Wisconsin Badgers 2020-2021

[robertearle]

Just looking back the last few years...

Emphasis on "few", I would say.

Prior to Blair and Campbell, it was Desbiens, and Rigsby, and with one year in between (IIRC) Jesse Vetter. That is, Blair and Campbell and 'imported' goalies are more the 'exception', albeit the most recent 'mode of operation'.

Now, if you want to argue that being a back-up at Wisconsin is a tough gig, no question about it. How many games did Frankel's back-up get this year?

 

[Sieve1]

Emphasis on "few", I would say.

Prior to Blair and Campbell, it was Desbiens, and Rigsby, and with one year in between (IIRC) Jesse Vetter. That is, Blair and Campbell and 'imported' goalies are more the 'exception', albeit the most recent 'mode of operation'.

Now, if you want to argue that being a back-up at Wisconsin is a tough gig, no question about it. How many games did Frankel's back-up get this year?

Obviously when you have the best goalie in the country she’s playing...but she was also recruited out of SSM by Northeatsern (rumor was she was offered a spot at UW as a third goalie/no starting time, and said no thank you)
funny thing is that if she went to UW she probably wouldn’t have had much chance to play!

 

[robertearle]

Obviously when you have the best goalie in the country she’s playing...but she was also recruited out of SSM by Northeatsern (rumor was she was offered a spot at UW as a third goalie/no starting time, and said no thank you)
funny thing is that if she went to UW she probably wouldn’t have had much chance to play!

Yeah, not buying that one either. If she had been recruited to come to Wisconsin, she would have already accepted by the time Campbell "became available", Campbell might well have NOT come to Madison and Frankel would have had ample opportunity to see the ice.

 

[Sieve1]

Yeah, not buying that one either. If she had been recruited to come to Wisconsin, she would have already accepted by the time Campbell "became available", Campbell might well have NOT come to Madison and Frankel would have had ample opportunity to see the ice.

Sorry for the confusion- what I’ve heard was whole she was at SSM she had an offer from UW as a 3rd goalie and an offer from Northeastern and decided on Northeatsern because she would be the starter after Bugalski graduated. But she ended up taking over the starting job earlier than planned.
Bottom line is free agency has come to women’s hockey and top programs like UW, OSU, UM, etc will continue to bring in transfers to boost the rosters. Players and goalies who thought they would be in the mix for playing time find themselves pushed down the depth chart. Ivies and smaller schools have a hard time competing with the big guns in the free agency market.

 

[Timothy A]

Just looking back the last few years...last 2 starting goalies have been transfers and the goalies that were recruited by UW have been red shirted and never play. Other schools seem to at least rotate a back up in every so often just to keep them involved. Would lead someone to think they don’t develop their recruited goalies, but just take a seasoned transfer as the starter. I could be wrong but not since ARD has UW had a regular starter that they recruited in as a freshman. Would think that Blesi, Crosnish, etc might be eyeing the portal if they want to play.

MJ just does not play back-ups. When a weak opponent was at LaBahn, I always thought why not give Rigs, ARD or Soup the day off? He just doesn't do it. I don't necessarily understand it, but it's his way and the results show for themselves.

In the end I don't think MJ looks at other goalies if he has confidence in the ones he already has. Does that mean that Blesi and Kronish are recruiting misses? From MJ's moves, one can lean in that direction. I sure thought Cece was the heir apparent to ARD. She played well when ARD was hurt her Jr year. But then Blesi flips from OSU to UW and now there's a doubt about Cece's ascendancy. Then Soup comes in and supplants both of them. Blesi looked a little shaky when Soup was injured her Jr year. Kronish shows up, Cece end up getting released from the team (unrelated moves). Then Blair comes in and wins the job. It's been a crazy ride in G for UW, but through it all they haven't missed the Frozen 4 and Soup and Blair have something ARD does not have.

As I said earlier, if Blair is coming back, I would almost expect Blesi to be in the portal.

 

[ARM]

MJ just does not play back-ups.

This hasn't always been true. During his first championship team, three different goalies played a lot, and it wasn't until the NCAA Tournament that he went totally to Vetter. The next season, Vetter and Dufour were in a rotation until the NCAAs. Maybe it is that back then UW had a lot of games where it was just flat out better. Or maybe his philosophy changed. But in 2007, Dufour started the WCHA finale, allowed a single goal, and he was back to Vetter for the tournament. It could be that over time, he has grown to think that the started has earned the right to be in the net just about every day. Can't fault that. But UW has been lucky, in that it hasn't had the No. 1 get injured/ill in the tournament, something that has happened to UM multiple times.

It's like going "all in" when playing poker; it works, until it doesn't.

 

[Timothy A]

This hasn't always been true. During his first championship team, three different goalies played a lot, and it wasn't until the NCAA Tournament that he went totally to Vetter. The next season, Vetter and Dufour were in a rotation until the NCAAs. Maybe it is that back then UW had a lot of games where it was just flat out better. Or maybe his philosophy changed. But in 2007, Dufour started the WCHA finale, allowed a single goal, and he was back to Vetter for the tournament. It could be that over time, he has grown to think that the started has earned the right to be in the net just about every day. Can't fault that. But UW has been lucky, in that it hasn't had the No. 1 get injured/ill in the tournament, something that has happened to UM multiple times.

It's like going "all in" when playing poker; it works, until it doesn't.

I appreciate the history lesson. My time with the program only goes back to Rigsby.

 

[Timothy A]

robertearle, I had the most vivid dream last night that the UW volleyball team won the Naty and I was on this site posting to you congrats. I must be a sick man to dream about the USCHO at night......

 

[robertearle]

robertearle, I had the most vivid dream last night that the UW volleyball team won the Naty and I was on this site posting to you congrats. I must be a sick man to dream about the USCHO at night......

Or you're a prophet! We'll find out by two weeks from Saturday.

 

[Timothy A]

Or you're a prophet! We'll find out by two weeks from Saturday.

We're almost there. Hopefully the ladies can dodge the c19. I see Rice had to bow out of the tourney.

 

[robertearle]

We're almost there. Hopefully the ladies can dodge the c19. I see Rice had to bow out of the tourney.

At least seven of them who play significant time already had it, contracted in the wake of a match vs Michigan State in February; somebody on Michigan State was asymptomatic on the weekend, but became sick by the next Tuesday, and UW players had it two days after that. So they come to the tournament with antibodies already on-board. "Silver lining".

Awful news for Rice. They were rated around #20 and had a real chance of knocking off Penn State into the 'Sweet Sixteen'

 

[ARM]

UW volleyball this season are like a dominant team in Hockey East. The Badgers are obviously very talented, and deservedly ranked #1. But who is the best team that they've played? Purdue w/o Grace Cleveland? Minnesota playing its only match of the season w/o its setter? I get that UW didn't have its setter either, but I'm talking about the quality of the opponent on the other side of the net. Weren't schedule to play OSU. Matches vs PSU and Nebraska were cancelled. Who does that leave? Illinois? Michigan? Maybe they're good enough to overcome it, but if the Badgers don't win it all, it will likely be because they didn't get much of a challenge during the season.

 

[Timothy A]

UW volleyball this season are like a dominant team in Hockey East. The Badgers are obviously very talented, and deservedly ranked #1. But who is the best team that they've played? Purdue w/o Grace Cleveland? Minnesota playing its only match of the season w/o its setter? I get that UW didn't have its setter either, but I'm talking about the quality of the opponent on the other side of the net. Weren't schedule to play OSU. Matches vs PSU and Nebraska were cancelled. Who does that leave? Illinois? Michigan? Maybe they're good enough to overcome it, but if the Badgers don't win it all, it will likely be because they didn't get much of a challenge during the season.

Interesting parallels, though the hair stood up on the back of my neck with the VB team getting compared to BC's hockey team. MJ always says he likes to get tested during the season to lay the building blocks for the post-season (though this year was a bit extreme in that regard). I will await Robert's response on the strength of schedule.

The women's football team is in the B16 title game as well.

All I can say is:

LET'S GO RED!

 

[robertearle]

I will await Robert's response on the strength of schedule.

Year in and year out, UW head coach Kelly Sheffield schedules as tough a non-conference set of matches as he can: in 2019, they played at least four non-conference matches vs team that ended up in the NCAA tournament; in 2018, at least five such matches; etc etc.

NOBODY dislikes the way things played out more than he does.

Six teams Big Ten made it into the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin played three matches against them (and won all three); Nebraska played four (and went 2-2); Minnesota played seven (and went 6-1); Ohio State played six (and went 3-3); Purdue played eight (and went 3-5); Penn State played six (and went 1-5). Everydoy had matches within that group that were cancelled, and I'm sure none of the coaches or teams were happy about it.

The thing that Wisconsin has going for it - and this is not hyperbole - is that their "second string" is good enough to go .500 in the Big Ten on their own.

(as for playing Minnesota when the setter Shaffmaster was missing: on the volleyball web site comparable to this, there are *plenty* of Gopher fans who think Shaffmaster is the Gophers' biggest problem this year, and were OK with seeing a match without her... until they saw the results. The bigger problem that night was they were without their libero, CC McGraw. But that is apparently going to be the case for the rest of the year. Injuries happen, and they happen to everyone.)

 

[ARM]

Kilkelly does some things better than McGraw (receive serve for one), so I don't think her loss has the same impact. But w/o Shaffmaster, UM plays a 6-2, meaning Samedy is on the bench half the time. The point isn't making excuses for the Gophers; they are what they are. It's just that the two best teams UW has seen, Purdue and Minnesota, were far less than they can be when UW say them.

I understand about practicing versus quality. Practice intensity and match intensity... Props to Wisco if they can make it work for them.

 

[robertearle]

Kilkelly does some things better than McGraw (receive serve for one), so I don't think her loss has the same impact. But w/o Shaffmaster, UM plays a 6-2, meaning Samedy is on the bench half the time. The point isn't making excuses for the Gophers; they are what they are. It's just that the two best teams UW has seen, Purdue and Minnesota, were far less than they can be when UW say them.

I understand about practicing versus quality. Practice intensity and match intensity... Props to Wisco if they can make it work for them.

Running a 6-2 doesn't preclude an outside from playing six-rotation; in fact, it is the most common substitution pattern for a 6-2. You sub outside #1 with setter #1 and outside #2 with setter #2 while outside #3 plays six-around. McCutcheon simply chose for some reason to not do that. I double-checked to make sure; for some reason he chose to sub "outside #3" - for our case, Landfair - out for a DS, Wenaas. He could easily have had Landfair and Rollins subbing with the setters and kept Samedy on the court like she usually does. You'd have to ask him why he didn't. I just watched UCLA play this standard 6-2 sub pattern vs BYU last night.

The excuse for Minn cancelling the match three days prior was a combination of COVID for two players (#2 middle Rubright and a bench player, never did hear who) and 'injuries' during that week. Obviously, McCall was one of those; maybe somebody who played wasn't full speed, and that would help explain the choices McCutcheon made.

(That also means he was burning six substitutions per full six position rotation; that means if any set had been a close, swapping sideouts back and forth, he would run the risk of running out of substitutions entirely, and been stuck with one of the setters having to play front row. That's why you play an outside six-around in a 6-2 in the first place; you don't have a setter you're comfortable with playing at the net.)

It is also worth noting that while Samedy generally plays six-around, every once in a while they sub her out for the three back row rotations, to give a breather. They sometimes also go to a 'zero setter' lineup that I can't fully describe; I'm not sure if that is the same time as Samedy getting that rest. (Or is that Nebraska? I forget; but it is odd when whoever does it.)

It was a weird match, with weird lineups on both sides. But If McCutcheon had chosen to have Samedy play six-around, he certainly could have; he more-or-less went out of his way to NOT have her play six-rotation.

 

[ARM]

Shaffmaster was injured for the UW week. Earlier (Illinois?), all the middles other than Pittman were out due to Covid or something else, so that was three people, and Samedy's backup at OP played middle. I think Myers (middle) was the third player out for the UW match. Hugh M has reasons beyond what I can follow for what he does, but that is the way he ran it all last year when Miller was concussed. My point isn't what UM should have or could have done better vs UW, just that what they put on the floor that night isn't indicative of the quality of team UW will have to defeat from the regional finals on.

 

[robertearle]

Earlier (Illinois?), all the middles other than Pittman were out due to Covid or something else, so that was three people, and Samedy's backup at OP played middle.

That was what I didn't and still don't understand. If they were "out due to COVID" they would have to have been out longer than they were. And if there were more than the two (and even if it was just the two) then the whole program should have had to go into the 'cease all program activities for two weeks' protocol with those diagnosed missing 17 days minimum.

Minnesota didn't play vs Michigan Feb 26 and 27, but the announcement said due to COVID in Michigan. Then the next week, their Ohio State series March 5 and 6 was cancelled due to COVID within the Minnesota program. but then Minnesota manages to play the next weekend vs Illinois, with only the #2 middle, Rubright, of the regulars missing. So COVID had them miss OSU one weekend, they managed to play the next weekend, and then four days they couldn't field a team vs Wisconsin? I can't make that timing make sense.

When Wisconsin came out of their "14 day pause", they had had at least seven front row players contract COVID, and on a 'sequential basis'. The next weekend vs Northwestern, it is possible that many if not all seven were going to be unavailable. And the 'front row' might well have been Gregorski, Wolhert and Shanahan (who?). But UW was gonna show up and play. It was Northwestern who cancelled (and it turned out, NOT because of COVID!)

But I left out one most salient point before: I'm so used to thinking about the 5-1 sub pattern (where there are three outsides to 'account for') that I forgot a 6-2 requires an actual "outside #4" (in 5-1, that "outside #4" is the six-rotation setter). And the substitution limit absolutely requires that outside #4 play six-rotation. Adonna Rollins played six-rotation against Wisconsin that day. McCutcheon could have had Samedy do so instead of Rollins. Or he could have had both do so, with Wenaas getting the night off.

 

[Timothy A]

Elite 8. Is nothing less than playing for the Natty a disappointment?

 

[robertearle]

Elite 8. Is nothing less than playing for the Natty a disappointment?

It gets harder from here. I'm trying to take a "que sera, sera" "if it was meant to be, it will be" attitude, because the whole year was so screwed up for everybody. They would be/will be "the favorite" to win whatever match comes, but from here on out, anybody can beat anybody on a given day.

Fingers crossed.