The Wisconsin Badger hockey team is anxious and apprehensive for the upcoming season. One reason behind the apprehension is they may see a regular skater sidelined for the first few weeks.
Defenseman Dan Boeser was diagnosed with follicular B-cell Lymphoma in early August and has since undergone radiation therapy that is slated for completion within the week. The Savage, MN native, who lead the Badger’s defensive unit with 28 points last year, was given the diagnosis after being treated for kidney stones twice in the past 15 months. Team physician Dr. Tom Best became alarmed and subsequently performed further tests. Whether or not the junior, who has been an iron man for the Badgers, playing in all 80 games the past two seasons, will make the season opener against Rensselaer October 11 remains a decision with Boeser and the staff under head coach Mike Eaves.
“I’m just going to see how I feel after the treatments and try to get myself back in shape,” Boeser stated. “It’ll be up to the three coaches [to say] whether or not I’m ready to play. As of right now, I don’t plan on missing any games.”
The possibility of Boeser’s presence in the line-up, after beating both cancer and the resulting treatments within two and a half months of the season’s beginning, would be an impressive feat.
“I think Danny’s whole attitude is something we want all of our players to have,” said Eaves. “Control the things you can control in life. And right now, he’s been given this challenge, and he’s meeting it head on, and he’s going to give himself the best chance of getting back in the lineup as soon as he can with that type of attitude.”
With nine players leaving at the expense of graduation, UW’s search for a new leader to demonstrate by example has been answered before the first puck drops to the ice.
“It’s a lesson that’s kind of slapped Danny in his face, but it’s one that all of his teammates can learn from, I’m sure,” Eaves said.
Recruiting roundup
With the entire 2002-2003 season left to play, the 2003-2004 Badger hockey campaign is generating a stir before they even arrive on campus. Eaves’ first recruiting class at UW looks surprisingly like the U.S. National Team Development Program, the squad he formerly presided over.
The group of under-18s has seen four players commit to their former coach, with Jacob Dowell being the latest addition. Dowell, an Eau Claire Memorial standout, joins defensemen Ryan Suter and Jeff Likens and forward Robbie Earl not only at UW in 2003-04, but also for the NTDP this upcoming season, letting the group have an extra year to gel together.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to go to Wisconsin and play for the Badgers,” said Dowell, who committed in late August. “I came to the USA program mainly because Coach Eaves was there, and when he went to Wisconsin it was kind of a perfect match.”
Eaves doesn’t stop there, waiting on two Canadian prospects in defenseman Wes O’Neill and forward Andrew Joudrey. O’Neill, only 16, has his list narrowed to UW, Michigan and Notre Dame. Joudrey, from Nova Scotia, withdrew his commitment after former head coach Jeff Sauer stepped down and has plans to visit Maine and Notre Dame before making his final decision.
Schedule
Mike Eaves has used ties with his former employer in successfully recruiting talent from the NTDP. Now it’s time to pay the organization back. Eaves has been toying the idea of scheduling the squad in the 2003-04 season, because he doesn’t currently have international competition on his slate.
The contest would be interesting, since Dowell, Suter, Likens and Earl would face their teammates from just one year ago.
“We’ve looked at the schedule and discussed it, but it hasn’t gotten much past that,” said Eaves. “It helps [the NTDP] out probably more than it does [UW].”
