In a season that has seen a number of misfortunes plague a beleaguered Wisconsin men’s hockey team, UW announced the signing of three student-athletes Tuesday to letters of intent during the hockey fall signing period.
Already a young team – they have only three seniors set to graduate at the end of the season – the Badgers new additions, which will begin their UW careers in the fall of 2013, include forwards Corbin McGuire and Grant Besse, and defenseman Tim Davison.
McGuire, a Ridgeville, Conn., native, signed for the Badgers while currently playing with the Jersey Hitmen of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. McGuire has chipped in two goals and eight points so far, leading the Hitmen to the first place slot in the league through the first nine games.
For head coach Mike Eaves the talented forward reminds him of current UW senior forward Derek Lee in his quick style of play.
“He went to prep school in Connecticut, was in the USHL and is now playing in the EJHL for Jersey Hitmen,” Eaves said. “He will remind a lot of people of Derek Lee. He’s a good skater, skilled and quick.”
Joining McGuire in the forward slot beginning in 2013, will be fellow incoming freshman and high school standout Besse.
Besse, who hails from Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School in St. Louis Park, Minn., has earned 96 goals and 73 assists through 75 games in his high school career. In his junior season alone he scored 52 goals for BSM, helping his team to a Minnesota Class AA state championship in 2012. Besse led the way 12 goals throughout the six game tournament.
Eaves believes that the high school senior’s track record scoring goals could make an instant impact for the Badgers next fall.
“Grant Besse is a little bit more high profile,” Eaves said. ” He’s a preseason favorite to win Mr. Hockey in the state of Minnesota. … He is very skilled, sees the ice well, can shoot, handles the puck and has great vision. He’ll bring a lot of offensive tools to the shelf.”
Rounding out the 2013 recruits is the 5-10 and 169-pound Davison, who joins the Badgers from the Chicago Steel in the USHL.
Despite playing in the defense, the De Pere, Wis., native has already scored two goals and earned three points in ten games with the Steel so far.
Eaves hopes that Davison’s success on the offensive side of the puck will help a team that has struggled to score at times in the current 2012-13 season.
“He is a good puck-handling, passing and shooting defenseman who will bring an offensive flare,” Eaves said.
Davison’s experience extends to the international stage as well, as he was given the opportunity to compete on the Team USA Select 17 team that won the Five Nations Tournament in Switzerland against some of the best youth competition in the world.
