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Seniors hit key ‘junction’

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Also by Benjamin Worgull:

Tech-nically sound, UW faces test (February 23, 2007)
O Captain! My Captain! Joudrey fulfills role (February 20, 2007)
Forecheck sparks Badger success (February 19, 2007)
Taylor saves his best for last (February 15, 2007)
Seniors hit key 'junction' (February 13, 2007)

by Benjamin Worgull

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Mike Eaves called last year's seniors the "Junction Boys," in reference to the movie chronicling Alabama football under Bear Bryant in his first year. Although the losses piled up, that group stuck with Eaves and ultimately capped their career with Wisconsin's sixth national title.

Eaves will be one of the first to say that without this year's seven seniors assisting the Junction Boys, that national title might not be in the Badgers' trophy case.

As special as last year's group was to the head coach, this year's senior class is just as important to Eaves, as these seven seniors were his first official recruiting class as head coach of the Badgers. For that reason alone, this weekend's home finale, particularly the family brunch this upcoming Sunday, will be emotional for the head coach.

"I think that we get so wrapped up in what we've been trying to achieve on the ice, but the thought has crossed my mind," Eaves said. "The fact that we've got (the) parents' brunch this Sunday, and these are the kids that I had a chance to sit down with them and their families and talk to them. The other classes before were already here or had very little to do with them, so it's going to be more emotional than it has (been) in the past because the roots are deeper with this group."

Of the seven seniors donning their home whites for the last time in the regular season, assistant captain Jake Dowell is one of the players Eaves cherishes the most.

Nicknamed the "Garbage Man" by his teammates, Dowell — after only scoring five goals last season — leads the team with 15 scores on the season. With his dad battling Huntington's disease, Jake has had to overcome many things to reach this point in his career.

"You can't separate Jake and his hockey career here without talking about his personal life, the things he's gone through with his mom and his dad," Eaves said. "His maturity has helped him to be more consistent in his life. Not to have the ups and downs has helped him to come in and just try to learn to control the things that he can control, and I think he's been a lot more effective as a player."

Much like last year's senior weekend, the Badgers will face No. 4 St. Cloud State to close their home portion of the schedule. While the Badgers swept the average Huskies at the end of last season, this weekend will be big for St. Cloud State, as they trail first-place Minnesota by only four points heading into the final three weeks. Much like last season, Eaves expects a physical, defensive battle that will translate into a good hockey weekend.

"They've had some young people come in that they recruited that have been very productive for them, and that's been one of the keys to their success," Eaves said. "I remember the series that we had with them last year about this time. Both games were very close and it's going to be that kind of series again this weekend."

With St. Cloud in a race for first place and Wisconsin battling for home ice in the first round of the conference playoffs, the stage will be set for the Badgers' seven seniors to put an exclamation point on their home career, and hopefully put themselves in position to play in front of the home crowd in the playoffs.

"We've had some real successful times and some tough times together," Eaves said. "I think of these young people in terms of the path that they took along with last year's seniors. Their first year was a tough grind, but this group coming in was part of that process. It's the process that you have to go through that forges you into becoming a national champion."

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