SPORTS
‘Diligent’ Connelly thrives
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Also by Tyler Mason:
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- Wisconsin hockey continues road woes in Mankato (December 10, 2007)
- Hot stove season best time of year (December 6, 2007)
- Engel finds niche at new position (December 6, 2007)
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- Eaves searches for balance, consistency (January 30, 2007)
- Eaves' squad benefitting from duo of solid netminders (February 23, 2006)
- Elliott's 'the man' in goal for Badger hockey (March 6, 2007)
- Sitting, waiting, wishing (February 6, 2007)
by Tyler Mason
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
With a 43-save performance Friday and a dazzling stick save
Saturday against North Dakota, junior goaltender Shane Connelly was naturally
the topic of discussion in head coach Mike Eaves' press conference Monday.
Part of what has impressed Eaves about Connelly since the
Badgers were recruiting him was his attention to detail.
"One of the things we noticed was the fact that he's pretty
diligent and pretty detailed," Eaves said. "He keeps a little book of things
that he's doing well in practice."
Connelly's knack for remembering shooting preferences of
opposing players paid off over the weekend, as he made 74 total saves in the
series split with the Sioux. Following the game, Connelly was able to recall
specifically which UND players took shots on him, a trick he learned early on,
according to Eaves.
"In junior hockey, he used to write down how goals were
scored on him game in and game out to kind of see if there was a pattern or how
he could work on," Eaves said. "I think he's continued on with that type of
thinking. … I think that's been an asset for him in terms of getting to this
point where he's our No. 1 goaltender."
His ability to keep on top of such fine game details
resulted in Eaves drawing comparisons between Connelly and former Wisconsin
netminder Brian Elliott.
"I don't know if Brian Elliott was at the same level as
Shane in keeping track of guys and who's hot and what's their favorite shot or
stuff like that," Eaves said. "Shane's probably the most detailed goalie I've
seen in a while in that area."
Tough stretch ahead
The Badgers have escaped their first two WCHA series with a
2-2 conference record. Things will not be getting any easier for Eaves' squad,
though, as it looks ahead on the calendar. This weekend, UW will travel to
Colorado Springs to take on No. 7 Colorado College. Following that, the team will
face current No. 2 Michigan and defending national champion Michigan State, currently
ranked third in the country, in the College Hockey Showcase.
For the young Wisconsin team, one of the focuses will be on
playing consistently against its tough opponents.
"We may ride this wave up and down here for a while," Eaves
said. "I certainly hope our valleys aren't as big as they've been and we can
find some consistency."
Eaves said his young Badgers are eager to get back on the
ice after leaving with a bitter taste in their mouths following a 3-1 loss
Saturday at home.
"They're all ticked off. They want to get back to work,"
Eaves said. "They know they can play better. That's the kind of thing you want
to hear."
Playing against a tough North Dakota team early in the
season was important in the development of the team's freshmen, Eaves said. So
much so that the coach said he wished the Badgers could play the Sioux more
often so his team could continue to improve.
"I can guarantee you that they have never seen a tempo like
they played against this past Friday and Saturday," Eaves said of his team's
freshmen. "I wish we played North Dakota every other weekend just for that
fact. When you play against that level time and time again, you're drawn up to
it. We'd be a much better team from playing them every other weekend."
Big pond, thin air
When the team makes the trip to Colorado this weekend, the
thin air won't be a top concern. What may present more of a challenge is the
size of CC's rink at Colorado Springs World Arena.
The rink will allow for a more open style of play, something
Eaves said is more suited to his current roster than of past UW teams.
"We have a little bit more ability to skate," Eaves said.
"The assessment of that rink, you could park an 18-wheeler below the goal line,
and it still wouldn't touch the boards from side to side. It's such a big sheet
of ice.
"I think we have kids that can skate. They will embrace it.
I'm looking forward to seeing how our kids handle it."
The Tigers have built their team around players who are able
to use the entire rink, Eaves said, which will provide yet another challenge
for the Badgers.
"They've always come to the ice with good skill and speed.
That's been their game," Eaves said. "If you've ever been out to that rink,
that thing's an ocean. That's why they have kids that can skate. They're
playing well, and it will be a real stiff test for our kids."
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