Wisconsin Women's Hockey 2022-2023

[ARM]

I don't want to spend the time searching but I'm sure a BADger poster will know this...When was the last time the BADger women's hockey team lost a game by a margin of 5 goals (or more)?

My quick guess is that you'd have to go back to Johnson's first season as coach. They lost several games to UM and UMD by four goals after that, but the most lopsided loss that he had looks to be early in his first year to the Bulldogs (7-2). Most of the records for worst loss came in the program's first year.

[robertearle]

My quick guess is that you'd have to go back to Johnson's first season as coach. They lost several games to UM and UMD by four goals after that, but the most lopsided loss that he had looks to be early in his first year to the Bulldogs (7-2). Most of the records for worst loss came in the program's first year.

Like most schools (I expect) Wisconsin publishes a "record book" where, among lots of other things, you can find year-by-year and game-by-game results. As Arlen has said, there are a number of 0-4 games; with a quick glance, I didn't see anything worse than that recently (except a 0-9 game against the 2010 National/Olympic team, but that's a game with MJ on the winning side)

Year-by-year starts on page 8.

https://uwbadgers.com/documents/2022...Recordbook.pdf

[pgb-ohio]

LOL!!

Well, I DID watch the games this weekend... and last weekend... and the weekend before.

And you guys are WAY over-reacting.

Yes, they've lost five in a row. Yes, that is very disappointing.

But the five games were against the two teams that played for the national championship last spring, and the team currently in first place in the 'other' best conference in women's hockey.

And today was the only game where they were outplayed. (And BTW, I have watched teams in other years that were as badly outplayed in Columbus that went on to win the national championship.)

They're in a monumental scoring slump. That won't last. They're probably "gripping their sticks" pretty darn tight right now. It is *clearly* the case that MJ knows a whole lot more about what to do about it - and what NOT to do about it - than any of us.

If it were me, I'd tell them to forget about standings and ratings, forget about who they're playing, forget about where they're playing, and "go play". It's a game. And it's a game you've been playing your whole life. And it's a game you play very, very well. So go play. Go have fun.

Something I remind myself and friends and family regularly during baseball season, and it applies here (and is maybe something Buckeye fans could also take note of; I know the Gopher fans around here already understand it): when you're winning, it feels like you're never gonna lose again... but you do. And when you're losing, it feels like you're never gonna win again... but you do.

Very solid take.

The mentality you're calling out infects many sports. I see at least 3 reasons why it's an issue in the Women's WCHA:

1. The other-worldly winning percentage required to win a Regular Season WCHA Title tops the list. One losing slump in the middle of a 6 month season can knock you out of title contention. Heck, needing overtime to win can seriously damage your title hopes, if you do that too often. Historically in Men's D-1 Hockey, sweeping at home and splitting on the road would usually put you in contention. The bar is higher in the Women's WCHA. A lot higher.

2. The 3 schools you mention by name are all serious about Football. In the world of D-1 Football, a single loss has people yelling fire in crowded stadiums. Lose a 2nd game, and the sky is falling. Lose a 3rd, and everyone needs to be fired. But mere firing isn't enough. You need to have an ample supply of tar & feathers ready. Of course this isn't Football, but that mentality creeps in. In Hockey, an undefeated or near-undefeated regular season is an astonishing accomplishment, not a standard of minimum competence.

3. Earn home ice for the WCHA Playoffs, and you've got a legitimate shot at winning the Final Face-Off. Maybe that's not as prestigious as a Regular Season Title. But it's a coveted prize, definitely worth playing for. An NCAA Title is the biggest prize of all. If the Pairwise says you have an inside track for an NCAA bid, you're already having a good year. Of course an excellent year requires more. But angst should not be the response to an NCAA year.


I get that we can say these things until we're blue in the face, and it won't stop the cries of agony & despair. But these points do need to be made from time-to-time. If for no other reason than to keep our fellow fans off bridges & skyscraper ledges.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

The Sinners, with their current losing streak, can take solace in the fact that they didn't lose in OT to a 4th place NEWHA team...

So there is that.

[Timothy A]

Mankato is going to be a tough series. They shockingly swept St. Cloud. If they don't score early it will be interesting to see how it affects them in the head. You can see the frustration get taken out on the opponents and in the body language. Does MJ completely juggle the lines or does he stick with it. Sticking with it shows confidence, juggling may show panic, yet all these players understand changes are part of the game.

I like throwing lines out there.....
LE - OB - SS
Curl - Picard - Woz
Wheeler - Compher - Eden
Enright - Simms - GS

Keep the umbrella PP, just shoot more from the point. Pass Pass Shoot. Rinse and repeat.

[robertearle]

Mankato is going to be a tough series. They shockingly swept St. Cloud. If they don't score early it will be interesting to see how it affects them in the head. You can see the frustration get taken out on the opponents and in the body language. Does MJ completely juggle the lines or does he stick with it. Sticking with it shows confidence, juggling may show panic, yet all these players understand changes are part of the game.

I like throwing lines out there.....
LE - OB - SS
Curl - Picard - Woz
Wheeler - Compher - Eden
Enright - Simms - GS

Keep the umbrella PP, just shoot more from the point. Pass Pass Shoot. Rinse and repeat.

Just to add to your stress and paranoia: On Tuesday, the team did a 'meet and greet' in place of 'skate with the Badgers' - because the ice at whichever park was no good - and there was a team photo taken. On Wednesday they posted photos on their twitter page with the two new UW police horses outside of LaBahn - named Rettke and Vetter - and there was a team photo. And they also posted a time-lapse video of the formal team photo being taken. And somebody is missing in all three; 22 players at the meet and greet, 22 with the horses; and 23 people in uniform for the formal photo, including a guy in the back with a beard. Obviously a stand-in that will be photoshopped later on. And in the two where one can see faces, I don't see Lacey Eden in either. Probably she's just out sick - I've had a cold this week, myself. But will she be ready to go come Saturday? Full speed? That will be the first thing I'm looking at when they hit the ice...

[Patricio]

Mankato is going to be a tough series. They shockingly swept St. Cloud. If they don't score early it will be interesting to see how it affects them in the head. You can see the frustration get taken out on the opponents and in the body language. Does MJ completely juggle the lines or does he stick with it. Sticking with it shows confidence, juggling may show panic, yet all these players understand changes are part of the game.

I like throwing lines out there.....
LE - OB - SS
Curl - Picard - Woz
Wheeler - Compher - Eden
Enright - Simms - GS

Keep the umbrella PP, just shoot more from the point. Pass Pass Shoot. Rinse and repeat.

I agree with Timothy that MNSt may prove difficult this weekend. If they do, it will indicate Bucky still has lots of work to do before they are ready for the final two regular season series and beyond. Like him, a major item wish list is major improvement in the pp so I can return to using PP (right now it fails to merit caps). One of my friends refers to it as BB (Bathroom Breaks and pps has a nice phonetic ring to it) to go to the bathroom. He figures he is unlikely to miss anything. But should the team score a goal, a BB still is warranted since he fears the shock would cause him to **** his pants given how rarely that has happened.

As for any further line changes, I would return the configurations of the top two lines to what they were when the season began: OB-Wheeler-Eden and Compher-Kurl-SS. I thought their skill sets and experience matched well for both of those lines. And they were performing well.

The changes I would prefer would be to move Picard to the line with Simms and Woz and LailaE to the line with GS and Enright. I think Picard’s speed and aggressiveness would fit better with Simms and Woz, and I believe these 3 as a unit would put more pressure on opposing goalies since at least 1 frequently would take up space close to the net. Importantly, it would not always be the same one.

As for the reconfigured Line4, GS historically has not shied away from hanging around or crashing the net. AS I recall, Enright showed some similar inclinations in the U18 championship game, especially on the goal that she scored. LE’s passing skills would complement them well as would her slap shot as a possible source of deflection or rebounds. LE also has a wicked wrist shot that she snaps off quickly and I would like to see her get into position around the circles to use it more to score herself or provide opportunities for deflections or rebounds.

That is my wish list for going forward. But MJ is in change and hopefully has a plan that will right the ship in time to gain admission to the top 11 qualifiers for the NCAA. If the team can make the top 11 and recapture its early season form, they could pull off a surprise. But that will be a very difficult task, one they have to start addressing now.

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Too much talent on the Sinners for them not to turn it around. It just seems like a matter of time to do so, which they currently still have.

[robertearle]

... gain admission to the top 11 qualifiers for the NCAA. If the team can make the top 11 and recapture its early season form, they could pull off a surprise. But that will be a very difficult task, one they have to start addressing now.[/FONT][/FONT]

Yes, 11 teams make the tournament. But two of those 11 spots will go to automatic bids to the winners of the CHA and NEWHA; right now none of the teams in those two conferences are in the top 11 in the Pairwise, so their autobid will go to a team from outside the top 11. That means UW will have to be in the top 9. And the team sitting at #9 during the conference tournaments has to worry about an 'upset winner' in one of the tournaments. Right now Northeastern is the only HE team in the top 11; if, say, Vermont were to knock them off and win the HE autobid, then the team sitting at #9 in the Pairwise gets bumped out of the tournament. So a team needs to shoot for the top 8 to be at all 'comfortable' in getting an at-large NCAA bid. (And right now, #8 is exactly where UW is.)

(Adding: we're big Colgate fans this weekend! :-)

[wiscolorado]

I need to stop waiting until the day beforehand to buy tickets for home games. I knew the Gopher games would sell out, I just waited too long to get tickets. I was a little surprised when the UMD games sold out (albeit pleasantly, because I'm glad the team is drawing good crowds). And I'm surprised again now seeing that both games for this weekend are sold out, especially given the recent cold streak. With no disrespect meant towards MSU, I don't think they are exactly a marquee matchup, at least not compared to the likes of UM and OSU. But I'm glad that folks are buying tickets regardless. As for myself, StubHub is always an option of course, but man I should just really be more on the ball so I don't have to resort to that, lol.

[robertearle]

I need to stop waiting until the day beforehand to buy tickets for home games. I knew the Gopher games would sell out, I just waited too long to get tickets. I was a little surprised when the UMD games sold out (albeit pleasantly, because I'm glad the team is drawing good crowds). And I'm surprised again now seeing that both games for this weekend are sold out, especially given the recent cold streak. With no disrespect meant towards MSU, I don't think they are exactly a marquee matchup, at least not compared to the likes of UM and OSU. But I'm glad that folks are buying tickets regardless. As for myself, StubHub is always an option of course, but man I should just really be more on the ball so I don't have to resort to that, lol.

There are just about always tickets available for free; spares that people aren't using, so they leave them on 'the ledge' or taped to the window, etc. I go in the east entrance (nearer the Kohl Center) and there are tickets there pretty much every game. I'm less certain about the west entrance. Undoubtedly there will be tickets there tomorrow. (I don't know about 'strategy' - more likely early? late?. I usually arrive on the early end of things, when I see them there.)

[wiscolorado]

There are just about always tickets available for free; spares that people aren't using, so they leave them on 'the ledge' or taped to the window, etc. I go in the east entrance (nearer the Kohl Center) and there are tickets there pretty much every game. I'm less certain about the west entrance. Undoubtedly there will be tickets there tomorrow. (I don't know about 'strategy' - more likely early? late?. I usually arrive on the early end of things, when I see them there.)

I have used this strategy in years past. I mentioned this earlier in the thread, but this is my first year back in Madison after being away for a few years. Mobile tickets are much more of a thing these days, so I wonder if the ledge strategy is less reliable now than it was a few years ago. Perhaps I'll take my chances tomorrow - I can show up early enough to look for a ticket and if I strike out, get one off of StubHub.

[Timothy A]

Everyone is healthy. Top 3 lines are adjusted, 4th line is the same.

[Timothy A]

Nice little video about "the save" pre-game. I was there for that one. The roof just about blew off the building.

[Timothy A]

2 great chances for eden....