Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

[Timothy A]

Well, why not just jump right into the season thread, it's not like we'll crack 1000 posts and have to go to volume 2 or anything.

All 3 incoming Fr F have put up very very good numbers internationally. Webster had 23 pts in 22 games, O'Brien 10 pts in 11 and Wheeler 12 in 15. For comparison, Curl had 12 in 19 and SS had 11 in 10. All 3 are also Mauermann sized @ 5-2, 5-3 and 5-4 respectively. Hopefully all 3 have her competitive spirit, fire, no fear and speed. I am interested to know if any of these 3 have played more C or W in the past as I try and formulate lines. I don't know that MJ locks players into certain spots, but returning players who have played C last year that I can recall are Curl, Pettet, Drake and GS.

There is one incoming D, the late pickup Mayson Troft. That gives UW 7 D and on paper her and Kotlowski seem to be in the running for the 6th D spot.

Goaltending Gervais is coming in. She doesn't have any international experience that I can see. For reference Soup had pre UW 1 international game and ARD had 2, so who knows.

Speaking of a different type of C, I wonder who the leadership will be on this team? For some reason Posick, Curl and Drake pop into my head, but in actuality I have no idea who the leaders in the lockeroom are. I'm dartboarding it.

All the stats and prior experience info are from Elite Prospects.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

I wish I could sleep in on Saturday mornings....

Let's throw some paint on the canvas and see Watt is looks like. The top 3 lines are really in no particular order.....

Curl Webster O'Brien
Watts Pettet Greig
GS SS Wheeler
Posick Drake Schneider

Webster and O'Brien have played together a ton over the years and Curl needs a home, so why not? Curl will bring a physical presence to this Mauermann sized pair and she can finish off the feeds.
Watts and Pettet played together the last 3rd of last season. MJ said a lot of nice things about Greig last year, it would be fun to see Watt she can do playing with top end players.
The Shirley Sisters are a natural fit and sticking a high end player like Wheeler with them really gets the juices flowing. GS, like Greig, I think would benefit from playing with top end players. I am dying to see what SS looks like playing center, she's a natural for that spot with her vision, creativity and that unbelievable effortless skating.
Posick Drake and Schneider have 3 years of experience and I don't think there would be a 4th line in the country that is more trustworthy than those 3. Schneider has played further up the charts at times over the years, Drake has been a fixture in the 3/4 line spot and on the PK, and Posick was probably their most improved player last year. Maybe DeVito can crack the code? Posick did last year.
I think we'll see some 4 F PP's again.

[Sieve1]

I wish I could sleep in on Saturday mornings....

Let's throw some paint on the canvas and see Watt is looks like. The top 3 lines are really in no particular order.....

Curl Webster O'Brien
Watts Pettet Greig
GS SS Wheeler
Posick Drake Schneider

Webster and O'Brien have played together a ton over the years and Curl needs a home, so why not? Curl will bring a physical presence to this Mauermann sized pair and she can finish off the feeds.
Watts and Pettet played together the last 3rd of last season. MJ said a lot of nice things about Greig last year, it would be fun to see Watt she can do playing with top end players.
The Shirley Sisters are a natural fit and sticking a high end player like Wheeler with them really gets the juices flowing. GS, like Greig, I think would benefit from playing with top end players. I am dying to see what SS looks like playing center, she's a natural for that spot with her vision, creativity and that unbelievable effortless skating.
Posick Drake and Schneider have 3 years of experience and I don't think there would be a 4th line in the country that is more trustworthy than those 3. Schneider has played further up the charts at times over the years, Drake has been a fixture in the 3/4 line spot and on the PK, and Posick was probably their most improved player last year. Maybe DeVito can crack the code? Posick did last year.
I think we'll see some 4 F PP's again.

Hearing that Canadian u18 goalie Eve Gascon is going to UW...Has that been confirmed anywhere?

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

Hearing that Canadian u18 goalie Eve Gascon is going to UW...Has that been confirmed anywhere?

Could it be another goalie curve ball?!?! Hmmm, Jackie Crum is following her on the Tweeter. That's all I can glean of the interweb right now.

[gwhinwi]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

Hearing that Canadian u18 goalie Eve Gascon is going to UW...Has that been confirmed anywhere?

I see that her Twitter account is following Quinnipiac (and they are following her back.) Hard to judge anything from a Twitter account though.

[ARM]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

Gascon might be planning to go to UW now, but it doesn't look like that was her plan a month ago.

https://www.rds.ca/hockey/hockey-eve...gial-1.7366833

After breaking down barriers in the midget AAA ranks, goalkeeper Ève Gascon does the same at the next stage when she will become the first woman to evolve in the male division 1 at college.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

Gascon might be planning to go to UW now, but it doesn't look like that was her plan a month ago.

https://www.rds.ca/hockey/hockey-eve...gial-1.7366833

Hopefully cooler heads prevail and she stays in the women's game, preferably @ UW and not Q. I like a little intrigue in the off-season.

[mnwis]

Apparently, Kennedy Blair is transferring to Wisconsin

[Bonzo]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

Very interesting and she would have 1 year of eligibility. Put up really good numbers in net at Mercyhurst. Started her career at North Dakota for a year so she was presumably a teammate of Kristen Campbell. Being from Bismarck, ND I'm sure she knows Bismarck native Britta Curl as well.

If true, I'm not sure how I feel about high caliber players transferring in such as Watts and Blair. Soup Campbell was different as UND folded. Keppler was a Madison area native so that was fine too. I hate to get the reputation of taking other team's best players. We recruit well enough without needing the transfers. But I guess this is a sign of the times and if others are willing to do it I guess maybe UW should too and I just need to guess used to it.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

Apparently, Kennedy Blair is transferring to Wisconsin

Watt!?

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

If true, I'm not sure how I feel about high caliber players transferring in such as Watts and Blair. Soup Campbell was different as UND folded. Keppler was a Madison area native so that was fine too. I hate to get the reputation of taking other team's best players. We recruit well enough without needing the transfers. But I guess this is a sign of the times and if others are willing to do it I guess maybe UW should too and I just need to guess used to it.

I used to give the Clarkson people a lot of crap about all the transfers....I don't like it. All your player points are spot on. I don't want free agency in women's college hockey. No way, no how.

[Sieve1]

Apparently, Kennedy Blair is transferring to Wisconsin

Wow, all of a sudden UW has a lot of goalies, again. Is Kronish redshirting? Honestly why any goalie would commit to UW these days is a mystery. Unless the goalie is happy just going to a great school (nothing wrong with that, and it IS about education, after all...)
I’d imagine at least one of their goalies is dressing out in the hallway and probably never travel, much less see the ice in games. I doubt practice goalies get scholarship money. I guess some goalies are ok with that. As long as the coaching staff is honest with them about the situation from the start.

[vicb]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

I used to give the Clarkson people a lot of crap about all the transfers....I don't like it. All your player points are spot on. I don't want free agency in women's college hockey. No way, no how.

So I will be the pot calling the kettle black .

Clarkson and Wisconsin, the hockey transfers prefer.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

Wow, all of a sudden UW has a lot of goalies, again. Is Kronish redshirting? Honestly why any goalie would commit to UW these days is a mystery. Unless the goalie is happy just going to a great school (nothing wrong with that, and it IS about education, after all...)
I’d imagine at least one of their goalies is dressing out in the hallway and probably never travel, much less see the ice in games. I doubt practice goalies get scholarship money. I guess some goalies are ok with that. As long as the coaching staff is honest with them about the situation from the start.

Gascon and Kennedy are unconfirmed at this point. Let's look at what we know...

Blesi played well in 3 of 4 games during Soup's injury, albeit against St. Cloud and Kato. The 4th game was a real clunker though.
Kronish played in 1 game, allowed 2 goals on 9 shots against LIU. Uber small sampling size but not confidence inspiring. Her pre -UW numbers are impressive.
Gervais is a complete unknown with no international experience at all. I have not been able to find pre-UW stats for her at this point, a function of lack of time. I will look at lunch.

Both Gascon and Kennedy seem to have a leg up on the 3 who are signed up based on their past. Kennedy's 18-19 numbers are terrible, but the year before and after are very good. If Gascon is true, she's the future based on what we know now. She is the bridge to Ava McNaughton, who committed when she was 8 LOL.

[Timothy A]

Re: Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

So I will be the pot calling the kettle black .

Clarkson and Wisconsin, the hockey transfers prefer.

MJ has had his share of misses in the last few years. This year's Sr. class forwards - Watts, does not have a dominate offensive player in it. I'm hopefully Greig and/or GS will be dominant in the future after underwhelming Fr years, of course stuck on the 4th line and when Watts came in she pushed nearly everyone down the pecking order. Obviously this year's Fr F have rockstar written all over it.