Wisconsin Badgers 2012-2013 - The LaBahn Era Begins

[ARM]

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

Look at what Kessel is doing with 2 Frosh at Minny...

Brandt is the second-leading scorer in the country. She's not just some random freshman. Look at the goal scorers on your team: Decker (25), Packer (16), Kelter (15), Sylvester (9). After that it drops to 3. Kelter isn't really a natural goalscorer, so she's doing great to have that many. Decker doesn't have a lot of options of people to make better. Some of them may develop into scorers, but they aren't right now. Blame Decker if you like, but the lack of offense on your roster isn't her fault.

[Nowheresville]

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

Agreed, but you have to play with the team you have to work with.

You do have to play with the team you have to work with, which is why I think you're seeing Decker trying to do things herself far more often than she has in the past. A team will be more successful if they can get more players involved, but you have to have the talent first. This year, Decker simply doesn't have great talent around her, so more often than not, the Badgers are most dangerous when Decker is taking chances, rather than her trying to force it to her teammates. Kessel is a great example, but a great example of what a great player can do, when she has more talent around her.

At this point, as a team, the Badgers are what they are. A good, but not great, team that has enough talent to make a decent run in March, if they get the right matchups. The problem is that it even if they keep rolling, and hold off North Dakota, it appears that there's no avoiding a early battle against Minnesota.

Going forward seems like a much bigger concern for Wisconsin. I don't follow the recruiting aspect at all, but next year looks very troubling if they don't have a pretty exceptional incoming class.

[ARM]

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

Beyond the injuries to McKeough and Brit Ammerman, I tried to consider what has changed at Wisconsin to produce the current roster. The thing that stands out to me is that starting in the fall of 2005 with the arrival of Erika Lawler, the Badgers brought in at least one top U.S. forward each year: Lawler, Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Brooke Ammerman, and Decker. Those players made a huge impact on your program. I don't know that the Canadian recruits up front have varied to quite the same extent. I do think that Courtney Burke is the best defenseman to head to Madison since Bobbi Jo Slusar, so her presence should pay dividends in the future. We may view someone in the current group of forwards differently as an upperclassman; Lawler wasn't a huge point producer immediately.

[Hux]

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

Going forward seems like a much bigger concern for Wisconsin. I don't follow the recruiting aspect at all, but next year looks very troubling if they don't have a pretty exceptional incoming class.

Having seen Misses Pankowski and Ryan several times this year, I don't think they will have much trouble scoring at the next level.

[Badger Booster]

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

Having seen Misses Pankowski and Ryan several times this year, I don't think they will have much trouble scoring at the next level.

That's good to hear because currently the Badgers sophomore/freshman forwards (20g, 30a) are being outscored by Hannah Brandt alone (27g, 44a).

[Timothy A]

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

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.

I agree 100%. A few months ago I resorted to reading their tweets/facebook to see what was going on. One of them mentioned crutches on their facebook, I don't recall which one.

The only thing I do not know is are there any reporters connected with UW women's hockey to ask the questions? Baggot really hasn't probed heavily. And I think it's an interesting article waiting to be written, the team coming off an awesome season, poised to do more damage nationally, has been hugely impacted by their not being in the line-up.

[granddaddyscout]

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

Brandt is the second-leading scorer in the country. She's not just some random freshman. Look at the goal scorers on your team: Decker (25), Packer (16), Kelter (15), Sylvester (9). After that it drops to 3. Kelter isn't really a natural goalscorer, so she's doing great to have that many. Decker doesn't have a lot of options of people to make better. Some of them may develop into scorers, but they aren't right now. Blame Decker if you like, but the lack of offense on your roster isn't her fault.

Not sure how many times I can "not blame" Decker. Look at the numbers, Kessel has 43 goals on 153 shots .279, Brandt has 27 goals on 111 shots .243, Menafee has 12 goals on 59 shots .203. Decker, Packer, and Sylvester are at .123, .100, .088 respectivly in shot %. So here is my point, it isn't going to work. Decker has taken 203 shots to score 25 goals. That won't get the job done, if you wat5ch the games the Gophers are getting a lot of tap in goals. The Badgers are far less efficent and most of their goals one being created by individual efforts. The game is a lot easy when you move the puck, Gretzky made a lot of average guys look really good. One last thing, I am not balming Decker for anything. Just making an observation of what it think needs to happen for the Bagdgers to have success.

[Eeyore]

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

One last thing, I am not balming Decker for anything. Just making an observation of what it think needs to happen for the Bagdgers to have success.

Your observation puts the emphasis in the wrong place. I was at one of those games in Duluth ARM mentioned. Decker trying to make more passes to her linemates wasn't going to help that team. What you are suggesting was already tried. The Badger team I saw against the Gophers was more dangerous than the one I watched in Duluth.

What would help Wisconsin is if some of the other players stepped up so that Decker passing more was a valuable strategy.

[twointhebox]

Having seen Misses Pankowski and Ryan several times this year, I don't think they will have much trouble scoring at the next level.

G. A. P PPG. SH PIM. GWG
39 Annie Pankowski 73 94 73 167 22 4 61.0. 21

Pankowski's line from this year at NAHA. Chances are she won't forget where the back of the net is next year.

[granddaddyscout]

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

Your observation puts the emphasis in the wrong place. I was at one of those games in Duluth ARM mentioned. Decker trying to make more passes to her linemates wasn't going to help that team. What you are suggesting was already tried. The Badger team I saw against the Gophers was more dangerous than the one I watched in Duluth.

What would help Wisconsin is if some of the other players stepped up so that Decker passing more was a valuable strategy.

So go ahead and explain how said players step up if they aren't being passsed to. This is hockey not basketball, chew them out for not finishing, spend more time in practice with the youngsers, there are a lot of things I can think of that one could do. I don't understand your suggestion Eeyore, how does it make sense for the superior player to not pass until they step up. Sounds like the Chicken or the egg, maybe you should check with Pooh!

[Eeyore]

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

So go ahead and explain how said players step up if they aren't being passsed to. This is hockey not basketball, chew them out for not finishing, spend more time in practice with the youngsers, there are a lot of things I can think of that one could do. I don't understand your suggestion Eeyore, how does it make sense for the superior player to not pass until they step up. Sounds like the Chicken or the egg, maybe you should check with Pooh!

False dichotomy. It isn't as if Decker never passes.

[Badger Booster]

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

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/w-ho...-W-Hockey.html

Second place is still a possibility. Needless to say, a Badger sweep is necessary and need some help from UMD over North Dakota. Also (as odd as it sounds), a little payback is in order as Bemidji kind of spoiled the party on opening night at LaBahn and then came back the next day and took another point. Points that have proved costly in conference.

Bought playoff tickets yesterday for opening round WCHAs. Even though I'm not thrilled with the on-line purchase fees, credit the UW for holding the line on prices for playoff tickets ($5 adult/$2 student-child-senior).

[NMH]

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

I bought tickets for the Saturday night playoff game and I'll agree I wasn't too thrilled with $6 in fees for $10 of tickets, but it's not as though I have much choice, especially since I'm in Milwaukee and can't just go to a ticket office.

[Timothy A]

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

I bought tickets for the Saturday night playoff game and I'll agree I wasn't too thrilled with $6 in fees for $10 of tickets, but it's not as though I have much choice, especially since I'm in Milwaukee and can't just go to a ticket office.

That fee is horse doo doo. It's all automatic, there's not a lick of labor to pay like a ticket sales person to process it, and if you print them yourself, you save them the printing fees. We can't complain too much though, the tickets are rather reasonably priced. I did order 5, but I have to get 1 more tonight.

[Timothy A]

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

I did email Baggot about McK and Ammerman, but he never answers my emails. Maybe I planted a seed.