of the incoming Freshman class.

Knight played for the US Senior National Team over the past year at the Four Nations Cup and was the youngest player on the team for the Women's World Championship. Knight played the last four seasons for Choate Rosemary Hall and the Connecticut Polar Bears U-19 team.

USHL Playoff Update

Facing elimination at the hands of Des Moines Tuesday, Omaha claimed a 3-1 victory and now trail in the series three games to one. Matt Thurber had an assist for Omaha and was +1, while teammate Justin Johnson finished even.

Tri-City squeaked out a 2-1 win against Sioux City on Tuesday to take the lead in the series two games to one. Luke Lucyk had a goal for Tri-City in the game.

Lincoln scored seven goals on Tuesday against Sioux Falls and still lost 8-7. David Solway had a goal for Sioux Falls and Patrick Tiesling had an assist. For Lincoln, Patrick Johnson got two and ten minutes for checking from behind and scored a goal, while teammate Travis Erstad scored his first USHL goal. Sioux Falls won the series 4-0 and Johnson, Erstad and Ross Henry are now done for the season.

Waterloo extended their series lead three games to one over Chicago with a 4-1 win Tuesday. UW recruit Sean Dolan had the goal for Chicago, while Wisconsinite and UW recruit Josh Turnbull had an assist for Waterloo, as did Wisconsinite Brett Olson who has played very well in the playoffs. Keegan Meuer was active for this game, his first of the Playoffs.

Sioux City again tied their series against Tri-City at two games a piece with a 3-1 victory Wednesday. Sean Wiles and Luke Lucyk both finished even for Tri-City.

Waterloo edged Chicago 5-4 to eliminate the Steel from the Playoffs. Sean Dolan had a goal for Chicago, while Brett Olson had a goal and an assist for Waterloo. Keegan Meuer was again active in this game for Waterloo.

Sioux City doubled up Tri-City 6-3 tonight to take the series lead three games to two. Sean Wiles finished +1 for Tri-City and Luke Lucyk finished even.

Kyle Turris Named Canadian Junior A Player of the Year

UW recruit Kyle Turris has been named the RBC Financial Group Canadian Junior A Player of the Year. Turris had 66 goals on the season, 15 more than the runners-up in the BCHL scoring race. He finished second in the BCHL in points. He also finished tied for the league lead in playoff scoring with 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points. The playoff scoring feat is incredible considering he played one less series than every other player in the top ten of playoff scorers. Turris was also named Coastal Conference MVP in the BCHL.

The USHL on UW

The USHL has a really interesting article full of facts on UW and UW Hockey. I would have to guess this is a feature they do regularly, but I have not personally seen any other schools/team profiled.

Central Scouting Service Final Rankings

Several Wisconsinites and UW recruits made the Central Scouting Service Final Rankings for North American Skaters. Here's the list:

1. UW recruit Kyle Turris (F)
11. UW recruit Ryan McDonagh (D)
68. UW recruit Brendan Smith (D)
97. UW recruit and Wisconsinite Travis Erstad (F)
99. Wisconsinite Blake Kessel (D)
207. UW recruit and Wisconsinite Josh Turnbull (F)

Gamblers and Four Wisconsinites Eliminated from USHL Playoffs

Last night Indiana defeated Green Bay 5-3 completing a sweep of their playoff series and ending the Gamblers season. Nick Graves got the start in net for Green Bay, and stopped 27 of 31 shots. Mike Sislo had a goal for Green Bay and Derrick LaPoint had an assist. Ryan Little finished the game -1 for Green Bay. Brent Gwidt finished +1 for Indiana.

Ryan Suter Named to US National Team

Ryan Suter will make his third appearance for the US National Team for the IIHF World Championship in Russia. Suter played for the Badgers in 2003-2004 and just completed his second season with the Nashville Predators.

U-18 World Championship

I've been so busy trying to keep up with everything this weekend, that I did not realize I had not posted the final results of the U-18 World Championship. Here they are:

Team USA lost 5-4 to Russia in the Championship. Potential UW recruit Vinny Saponari had a goal in the contest.

Team Canada was drubbed in the Bronze Medal Game losing to Sweden 8-3.

USHL Playoffs: Chicago vs. Waterloo Sunday

Chicago and Waterloo squared off today with Chicago claiming their first victory in the series with a 6-3 victory. Waterloo now leads the series two games to one. Brett Olson and Blake Kessel had assists for Waterloo, while UW recruit Sean Dolan had an assist for Chicago. Neither Craig Smith nor Keegan Meuer were suited up for Waterloo.

Chicago Showcase Championship Games

Both the Team Wisconsin Red Boys and Team Wisconsin Girls advanced to the Championship Game at the Chicago Showcase. The Girls were able to bring home the gold dy defeating Team North Dakota 6-1. Brianna Decker continued her absolute dominance with a hat trick in the game, and Lauren Ashley Unser, Sara Beth Suchla and Jennifer Brown each also scored. Team Wisconsin won every game in the Showcase by four goals or more.

Team Wisconsin Red lost a heartbreaker losing 5-4 to Team Pittsburgh in a shootout. Ricky Wozniak, Keith Clawson, Alex Gerke and Alex West had goals in the game.

Boys & Girls Roll in Chicago Showcase Semi-Finals

Both the Team Wisconsin Red Boys and Team Wisconsin Girls cruised through the Chicago Showcase Semi-Finals. Team Wisconsin Red destroyed Ohio 7-0 behind two goals by both Zach Kohn and Sean Graskey and one a piece for Andy Schroeder, Tyler Gross and Chris Kein. They will take on Team Pittsburgh at 5 PM tonight for the Championship.

The Team Wisconsin Girls blanked Team Michigan 4-0. Brianna Decker had two goals while Jennifer Brown and Whitney Nelson each had a goal. They will square off against Team North Dakota at 3 PM for the Championship.

USHL Saturday Playoff Games

Des Moines needed OT to gain victory over Omaha 4-3. Matt Thurber had a goal for Omaha and was +1. Justin Johnson finished -1 for Omaha. Des Moines leads the series 3-0.

Tri-City edged Sioux City 4-3 scoring all 4 of their goals in the third period. The series is knotted at one game a piece.

Cedar Rapids eliminated Ohio from the playoffs with a 5-2 win. Justin Cseter was -1 in the game for Ohio.

Indiana continued their dominance of Green Bay in the Playoffs with a 6-2 victory. Mike Sislo scored both goals unassisted for Green Bay and was even on the night. Teammate Ryan Little was -2 and Derrick LaPoint finished -1. Nick Graves came on in relief of Adam Avramenko and stopped 15 of 17 shots over roughly the last half of the game. Here's what the Green Bay Press Gazette had to say about the game. Indiana now leads the series 3 games to none.

Sioux Falls blanked Lincoln 5-0. Patrick Tiesling scored a goal while David Solway had two assists. For Lincoln, Patrick Johnson and Ross Henry were even, while Travis Erstad was -2. Sam Zabkowicz finished +1 for Sioux Falls along with teammates David Solway and Patrick Tiesling. Jacob Drewiske finished even. Sioux Falls now has a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.

Waterloo took a 2 games to none lead over Chicago with a 5-1 win. Brett Olson had a goal for Waterloo. Blake Kessel had an assist for Waterloo and was +1 while UW recruit Sean Dolan had an assist for Chicago and was +1. Craig Smith and Keegan Meuer were not active for Waterloo. Judging by this video clip that I found, Waterloo continues to love the Blackhawks.

Chicago Showcase

The Team Wisconsin White Boys bounced back from their loss Thursday at the Chicago Showcase and dispatched Team Philadelphia 4-2 on Friday. Goals were scored by Vince Hagman, and Casey Lutz, with Cody Zebro notching two goals. On Saturday, Team Wisconsin White shutout Team Northwest 6-0. Scoring goals were Nic Belonger, David Hettenbach, Brody Zebro, Vince Hagman, Jake Calleja and Shawn Oelke. Their record is 3-1.

Team Wisconsin Red rattled off two wins to bring their record to 2-1-1. They took out Team New Jersey Friday 4-2 with Zach Kohn providing 2 goals and Ricky Wozniak and Tedd Falk also scoring. On Saturday, they defeated Team Northern New England 6-1 with goals by Zach Kohn, Tedd Falk, Alex West, Sean Graskey, Ryan Smet and Tedd Falk. Team Wisconsin Red now advances to the Semi-Finals.

The Team Wisconsin Girls finished Pool Play 4-0. On Friday they blanked Team Rocky Mountain 7-0 behind two goals for both Brianna Decker and Kim Tess-Wanat, as well as goals by Sarah Beth Suchla, Kayte Holtz and Emily Brienzo. On Saturday, Brianna Decker scored the first four goals of the game and Team Wisconsin cruised to a 7-1 victory over Team Mid-American. Also scoring goals were Lauren Ashley Unser, Jennifer Brown and Whitney Nelson. They will advance to the Semi-finals today, although nothing has been posted yet.

Friday's USHL Playoff Games

Des Moines got past Omaha 3-2 Friday to take a 2-0 games lead in the series. Justin Johnson was -1 for Omaha while Matt Thurber was even.

Sioux City blanked Tri-City in the first game of their series. Sean Wiles was -1 for Tri-City while Luke Lucyk was -2.

Cedar Rapids now leads their series against Ohio 3 games to none thanks to a 5-1 victory Friday. Justin Cseter was even for Ohio, but was called for checking from behind and had to serve two and ten minute penalties for the offense.

Sioux Falls handled Lincoln 5-1. For Lincoln, Ross Henry was -3, Patrick Johnson was -1 and Travis Erstad was even. Sioux Falls now leads the series 2-0.

Indiana defeated Green Bay in overtime 3-2 and now leads the series 2-0. Brent Gwidt had an assist for Indiana, while Mike Sislo and Derrick LaPoint had assists for Green Bay.

UW Hockey Practice Facility Article

The Wisconsin State Journal had a piece on the UW Athletic Department's Capital Plan yesterday. It mentions that hockey is the top priority and that another rink at the Kohl Center for the men to practice and for the women to play games. It also mentions that Mike Eaves would like to reduce the size of the 200' by 97' ice sheet in the Kohl Center.

Another Shootout But With a Different Result

Team USA and Team Canada tied for the second time in a week, but this time the stakes were for the rights to advance to the IIHF U-18 World Championship Game. Unlike the first time the two teams tied, Team USA won the shootout and thus the game by a score of 4-3. UW recruit Kyle Turris had a goal for Canada, and potential UW recruit Vinny Saponari had a goal for Team USA. Team USA will now face Russia on Sunday for the U-18 World Championship.

USHL Playoff Update

The series between Waterloo and Chicago got underway tonight with Waterloo winding up victorious by a score of 2-0. No Wisconsinites tallied on the score sheet for Waterloo, and neither Craig Smith nor Keegan Meuer were active for the game. UW recruit Sean Dolan was -1 for Chicago.

Day Two of the Chicago Showcase

The Team Wisconsin White boys dropped to 1-1 after losing today to Team Texas-Oklahoma by a score of 4-2. Matt Kloppenburg and Kyle Heck had the goals for Team Wisconsin White.

The Team Wisconsin Red boys managed a tie today against Team Northern New England, with the final being 3-3. Ian Andrews, Ricky Wozniak and Tedd Falk all scored goals. Team Wisconsin Red is now 0-1-1 in the tournament.

The Team Wisconsin Girls blanked Team Michigan 9-0. Kim Tess-Wanat had a hat trick while Brianna Decker had two goals in the game. They are now 2-0 in the tournament. Tomorrow they will face Team Rocky Mountain, which is currently 2-0 and has outscored their opponents 11-1 in their two games.

The Team Central District Girls dropped to 0-2 with a 5-3 loss to Team North Dakota. Lindsay Noffke and Emily Groth both scored for Team Central District today.

Team USA Advances to Semifinals to Face Team Canada

Team USA won their game today in the U-18 World Championship Playoff Round, setting up another showdown with Team Canada tomorrow in the semifinals. Team USA defeated Slovakia 7-2, with potential UW recruit Vinny Saponari having an assist. Team USA will face Team Canada tomorrow.

USHL Playoffs

The USHL Playoffs began Tuesday and continued to build momentum this evening.

On Tuesday, Cedar Rapids blasted Ohio 8-0. Justin Cseter was -2 in the loss.

Wednesday, Des Moines doubled up Omaha 4-2. Matt Thurber finished the game -1 for Omaha, and Justin Johnson finished the game even.

Indiana beat Green Bay by a score of 4-2. Brent Gwidt had an assist for Indiana. Ryan Little finished -3 for Green Bay.

Cedar Rapids squeaked past Ohio 1-0 in overtime. Justin Cseter was even in the game. Cedar Rapids now leads the series 2 games to 0.

Sioux Falls unloaded on Lincoln 8-2. Pat Johnson finished -1 for Lincoln while teammate Ross Henry finished the game +1. David Solway had a goal and an assist for Sioux Falls while teammate Patrick Tiesling finished +2.

Boys & Girls Chicago Showcase

The Chicago Showcase got underway today, with Wisconsin teams off to a mixed start. The Girls Team Wisconsin held Team Illinois to 5 shots in a 5-1 victory. The Girls were lead by Brianna Decker who recorded a hat trick.

The Team Central District Girls lost their first game by a score of 4-1 to Team Rocky Mountain.

The Boys Team Wisconsin White blasted Team Kentucky-Team West Virginia 13 to 1. Randy Willis stopped 19 of 20 shots while Anthony Knuth had four goals and Brody Zebro and Kyle Heck each had two goals.

The Boys Team Wisconsin Red played the final game of the day against Team Minnesota, with the puck supposed to have dropped at 7 PM. As I re-write this post at 11:47 PM, their score still has not yet been posted. I'll have to update it tomorrow if it is not posted soon.

Edit: Still no update as of 5 AM Thursday...I guess they were too tired last night to put the score online...which doesn't make me very happy since I stayed up in part to get it posted...

Edit #2: Team Minnesota defeated Team Wisconsin Red 5-3. Ryan Smet, Alex Gerke and Zach Kohn had goals in the loss.

Wisconsinites Claim USHL Postseason Awards

The USHL has announced their postseason awards including First and Second Team All-USHL and the All-Rookie Team. Derrick LaPoint was named First-Team All-USHL as well as to the USHL All-Rookie Team. Joining LaPoint on the All-Rookie Team from Wisconsin are both Blake Kessel and Josh Turnbull. Here's the complete listing of the awards:

First-Team All-USHL
Goalie: Matt DiGirolamo - Waterloo Black Hawks
Defense: Jeff Petry - Des Moines Buccaneers
Defense: Derrick LaPoint - Green Bay Gamblers
Forward: Phil DeSimone - Sioux City Musketeers
Forward: Jacob Cepis - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Forward: Jared Brown - Lincoln Stars

Second Team All-USHL
Goalie: Drew Palmisano - Omaha Lancers
Defense: Colby Cohen - Lincoln Stars
Defense: Nick Petrecki - Omaha Lancers
Forward: James Marcou - Waterloo Black Hawks
Forward: Carter Camper - Lincoln Stars
Forward: Rich Purslow - Des Moines Buccaneers

USHL All-Rookie Team
Goalie: Kent Patterson - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Defense: Derrick LaPoint - Green Bay Gamblers
Defense: Blake Kessel - Waterloo Black Hawks
Forward: Max Pacioretty - Sioux City Musketeers
Forward: Josh Turnbull - Waterloo Black Hawks
Forward: Calle Ridderwall - Tri-City Storm

U-18 World Championship Update

Team Canada advanced to the Semi-Finals with a 5-2 win over Russia today. Kyle Turris was held off the score sheet, but it sounds like he created some scoring chances and was very good on the penalty kill.

Team USA shut out Latvia 8-0 and will now advance to the Playoff Round. Ryan McDonagh recorded an assist in the game. Team USA will face Slovakia on Thursday in the Playoff Round, with the winner of that game playing Canada on Friday in the Semi-Finals.

UW's Freshmen Forwards: Weakness Now & Strength Later?

The Badgers' Freshman recruiting class was ranked first this season, largely behind the high draft selections of defenseman Nigel Williams, defenseman Jamie McBain and Forward Blake Geoffrion. Nigel Williams only lasted a month before he packed his bags and headed for the OHL. Jamie McBain had a very good season and immediately fit in on the blue line. Blake Geoffrion and the rest of the forwards were not able to contribute a whole lot to the offense this season, other than Mike Davies who finished third in points and second in goals.

Despite the Freshman forwards struggling as a group and being a weakness for the Badgers this season, I can see the possibility that this group could end up being a strength over the next three seasons. For one thing, they are a large class of forwards, totaling seven players: John Mitchell, Ben Grotting, Mike Davies, Blake Geoffrion, Aaron Bendickson, Zach Bearson and Andy Bohmbach. They are also a group of players that by and large are likely to be around for the next three or four seasons, which is one reason I can see that they may be a strength for the team down the line. The Badgers lost five forwards this offseason and at this point only plan to replace them with four players: Kyle Turris, Josh Turnbull, Patrick Johnson and Sean Dolan. Potentially Chris Hickey could also be added to the mix, but there has been absolutely no talk of that by the staff. That means there will likely only be 2 forwards not suited up for every game, and that the current class of Freshmen forwards will have a big chance to contribute night in and night out throughout the season next year. Even further in their careers, the fact that this large group of Freshmen forwards will be around should pay big dividends for the Badgers, especially in cushioning the losses of forwards that bolt early for the NHL.

Next season there will only be one Senior forward-Matt Ford as well as two Junior forwards-Tom Gorowsky and Ben Street. The maturation of this year's freshmen forwards will be critical for the Badgers. Hopefully it will become a strength of the team sooner than later.

Links Update

I have updated all of the links for Division 1 Men's Recruits as well as the Division 3 Men's and Women's recruits so that they point to active sites. There has been a lot of turnover in the sites that keep these lists since last season. I have also found a site that lists Women's Division 1 recruits and have added a link for that site as well.

Team Canada Downs Team USA at U-18 World Championship

Team Canada won a thriller today against Team USA by a score of 3-2 in a shootout. UW recruit Ryan McDonagh assisted on Team USA's first goal. Team USA outshot Team Canada 46 to 34.

Wisconsinites & UW Players USHL Final Regular Season Statistics

Defenseman Derrick La Point 59 GP, 13 G, 36 A, 49 points, -13, 48 PIM

Defenseman Ryan Little 59 GP, 4 G, 9 A, 13 points, +4, 76 PIM

Forward Mike Sislo 60 GP, 23 G, 26 A, 49 points, -23, 28 PIM

Goaltender Nick Graves 15 GP, 799:39, 4 wins 9 losses, 3.30 GAA, .887 Sv.%

Forward Brent Gwidt 55 GP, 8 G, 5 A, 13 points, even +/-, 26 PIM

Defenseman Ross Henry 60 GP, 0 G, 4 A, 4 points, +16, 96 PIM

Forward Patrick Johnson 49 GP, 11 G, 16 A, 27 points, -11, 50 PIM

Forward Matt Thurber 58 GP, 11 G, 32 A, 43 points, +16, 55 PIM

Defenseman Garrett Suter 17 GP, 0 G, 5 A, 5 points, +1, 22 PIM

Forward Justin Cseter 53 GP, 8 G, 12 A, 20 points, +3, 93 PIM

Defenseman Sam Zabkowicz 49 GP, 1 G, 12 A, 13 points, -6, 46 PIM

Forward David Solway 56 GP, 20 G, 21 A, 41 points, +3, 113 PIM

Forward Jacob Drewiske 56 GP, 8 G, 10 A, 18 points, +4, 50 PIM

Forward Patrick Tiesling 60 GP, 8 G, 14 A, 22 points, +7, 30 PIM

Defenseman Kyle Ensign 25 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 points, +3, 30 PIM

Defenseman Luke Lucyk 59 GP, 9 G, 13 A, 22 points, +12, 91 PIM

Forward Sean Wiles 55 GP, 12 G, 7 A, 19 points, +1, 37 PIM

Defenseman Blake Kessel 59 GP, 11 G, 27 A, 38 points, +12, 38 PIM

Forward Brett Olson 52 GP, 9 G, 13 A, 22 points, +9, 82 PIM

Forward Josh Turnbull 60 GP, 25 G, 29 A, 54 points, +18, 66 PIM

Forward Craig Smith 45 GP, 8 G, 10 A, 18 points, +6, 28 PIM

Forward Keegan Meuer 29 GP, 4 G, 4 A, 8 points, +5, 24 PIM

Forward Travis Erstad 8 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 points, -7, 4 PIM

Forward Justin Johnson 18 GP, 0 G, 2 A, 2 points, -7, 4 PIM

Forward Sean Dolan 59 GP, 22 G, 18 A, 40 points, -18, 76 PIM

Goalie Scott Gudmandson 14 GP, 718:32, 4 wins, 7 losses, 1 OT loss, 3.92 GAA, .850 sv. percentage

Josh Turnbull, Mike Sislo and Derrick LaPoint all had great seasons, and have been recognized for those great seasons. I think that Blake Kessel, Matt Thurber and David Solway also had great years but have not gotten the publicity of the first three players.

UW Men's Hockey Captains for 2007-2008 Announced

The Captain for next year's UW Men's Hockey Team will be junior Davis Drewiske. The Assistant Captains are slated to be junior defenseman Kyle Klubertanz and sophomore forward Ben Street.

USHL 1992 Showcase Roster

The USHL has released the roster for the 1992 birthdate showcase. Here's the Wisconsin players I found on the list:

Team Cedar Rapids-Marcus Zelzer-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Chicago-Ryan Belonger-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Chicago-Gage Maurer (F)-Madison Capitols
Team Des Moines-Matt Lennon (F)-Madison Capitols
Team Des Moines-Kyle Komplin (F)-Madison Capitols
Team Green Bay-Shaughn Dean (D)-Madison Capitols
Team Green Bay-Kamen Klasinski-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Green Bay-Joey Haydock-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Sioux City-Tyler Menucci-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Sioux City-Danny Bartkowiak (F)-Madison Capitols
Team Sioux Falls-Christopher Eick-GB Jr. Gamblers
Team Waterloo-Tyler Jacobson (D)-Madison Capitols

The 1992 Showcase takes place May 25-27th. It's interesting that only AAA players from Wisconsin have been invited. I understand that not everyone can be scouted, but shouldn't they have at least considered some of the players from last year's Select 14 who aren't playing AAA? Here's a list of the players that qualified for last year's National Select 14:

F Ryan Belonger-Green Bay
G Tony Kujava-Green Bay
F Noah Nelson-Oconomowoc
F Matt Lennon-Reedsburg
D Tyler Jacobson-Cross Plains
D Nolan Kirley-Hayward
F Dan Sherer-Nashotah
D Anthony SooHoo-New Berlin
F Shayne McLaughlin-Spooner

IIHF U-18 World Championship Update

The United States raised their record to 1-1 at the IIHF U-18 World Championship yesterday with a 9-1 victory over Germany. Today Canada moved to 2-0 with a 9-1 win over Latvia. UW recruit Kyle Turris scored both the first goal of the game and the last goal of the game, as well as having two assists.

Tomorrow Team USA and Team Canada will face off against one another at 11:30 AM Central Time.

Garrett Suter Will Not Be a Badger

Yesterday's print version of the Wisconsin State Journal indicates that Garrett Suter has again failed to be academically eligible and will not be a Badger. As speculated, that is likely the reason UW got the commitment from Craig Johnson of Fairbanks in the NAHL.

Opening Games Completed at IIHF U-18 World Championship

Team USA dropped their opener at the IIHF U-18 World Championship against Russia by a score of 5-3. UW recruit Ryan McDonagh had a power play assist in the game. Potential UW recruit Vinny Saponari also had an assist in the game. Team USA is back in action against Germany tomorrow morning.

Team Canada was victorious over Germany in their first round game, but UW recruit Kyle Turris was held off the scoresheet.

Girls Team Central District for Chicago Showcase Named

Team Central District for the Chicago Showcase has now been posted and includes many girls from Wisconsin (as usual). Here's the complete roster:

8 Mary M Carr Visitation Academy Forward 3/14/91 So 5' 3" 110
9 Kristin M Deisenroth Lakes Community High School F/D 1/31/89 Sr 5' 8" 170
20 Kali M Frederick Parkway North High School Forward 1/28/90 Jr 5' 6" 122
16 Lauren A Gamble Fox Valley Lutheran High School Forward 2/26/90 Jr 5' 2" 110
7 Emily A Groth Monona Frove High School Defense 8/20/91 So 5' 6" 145
3 Kaitlyn L Hahler Lindbergh High School Defense 7/14/91 So 5' 4" 135
15 Samantha K Knosby Gilbert JR-SR High School Forward 7/1/90 Jr 5' 8" 135
6 Erika Lynn Koppa Pius XI High School Defense 11/16/90 Jr 5' 5" 134
24 Arika R Krinke Hudson High School Forward 1/9/90 Jr 6' 5" 170
12 Devan C Lesch Mother McAuley Forward 5/28/91 So 5' 3" 140
4 Michelle A Lichterman Prospect High School Defense 2/13/90 Jr 5' 2" 135
5 Anne E Little Glenbard West High School Defense 5/15/91 So 5' 3" 120
35 Meghan A Madeson Antigo High School Goal 12/5/90 So 5' 2" 130
14 Lindsay M Maier Parkway Central High School F/D 7/7/89 Jr 5' 2" 140
21 Samantha Lynn Martin Cary Grove High School Forward 8/1/90 Jr 5' 6" 120
22 Lindsay M Noffke Waupaca High School Forward 3/20/90 Jr 5' 4" 130
23 Melissa Jamie Reidelberger Rosati-Kain High School Forward 4/26/89 Sr 5' 2" 125
10 Erin M Stenseth Eau Claire North High School Forward 9/8/91 So 5' 4" 120
2 Hannah M Turnbull Hayward High School Defense 7/18/91 So 5' 8" 150
1 Kristena M Wampler Fox Senior High School Goal 4/15/89 Sr 5' 2" 118

US Women Fall to Canada in Gold Medal Game at World Championships

Team Canada defeated Team USA 5-1 in the gold medal game at the Women's World Championships. Former Badger Carla MacLeod assisted on the first goal for Canada while current Badger Erika Lawler assisted on Team USA's only goal.

Wisconsin Select 17's

The Wisconsin Select 17’s (1990 Birth Year ) roster has been chosen for the 2007 USA Hockey Central District Festival in Vernon Hills, IL. The Festival will take place May 4-6.

Goalies
Josh Lehr
Landen Peterson
Mitch Thompson

Defense
Ted Behrend
John Byce
Dave Donnellan
Chris Glover
Ross Henry
Taylor Kuypers
Tim Smith

Forwards
Brett Bower
Nate Condon
Derek Lund
Ross Mauermann
Brock Monpetit
Kevin O’Donnell
Andy Singerhouse
Charlie Strauss
Andy Tylka
Kyle Walbrun
Tom Westmark

Many of the players on this team made the National Boys Select 16 Camp last season including Ross Henry and Taylor Kuypers on defense and Brock Montpetit, Brett Bower, Nate Condon and Andy Singerhouse at forward. Nick Pryor, Jeff Grignon and Alex Van Campen all also made the National Boys Select 16 Camp last season but are not on the Wisconsin Select 17's this season.

Wisconsin Select 16's

The 2007 USA Hockey Central District Festival will be held in Vernon Hills, IL May 4-6. Here is the Wisconsin Select 16’s (1991 Birth Year) roster:

Goalies
Kyle Miller
Tanner Milliron
Corey Morbeck

Defense
Ross Andersen
Luke Jenkins
Eric Johnson
Brian Kemp
Sydney Kroll
Nick LaRue
Tucker Reimer

Forwards
Brandon Free
Colin Fritz
Jordan Guth
Cody Johnson
Kris Kanak
Sean Little
Ezra McPhail
Alex Tesensky
Parker Tomczyk
Ben Verbeten
Nick Widing

Last year Wisconsin had five players advance to the National Select 15 Tournament, four of which were forwards, and the other a goaltender. Only Sean Little, Nick Widing and Corey Morbeck have even made the Wisconsin Select 16 roster this season. The other two players who participated at the National Select 15 and are not on the Wisconsin Select 16 roster are Kord Miller and Matt Johnson.

Team USA Women Advance to World Championship Gold Medal Game

The Team USA Women have advanced to the Gold Medal Game at 7:30 on Tuesday against either Finland or Canada by virtue of a win today over Finland. The only blemish on their record so far in the tournament came yesterday against Canada, losing in a shootout.

April's ISS Rankings Have Turris Fourth for NHL Draft

ISS has their April NHL draft rankings out and currently have Kyle Turris ranked fourth. Turris has fallen one spot in their rankings since last month, with Jakub Voracek leapfrogging the pack into first, Patrick Kane holding tight in second, and Alexei Cherepanov slipping from first to third.

2007 WAHA Bantam Festival

The rosters for the 2007 Bantam Festival have been released. It's interesting to go through the rosters and concentrate on the last names and which sectional they are from. There appear to be lots of younger brothers of very talented players who are currently playing high school hockey or recently played high school hockey. I'm not an expert on the Eau Claire area (help me out here Chuck, are they all brothers?), but there have been very good players through that area with the last names of Soley (Seth), McCabe (Andrew), Dahl (Jefferson) and Otto (Dylan)recently, and I'm guessing the players on that WAHA Bantam Roster are their brothers. Another name that jumps out at me is Condon on the Schofield roster. I'll have to assume that's Nate Condon's brother.

Girls Team Wisconsin for Chicago Showcase Named

The Girls Team Wisconsin has been named for the Chicago Showcase. Team Central District typically has some Wisconsin players on their roster as well, but has not yet been named. Here's the roster:

G Anna Donlan Hillsboro
G Rachel Weber Hudson
D Kelly Auner Antigo
D Emily Brienzo Greenfield
D Brittany Carlson Hudson
D Corinne Imobersteg Prairie du Sac
D/F Amanda Ryder Menomonie
D Kristina Westmark Appleton
F Dawson Bancroft-Short Prairie du Sac
F Jennifer Brown Wausau
F Brianna Decker Dousman
F Kayte Holtz New Berlin
F Jordan Kern Mosinee
F Whitney Nelson De Pere
F Abbey Olejniczak St. Germain
F Brookley Rogers Brookfield
F Kim Tess-Wanat Fond du Lac
F Sarah Suchla Colfax
F Tara Tyykila Lake Nebagamon
F Lauren Unser West Salem

Midwest Xposure Elite Tournament

Shattuck St. Mary's annually hosts the Midwest Xposure Elite Tournament on their campus in conjunction with the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. Junior, college and pro scouts typically attend the event which this year is being held April 20-22 (The same weekend as the Chicago Showcase!). You can find the complete rosters here. From what I could see, here are the Wisconsin players participating:

Team 5 Adam Freeman F 05/22/1989 Wauwatosa WI (St. Paul Lakers MJHL)
Team 9 Brandon Bayer D 06/06/1990 Milwaukee WI (Milwaukee Pius/Phoenix Force Midget Major)
Team 9 Erik Larson D 10/19/1989 Marshfield WI (Shattuck Midget AAA)
Team 10 Brock Montpetit F 4/3/1990 Somerset WI (Shattuck Prep)
Team 11 Nathan Brunk D 01/08/1990 Lake Mills WI (Madison Capitols)
Team 11 Ethan Caple D 07/17/1990 Rice Lake, WI (Shattuck Midget AAA)
Team 11 David Bartkowiak F 06/12/1990 Verona WI (Madison Capitols)
Team 11 Nathan Condon F 05/29/1990 Wausau WI (Wausau West/Team Wisconsin Major)
Team 11 Jake Suter F 09/22/1990 Lac Du Flambeau WI (Madison Capitols)

Turris Named to Team Canada U-18's for World Championship

As expected, UW "super recruit" Kyle Turris has been named to the U-18 Team Canada squad for the upcoming World Championship in Finland.

2007 U.S. National Men's Under-18 Team Roster

Here's a link to the 2007 US National Men's Under-18 Team Roster for the World Championships. The team consists of the USNTDP U-18 squad including AJ Sturges of Madison, with several players added.

Additional players include Thomas McCollum in net from the Guelph Storm of the OHL, defenseman Tommy Cross from Westminster Academy in Connecticut, UW defenseman recruit Ryan McDonagh from Cretin-Derham Hall, MN High School, forward Jim O'Brien from the University of Minnesota, UW potential recruit forward Vinny Saponari from the USNTDP U-17 team, forward Jordan Schroeder from the USNTDP U-17 team and forward Patrick White from Grand Rapids, MN High School.

Team USA Women Roll in World Championship Opener

Team USA rolled over Khazakstan 9-0 in their opening game of the World Championship. Among the goal scorers were Erika Lawler and Jinelle Zaugg, while Jesse Vetter got the win between the pipes. Team USA will face Team China today.

USHL Showcase Camp Rosters for '91's and '89-'90's

The USHL has released their showcase camp rosters for 1991 birthdates as well as for 1989-1990 birthdates. The 1991 birthdates camp will be April 20-22, 2007 and the 89-90 birthdates camp will be April 27-29, 2007. The USHL should soon release the rosters for the 1992 birthdates camp which will be held May 25-27, 2007.

Here's the list of players from Wisconsin on the 1991 rosters:

Sean Little-RC-Fondy High/Team Wisconsin Minor-Team Des Moines
Sam Frank-D-Kettle Moraine-Team Green Bay
Alex Hockett-D-Madison Capitols-Team Michigan
Corey Morbeck-G-Team Wisconsin AAA-Team Michigan
Eric Johnson-LD-Madison Capitols-Team Omaha
Jonathan Roessler-LW-Madison Capitals-Team Omaha
Austin King-F-Madison Capitols-Team Omaha
Sydney Kroll-D-Madison Capitols-Team Sioux Falls

Here's a list of the players from Wisconsin on the 1989-1990 rosters:

Brett Bower-LW-Team Wisconsin-Team Cedar Rapids
Jeff Burke-D-Team Wisconsin-Team Des Moines
Michael Johnson-G-Madison Capitols-Team Des Moines
Jake Suter-F-Madison Capitols-Team Green Bay
Andrew "AJ" Mueller-D-Wisconsin AAA-Team Harvard
Jeff Grignon-RC-Wisconsin AAA-Team Harvard
Jacob Ransom-LW-Wisconsin AAA-Team Harvard
Joseph Scheib-G-Team Wisconsin-Team Harvard (typo? Must be Andy Scheib)
Logan Maly-LD-Madison Capitols-Team Lincoln
Mike Lennon-F-Team Wisconsin-Team Tri-City
Zachary Lewis-F-Wisconsin AAA-Team Vermont
Marty O'Grady-F-Wisconsin AAA-Team Vermont

Vetter Named to Team USA for 2007 IIHF Women's World Championship

Jessie Vetter was one of two goaltenders named to Team USA for the 2007 IIHF Women's World Championship roster on Sunday. There had been three goaltenders on the roster up until Sunday, but Vetter and Chanda Gunn were named to the final squad.

Vetter's addition results in six current or former Wisconsin Badgers on the squad. The four current Badgers are Meghan Duggan, Erika Lawler, Jinelle Zaugg and Jesse Vetter. The two former Badgers are Molly Engstrom and Kerry Weiland. In addition there is a future Badger on the team as Hillary Knight from Choate is a high school Senior and has verballed to play for Wisconsin next year.

2007 WAHA Girls Festival Rosters

The six teams for the 2007 Girls WAHA Festival have been chosen and can be found here.

Brendan Smith/OPJHL Playoff Update

I haven't had the chance to do any Brendan Smith/OPJHL updates since last week Sunday when St. Michael's tied the series at one game a piece with Wellington, so here's the updates:

Game 3 on Wednesday saw Wellington victorious by a score of 4-2. Brendan Smith had an assist in the game. Wellington lead the series 2 games to 1 at that point.

Game 4 on Friday saw Wellington defeat St. Michael's 5 to 3 and take a 3 games to 1 game lead in the series. Brendan Smith had two goals in the loss as well as 12 penalty minutes.

Game 5 today saw Wellington end St. Michael's season with a 3-1 victory. Brendan Smith had an assist in the loss.

More Badgers Sign Pro Contracts

Jeff Likens has signed a contract with the Kings' affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL.

Andrew Joudrey signed an entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals.

Andy Brandt has signed with the Atlanta Thrashers and is playing with the Gwinnett Gladiators of the ECHL.

USA Hockey National Championship

Boys Tier I U18-Shattuck St. Mary's 5 - Cape Cod 2 stats
Shattuck St. Mary's wins the National Championship

Boys Tier II U18-Phoenix Force 1 - Michigan Jaguars 2 stats
Phoenix Force finished as National Champion Runner-Up

Girls Tier I U19 Shattuck St. Mary's 2 vs. Assabet Valley 0 stats
Shattuck St. Mary's wins the National Championship

Eaves Leaving Wisconsin for NHL's Flyers

Sources close to UW Mens hockey coach Mike Eaves are reporting that he is close to coming to terms with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers are currently in last place in the NHL by 10 points.

It's always been a dream of Eaves to coach in the NHL so this should be no surprise to anyone. He was an assistant coach for the Flyers for 3 seasons. 88-89, 89-90, and then again in 93-94. From 97-2000 he was an NHL assistant with Pittsburgh. As most of you Badger fans know he is most famous for his National Championship with Wisconsin last season, and when he brought the Gold back as head coach of the USA WJC U-20 team.

Make sure you check out this ESPN link that talks about him taking over for interim coach John Stevens at seasons end.

No really...make sure you check the link...and the date.

USHL Scores for Saturday

Tri-City edged Indiana 4-3. Luke Lucyk had a goal for Tri-City.

Omaha downed Green Bay 5-3. Matt Thurber had 3 assists for Omaha, while Derrick LaPoint had an assist for Green Bay. Justin Johnson finished +1 for Omaha. Nick Graves took the loss in net for the Gamblers stopping 30 of 34 shots.

Sioux Falls was victorious over Sioux City 5-2. Patrick Tiesling finished +1 for Sioux Falls while teammates Sam Zabkowicz finished even and David Solway finished -1.

Des Moines took it to Lincoln 5-1. Lincoln teammates Patrick Johnson, Ross Henry and Travis Erstad were all -2 in the game.

Waterloo defeated Cedar Rapids 5-3. Josh Turnbull had two assists for Waterloo while teammate Blake Kessel had a goal and an assist. Keegan Meuer was not in the lineup for Waterloo.

Ohio edged Chicago 3-2. Justin Cseter had two assists for Ohio. Sean Dolan finsihed -2 for Chicago.