Sports

Johnson looking for another miracle year

Women’s hockey head coach Mark Johnson knows what it’s like to set high goals and achieve them. In 1980, U.S. Olympic head coach Herb Brooks gave Johnson and his team the goal of defeating the U.S.S.R in the world semi-final game; Johnson went out and scored two goals in the storied “Miracle-on-Ice” for the victory. Now Johnson is focusing on the NCAA equivalent of the U.S.S.R. juggernaut: the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team.

“The challenge for everyone in the country is going to be beating Minnesota,” Johnson said. “They’re going to be the team to beat not only in the conference, but in the whole landscape of women’s hockey.”

Preseason No. 1 Minnesota is coming off a 30-4-2 season in which they won the WCHA and NCAA championships. Johnson is most concerned about two players in particular.

“The big gap is that they have a couple players a lot of teams don’t have,” Johnson said. “Krissy Wendell and Natalie Darwitz are real game-breakers and they make the difference.”

Darwitz and Wendell were named preseason first and second team All-Americans respectively and both earned first team all-WCHA honors.

“With my defensive corps and my goalie we can contain them,” Johnson said. “It’s just difficult over the whole game.”

Johnson also mentioned that an e-mail has been released to him recently stating a significant change in policy affecting the way games will be officiated.

“Early on there’s going to be a bunch of penalties,” Johnson said. “Not only is it going to affect the players and how we coach the fans, but it’s going to be a big change for all of our fans.”

Johnson will be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame Thursday, where he will be honored for his achievements as a player at Wisconsin and on the Olympic team, as well as his coaching in both men’s and women’s college hockey.

“It comes at some point when you feel so fortunate to do so many things in the hockey business as a player and a coach,” Johnson said. “It’s going to give me an opportunity to give credit to a lot of coaches that helped me along the way.”

The No. 3 Badgers kick off their season at home against Wayne State Friday.