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Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

I think the Huskies played well. Wisconsin is not the team of the past four years - how could they be? It would be impossible to immediately replace the seven who are gone.

The Badger goalie played really well too - both games - stopped many good St Cloud scoring chances, so this wasn't a series where the Badgers totally dominated, and "should have won" both games, but didn't only because of Ashley Nixon (who was, incidentally, very good). As a point of comparison, Vetter won A LOT of games for the Badgers over the past few years. I don't see people impugning the value of those wins because Vetter played well, so I don't think saying "Wisconsin was the better team this weekend and lost only because of a hot goalie" is valid. Was Nixon great this weekend? Absolutely. But without a very good effort in the nets by the Badgers, they would have lost two. Both goalies played well.

Is Wisconsin good? - obviously yes, but their talent isn't lights out better. I don't think it would have been that difficult for the Huskies to have won two this past weekend. The fact that the Badgers are splitting a lot of series does not mean that they need a wake-up call, rather it means that the skill gap between teams - Wisconsin and the rest of the pack - has closed. Wisconsin is still very good, but the other teams are catching up fast.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

GumpW said:
I think the Huskies played well. Wisconsin is not the team of the past four years - how could they be? It would be impossible to immediately replace the seven who are gone.

The Badger goalie played really well too - both games - stopped many good St Cloud scoring chances, so this wasn't a series where the Badgers totally dominated, and "should have won" both games, but didn't only because of Ashley Nixon (who was, incidentally, very good). As a point of comparison, Vetter won A LOT of games for the Badgers over the past few years. I don't see people impugning the value of those wins because Vetter played well, so I don't think saying "Wisconsin was the better team this weekend and lost only because of a hot goalie" is valid. Was Nixon great this weekend? Absolutely. But without a very good effort in the nets by the Badgers, they would have lost two. Both goalies played well.

Is Wisconsin good? - obviously yes, but their talent isn't lights out better. I don't think it would have been that difficult for the Huskies to have won two this past weekend. The fact that the Badgers are splitting a lot of series does not mean that they need a wake-up call, rather it means that the skill gap between teams - Wisconsin and the rest of the pack - has closed. Wisconsin is still very good, but the other teams are catching up fast.
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I understand that this edition of the Wisconsin Badgers doesn't have the overall firepower or lock-down goalie like the last four years or so. However, with all apologies to the likes of Robert Morris, Bemidji State, Wayne State, etc, the teams that the Badgers have either lost to or tied have a combined record of 25-47-10. Only Ohio State is within one game of being .500.

To me, it's looks like the Badgers aren't playing up to their potential, especially when their only sweep of the season is against Minnesota. So while I don't expect this team to win 30 games, it's not unreasonable to be frustrated by all these splits to average/below average teams (especially at home).
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Wisconsin will probably have these up and down games until they can get their scoring together. Last year they averaged over 5 goals a game, while giving up 1.25 goals per game. This year they are averaging well less than 3 goals per game while giving up a little more than 2. So, defensively not quite as strong, and even more important, that’s coupled with a big drop offensively.

Standout goalies are obviously very important. But, standout scorers are as important - maybe more so, and I think harder to find. Lots of players work hard, play good defense, scrap and hustle - "give 110%" - but rarely score. The scorers somehow relax and find the open spot when given an opportunity in front of the net; the non-scorers rush and shoot into the goalie's stomach. Lots of shots doesn't necessarily mean lots of good scoring opportunities.

Take the top few scorers from Wisconsin's team last year and put them on almost any WCHA team and that team would suddenly become very strong. Conversely, take them away from the Badgers and they become a much more ordinary team. Some point to the fact that the Badgers beat the Gophers twice as proof that they are really a better team than they’re showing. I'd say that's proof that the Gophers lost some of their key scorers too.

The bottom line is that until the Badgers find a few players who are really scoring consistently they will be susceptible to being beat almost every week. Without several go to scorers Wisconsin is only a little bit better than the others. Ammerman is roughly on pace to duplicate her points from last year, but no one else is really on pace to match or exceed last year – and Ammerman was the fifth leading scorer last year! When Knight and Duggan come back next year, and maybe some of the younger players mature, then Wisconsin will be the team that wins twice every weekend. For this year, I think splits will be more common than not, no matter how much “potential” the team might have.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

GumpW I agree with your commentary.

The Kelter Twins will both be available this weekend in Providence adding two more options to the lineup. I am not sure where they will appear in the lineup.

Not sure what to make out of a road non-conference series vs. a team that has seemingly underperformed in their own right thus far...

Hopefully having Jessie Vetter around Madison this week and Erika Lawler in attendance at the games this weekend will give the girls a spark.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Alev Kelter took quite a few shifts tonight.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Hux said:
Alev Kelter took quite a few shifts tonight.
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As did Brianna Decker. Big shoes for a couple of talented freshman.

I think Alev has been itching to put on her skates and contribute for quite sometime and she came out flying.

The Badgers hit Genevieve Lacasse with 36 shots compared to the 15 seen by Becca Ruegsegger. Both Goals allowed by Ruegsegger during regulation could easily be chalked up to inexperience. She was beat backdoor on the first and the second slipped thru her five hole. For the first time all season it seemed like the defense was working to clear the puck out from the net.

The Badgers also need to stay out of the box as both friar goals were on the power play, the second of which was less than 20 seconds in.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

WHKY blogger said:
confirmation on the four incoming for next fall.

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/w-hockey/spec-rel/112509aae.html

I dont really expect to see anyone else added given we only lose four and get Duggs and Knighter back in addition to the four.
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Small but dominate class! Can't wait to see Rigsby in action, might have to find a Jr Admirals game to attend yet this season.

If next year's team doesn't slaughter the competition, I'll be disappointed.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Great win for the Badgers this afternoon against UMD. Unfortunately, couldn't see the game because I had to, you know, work on a weekday afternoon. According to the stats, it looks like we dominated, at least from a shots-on-goal perspective. Though it took an empty-netter to seal the game.

Curious what others that were actually there have to say.

With wins like this and also the sweep of the Gophers, I refuse to write this season off as a rebuilding year and still hope for big things from this team.

One last crack at the athletic department, it's a shame that games this significant are played in the middle of a weekday. I realize that there are scheduling challenges with the Kohl Center, but the UW would never schedule a home women's basketball game or volleyball game at 2 on a Friday. Coaches Stone and Waite would rightfully ream out the department's administration.

Oh, and was there a band there today? I'd bet big money against it and also for Sunday's game.

Ok, enough ranting for one day...especially after a sweet win against the dreaded Bulldogs.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Badger Booster said:
Great win for the Badgers this afternoon against UMD. Unfortunately, couldn't see the game because I had to, you know, work on a weekday afternoon. According to the stats, it looks like we dominated, at least from a shots-on-goal perspective. Though it took an empty-netter to seal the game.

Curious what others that were actually there have to say.

With wins like this and also the sweep of the Gophers, I refuse to write this season off as a rebuilding year and still hope for big things from this team.

One last crack at the athletic department, it's a shame that games this significant are played in the middle of a weekday. I realize that there are scheduling challenges with the Kohl Center, but the UW would never schedule a home women's basketball game or volleyball game at 2 on a Friday. Coaches Stone and Waite would rightfully ream out the department's administration.

Oh, and was there a band there today? I'd bet big money against it and also for Sunday's game.

Ok, enough ranting for one day...especially after a sweet win against the dreaded Bulldogs.
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There was a fairly decent crowd for being a 2pm game.

There is almost never a band at the Women's games. As long as the band members get to choose what events they perform at it will remain that way. As far as I am concerned I would rather not have a band if its only going to be half a dozen students or so that don't even know the music. The Old people band is even worse and I wish they would never let them play :mad:.

The Big difference between Hockey, Volleyball, and Basketball is Basketball and Volleyball are considered revenue generating sports and hockey is not.

Even if the new rink is ever built they will still be relegated to 3pm games when the men are home...
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Forgot one more thing.

Apparently Malee Windmeier is no longer with the team. She is no longer on the roster and she no longer has a profile on UWBadgers.com.

Not sure what the specifics are but I saw her after the game and her knee was wrapped in ice.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

I've posted some photos from the weekend UMD-Wisco series. Still have more to go through, but won't get the rest up until later in the week. Just use the link below to get to them.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Having not been at the Friday game, I assume UMD played a lot better on Sunday. Pretty much an evenly played game. I thought Wisconsin could hang on after taking the 2-1 lead, but it was not to be.

I have mixed feelings on the shoot-out concept, which of course seems to correlate directly on how the Badgers fare. I understand why they do it, but it kind of seems like a cheap way to earn a point. Maybe even go best-of-5 shooters, not that it probably would have mattered on Sunday. As long as never determines the end of a WCHA/NCAA tournament game, I guess it's OK. Just frustrating that the Badgers only gained a single point after the weekend.

Really liked what I saw from Alev Kelter. Solid on defense and a pretty hard shot from the point. Between her and Prough going back to defense (which I assume will be for the rest of the year), it softens the blow of the loss of Windmeier. So while they go a solid 6-7 deep at D, I'm not sure what would happen with any additional injuries.

I have to respectively disagree with Blogger on the band issue. I guess I've missed the game(s) where the band was disinterested and/or didn't know the songs. Everyone that I've spoken to have always preferred a band (even a small group) versus nothing but the canned music. At least I didn't have to hear the recorded "Power Play" and "Let's Go Red" chant that I had to endure earlier this year. I find it impossible to believe that the upper administration in the athletic department and/or Mike Leckrone couldn't "convince" band members to be there if they thought it was a priority. Clearly, they don't really care one way or another.

Hopefully, the Badgers can go get four points up in Mankato and go into the holiday break on a high note.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Malee is gone? Is Olivia Jakiel still injured? Haven't seen her in a lineup lately. Good lord, if there's another two veterans gone, and they're ranked seventh in the nation, that's an accomplishment.

If the power play can get going, that would take care of most of the problem this year.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

monstersfan said:
Malee is gone? Is Olivia Jakiel still injured? Haven't seen her in a lineup lately. Good lord, if there's another two veterans gone, and they're ranked seventh in the nation, that's an accomplishment.

If the power play can get going, that would take care of most of the problem this year.
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Yep.

As I posted following last Friday's game she is no longer on the roster and she no longer has a profile on UWBadgers.com. Not sure what the specifics are but I saw her after the game and her knee was wrapped in ice. I did not see her at the game Saturday. She last played in the first game in Providence. I believe she was dinged up in the game but it didn't look THAT serious. I dont recall seeing her on crutches or anything after the game.

Jakiel has only played in a few games since she was carted off the ice in Bemidji. She has been dressed for the few practices Ive been at, however last weekend she was sitting in the stands for both games once again.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

About half the roster didn't see action in a game last year, and they're ranked 7th in the nation. If they get the power play and penalty situation addressed, they could go higher. Seems Tracey is doing a heck of a job. Now if Bill Howard would start moonlighting with the goalies...

Is Macready better against softer opponents than Rugsegger?
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

monstersfan said:
About half the roster didn't see action in a game last year, and they're ranked 7th in the nation. If they get the power play and penalty situation addressed, they could go higher. Seems Tracey is doing a heck of a job. Now if Bill Howard would start moonlighting with the goalies...

Is Macready better against softer opponents than Rugsegger?
Click to expand...

Becca is still a freshman and has made more "freshman mistakes" than McCready has made this season. Alanah has shown what she has learned behind Vetter the past three years for the most part and has made some decent stops when they were needed.

I see alot of promise in Becca thus far but she is not quite capable of starting every game yet.

I also sense that she is not 100% as I have seen her in a boot on more than one occasion this season, even on weeks where she started a game later on that week.

I think Tracey is still looking for her "Primary starter" and hopefully as we enter the 2nd half we will all see who as progressed during the break and emerged as the better goalie for the time being..
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

Not a great way to start the 2010 portion of the schedule. Unfortunately, I'm not sure it did the Badgers any favors by playing the US team and taking such a beating. However, I thought they would be more fired up after that and come out on fire this weekend.

It is a real pet peeve that Wisconsin loses players for conference games because of international tournaments. I can't deny that the players want the chance to play for their country, but it directly effects (negatively) the Badgers. Any slim chance of competing for the WCHA title went up in smoke last night. At least the WCHA (on the men's side) now doesn't schedule league games during the World Juniors.

Hopefully, they can regroup and get a split of this series.
 
Re: Wisconsin 2009-2010 Season

They get the win tonight. Think of it this way- the freshmen are getting some very valuable expierience. The WCHA title is nice, but getting into the NCAA tournament is better. Might be real interesting given some of the changes in the ECAC. Could Quinipiac make it into the tournament? Ohio State made it into the top 10 (or 11) as well.
 
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