USA Hockey National Championship-Day 4

Boys Tier I U16-Team Wisconsin 3 - Belle Tire 4 in double overtime stats
Team Wisconsin finishes 1-3

Boys Tier I U18-Shattuck St. Mary's 3 - Russell Stover 1 stats
Shattuck St. Mary's advances to the Championship Game vs. Cape Cod (who they beat 5-1 yesterday)

Boys Tier II U18-Phoenix Force 3 - Tonawanda 2 stats
Phoenix Force advances to the Championship Game vs. Michigan Jaguars

Girls Tier I U19 Shattuck St. Mary's 4 vs. Belle Tire 3 in OT stats
Shattuck St. Mary's is currently 3-0

Vargas to Bowling Green

USNTDP U-18 forward Brennan Vargas, son of former Badger Ernie Vargas, has committed to play for Bowling Green. He had been in for a visit to UW, but was disappointed in the amount of scholarship money available to him. Shortly after that Sean Dolan from the Chicago Steel committed to UW, presumably for the scholarship money that had potentially been available to Vargas.

Happy 1st Birthday Hockey In Wisconsin

Saturday March 31st marks the 1st birthday of Hockey in Wisconsin. In that time:

*There have been over 82,000 visits

*There have been in excess of 137,000 page views

*This post is #780 since inception

*Hockey in Wisconsin has averaged 65 posts per month over the first year

*A "sister blog" to Hockey in Wisconsin was born in the form of Wisconsin Hockey Players Division I Watch


Thanks to everyone who has stopped by in the first year-your readership is appreciated!

Friday in the USHL

Tri-City pounded Indiana 7-2. Luke Lucyk and Sean Wiles both had goals for Tri-City and both finished the game +1.

Sioux Falls pummeled Lincoln 6-1. David Solway had a hat trick for Sioux Falls, and Jacob Drewiske also scored a goal. Sam Zabkowicz and Patrick Tiesling each had an assist for Sioux Falls as well. Travis Erstad was not in the lineup for Lincoln.

Omaha edged Des Moines 3-2 in a shootout. Justin Johnson finished the game even for Omaha, while teammate Matt Thurber was -1.

The following is not a typo....Green Bay was outshot 72 to 18 by Sioux City, but Green Bay won the game 5-2. Derrick LaPoint and Mike Sislo both had a goal and an assist for Green Bay.

Cedar Rapids defeated Waterloo 7-4. Blake Kessel had two assists for Waterloo and Josh Turnbull had one assist for Waterloo. Kessel finished the game -4 while Turnbull finished -1. Keegan Meuer was not active in the game for Waterloo.

Chicago beat Ohio 5-2. Justin Cseter was -1 for Ohio.

USA Hockey National Championship-Day 3

Boys Tier I U16-Team Wisconsin 3 - Cleveland Barons 2 stats
Team Wisconsin is now 1-2

Boys Tier I U18-Shattuck St. Mary's 5 - Cape Cod Whalers 1 stats
Shattuck St. Mary's is now 2-1

Boys Tier II U18-Phoenix Force 6 - Butler Valley 4 stats
Phoenix Force is now 2-1

Girls Tier I U19 Shattuck St. Mary's 4 - Assabet Valley 2 stats
Shattuck St. Mary's is now 3-0

McBain Sits High in Hurricanes' Prospect List

UW defenseman Jamie McBain is currently ranked by Hockey's Future as the Carolina Hurricane's #5 prospect, and their #2 defensive prospect.

Day 2-USA Hockey National Championships

Boys Tier I U16-Team Wisconsin 2 - New Jersey Devils Youth 4 stats
Team Wisconsin is now 0-2

Boys Tier I U18-Shattuck St. Mary's 4 - Buffalo Saints 2 stats
Shattuck St. Mary's is now 1-1

Boys Tier II U18-Phoenix Force 2 - York Devils 3 stats
Phoenix Force is now 1-1

Girls Tier I U19 Shattuck St. Mary's 7 - San Jose Jr. Sharks 1 stats
Shattuck St. Mary's is now 2-0

USA Hockey National Championships Update

There's a bunch of teams at the USA Hockey National Championships with Wisconsin players and/or UW recruits. Here's the first day update on them all:

Boys Tier I U16-Team Wisconsin 4 - Alliance Bulldogs 6 stats

Boys Tier I U18-Shattuck St. Mary's 5 - Belle Tire 6 stats

Boys Tier II U18-Phoenix Force 3 - Alliance Bulldogs Prep 2 in OT stats

Girls Tier I U19 Shattuck St. Mary's 3 - Syracuse Stars 0 stats

Craig Johnson Commits to UW

Defenseman Craig Johnson has committed to play for the University of Wisconsin beginning next season. Johnson originally hails from Waupaca, and currently plays for the Alaska Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL. He was fifth in the NAHL in scoring for defensemen this season with 8 goals and 26 assists for 34 points in 62 games. Over the final 38 games of the regular season, Johnson scored 28 points.

The move to bring in Johnson is strange considering Mike Eaves said last week he wasn't considering bringing in any other recruits unless someone unexpected were to leave the team. This makes me wonder if either Kyle Klubertanz may be leaving or if it's already been determined Garrett Suter will not be academically eligible for next season.

Five Badger Women Named to US National Team Roster

Five current or former Wisconsin Badgers have been named to the US National Team roster for the IIHF Women's World Championships being held in Manitoba April 3-10. The three current Badgers are Meghan Duggan, Erika Lawler and Jinelle Zaugg. The two former Badgers are Molly Engstrom and Kerry Weiland.

UW goaltender Jesse Vetter is one of three goaltenders currently on the roster. The roster will be trimmed to two goaltenders on Saturday, so Vetter could be the sixth Badger to make the roster.

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.

Chicago Showcase Boys Hockey Teams

Wisconsin will be sending two teams to the Chicago Showcase this season. If I understand this correctly, Team Wisconsin Red is the traditional team sent to the Showcase, while Team Wisconsin White will play in the "C Bracket" which appears to feature teams from non-traditional hockey areas such as Team Kentucky-West Virginia.

Team Wisconsin Red appears to have an extra (likely alternates) forward, defenseman and goaltender rostered. As forward Matt Kloppenburg, defenseman Peter Janecko and goaltender Randy Willis are rostered on both Team Wisconsin Red and Team Wisconsin White, they are likely alternates for Team Wisconsin Red.
Here are the rosters:

Team Wisconsin Red

# Player School Pos Birth Yr Ht Wt

18 Ian E Andrews Sheboygan North High School Forward 9/9/88 Sr 5' 10" 160
21 Ricky M Wozniak Arrowhead High School Forward 1/16/89 Sr 6' 1" 175
12 Isaiah R Bennis Eau Claire Memorial Forward 12/17/88 Sr 6' 3" 210
20 Keith C Clawson SPASH Forward 9/12/88 Sr 5' 8" 165
9 Tedd J Falk Homestead High School Forward 8/24/89 Sr 6' 2" 190
3 Sean M Graskey Superior High School Forward 7/21/89 Sr 6' 0" 195
8 Chris J Kein Hudson High School Forward 8/26/88 Sr 5' 9" 155
15 Matt B Kloppenburg Madison Edgewood High School Forward 10/18/88 Sr 5' 10" 175
19 Zachary A Kohn Arrowhead High School Forward 11/30/88 Sr 5' 9" 170
24 Scott M Pavelski SPASH Forward 10/11/88 Sr 5' 10" 170
17 Brian J Pierpont Superior High School Forward 3/22/89 Sr 5' 11" 175
25 Ryan M Smet Fond du Lac High School Forward 11/5/88 Sr 5' 11" 165
14 Alex B West Cedarburg High School Forward 12/29/88 Sr 5' 9" 158

2 Tyler P Gross Fond du Lac High School Defense 5/4/89 Sr 6' 0" 175
11 Nik F Haley Sun Praire High School Defense 2/28/89 Sr 5' 8" 168
5 Peter B Janecko Arrowhead High School Defense 9/30/88 Sr 6' 1" 180
4 Evan M Jeszka Mukwonago High School Defense 5/4/89 Sr 6' 1" 185
7 Josh T Nelson Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Defense 4/21/89 Sr 6' 0" 170
10 Andy J Schroeder Antigo High School Defense 3/16/89 Sr 5' 11" 185
16 Alex J Gerke Tomah High School Defense 10/16/88 Sr 5' 10" 156

22 Randy L Willis Fond du Lac High School Goal 6/10/89 Sr 6' 1" 185
35 Nick D Niceswanger Tomah High School Goal 5/17/89 Sr 6' 4" 175
1 Alan J Armour Hayward High School Goal 11/9/88 Sr 5' 11" 195


Team Wisconsin White

# Player School Pos Birth Yr Ht Wt

16 Nic J Belonger Ashwaubenon High School Forward 3/18/89 Sr 5' 9" 180
22 Jake W Calleja New Richmond High School Forward 1/8/89 Sr 5' 11" 160
12 Ron T Chmill Kettle Moraine Forward 2/14/89 Sr 5' 10" 160
20 Brody R Zebro Mosinee High School Forward 6/17/88 Sr 5' 8" 160
18 Braden R Zehner Stoughton High School Forward 4/29/89 Sr 6' 1" 185
5 Jacob T Esch Madison West Forward 9/17/88 Sr 6' 0" 190
9 Nate T Hendry Superior High School Forward 10/25/88 Sr 5' 11" 160
7 Spencer N King Homestead High School Forward 8/29/88 Sr 6' 3" 210
21 Matt B Kloppenburg Madison Edgewood High School Forward 10/18/88 Sr 5' 10" 175
10 Anthony J Knuth Lincoln High School Forward 2/25/89 Sr 5' 10" 160
19 Casey J Lutz Middleton High School Forward 4/10/89 Sr 5' 10" 175
15 Shawn D Oelke Wausau West High School Forward 11/3/88 Sr 5' 11" 170

11 Darth D Denter Tomah High School Defense 1/2/89 Sr 5' 7" 160
14 Nick S Roscoe Eau Claire North Defense 8/1/88 Sr 6' 2" 195
2 Vince J Hagman Mosinee High School Defense 9/11/88 Sr 6' 0" 175
3 Aaaron Humphries Middleton High School Defense 11/28/88 Sr 6' 0" 185
17 Peter B Janecko Arrowhead High School Defense 9/30/88 Sr 6' 1" 180
8 David W Hettenbach Madison West High School Defense 6/19/89 Sr 6' 0" 180

35 Andy D Scheib Sun Prairie High School Goal 5/25/89 Sr 6' 1" 165
1 Randy L Willis Fond du Lac High School Goal 6/10/89 Sr 6' 1" 185

Turris & Express Lose in Seven Games

Kyle Turris and the Burnaby Express were eliminated from the BCHL Playoffs last night in game seven of the BCHL Semi-Finals by a score of 5 to 4, compliments of Nanaimo. I had the chance to listen to the first half of this game and Nanaimo outplayed Burnaby badly, as has been the case in the entire series. That the Express were even able to make it close is a surprise to me. UW recruit Kyle Turris had a goal in the game and finishes the BCHL Playoffs leading in scoring with 12 goals and 14 assists for 26 points in 14 games.

Turris is expected to be named to Canada's U18 IIHF World Championship roster. The U18 World Championship is being held in Finland and begins April 11th.

USHL/OPJHL Updates

OPJHL
St. Michael's knotted the South/East Conference Finals at one game a piece by downing Wellington 2-1 this afternoon. UW recruit Brendan Smith was not able to find his way onto the scoresheet today, except for a two minute hooking penalty.

USHL
Lincoln and Sioux City played to a scoreless tie after regulation and one overtime, but Lincoln claimed the 1-0 victory by winning the shootout two goals to one.

Tri-City doubled up Sioux Falls 8-4. David Solway scored a goal for Sioux Falls and Sean Wiles had a goal for Tri-City. Despite the goal, Solway finished the game -4.

Indiana obliterated Chicago 9-1. Wisconsinite Brent Gwidt finished the game +1 while UW recruit Sean Dolan finished the game -2 for Chicago.

Waterloo handled Green Bay 5-1. Keegan Meuer was in the lineup for Waterloo and scored the first goal of the game. Ryan Little had an assist for Green Bay. Nick Graves played 47 minutes in the net for Green Bay giving up 4 goals on 16 shots.

Cedar Rapids blanked Ohio 4-0.

Hockey's Future on Klubertanz

Hockey's Future has UW defenseman Kyle Klubertanz ranked as the eighth best defensive prospect in the Anaheim Ducks prospect pipeline and number sixteen overall. They indicate his season was "a bit of a disappointing year" and that "he'll need to get his game back on track to assure himself a pro contract after graduation".

Wisconsin State Journal All-Area Team

The Wisconsin State Journal put out their inaugural All-Area Team and Player of the Year yesterday. The Player of the Year is defenseman Ted Behrend from Oregon. Joining him on the All-Area Team is Senior goaltender Andy Scheib from Sun Prairie, Senior defenseman Kurt Muller from Sun Prairie, Senior forward Jacob Esch from Madison West, Sophomore forward Cody Strang from Madison Edgewood and Junior forward Mike Lennon from Baraboo-Reedsburg.

Saturday in the USHL

Lincoln outshot Omaha 52 to 31 but still needed overtime to record a 7-6 victory. Matt Thurber had two goals for Omaha and finished the game +2. Ross Henry had an assist for Lincoln and finished the game even. Travis Erstad had a rough night for Lincoln finishing -4 on the night.

Sioux Falls scored four in the second period to defeat Des Moines. David Solway had a goal and an assist and finished +2 while Jacob Drewiske had an assist and finished the game +1 for Sioux Falls.

Waterloo handled Sioux City 4-1. Brett Olson had a goal for Waterloo while Blake Kessel had an assist. Keegan Meuer was not active in the game for Waterloo.

Indiana doubled up Chicago 6-3. Brent Gwidt lit the lamp for Indiana and had two assists in the game. UW recruit Sean Dolan was -2 in the game for Chicago.

Burnaby Forces Game Seven

The Burnaby Express needed overtime but was able to defeat Nanaimo last night to even their BCHL Semi-Final at three games a piece. Tyler McNeely was back in the lineup to play his first game against Nanaimo and made a difference in the game with two assists. UW recruit Kyle Turris was held off the scoresheet. Game Seven of the series will be played later today.

Brendan Smith/OPJHL Playoff Update

St. Michael's Buzzers began the South/East Conference Finals Friday night at Wellington. Wellington managed to eek out a win 3-2 in double overtime. UW recruit Brendan Smith was held off the scoresheet.

BCHL Playoffs-Burnaby Express

The Burnaby Express lost a heartbreaker last night to Nanaimo by a score of 4-3 in overtime. Burnaby is still playing without both Tyler McNeely and Stephen Cunningham, but have been able to hang around in most of the games played. The shots taken disparity has been huge in this series, and last night was no exception. Nanaimo took 38 shots while Burnaby took 13. Nanaimo now leads the best of seven series three games to two with game six taking place tonight.

Kyle Turris had a goal in the game last night and continues to lead the BCHL scoring race with 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points in 12 games.

USHL Update

On Wednesday, Ohio crushed Indiana 8-3. Justin Cseter had an empty net goal for Ohio and finished +3. Brent Gwidt was held off the scoresheet for Indiana.

Last night all three games in the USHL went into overtime, two of which were decided in a shootout.

Lincoln defeated Tri-City in a shootout 3-2 after being down 2-0 in the game. Sean Wiles had a goal for Tri-City while Patrick Johnson had an assist for Lincoln.

Omaha edged Sioux Falls in overtime 3-2. Matt Thurber assisted on Omaha's second goal and finished even. Justin Johnson finished -1 for Omaha, while Sam Zabkowicz finsihed -1 for Sioux Falls. David Solway, Jacob Drewiske and Patrick Tiesling all finished even for Sioux Falls.

Des Moines was victorious over Sioux City in a shootout 4-3.

Trio of UW Recruits Power SSM Boys

Shattuck St. Mary's Boys Hockey team has advanced to the National Championship in Fraser, Michigan. They will begin play on March 28th with a first-round matchup against Belle Tire.

The University of Wisconsin has verbal commitments from three of the top forwards on the SSM roster. Brock Montpetit is Junior from Somerset, WI and is currently fourth on the team in scoring and second on the team in goals with 31 goals and 26 assists for 57 points in 55 games. Jordan Murray is a Junior from Faribault, MN and is currently third on the team in scoring and second on the team in assists with 21 goals and 38 assists for 59 points in 55 games. Derek Stepan hails from Hastings, MN and is also a Junior. He is second on the team in points and leads the team in goals with 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points in 55 games. All of their statistics can be seen here.

SSM Girls Advance to Nationals

Shattuck St. Mary's has again claimed the crown of Minnesota State Champions and will attempt to win their third straight national title beginning March 28th in San Jose, California. There are several Wisconsin players on the team including Amanda Kessel of Verona who had 54 goals and 43 assists for 97 points in 45 games as a Freshman for SSM in the regular season. Sophomore Brianna Decker from Dousman's numbers are even higher with 54 goals and 57 assists for 111 points in just 41 games. Barb Bilko is a former Oshkosh resident and has played 21 games in net for SSM. She is 19-1-1 with a 1.71 gaa and a save percentage of .90%. The full team regular season statistics can be found

Ross Carlson is a Bruin

Former UW wing Ross Carlson has been signed by the Boston Bruins and will begin playing for the Providence Bruins.

Burnaby Express/Kyle Turris Article

Here's the latest article from the Burnaby Now, the local paper that covers UW recruit Kyle Turris and the Burnaby Express from the BCHL. It talks about the injuries Burnaby is trying to fight through as well as some of the performances Kyle Turris and other Express players have put forth to stay in their BCHL Semi-Final series against Nanaimo.

Milwaukee Area boys High School Hockey Honors

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today released their selections for Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and their All-Area team. Zach Kohn of Arrowhead was selected as Player of the Year while Maco Balkovec from Homestead was named Coach of the Year. Their All-Area selections included Zach Kohn from Arrowhead, Tedd Falk from Homestead and Karl Burns from University School at forward. Evan Jeszka from Kettle Moraine and Jack Wigdale from University School were the All-Area defenseman, and Dustin LeClaire from KM/Mukwonago was the All-Area goaltender.

Jake Dowell is a Blackhawk

Jake Dowell apparently signed earlier this week with the Chicago Blackhawks and will be playing in Norfolk along with Jack Skille and Adam Burish. On Friday, Norfolk plays Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and former UW defenseman Tom Gilbert.

UW Pro Signings Article

Here's an article from the Wisconsin State Journal on the flurry of Badger pro contract signings.

Skille Becoming a Blackhawk Tomorrow

Todd Milewski is reporting that UW forward Jack Skille will sign with the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow and will report to the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.

Elliott is a Senator

UW goaltender Brian Elliott has signed a tender with the Ottawa Senators and will be playing in Binghamton to start his professional career. He is the highest rated goaltending prospect in the Senators' system and ranked as the #6 prospect overall for Ottawa.

Piskula is a King

UW defenseman Joe Piskula has signed with the LA Kings. Hockey's Future also mentions the Piskula signing, along with several other players that have signed or are likely to sign as free agents this offseason. The Kings prospect pipeline currently features 13 defensemen, 7 of which are rated in the Kings' top 20 prospects by Hockey's Future.

BCHL Playoff Update

Salmon Arm was eliminated from the BCHL Playoffs last night losing the game 2-1 and the series 4 games to none to Penticton. UW recruit Scott Gudmandson stopped 23 of 25 shots in the game.

Burnaby continued to play without Kyle Turris' linemate Tyler McNeely but shutout Nanaimo without McNeely in the lineup 3-0. Turris scored the first goal, assisted on the second goal and scored the third goal unassisted. Burnaby was outshot in the game 37 to 16. The series is now even at 2 games a piece.

Tuesday in the USHL

Tri-City handled Omaha 5-2. Sean Wiles scored a goal for Tri-City and finished the game +2. Matt Thurber was held off the scoresheet for Omaha while teammate Justin Johnson finished -1.

Cedar Rapids edged Chicago 4-3. UW recruit Sean Dolan was kept off the scoresheet in the game.

Green Bay needed eight shooters in a shootout before defeating Des Moines. Derrick LaPoint had an assist in the game for Green Bay and finished +1.

Badger Personnel/Recruiting Article

An article in today's Wisconsin State Journal indicates Mike Eaves thinks Joe Piskula and Jack Skille will turn pro. Eaves goes on to say that barring any other early defections, the Badgers have completed their recruiting for next season.

Garrett Suter's name pops up in the article indicating he may join the team for 2007-2008 if he is academically eligible. Also mentioned is that Brian Elliott is close to signing with the Ottawa Senators and Jake Dowell is close to signing with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Hanging on to Kyle Klubertanz for his Senior year would be big for the Badgers. If the Badgers were to lose him this offseason they would be left with just three experienced defensemen on the roster.

Phoenix Force U-18 Tier II Central District Champs

The Phoenix Force U-18 team claimed the Tier II Central District Championship this past weekend, and will now advance to the USA Hockey Tier II National Championships in Fraser, MI March 28-April 1, 2007.

The Phoenix Force team won 4 straight games in St. Louis to bring home the Central District Title.

All State HS players on the Phoenix include Cody Lettau and Randy Willis from Fond Du Lac, Evan Jeszka, JD Frank and Andy Michels from KMM and Gavin Hartzog from Marquette. The remainder of the team is comprised of many other elite HS players from the southeast Wisconsin area.

BCHL Playoff Update

Penticton continued their dominance over Salmon Arm defeating the Silverbacks 2-1 in triple overtime last night. Scott Gudmandson stopped 38 of 40 shots and was named Second Star of the Game, but the Vees goaltender Cory Milan stopped 45 of 46 shots to earn the victory and First Star of the Game honors. Potential UW recruit Derek Lee had an assist in the game. Penticton now leads three games to none over Salmon Arm and can close out the series tonight with a victory.

It appears as if the Burnaby Express has been playing their BCHL Semi-Final series against Nanaimo without their second-best forward and Kyle Turris' linemate Tyler McNeely. McNeely's has compiled no stats since the BCHL Quarter-Final Game #7. Despite being short-handed, the Express has stuck close to top-seeded Nanaimo throughout the series. Last night was no exception as Nanaimo downed the Express 5-3 to take a two games to one lead in the series. UW recruit Kyle Turris had three assists in the game and extended his BCHL Playoff scoring lead to 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 10 games. He was also named Third Star in the game. The series continues tonight in Burnaby.

Another Potential Defenseman for the UW Men's Hockey Team

I just noticed that the Western College Hockey Blog lists Ben Hughes from Jacksonville, Florida as having interest in both Wisconsin and Michigan. He would be a 2009 recruit and currently plays for Shattuck St. Mary's Tier 1 U-16 Team. Add him to the list of potential defensive recruits for UW over the coming years.

Team Wisconsin Minor Advances to Hockey National Championships

Team Wisconsin Minor won the 2007 USA Central District Championship and will now advance to the USA Hockey National Championships in Fraser, MI March 28-April 1, 2007.

Team Wisconsin Minor won the Elite II Championship before the high school season began. Here's a link to the team's roster and here's a link to their stats from the Elite II season.

Badger Women Repeat as National Champions!

Lake Placid remains a magical place for Mark Johnson as the Badger Women's Hockey team today claimed their second straight national championship by defeating the University of Minnesota Duluth 4-1. Four Badgers scored and Jessie Vetter got the victory between the pipes.

Saturday in the USHL

Tri-City edged Green Bay 4-3. Derrick LaPoint and Mike Sislo had assists for Green Bay while Luke Lucyk had an assist for Tri-City. Nick Graves played in net for Green Bay stopping 20 of 34 shots he faced.

Omaha nipped Des Moines 3-2 in overtime. Matt Thurber finished -1 for Omaha while Justin Johnson was even.

Waterloo handled Sioux Falls 3-1. Brett Olson had a goal for Waterloo, and Josh Turnbull and Blake Kessel also had assists for Waterloo. Keegan Meuer was not active for Waterloo.

Cedar Rapids crushed Ohio 7-1. Justin Cseter finished -1 for Ohio.

Indiana slid past Chicago 3-2. Brent Gwidt scored the first goal of the game for Indiana, while UW recruit Sean Dolan had an assist for Chicago.

Saturday BCHL Playoffs

Burnaby took the loss 3-2 against Nanaimo to even the series at one game a piece last night. The Express were outshot 49 to 18 in the game, and Kyle Turris was kept off the scoresheet. Despite not picking up any points last night, Turris still leads the BCHL Playoff scoring race by 3 points and has 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 9 games.

Salmon Arm also was beaten last night 3-1 by Penticton, and is now down two games to none in their series. UW recruit Scott Gudmandson stopped 28 0f 31 shots in the contest. Potential UW recruit Derek Lee was named Second Star of the Game and had an assist.

St. Michael's Advances to Southeast Conference Championship

St. Michael's swept Pickering in the OPJHL Playoffs winning game 4 by a score of 6-2 to claim the South Division title. UW recruit Brendan Smith had a goal in the game. The St. Michael's Buzzers will take on the East Divison winners, the Wellington Dukes in Southeast Conference Championship action starting late next week.

Chu Wins Kazmaier

Harvard Senior Julie Chu was chosen for the Patty Kazmaier Award over Wisconsin's Sara Bauer and Mercyhurst's Megan Agosto.

BCHL Semi-Finals Game #1

UW recruit Scott Gudmandson and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks got off on the wrong foot in game #1 of the BCHL Semi-Finals, losing 6-2 to Penticton. Gudmandson stopped 33 of 39 shots. Potential UW recruit Derek Lee had an assist in the game for Salmon Arm.

The defending BCHL champion Burnaby Express started their BCHL Semi-Final in dramatic fashion with a 4-3 overtime victory against Nanaimo. Kyle Turris scored two goals, including the OT game winner and had an assist. He now leads all BCHL playoff scorers with 8 goals and 10 assists for 18 points in 8 games.

UW Men's Roster for 2007-2008 and Beyond

The UW Men will graduate 4 forwards including Jake Dowell, Any Brandt, Andrew Joudrey and Ross Carlson as well as defensemen Jeff Likens and Matt Olinger and goaltender Brian Elliott. In addition, they will likely be joined by early departures by forward Jack Skille, defenseman Joe Piskula and potentially defenseman Kyle Klubertanz. In all likelihood, the Badgers will lose 9-10 players constituting over half their goals scored, at least half their defenseman, and their starting goaltender.

Incoming for the Badgers next season at forward are Kyle Turris, Patrick Johnson, Josh Turnbull and Sean Dolan. At defense Brendan Smith, Ryan McDonagh, Cody Goloubef and potentially Garrett Suter will join UW, as will goaltender Ryan Gudmandson. Chris Hickey is the only forward that could potentially accelerate from 2008 to join the Badgers in 2007 if needed, while Ryan Little is the only defenseman committed for 2008 and could also join the Badgers in 2007 if needed.

It's unbelievable to look back and see what a difference a couple of players decisions have made on this team. If Sam Gagner hadn't have been disgusted with his USHL team and decided to play Major Junior rather than spend another year in the USHL and then play for the Badgers, there would certainly be a lot more (much needed) firepower on the way next season at forward. While 2008 and 2009 are stocked with forwards that should be able to jump in and help the Badgers' fortunes immediately, the Badgers had trouble landing those types of forwards for 2006 and 2007 for a variety of reasons. Turnbull is probably the second best forward coming in next season, and he was accelerated from the 2008 season due to his great play in his first year in the USHL. Pat Johnson was playing for the Madison Capitols this season until injuries decimated Lincoln's lineup and he was able to come in and give them enough of a lift over a few weekends they asked him to stay. Sean Dolan accepted very little scholarship money which a lot of players had already turned down. Gagner's decision really put a crimp on the speed of the rebuilding process at forward for this team.

I've mentioned this before, but it's worth noting again. Mike Eaves does a great job of not "overpaying" for recruits. In 2006 and again in 2007 he has stuck to his guns and offered very little scholarship money to forwards knowing he could get higher caliber players in 2008 and 2009. Proof of this is that in 2009 the Badgers are slated to have 18 forwards on the roster, and the staff is still apparently talking to Vinny Saponari and Derek Lee for 2008. There are not a whole lot of "early flight risks" at forward right now for the Badgers so they very well may have way too many forwards by 2009. The good news is that at that point there's going to be a whole lot of good players to choose from.

Nigel Williams leaving after a short time here last season will cause major ripples through the Badgers recruiting. With two defensemen graduating this season and potentially two more leaving early, there will only be 3 defensemen left. That means the likelihood that three new defensemen will have to play every night and potentially the need to accelerate Ryan Little, the only 2008 defensive recruit, to 2007 depending on whether or not Garrett Suter gains admission.

With 6 defensemen graduating and/or leaving in the next two years, the Badgers are definitely going to need to be looking for at least one more defenseman for 2008, and possibly two depending upon whether Garrett Suter gets into school or not. Joey Marciano from the USNTDP visited campus in late October (2006) and I believe is a potential 2008 recruit. The only other defenseman that I remember hearing about recruiting-wise is Steve Spinell from Team Illinois who I believe is a 2009 recruit and has since committed to Miami-Ohio.

As for potential defensemen with Wisconsin ties, there's only a few out there that may be ready for 2008. Ross Henry currently plays for Lincoln in the USHL and could be a possibility. Aaron Schmitt was drafted by Omaha in the USHL last season and elected to play his Senior season at Culver. After a year of junior hockey he may also be a possibility. A few more possibilities with state ties may appear if some of the 2008 recruiting class defensive prospects choose to play junior hockey.

Brian Elliott will be sorely missed between the pipes, but I'm feeling pretty good about Shane Connelly who played great this season when given the chance. Scott Gudmandson arrives next season and was great in the AJHL two seasons ago, then terrible to start this season in the USHL and then great in the BCHL when he left the USHL. I'm guessing his Coaches' quick hook in Omaha of the USHL lead to a lack of confidence since Gudmandson has played great before and after that. With Howie as his mentor, I'm sure Gudmandson will be great as well.

USHL Update

Here's the games update since Sunday:

Des Moines blanked Ohio 2-0 on Sunday. Justin Cseter finished even for Ohio.

Sioux Falls edged Lincoln 4-3. Jake Drewiske had two assists for Sioux Falls in the game. Sam Zabkowicz finished -3 for Sioux Falls while Pat Johnson was -2 for Lincoln.

Cedar Rapids outgunned Sioux City 6-4.

Indiana squeaked past Waterloo 3-2. Blake Kessel had an assist for Waterloo and was -1 for the game, as was Craig Smith. Keegan Meuer did not play in the game for Waterloo. Brent Gwidt finished even for Indiana.

Lincoln beat the Gamblers 3-1 in the debut of Travis Erstad for Lincoln. Mike Sislo had an assist for Green Bay. Erstad took 3 shots but did not have a point and finished even for Lincoln.

Omaha tripped up Cedar Rapids 5-4 in overtime. Matt Thurber stayed hot for Omaha with a goal and a +1 in the game. Justin Johnson had one shot on net and finished -1 for Omaha.

Sioux City spanked Tri-City 5-1. Luke Lucyk finished +1 and Sean Wiles finished even for Tri-City.

Des Moines tiptoed past Sioux Falls in an overtime shootout 3-2. Patrick Tiesling had a goal for Sioux Falls and finished +1.

Waterloo hammered Ohio 6-1. Josh Turnbull had 3 assists for Waterloo, and teammates Brett Olson and Blake Kessel also each had an assist. Keegan Meuer played in the game and finished even.

Chicago handled Indiana 5-2. Sean Dolan had an assist for Chicago and finished +2.

Badger Men Lose in WCHA Semi-Final; Women Win NCAA Semifinal

The Badger Men were beaten 4-2 by Minnesota in the WCHA Semi-Finals. The Badgers put forth a serious effort on a night where strangely bouncing pucks and phantom penalties seemed to be the deciding factor.

The Badger Women shut out St. Lawrence in their NCAA Semi-Final 4-0. Meghan Duggan and Jinelle Zaugg each tallied two goals in the win. They will play the winner of the other Semi-Final; Minnesota Duluth or Boston College.

Badger Men Advance to WCHA Semi-Finals

The Badger Men put together a convincing 4-0 victory over Michigan Tech last night in the play-in game at the WCHA Final Five. All four lines scored goals for the Badgers in the win, and Brian Elliott tied the WCHA record by notching his 16th career shutout.

I saw bits and pieces of the game, and they guy that jumped out at me was Ben Street. He just seemed quicker than anyone Tech was throwing at him. I happened to catch the shift where he assisted on the fourth goal, among others. The goal was all his hustle and nice moves, complimented by Tom Gorowsky being left alone on the back door and burying the opportunity.

Turris & Gudmandson Extend Their Seasons

UW recruit Kyle Turris and the Burnaby Express needed overtime in game seven of their first-round playoff series against Langley, but were able to secure the victory 3-2 and advance to the second round of the BCHL Playoffs. Turris was kept off of the scoresheet in the game, but still leads all BCHL playoff scorers with 6 goals and 9 assists for 15 points in 7 games. Burnaby will now square off against Nanaimo beginning Friday.

UW recruit Scott Gudmandson and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks edged Prince George 4-2 Wednesday night to advance to the second round of the playoffs where they will face Penticton beginning Friday. Scott Gudmandson stopped 30 of 32 shots in the game. Potential UW recruit Derek Lee scored a goal in the game, bringing his playoff total to 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 goals in 7 games.

Brendan Smith OPJHL Playoff Update

Brendan Smith and the St. Michael's Buzzers began the South Division Finals against Pickering on Friday, March 9th after Pickering upset the Vaughan Vipers. Through the first three games, St. Michael's has dominated. The first game of the series was a 5-1 victory for St. Michael's with Brendan Smith contributing a power play assist. The second game resulted in a 6-1 win for St. Michael's with Brendan Smith having three power play assists. The third game in the series was the most lopsided game yet as St. Michael's put on a scoring clinic winning 11-3. Brendan Smith notched an even strength goal and even strength assist in the game. Game four of the series could see Pickering eliminated, and is scheduled for Friday.

WAHA Tier I State Playoff Results

The WAHA Tier I State Playoffs were this past weekend for both the boys and girls. Here's the results:

Girls
U16 Champion-Madison Capitols
U18 Champion-Wisconsin Wild

Boys
U16 Champion-Team Wisconsin
U18 Champion-Wisconsin AAA

Turris & Gudmandson Must Win or See Their Season End

UW recruits Kyle Turris of the Burnaby Express and Scott Gudmandson of the Salmon Arm Silverbacks both find their teams tied 3 games a piece against their first-round opponent in the BCHL playoffs.

Turris and the Express were up three games to one in the series and have lost the last two games including a 6-4 loss last night to the Langley Chiefs. Turris was named Third Star of the Game and notched a goal and an assist in the game.

Gudmandson and the Silverbacks were down three games to two against Prince George but won a 4-3 overtime thriller last night that saw Gudmandson named First Star of the Game after stopping 46 of 49 shots. Potential UW recruit Derek Lee had a goal and an assist in the game.

Both the Burnaby Express and Salmon Arm Silverbacks are in action tonight trying to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Piskula to be Pursued by 15 NHL Teams

Joe Piskula will be pursued by no less than 15 NHL teams this offseason, and it is highly unlikely he will return to the Badgers for his Senior season according to this article published today in The Capital Times. If he does depart, it will be interesting to see if Garrett Suter finally gains admission, and if Ryan Little is brought in a year earlier than expected.

Turris Article

This article gives a great look at Kyle Turris and his parents. It's nice to see that they are down to earth people who believe in working harder than the next guy, even though you were born with unbelievable athletic talent. The type of dedication that Kyle already shows to hockey as a Senior in high school can't help but rub off on his University of Wisconsin teammates next season.

More Scouting Reports

I never get tired of reading scouting reports, and this one is no exception. The report covers Wisconsinites and UW recruits Craig Smith, Josh Turnbull and Travis Erstad, among other players.

Brian Elliott #6 Prospect in Senators System

UW goaltender Brian Elliott has moved up three spots in the Ottawa Senators prospect rankings, and currently sits in the #6 slot. He is the highest rated goaltending propect, although there are two other goaltending prospects in the top 20.

Turris & Express Miss Opportunity to Clinch

UW recruit Kyle Turris and The Burnaby Express were up three games to one on Langley heading into their match up last night. With a chance to clinch the series on their home rink the Express let one slip through their fingers suffering a 3-2 overtime loss. Kyle Turris had a goal and an assist in the game. The series now stands at 3 games to 2 in favor of Burnaby, with the next game to be played tonight.

Silverbacks One Loss from Elimination

The Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the BCHL lost in overtime last night to the Prince George Spruce Kings by a score of 4-3. Scott Gudmandson played a good game in net, but penalties doomed the Silverbacks in the game. Potential UW recruit Derek Lee scored a goal in the game. Prince George now leads the series 3 games to 2 and can eliminate Salmon Arm with one more victory.

Future Badger Named Mr. Hockey in Minnesota

Ryan McDonagh, a Senior defenseman for Cretin-Derham Hall and a future Wisconsin Badger was named (free article, registration required) Mr. Hockey in Minnesota for 2007.

The article also mentions that McDonagh will be joining the US National Team to play in the World Championships in Finland next month.

At the very bottom of the McDonagh article there is a blurb about former Fond du Lac Head Coach Wes Bolin who now coaches Woodbury, Minnesota. Woodbury knocked off #1 seed Cretin-Derham Hall this year in Sectional 2A to advance to the State Tournament. Wes was named AA Coach of the Year in Minnesota.

Girls High School All-Tournament and All-State Teams Announced

Both the Girls High School All-Tournament Team and All-State Team have been announced.

2007 Girls All-Tournament Team:

1st Team
Mikayla Hogan, F, Chippewa Falls
Heather Bolwerk, F, Appleton
Alyssa Mandoli, F, Appleton
Jaime Athens, D, Northland Pines
Kristina Westmark, D, Appleton
Molly Mandoli, G, Appleton

2nd Team
Rachele Morley, F, Chippewa Falls
Danielle McIntosh, F, Appleton
Allie Tanzer, F, Chippewa Falls
Katie Duehring, D, Appleton
Katie Hakes, D, Chippewa Falls
Ally Antony-Swanke, G, Onalaska

Tournament MVP
Molly Mandoli, Appleton



2007 Girls All-State Team

1st Team
G: Lea Jondal, jr., New Richmond
D: Jaime Athens, sr., Northland Pines
D: Kristina Westmark, sr., Appleton
F: Emily Haluska, jr., Point-Rapids
F: Nicole Hanson, sr., Onalaska
F: Mikayla Hogan, so., Chippewa Falls

2nd Team
G: Betsy Ward, sr., River Falls
D: Jenny Brown, sr., Central WI Storm
D: Hannah Turnbull, so., Hayward
F: Amber Cmejla, sr., Fond du Lac
F: Amy Sibik, sr., Onalaska
F: Taylor Van Damme, sr., Superior

Honorable Mention
G: Caitlin Lacasse, sr., Point-Rapids
G: Sarin Strobush, sr., Eau Claire
F: Ellie Arkin, jr., South Central Freeze
F: Tracy Klingler, sr., River Falls
F: Danielle McIntosh, sr., Appleton

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristina Westmark, Appleton

COACH OF THE YEAR
Patrick Dier, Appleton

Saturday in the BCHL

Burnaby found themselves trailing Langley two to nothing last night, but rallied to get the win by a score of 3-2. Kyle Turris had a goal and an assist and stilll leads all playoff scoring with four goals and seven assists for eleven points in four games. Turris was also named Third Star of the Game. Burnaby now leads the series three games to one.

Salmon Arm evened their series at two a piece with Prince George compliments of a 6-3 victory. Scott Gudmandson turned away 37 of 40 shots and was named Third Star of the Game.

Saturday in the USHL

Lincoln recovered from a 3-1 deficit to double up Waterloo 6-3. Josh Turnbull had a goal and an assist for Waterloo.

Cedar Rapids cleaned up against Sioux Falls 5-1. Sam Zabkowicz finished -1 for Sioux Falls while his fellow teammates and Wisconsinites David Solway, Jacob Drewiske and Patrick Tiesling all finished even.

Tri-City edged Chicago 2-1. Sean Dolan scored the lone goal for Chicago.

Mike Sislo had two goals and finished +3, but it wasn't enough as Sioux City got past Green Bay 5-3.

Omaha defeated Indiana 3-1. Brent Gwidt from Indiana, and Matt Thurber and Justin Johnson from Omaha were all held off the scoresheet and all finished even on the night.

Ohio blanked Des Moines 6-0.

Badger Men & Women Advance

The Badger Women needed 4 overtimes and 68 shots to score a goal against Harvard, but it was enough to propel them to the Frozen Four in Lake Placid, New York.

The Badger Men downed Denver 2-1 and have advanced to the WCHA Final Five next weekend in the Twin Cities.

UW Men Take First Game in Denver

The UW Men managed a 3-2 victory over Denver in the first game of their first round WCHA playoff game. It was interesting to note that Davis Drewiske played left wing on the fourth line with Aaron Bendickson and Tom Gorowsky.

Bauer One of Three Kazmaier Finalists

Last year's Patty Kazmaier recipient, UW's Sara Bauer, has been named as one of three finalists for the award this season. The other finalists are Freshman Megan Agosto from Mercyhurst and Harvard Senior Julie Chu.

BCHL Update

Kyle Turris and the Burnaby Express currently hold a two games to one lead on Langley in their first round playoff series. Turris started the series slowly by his standards in the first game with a goal and an assist in Burnaby's 4-2 win. Burnaby won the second game as well by a score of 5-4, with Turris notching four assists and Second Star of the Game honors. The third game was won by Langley 6-4 with Turris being named Third Star of the Game and netting two goals and adding an assist. Turris is leading all playoff scorers with 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points. Turris has now had a point in a BCHL-leading 19 straight games.

Goaltender Scott Gudmandson had a spectacular regular season but he and his Salmon Arm teammates, including potential UW recruit Derek Lee, currently find themselves down 2-1 to Prince George. Salmon Arm started strong in their first game with a 5-0 throttling of Prince George. Gudmandson turned away all 38 Prince George shots, and Lee had an assist in the game. In the second game, Salmon Arm again scored 5 goals, but allowed 7 goals. Gudmandson stopped 30 of 36 shots he faced and Lee had an assist in the game. The third game was a much lower scoring affair, with Prince George edging Salmon Arm 3-2. Gudmandson stopped 24 of 27 shots in the contest.

USHL Update

There were a bunch of mid-week games in the USHL this week, which is pretty unusual. Here's the results of those games and Friday's games:

Lincoln outscored Des Moines 6-4. Patrick Johnson had an assist for Lincoln and finished +1 while teammate and fellow Wisconsinite Ross Henry finished even.

Waterloo defeated Tri-City 5-2. Josh Turnbull had a goal and an assist for Waterloo and finished +1. Keegan Meuer was not active for this game. Luke Lucyk was -2 for Tri-City.

Tri-City beat Chicago 5-3. New UW recruit Sean Dolan finished the game -1 for Chicago, while Luke Lucyk was +1 for Tri-City. Sean Wiles finished even for Tri-City.

Lincoln won another scoring duel Friday night against Waterloo 7-4. Craig Smith and Blake Kessel had goals for Waterloo while teammate Josh Turnbull had an assist. Patrick Johnson and Ross Henry finished -1 for Lincoln. Keegan Meuer was active for Waterloo and finished -1.

Cedar Rapids got past Sioux Falls 4-2. David Solway and Jacob Drewiske finished -1 for Sioux Falls while teammate Patrick Tiesling was even.

Green Bay edged Sioux City 3-2. Derrick LaPoint and Mike Sislo both had two assists for Green Bay. Ryan Little finished an uncharacteristic -2 in the game.

Omaha took it to Indiana 7-3. Matt Thurber had two assists for Omaha and finished +3. There was also a Brent Gwidt sighting on the scoresheet...Brent notched his fifth goal of the season and finished even on the night. Justin Johnson also had an assist for Omaha. I also noticed that Brent Gwidt is even on the season, which is sixth best for Indiana this season.

Sean Dolan Info

I did a search for more information on Sean Dolan. Here's an article from St. Louis Blues Online that indicates Dolan has good skating ability to go with his size. Dolan participated in the Four Nations Cup on the U-17 Team in 2005-2006 and in the Viking Cup on the U-18 Team during 2006-2007.

This US Hockey Report may shed a little bit of light on why Dolan asked for a trade from Indiana (scroll down to 1/18/06). Apparently both Dolan and Tristan Llewellyn, Indiana's top two prospects, asked for a trade at the same time. They players were traded and the Head Coach was demoted and resigned his position. Ironically, Dolan was traded to Cedar Rapids for his future UW teammate Aaron Bendickson.

This report was very, very interesting as it covered not only Dolan but many of the other UW recruits and prospects as well as Wisconsinities in the USHL. It was written by Max Giese who works for McKeen's, and was a goaltender for Janesville High School. You can find Dolan under the Chicago Report on 10/9/06, which is about halfway down the page.

Turris Continues Rise Up Draft Rankings

Kyle Turris continues to rise up the draft rankings. He has just been ranked third by the International Scouting Service in their recently released March rankings behind only Alexei Cherepanov ranked first and Patrick Kane ranked second. One-time UW recruit Sam Gagner is currently ranked eighth.

2007 Boys All-State Selections

Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association 2007 All-State Team

First Team Forwards
12 Justin Johnson, Eau Claire North***
12 Travis Erstad, SPASH**
12 Tedd Falk, Homestead**
12 Isaiah Bennis, Eau Claire Memorial
12 Scott Pavelski, SPASH**
12 Karl Burns, USM**
12 Zach Kohn, Arrowhead
12 Ryan Smet, Fond du Lac
12 Ian Andrews, Sheboygan
11 Cody Lettau, Fond du Lac
11 Jefferson Dahl, Eau Claire Memorial
11 Seth Soley, Eau Claire Memorial**

Defensemen
12 Alex Gerke, Tomah***
12 Josh Nelson, Wisconsin Rapids**
12 Evan Jeszka, Kettle Moraine**
12 Tyler Gross, Fond du Lac
11 Brady Keegan, Eau Claire Memorial
11 Ted Behrend, Oregon
11 Tyler Krueger, SPASH
11 Tim Smith, Superior

Goaltenders
12 Nick Niceswanger, Tomah***
12 Randy Willis, Fond du Lac
12 Al Armour, Hayward
11 Brady Sand, Eau Claire Memorial

Honorable Mention Forwards
12 Jacob Esche, Madison West
12 Shawn Graskey, Superior
12 Spencer King, Homestead
12 Brian Pierpont, Superior
12 Anthony Knuth, Wisconsin Rapids**
12 Brody Zebro, Mosinee
12 Will Mitchell, Neenah
12 Derek Teachout, Waupun
12 Andy Michels, Kettle Moraine
12 Alex Molski, SPASH
12 Matt Mullendore, Amery
12 Braden Zehner, Stoughton
11 Alex Van Kampen, Altoona**
11 Mike Lennon, Baraboo/Reedsburg
11 Nate Condon, Wausau West
11 Casey Kirley, Hayward
11 Charlie Strauss, Northland Pines
11 Trent Frey, River Falls**
11 Kyle Walbrun, Neenah
11 Matt Michlig, Wausau East
11 Kevin Radke, Mosinee
11 Matt Buswell, Tomah
11 Gavin Hartzog, Marquette
10 Jeff Costello, Catholic Memorial
10 Cody Strang, Edgewood
10 Nik Van Vonderen, Hayward

Defensemen
12 Kurtis Muller, Sun Prairie
12 Darth Denter, Tomah
12 Andy Schroeder, Antigo
12 Jordan Speros, Hayward
12 Mike Hicks, Northland Pines
12 Sam Wright, Homestead
12 JD Frank, Kettle Moraine
12 Ethan Hayes, Webster
11 Chase Drake, Mosinee
11 Matt Millis, Black River Falls**
11 Ben Kincaid, EC Memorial
11 Tyler Sorenson, Edgewood
11 David Donnellan, EC Memorial
11 Jeff Burke, Somerset
11 Jack Wigdale, USM
11 Ryan Sykora, Chippewa Falls
10 Taylor Kuypers, Edgewood

Goalies
12 Dustin LeClaire, Kettle-Moraine**
12 Andy Scheib, Sun Prairie**
12 Kevin Lebert, Lakeland**
12 Hunter Tesmer, DC Everest
12 John Schroeder, Homestead
12 Casey Stern, McFarland
11 Josh Lehr, Appleton
10 Andrew Martin, Stoughton

** 2nd Year *** 3rd Year

Forward Sean Dolan Commits to the Badgers for 2007

Chicago Steel forward Sean Dolan has committed to play for the Wisconsin Badgers next season. Dolan is 6'3" and 185 pounds. He is from Chesterfield, Missouri which is where current Badger Mike Davies hails from. He currently has 17 goals and 16 assists for 33 points in 43 games for the Steel.

Sunday in the USHL

Ohio edged Tri-City 2-1. Sean Wiles and Luke Lucyk both finished -1 for Tri-City.

Omaha got past Sioux Falls 4-3. Patrick Tiesling had a goal for Sioux Falls, while Matt Thurber had two assists for Omaha.

Green Bay downed Des Moines 3-1. Nick Graves got the start in net for Green Bay and played great stopping 34 of 35 shots. Mike Sislo recorded an assist for Green Bay. Sislo and Derrick LaPoint finished the game even and Ryan Little finished +1.

Badger Women Repeat as WCHA Champs

The Badger Women defeated Minnesota 3-1 Sunday to claim the WCHA title once again. The UW Women have been named as the #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament and will begin play against sixth ranked Harvard at the Kohl Center Saturday. Harvard features three players who appeared in the last Olympics including high-scoring senior Julie Chu who is second in the nation in scoring with 18 goals and 48 assists for 66 points.

Wisconsin Boys State Tournament All-Tournament Team

The Boys High School All-Tournament Team has been announced and is as follows:

First Team
Sr. Ryan Smet, F, Fond du Lac
Jr. Cody Lettau, F, Fond du Lac
Jr. Seth Soley, F, Eau Claire Memorial
Sr. Tyler Gross, D, Fond du Lac
Sr. Alex Gerke, D, Tomah
Sr. Randy Willis, G, Fond du Lac

Second Team
Sr. Sean Graskey, F, Superior
Sr. Brian Pierpont, F, Superior
So. Sean Little, F, Fond du Lac
Sr. Paul Biolo, D, Fond du Lac
Sr. Matt Bombich, D, Superior
Jr. Kyle Johnson, G, Superior

Tournament MVPs
Sr. Ryan Smet, Fond du Lac
Sr. Randy Willis, Fond du Lac

Cretin-Derham Hall Ousted by Woodbury

In the Minnesota State Tournament Sectional Final, Cretin-Derham Hall was beaten in overtime this weekend by Woodbury, ending the high school season of UW recruits Chris Hickey and Ryan McDonagh. We'll have to wait and see if Hickey joins the Tri-City Storm or if McDonagh joins the Chicago Steel in the USHL for the rest of the season.

OPJHL Update

The OPJHL is in the midst of their playoffs. UW recruit Brendan Smith and the St. Michael's Buzzers were down 0 games to 3 games against Markham to start their best of seven series. St. Michael's has come roaring back to tie it up 3 games a piece. Friday St. Michael's defeated Markham 5-1 with Smith having 3 assists. On Saturday St. Michael's won 5-2 with Smith scoring two goals and adding an assist. Sunday night St. Michael's clinched the series with a 3-2 triple overtime game.

UW recruit Cody Goloubef plays for Oakville, who is matched up against Hamilton in the postseason. On Saturday Oakville won in double overtime over Hamilton by a score of 4-3 in double overtime. Cody Goloubef had a goal in the game. On Sunday, Hamilton handled Oakville 4-1 to take a 3 games to 2 games lead in their series.

BCHL Update

Kyle Turris continues to be everywhere. He is the BCHL's current Star Player. The slideshow on the BCHL website also shows Wayne Gretzky who stopped by to scout Turris recently.

On the ice, Turris had a goal and two assists Friday in Burnaby's 7-5 win over Langley. Yesterday Burnaby again downed Langley 6-3 with Turris netting two goals and three helpers. Turris finishes the regular season second in scoring in the BCHL just seven points behind Tyler Bozak, and having played 6 fewer games. Turris had the highest average points per game in the BCHL this season with 2.3. In 53 games, he had 66 goals and 55 assists for 121 points.

Salmon Arm ended their regular season on a down note by losing 3-2 to the Trail Smoke Eaters. Gudmandson stopped 27 of 30 shots in the game. Gudmandson finished the BCHL regular season third in GAA at 2.84 and third in save percentage at 91.2%.

Saturday in the USHL

Tri-City blanked Ohio 3-0. Sean Wiles had a strong night for Tri-City with a goal and an assist, while Luke Lucyk chipped in an assist as well.

Despite Lincoln crushing Indiana 8-1, both Patrick Johnson and Ross Henry of Lincoln finished even and without scoring a point. Brent Gwidt was -1 for Indiana.

Des Moines topped Green Bay 5-4 in a shootout. Mike Sislo and Derrick LaPoint each had an assist in the game. LaPoint finished +1, Sislo was even and Ryan Little was -1.

Waterloo doubled up Cedar Rapids 4-2. For Waterloo, Josh Turnbull and Blake Kessel finished even on the night, while Brett Olson was -1. Craig Smith and Keegan Meuer were not in the lineup for Waterloo.

Badger Women Roll; Badger Men Record Scoreless Tie

The Badger Women continued their dominating ways defeating #10 Ohio State in the Semi-finals of the WCHA Tournament. It was a program-record 5th shutout in a row, and they currently have a twenty-two game unbeaten streak. They will face #9 Minnesota in the WCHA Championship Game. Last season they defeated Minnesota in both the WCHA Title game and National Championship game. This season they are 3-0-1 against Minnesota.

The Badger Men recorded their first scoreless tie in the modern era which dates back to 1963 against UMD last night. As a result of all the games this weekend, the Badgers fell from sixth place to seventh, and will begin the WCHA playoffs on the road against Denver.

Both State Champs From the Fox Valley

Both ends of the Fox Valley have a state hockey champion. Appleton defeated Chippewa Falls 4-2 to claim their first girls state title while Fond du Lac downed Superior to claim their first state title.

The Cardinal boys run to the state championship was pretty incredible beating #2 Stevens Point with a record of 23-0, #1 Eau Claire Memorial with a record of 24-0, and Superior which has been to more and won more state tournaments than any other program.

Friday in the USHL

Lincoln smoked Indiana 7-1. Patrick Johnson had an assist and finished even on the night, while Ross Henry finished +1.

Green Bay edged Des Moines 4-3 in a shootout. Mike Sislo and Derrick LaPoint had assists in the game, and Sislo was the only player to score in the shootout. Sislo and Ryan Little finished +1 in the game, while LaPoint was even. Sislo was named First Star of the Game.

Badger Women Clean Up on WCHA Awards

The Badger Women swept the WCHA Awards including Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Defenseman of the Year and Coach of the Year.

Badger Men Record a "W"

The Badger Men secured a narrow victory over Duluth last night by a final score of 3-1, including an empty net goal. The Badgers got goals from Tom Gorowsky, Jake Dowell and an empty-net goal from Kyle Klubertanz.

Fondy Slays Another Giant

Fond du Lac got out to a 2-0 lead on Eau Claire Memorial last night with a goal from Paul Biolo straight out of the penalty box in the first period, and another by Cody Lettau in the second period. Eau Claire Memorial struck back in the second period as Mike Miettunen notched a goal. Eau Claire Memorial outshot Fondy 31 to 20 including 16 to 2 in the final period, but Fondy hung on for the 2-1 victory. The Cardinals have now knocked off #2 Stevens Point who were 23-0 and #1 Eau Claire Memorial who were 24-0.

Up next for the Cardinals is the team that owns the record for most state titles (12), Superior. Fondy's Head Coach Ryan Sarazin was an Assistant at Superior prior to taking over the Fondy program from Wes Bolin three years ago. If memory serves me correct, Superior dispatched Fondy in 2004-2005 from the State Tournament, while Fondy defeated Superior last season in the State Tournament. Fondy makes their second consecutive appearance in the State Championship game after being dismantled by University School last season in the title game.

Superior Advances to State Championship Game

Superior has advanced to their state-leading 23rd State Championship game with a win today over undefeated Tomah by a score of 5-3. Brian Pierpont netted two goals in the game for Superior, while Brian Crawford, Willy Nicksic and Nate Hendry also notched goals for the Spartans.

Onalaska Shocked; A New Scoring Record Set

Mikayla Hogan scored 6 goals and had an assist in the first State Semi-Final today as the Chippewa Falls girls blasted Northland Pines 9-3. Hogan now owns the records for most goals and most points in a State Tournament game.

In the second Girls State Semi-Final game today Appleton continued their great playoff run by beating Onalaska 3-1. Onalaska had to be considered the favorite for the state title with a large number of seniors on their roster, and the fact that Fond du Lac/Waupun and Superior were eliminated in Sectional play.

Chippewa Falls and Appleton will face off for the state title tomorrow at 12:10 PM.

And Then There Were Four

The State Tournament Quarter-Finals featured four games that were all decided by two or more goals.

The first game pitted Honorable Mention Homestead against #4 ranked and undefeated Tomah. Tomah prevailed 4-2 in what ended up being the closest score of the day. Tomah got goals from four different players, and Nick Nicewanger stopped 30 of 32 shots to help them stay undefeated and advance to the State Semi-Finals.

Game two featured #5 Kettle Moraine/Mukwonago and their 15 Seniors against #9 Superior. Superior took a two-goal lead in the first period and while KM/Mukwonago would score just :32 into the third period to make it 2-1, Superior kept their cool to eventually notch a 4-1 victory. John LeDoux had two goals for Superior including an empty net goal at the end. They will face off against Tomah tomorrow in the State Semi-Finals.

In the second stanza, #2 ranked Stevens Point with a record of 20-0 and the State Player of the Year in Travis Erstad were rudely bounced from the State Tournament by a score of 7-3 compliments of Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac got all seven goals from different players. The Cardinals shot out to a 2-0 lead in the first period which allowed them to play their third line quite a bit, which they kept up throughout the game. Stevens Point was able to tie the score before the first period ended, but Fondy netted the first four goals of the second period and cruised to victory from there.

#1 ranked Eau Claire Memorial entered their game against Madison West 20-0, and were able to keep their consecutive game winning streak alive with an 8-3 victory. Memorial scored 1:49 into the game, but :27 seconds later West notched their first goal. Eau Claire then scored two more goals in the first period, and the first three goals in the second period to take a commanding 5-1 lead. Eight different players scored goals for Eau Claire Memorial, who will face Fond du Lac tomorrow in the State Semi-Finals.

Travis Erstad Named WHCA Player of the Year

UW recruit and SPASH forward Travis Erstad was named the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association Player of the Year last night.

UW Men's & Women's Recruiting Update

The Wisconsin State Journal has a great article today on recruiting for both the UW Men's and Women's hockey teams.

The UW Women have received an oral commitment from Hillary Knight, widely considered the best prospect in the United States, and the youngest player named to Team USA for the upcoming World Championships. UW Women's Coach Mark Johnson is coaching Team USA. There had been some delays in Knight's admission to UW, but she was given the green light a few weeks ago.

On the UW Men's front, Vinny Saponari from the United States National Team Development Program has indicated UW is #1 on his list. He is apparently good friends with Blake Geoffrion, which is a factor in his decision-making process.

As has been rumored on USCHO, Derek Lee also has an interest in UW. He is 95% sure he wants to go the college route rather than Major Junior, and he grew up playing hockey with UW superrecruit Kyle Turris. He also had a relative that attended law school at UW, and the Lee family has heard great things about Madison.

The rumors on the Brennan Vargas front also appear to be true. UW is not offering much scholarship money compared to New Hampshire, Bowling Green and Minnesota-Mankato. Vargas indicates he's like to attend UW if the scholarship offers were equal.