When the Wisconsin men’s hockey team (1-1) takes the ice for its home opener against Alabama- Huntsville (1-1) tomorrow, fans will see a revamped lineup after numerous losses from last year’s squad to graduation and the NHL.
So the 2010 Badgers are in the midst of forming their new identity and senior forward Podge Turnbull has an idea in mind.
“We want to go out and play like junkyard dogs,” Turnbull said.
In other words, expect to see a lot of scrappiness at the Kohl Center this year.
UW scored a lot of pretty goals last season and benefited from a tremendous amount of experience and skill up front, but the lines are a lot younger now, and the Badgers plan on straying away from the finesse plays to instead focus on playing tough, intense hockey.
“It’s a good analogy for us,” Turnbull added. “We have a lot of youth, and that means our energy level is always going to be high. The intensity has to be there all the time and that mean, vicious junkyard dog is a good identity to have.”
The Badgers get their first opportunity to show that heightened energy in front of the Kohl Center crowd Friday as the Chargers come to Madison this weekend.
And for head coach Mike Eaves and the Badgers, opening night has added significance.
“It’s a big deal,” Eaves said. “I’d be surprised if they didn’t get goose bumps.”
UAH earned a split in its season opening series with Ferris State and it will face-off against the new-look Badgers, who are just 4-3-1 in home openers under Eaves.
Wisconsin earned a split as well in its season opening series, as UW lost to BU but bounced back to defeat Holy Cross at the Ice Breaker tournament in St. Louis.
“Friday wasn’t the result we wanted, but we had to forget that and move on,” senior captain Sean Dolan said. “We just went out and took care of business Sunday (against Holy Cross).”
One of the major developments from the loss to BU was the staggering amount of penalties UW took against the Terriers. With such a young team, mistakes and over-aggressiveness are to be expected, but the Badgers were called for 45 minutes total in penalties. That’s the most since UW recorded 47 total minutes in 2008 against Minnesota Duluth.
Still, Turnbull insists the penalties aren’t a major concern heading into the matchup with UAH.
“You expect a little more high energy. Everyone had been chomping at the bit all summer to get going and guys take things too far,” Turnbull said. “It’s something we want to clean up, but it will weed itself out.”
Keeping the emotions in check will be especially important Friday night. Aside from the tendency to take penalties, the Badger freshmen must stay level-headed in their first game in front of the home crowd.
Eaves doesn’t want his newcomers to try to do too much and over-extend themselves, despite their obvious excitement.
“The tendency is to want to put your best foot forward, and we talk about having an ideal performance state, where you’re not over-prepared or under-prepared, you’re just right,” Eaves said. “We try to remind them to stay in that state.”
When the puck drops, the Badgers plan on taking that message to heart and playing an efficient 60 minutes.
But in the hours leading up to the home opener, the anticipation for the freshmen tends to creep in.
“It brings a smile to my face thinking about it,” freshman forward Tyler Barnes said. “A crowd like this, I mean it will be an experience of a lifetime. This barn rivals some NHL rinks, so it’s definitely something I’m looking forward to and I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
The same goes for the seasoned veterans who are ready to start another season at the Kohl Center.
“I can still remember my first home game, and it was something really special. It’s something I’ll never forget and I hope these guys never forget it as well,” Turnbull said. “And for us seniors, this is our last go around, our last kick at the can, and that brings a whole different element to the game.”
