With the season opener against Colorado College less than two weeks away, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team will get a preview of its talent and potential at Friday’s Red and White intrasquad scrimmage.
Predicted to finish third in the WCHA conference by coaches and media and No. 14 in the nation by the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine, the Badgers once again find themselves bearing the burden of high expectations. While other WCHA teams begin play this week, the Badgers are looking forward to Friday as an additional tune-up before their season begins, head coach Mike Eaves said in his Monday press conference.
“We had a scrimmage on Saturday, we played three periods, we had breaks, we did the ice, we’re going to have our Red and White scrimmage [this week],” Eaves said. “Those are our preseason exhibition games, and by doing that, we control a little bit more of what we want to get done and I think that can be an advantage for us.”
Street returns to an already deep team
Without senior captain Ben Street for all but four games last year, the Badgers faced a rigorous schedule but still managed a third-place finish in the WCHA. This year, after being granted a medical redshirt, Street is returning from a torn ACL and subsequent reconstructive surgery to lead UW through another demanding schedule this season.
“First of all, we’ve got depth at every position, so that’s very pleasing,” Eaves said. “For Ben Street, it’s amazing how he’s come back from his injury, a very severe injury. He’s come back and it’s almost like he’s better than he was before. That’s been part of his focus.
“Sometimes an injury really grabs you right by the bootstraps and shakes you. You take a look, and you think you’ve worked hard, and you think you’ve done the things that you need to do, and all of a sudden this negative situation … you get a second chance at looking at what you thought was hard.”
Already boasting a NCAA championship ring from his freshman 2005-06 year, Street leads a remarkably veteran squad that boasts seven seniors and nine juniors, making the Badgers an upperclass team for the first time since that championship year.
“We’re really excited to see what he can get done here,” Eaves continued about Street. “You can see him going over to our younger players, putting his arm around them and just saying, ‘Hey, it’s gonna be all right, you’ll learn the systems, stay with it and it’ll get better.’ How do you teach that? That’s just from being around an extra year.”
For the past two years, Wisconsin had no doubts when it came to placing its trust in the goaltender, as Shane Connelly consistently kept pucks out of the net. However, with Connelly gone, the Badgers will turn to two juniors, Scott Gudmandson and Brett Bennett. Gudmandson was Connelly’s backup last season, notching a 1-2 record in three games and saving 88 percent of shots faced. Bennett, meanwhile, is transferring to UW after playing for the USHL champion Indiana Ice. Additionally, Bennett also spent two years as a member of the defending NCAA champion Boston University.
“It’s funny, when you read about other coaches and you study them, the one that came to mind this past fall and summer was Bill Belichick,” Eaves said. “He says, ‘When you find yourself, you want to create a competitive situation no matter where you are because it will bring out the best in people.’ I think that what has happened in the goaltending situation is that [Gudmandson], knowing that we were bringing in another goaltender who’s going to be the same year as him, he didn’t cower at all at that. He took it upon himself to take that next step, and they’re going to push each other.”