Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

[granddaddyscout]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

Have to agree with BB and TA but add a comment; Decker is an awesome player but seems to have lost her sense for team play. I have watched her play since she was a 14U and she typically distributes the puck much better than what I observed this weekend. She demonstrated her great dangleing skills on several occasions while her teammates watched and waited. The game is about team dynamics and this years team needs her making those around her better more than ever. Even on their PP the puck spends to much time on her stick and not enough time beating the D with crisp passing. UW was a much better team than UMD and the game shouldn't have gone to over time in my opinion. The Badgers could surprise a lot of folks down the stretch is they play more of a team game. If it is nothing more than a one player skills demo they may be headed to the gold course early this year.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

Have to agree with BB and TA but add a comment; Decker is an awesome player but seems to have lost her sense for team play. I have watched her play since she was a 14U and she typically distributes the puck much better than what I observed this weekend. She demonstrated her great dangleing skills on several occasions while her teammates watched and waited. The game is about team dynamics and this years team needs her making those around her better more than ever. Even on their PP the puck spends to much time on her stick and not enough time beating the D with crisp passing. UW was a much better team than UMD and the game shouldn't have gone to over time in my opinion. The Badgers could surprise a lot of folks down the stretch is they play more of a team game. If it is nothing more than a one player skills demo they may be headed to the gold course early this year.

I think this is an accurate observation, it's a thought that's been floating around in my head for the last 3 years that I have been attending/watching their games. The star players tend to play a lot of 1 on 1 or 1 on 2, using their individual skills to beat opposing players due to their dominating skill, but are not necessarily looking to pass too often. I don't think it's a horrible thing or anything, but I think Johnson's teams tend to play a little selfishly. And when you have that large of a disparity in ability, you can get away with that, but when you play a team who is more equivalent in ability, it's not a helpful trait.

[Badger Booster]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

Have to agree with BB and TA but add a comment; Decker is an awesome player but seems to have lost her sense for team play. I have watched her play since she was a 14U and she typically distributes the puck much better than what I observed this weekend. She demonstrated her great dangleing skills on several occasions while her teammates watched and waited. The game is about team dynamics and this years team needs her making those around her better more than ever. Even on their PP the puck spends to much time on her stick and not enough time beating the D with crisp passing. UW was a much better team than UMD and the game shouldn't have gone to over time in my opinion. The Badgers could surprise a lot of folks down the stretch is they play more of a team game. If it is nothing more than a one player skills demo they may be headed to the gold course early this year.

I guess I really have a tough time accepting this when she leads the current team in assists, led the team last year in assists and was second only to Duggan back in the championship '09 season. This year's team also lacks overly skilled offensive players than can do anything with it even if they are getting fed by Decker. I've seen some UW players in past that didn't like to pass a lot, but I've never really considered Decker to be one of those players.

[HighToTheGloveSide]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

OK, so I don't keep up on recruiting for the lady Badgers like I do with the mens team but other than Decker and Rigsby this team seems to lack high-end talent and wonder how this came about. I would guess with the success that Wisconsin has had under Mark Johnson (not to mention the facilities) that they would be able to bring in a top flight class every year. So did some of these players just not develop as expected or has the well run dry on the recruiting front?

[Nowheresville]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

I'd agree that Decker is trying to do more herself this year, however, I don't think it is her being selfish as much as it is her feeling the pressure to carry the team on her back.

Talking about the PP, that seems like a perfect example of why she feels the need to do things on her own. That first 5 on 3 Saturday night was one of the worst PP's I've ever seen. There were no crisp passes - nearly every pass was either misfired or mishandled. Despite having a 2-man advantage for nearly 2 full minutes, they never even had a decent scoring chance. Credit UMD to a degree, but much more of it was their own inability to play sharp hockey and move the puck in deep. When you see things like that, you know that someone with Decker's talent is feeling the pressure to make things happen.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

OK, so I don't keep up on recruiting for the lady Badgers like I do with the mens team but other than Decker and Rigsby this team seems to lack high-end talent and wonder how this came about. I would guess with the success that Wisconsin has had under Mark Johnson (not to mention the facilities) that they would be able to bring in a top flight class every year. So did some of these players just not develop as expected or has the well run dry on the recruiting front?

They are missing 2 awesome players who are injured this year, the reigning wcha defensive player of the year has been out, Sr. Stephanie McKeough (23 pts last year), as has Brittany Ammerman, (30 pt last year as a SO). Add those 2 back into the line-up and the scoring wouldn't be quote so hard to come by. Both are pp/pk folks as well. Them being missing all year has forced a bit more youth into the line-up.

What really irritates me is there is no info on these 2 as far as if/when they will ever be back. Did either 1 redshirt this year?

[ARM]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

What really irritates me is there is no info on these 2 as far as if/when they will ever be back. Did either 1 redshirt this year?

Given McKeough didn't play at all and Ammerman only three games, both would be eligible for a medical redshirt. The reason that little is said about their futures is that as is often the case with concussions, nobody knows. Minnesota had a pair of players over the last couple of seasons who went through similar months of being injured, and eventually the medical advice was that it wasn't in their best interest to play again. The most important thing is that they get well and remain symptom free; once they do, they can evaluate their hockey futures.

[Eeyore]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

I thought Ammerman's problem was a leg injury?

[Badger Booster]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

Given McKeough didn't play at all and Ammerman only three games, both would be eligible for a medical redshirt. The reason that little is said about their futures is that as is often the case with concussions, nobody knows. Minnesota had a pair of players over the last couple of seasons who went through similar months of being injured, and eventually the medical advice was that it wasn't in their best interest to play again. The most important thing is that they get well and remain symptom free; once they do, they can evaluate their hockey futures.

I guess what's frustrating is that the UW doesn't come out officially and say something like this. Because if it were Zengerle and Ramage out for the season, the press would be asking a lot more questions. Is it career-threatening, are medical redshirts being considered and/or is there any remote chance that either play this year? I understand confidentiality issues, but those aren't overly probing questions.

[ARM]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

I could be wrong about Ammerman; I've heard of so many players being concussed this season that I could be mixing her up with someone else.

Is it career-threatening, are medical redshirts being considered and/or is there any remote chance that either play this year?

Ask that during the "Live Blog" during your next game and see what the answer is. Either you get an answer or you don't, but either way, you're not out anything.

[Badger Booster]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

I'm pretty sure that Ammerman's injury is concussion-related. When asked about it on the Live Blog, the standard line is pretty much "Still not healthy, not sure about return." I'm not saying that I'm owed more than that explanation, but it is frustrating because maybe they are back for the playoffs (which makes them much more of a legit title contender) or maybe they never play again (which leaves a potential gaping hole personnel-wise next year). Just surprised that UW is keeping it that close to the vest.

[Eeyore]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

At this point I think you can write off any return for the playoffs. Getting up to game speed between now and then would be tough even they got cleared by the medical staff tomorrow. And with concussions, there's no point in them giving an update, because they don't know the answer to any question you could ask. Once it has lingered this long there really is no telling when, or if, they'll be symptom free.

[granddaddyscout]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

I guess I really have a tough time accepting this when she leads the current team in assists, led the team last year in assists and was second only to Duggan back in the championship '09 season. This year's team also lacks overly skilled offensive players than can do anything with it even if they are getting fed by Decker. I've seen some UW players in past that didn't like to pass a lot, but I've never really considered Decker to be one of those players.

Again to be clear she is a great player and your stats are correct, I have only seen her play 4-5 games this year. Two were this past weekend and from the games I have seen this year many of her assists are coming from missed shots that get put in as opposed to play making situations. I would agree that she feels a lot of pressure to carry the team and I agree that they are not as talent laden as they have been in years past, but last year she was pair with the older Ammerman and Prevost. They both scored a ton of goals due to her "play making". Both players nearly doubled their point production over the prior year and Prevost missed a number of games. I am not really trying to be critical, my point is more that she needs to find a way to get her teammates more involved for the team to do well during the playoff run. What I saw was a player looking to score and a good coach will develop a defensive approach to stop that, a player looking to make a play is much harder to defense. Knight was a great example last year, she was so determined to score she took herself out of the running for the Patty Kaz. Had she made plays when she was double and triple teamed she would have been a much more dominant player. In my opinion the physically gifted female player I have ever seen play.

[ARM]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

I think that Decker would love to be a playmaker. The fact is that she doesn't have a Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Brooke Ammerman, or Carolyne Prévost on her wing like she did for the last two seasons. I watched her try to set up her new line mates in Duluth in October and they just lost the puck most times. I'm convinced she's trying to help the team as best she can. It's just a lot more difficult to do so this year. All four of those players I mentioned were either national team players or nearly so. Of the current players I've seen her skate with this year, only Packer is even close to being one at this point.

[granddaddyscout]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

I think that Decker would love to be a playmaker. The fact is that she doesn't have a Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Brooke Ammerman, or Carolyne Prévost on her wing like she did for the last two seasons. I watched her try to set up her new line mates in Duluth in October and they just lost the puck most times. I'm convinced she's trying to help the team as best she can. It's just a lot more difficult to do so this year. All four of those players I mentioned were either national team players or nearly so. Of the current players I've seen her skate with this year, only Packer is even close to being one at this point.

Agreed, but you have to play with the team you have to work with. Again I am not being critical of her, just saying they won't have as much success if they/she can't find a way to get more players involved. Right now it is her and Packer, but she needs to keep making plays to stay multidimensional. Look at what Kessel is doing with 2 Frosh at Minny, granted Minny has two other strong lines. All I am saying is that forcing scoring chances in hockey doesn't lead to team success, Gretzky was dominant because no one knew what he was going to do. Take away the shot he passed, take away the pass he scored.