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Wisconsin Women's Hockey 2021-2022

Patricio said:
First, I want to thank Timothy A for his welcome. I have followed the forum as a guest and have enjoyed reading the posts – even those only tangentially related to hockey and the Badgers. I primarily am a fan of the women’s team, and my posts will focus on them. What follows is my first post and I want to apologize right now for its length.

As the season has progressed, I (like others) have become increasingly perplexed by the drop-off in the team’s ability to generate a consistent level of play. This is most evident against the other top teams in the WCHA – OSU, MN, and Duluth. All of these teams employ aggressive styles of play that put consistent pressure on the Badgers at both ends of the ice leading to sloppy passes (often telegraphed) that produce extended time to clear their zone and turnovers, as well as wearing down players. Quinnipiac employed a similar style, and I expect to see more of it from playoff opponents. The Badgers have yet to find a way to counter this type of play from higher quality teams, but they need to find a solution, or I fear their quest for another national title will be an abbreviated one.
When Eden and Curl were cut from the Olympics team, I briefly entertained the prospect they might rejoin the team for the second half of the season. I saw the possibility of a 3rd line with them and Woz (or possibly Eden, Wheeler, and Woz) as intriguing, one that could be a true game changer. Line 1 would remain the WOW line, and the second line would have three members with lots of prior experience with each other. Quite a change. Alas, that did not happen, and I never was certain it would have been allowed under NCAA rules or even that Curl and Eden had returned to campus. So, here we are with a second line that is struggling, a third that has only one quality player (Woz), and a 4th that has only 1 member. The first line also has not been consistent lately. What can be done perhaps to turn things around?

I see Woz as very talented and a future star. She skates well, is aggressive, hangs around the crease, has a nice shot. It is unfortunate that Picard got injured so early as it would have been interesting to see what kind of chemistry they would have had. So, given the apparent intractableness of the current situation, my suggestion, admittedly somewhat drastic, is to move Wheeler to the 3rd line with Woz and GS and Schneider to the second line with GS and Pettet. Woz has shown lots of potential, and I would like to try leveraging her talent to boost the offense. Wheeler is similarly aggressive and talented – hence my choice for a new linemate.

Again, my apologies for being so verbose.
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You are welcome.

Not verbose at all! A well thought post that give us lots of insight and points to ponder. I like the idea of Schneider with SS and Pettet. She's kind of a one trick pony with all that speed, but that speed could open things up for the other 2. We saw that pay big dividends (her speed) in the ncaa's last year. I am perplexed why Drake has not supplanted GS on the 3rd line. Her whole career she has been ahead of her on the line charts. The way things are going now, it wound not hurt to give it a try. The season to date does not lie, GS isn't generating much O at all and a 3rd line with some scoring punch is crucial. (and my GS hype from a few years ago was sadly completely off base)

I toyed with the idea of Watts of how Curl, Eden and Buchbinder would totally transform this team's O and D had they jumped into the lineup the 2nd semester, but I'm a long term thinker and I'd rather have them for full season's in the future and run Watts we brung this season and see how it turns out. I think they could have come back at semester but then they'd lose the last semester of their last year, so they'd be off the team at Christmas (someone correct me if I'm wrong on this)

We will learn about the D's strides this weekend. Fighting back to #1 is critical as then they'd have the last change in all the games and they'd be able to manage the D matchups to their liking and cover the lack of depth.

It's a great day for hockey and Let's go RED!!!!
 
Timothy A said:
I like the idea of Schneider with SS and Pettet. She's kind of a one trick pony with all that speed, but that speed could open things up for the other 2. We saw that pay big dividends (her speed) in the ncaa's last year.
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I don't understand being so dismissive of Schneider. It's doubtful that you win the title last year without her. Not only does she have crazy speed, she works hard on both ends. In the latter stages of the 2nd period on Monday night, your top line gets caught deep and gives up a three on two. Your back end breaks it up, and the top line comes back on offense, with none of them looking to change. They lose possession on the rush, they're all caught deep again, and they all decide to change as St. Thomas comes back four on two. It was still a one-goal game at that point, and I'm not used to seeing Badgers so disinterested in defending. Playing D is a pretty neat trick, and Schneider is effective at it. The good news for the Badgers is that SS looks more like herself of late; perhaps she hasn't been fully healthy for much of the year.

Timothy A said:
I toyed with the idea of Watts of how Curl, Eden and Buchbinder would totally transform this team's O and D had they jumped into the lineup the 2nd semester, but I'm a long term thinker and I'd rather have them for full season's in the future and run Watts we brung this season and see how it turns out.
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Now you're getting like SEO bots that just stick a random word here and there to attract search engines, even if it results in nonsensical sentences.
 
ARM said:
Now you're getting like SEO bots that just stick a random word here and there to attract search engines, even if it results in nonsensical sentences.
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Yeah, that bit ran it's course when said player was at bc and the current schtick is likely thinner induced.
 
ARM said:
I don't understand being so dismissive of Schneider. It's doubtful that you win the title last year without her. Not only does she have crazy speed, she works hard on both ends. In the latter stages of the 2nd period on Monday night, your top line gets caught deep and gives up a three on two. Your back end breaks it up, and the top line comes back on offense, with none of them looking to change. They lose possession on the rush, they're all caught deep again, and they all decide to change as St. Thomas comes back four on two. It was still a one-goal game at that point, and I'm not used to seeing Badgers so disinterested in defending. Playing D is a pretty neat trick, and Schneider is effective at it. The good news for the Badgers is that SS looks more like herself of late; perhaps she hasn't been fully healthy for much of the year.

Now you're getting like SEO bots that just stick a random word here and there to attract search engines, even if it results in nonsensical sentences.
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Schneider is a valuable member of the team. She doesn't not create much O other than on the rush and typically it's a drive down the wing and around the net and not a drive at the goal. Take it to the hole.

I troubles me greatly to read UW is just BC'ing it on D.

I don't know Watts you are talking about. I've been doing it all season and now finally it's getting someone's attention??! Haha. I'm never going to stop, though using it incoherently is not intentional, just an oops.
 
Ready for another lengthy one?

I have to admit that I debated moving Shirley to the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] line with her sister and Schneider. SS did perk up a little bit this past weekend, but against lesser opponents; we’ll see if this continues against upper tier competition. I remain puzzled by the drop off in her level of play, but I don’t detect any signs of a physical issue for her. (I am not a physical therapist or trainer so I may be missing something subtle). To me, she seems almost distracted which points to psychological issues or unhappiness. A friend expressed agreement with me but suggested moving her to the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] line might push her into the tank. So, I chose moving Schneider to 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] line and Wheeler to 3[SUP]rd[/SUP].

I also prefer Wheeler on a line with Woz since they are more aggressive, a trait I believe GS has improved in and one that may produce further benefits on a line with 2 other players who work hard and are somewhat physical. Another area which GS shares with Wheeler and Woz is an interest in occupying space in the crease for screens and deflections – something the Badgers generally don’t do enough.

As for Curl and Eden, they received an added year of eligibility due to the NCAA granting an additional year to athletes who played last season. This is why Watts, Pettet, SS, Schneider, Drake, and Blair are playing this year. I believe this leaves Curl with 2 years and Eden with 4. Had they returned for the second half of this season, that would have meant using one of those years for them, but it would have improved the chances of a 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] straight title dramatically. Curl also would have had a chance at a 4[SUP]th[/SUP] (I think a first in women’s history). With the talent coming in the next few years, Eden could have a chance at 5! As for Buchner, best to keep her for a full year next season. With the additions to the offence, our defense would have been more than adequate.

One other topic. With the next two recruiting classes the Badgers project to have a wealth of talent, on offense and defense. If the recruits indeed are as talented as expected, there is the possibility of 4 strong forward lines which could extend for several years. This will raise the issue of sufficient distribution of ice time to avoid or limit forwards from seeking portal transfers to teams offering more playing time. Watts left BC for this reason, as did Grieg and Grant (both of whom would have been nice to have this year) did from the UW after last season. I foresee this becoming a large issue for MJ starting this coming fall. For MJ, this may be a motivational Rubik’s Cube.
 
They got off to a really rough start tonight. Just like last weekend the opponent scored on their first shot on goal so immediately you are playing from behind. In the first 8 minutes they had 4 offsides and 3 icings. They just aren't playing crisp hockey. Of the 45 shots on goal, I don't recall too many high quality opportunities. Shirley was all alone in front of the net and shot it into the goalie's glove. Aside from that lots of shots on goal that were relatively easy saves.

Something just seems to be missing on this team lately. Do they have the fiery leader that can get them going? Not sure they do.
 
Bonzo said:
They got off to a really rough start tonight. Just like last weekend the opponent scored on their first shot on goal so immediately you are playing from behind. In the first 8 minutes they had 4 offsides and 3 icings. They just aren't playing crisp hockey. Of the 45 shots on goal, I don't recall too many high quality opportunities. Shirley was all alone in front of the net and shot it into the goalie's glove. Aside from that lots of shots on goal that were relatively easy saves.

Something just seems to be missing on this team lately. Do they have the fiery leader that can get them going? Not sure they do.
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I was sitting at the far north end of the rink (to be as 'socially distant as possible). I think both shots were third period, but there was one that skipped off the crossbar, and another - pretty amazingly, IMO - missed the crossbar but nicked the top of the goalie's water bottle in the holder at the back of the net. How much of a miss is that off the stick when shot? A millimeter? Less?

Give me a 45 to 16 shot advantage tomorrow, and I'll take my chances on the final score.
 
Not a lot of positives in last night’s loss. Once again, there was lots of sloppy passing. Many were behind players, others to closely guarded teammates making them easy to intercept or deflect. There even were some to spots empty of any discernable player from either team. There also was the continuation of only an occasional (i.e., rare) interest in taking a position in front of the net for screens and deflections. When they had good shot opportunities, they fired high, wide, or directly into the goalie. The typical disparity in shots on goal was not that substantial if one considered the quality of the shots.

On the positive side, I thought SS seemed more engaged and played with more life. I also think Posick played quite well on D. She stayed in proper position and seemed to be the only player who understood passes are to be to teammates and not come as total surprises. Two of her passes were of an impressive variety, and she also made several checks to deprive Duluth of setups on offense. These were nice to see, but far from enough to carry the night.

I doubt tonight’s outcome will differ. Another loss to Duluth likely foretells a similar weekend in Columbus in two weeks. The combined losses probably will mean UW finishes 4[SUP]th[/SUP] in the regular season standings – good enough to get a quarterfinal home series in the WCHA post-season playoff but nothing farther. There also be an increased risk that the Badgers fall out of the top 5 of the pairwise rankings and will have to play an away game to make the NCAA final 4. Both outcomes will be more likely should they lose or tie in next week’s games against MNSt – which is not impossible.

As FiveHoleFrenzy put it, the Badgers are broken. MJ has to come up with something quite different than what he has been doing to wake the team. It was clear last night that the morale of the fans seated around us was shaken. I just hope team morale has not dropped to a level that will add difficulty to any attempts to turn things around.
 
Patricio said:
There also be an increased risk that the Badgers fall out of the top 5 of the pairwise rankings and will have to play an away game to make the NCAA final 4.
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5th place place in the NCAA seedings doesn't get a home game; 5th seed plays at 4th seed. To get a home game, Wisconsin will need to be in the top four.

(I was looking at that some this morning. The comparisons with all the teams immediately below Wisconsin in the Pairwise - Northeastern, Harvard, Yale, Colgate, and even Quinnipiac - all boil down to the comparison of RPI. Whoever has the better RPI at the end wins the comparison. The comparison with Duluth might well come down to tonight's outcome... or maybe the outcome when they play in the WCHA tournament.)
 
I mean Watts restaurant sells a baguette for 18.99 and the Porthouse for 14.99?

The thinner has worn off so I can try to post a few someWatts coherent thoughts in random form.

2 Glaring defensive zone screw ups lead to 2 goals. Usually giving up a couple won't kill you unless you are UW right now.
Posick is listed as the 7th D but I don't recall Helgesen or Toft playing at all. It seemed like a rotating deal 5 between the other 5. They sent Posick out against the superline and she played well. I like her edge.
Drake played quite frequently on the 3rd line, I would say from Watts I saw she got more icetime than GS.
I think Schneider reads the forum. I said all she does is race down the wing and take it around the net....well on her first shift she gets the puck center ice and takes it right to the hole, a really nice play. I think she was the best F UW had last night. Her speed gave UMD problems.
Watts kept missing the net. Someone grazed the crossbar and a few nice tip chances went high and wide. SS had that great partial break but didn't have a lot of space to get a great shot off, but I would call that save a huge save. That being said they really didn't force Chobak to do anything special, she was always in position and under control. She did feed a few rebounds to the backside but alas no UW player was there for the backside rebound goal.
For a lot of the game it seemed like UMD wanted more than UW. The shots don't reflect it, but they wanted the puck more than UW a lot of the game. The first part of the 3rd period UW stepped it up, but they just did not sustain it. There are a few UW F's that for Wattsever reason don't seem to be full motor 100% of the time. I think maybe the 2 time/defending champ title has made a few players a little lazy. I don't know how else to explain it.
 
Patricio said:
One other topic. With the next two recruiting classes the Badgers project to have a wealth of talent, on offense and defense. If the recruits indeed are as talented as expected, there is the possibility of 4 strong forward lines which could extend for several years. This will raise the issue of sufficient distribution of ice time to avoid or limit forwards from seeking portal transfers to teams offering more playing time. Watts left BC for this reason, as did Grieg and Grant (both of whom would have been nice to have this year) did from the UW after last season. I foresee this becoming a large issue for MJ starting this coming fall. For MJ, this may be a motivational Rubik’s Cube.
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Completely agree, though if the 4th line is as good as the 2nd line, he could roll 4 lines and everyone could get playing time.

Greig leaving was curious because she knew UW was short forwards and I would have hoped she'd have enough confidence in herself that she could beat out the Fr F's for ice time. She was basically destined for the 3rd line, who plays a regular shift for MJ. MJ also was complimentary of her in the past, so it seemed like she was on the cusp of major ice time.

Grant was set up nicely to at least be on the 3rd pair and MJ usually runs all 3 pairs when the talent is there.
 
FiveHoleFrenzy said:
Not having seen the game, did the UMD goalie not play as well?
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That's correct, the goalie did not play as well. A couple of the goals seemed to be self-goals: she made the initial save but the puck bounced off of her into the net. I wondered if we were shooting harder, but I'm no expert.
I am wondering why we took our timeout in the second period at a point that didn't seem particularly critical to me. Does anyone have any insight into that?
 
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