Wisconsin Women's Hockey 2021-2022

[robertearle]

I really don’t see any need to adjust the schedule of any of the Badger teams this weekend except for men’s hockey. A solution that is not disruptive seems relatively simple.
First, the only required schedule changes are with the men’s hockey team. They seem to have violated adherence to its covid protocols for the second time this season. Since changing its schedule is avoidable, it should be responsible for developing a solution that eliminates any need to change the schedules of the other UW teams and those of their fans. When doing this, the following should be considered:

1. LaBahn has had many games at times when other events were scheduled at the Kohl Center. Usually, they started either earlier or later with sufficient gaps in time between other events to avoid any conflicts. If memory serves me well (which is debatable), there even were a few occasions with slight overlaps, also without any serious issues. After all, LaBahn’ s capacity is less than 15% of that the Center’s. Leave these games as scheduled.
2. The men’s BB game on Saturday is scheduled for TV. No way they are going to do anything that would disrupt a TV game with what is certain to be a capacity crowd. That would be shooting yourself in both feet.
3. The women’s BB game on Sunday is scheduled for 3PM and probably would finish by 5:30 at the latest. Interestingly it was set for 3PM even though the women’s game is scheduled for 1:00PM. The women’s game’s generally last slightly more than 2 hours, so some overlap was not viewed as problem in this case. I’ll leave it to the fans of women’s BB to raise any objections.

So, where does this leave us? I suggest that it requires only the men’s hockey games to be rescheduled. Saturday’s men’s BB game should finish around 3:30. If a men’s hockey game were scheduled at 8:00 or 8:30, there should be time to get the rink ready. The teams could warm up at LaBahn if needed. If the second game were scheduled for Sunday, that also could be an 8:30 start. Some have raised the matter of competition with the Super Bowl, but that could be addressed by scheduling the second game for Monday.

To summarize, let’s limit the number of teams and fans that would be affected by rescheduling by focusing just on men’s hockey. They earned that responsibility.

Basketball finishing at 3:30 PM and hockey starting at 8 is an AWFULLY quick switch-over from one to the other. I don't know that the KC can be converted that quickly. They do it pretty efficiently these days, but that's a really short time frame.

Sunday 1 PM women hockey and 3 PM women basketball allowed for the crowds trying to get into parking lots to be 'staggered'; hockey people are already parked and in LaBahn before basketball people are arriving, then hockey people leaving while basketball is underway. But overnight (?) the women's BB has been changed to also be a 1 PM start. That means something of a traffic jam in the parking lots, but probably also means men's hockey Sunday night, again also on a VERY quick switch-over for the KC (though with a smaller crowd to clear out, maybe not as short as the Saturday switch would have to be.)

Saturday/Sunday 9 PM starts for men's hockey? Sunday/Monday? Sunday/Monday means you only have to do the quick convert from BB to hockey once; Saturday/Sunday means converting three times.

And everyone should keep in mind that you need Notre Dame and Mankato to sign off on all this 'rearranging' (as well as Purdue women BB, though they appear to have already agreed to moving up their game).

And all that assumes the UW men's hockey will have sufficiently 'cleared' whatever COVID problem in time to play on Saturday, or Sunday, etc.

 

[robertearle]

And a minute later, Milewski tweets:

New schedule for this weekend's Wisconsin hockey games:
@BadgerWHockey
vs. Minnesota State, 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday
@BadgerMHockey
vs. Notre Dame, 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday

 

[Timothy A]

Mark Johnson did an interview with Brian Posick where he thanks the senior class. While he doesn't mention them by name in this twitter post it appears 8 senior Badgers are shown in the photo (Posick, Pettit, Kennedy, Schneider, Watts, Bowlby, Nealy and Drake). Since LaMantia and S. Shirley aren't in the photo, one could speculate that they will most likely return.

https://twitter.com/BadgerWHockey/status/1491487059453829123

OH YEAH BABY! They are coming back!

 

[Timothy A]

And a minute later, Milewski tweets:

New schedule for this weekend's Wisconsin hockey games:
@BadgerWHockey
vs. Minnesota State, 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday
@BadgerMHockey
vs. Notre Dame, 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 8 p.m. Sunday

I am well pleased. I hate Sunday afternoon hockey games. Friday night is a lot better.

 

[robertearle]

I am well pleased. I hate Sunday afternoon hockey games. Friday night is a lot better.

Unless, for example, you're travelling from rural Nova Scotia across an international border during a pandemic, and suddenly you have to do so a day earlier than you had planned to.

 

[Timothy A]

Unless, for example, you're travelling from rural Nova Scotia across an international border during a pandemic, and suddenly you have to do so a day earlier than you had planned to.

Yes, that is a big issue since you need a negative test that is only a certain age and having to leave a day early would mean taking the test earlier and have a reduced window to get test results back. They really just should have left everything alone and had the men play Monday/Tuesday. The men are playing Sunday night, they will be lucky to have enough fans to fill LaBahn.

 

[Gargoyle]

I am so sorry for Britta. Fingers crossed that none of the (other) Badger players are infected. I really hate this virus.

 

[Timothy A]

I am so sorry for Britta. Fingers crossed that none of the (other) Badger players are infected. I really hate this virus.

Should we hate the virus or how we've been handling it? Feel free to post on the covid 19 thread if you want to have a friendly discussion and I'll hop on. I'd love to chat about it.

I was listening to Reid Magnum's interview of Coach Crum a few weeks ago talking about the large incoming freshman class and it evolved into a discussion of how do freshman and players in general handle the amount of ice time they get, or maybe lack there of. She basically said they understand that it's all about the team and not necessarily them. Yes that was the coachspeak answer I was not hoping to get, but Watts else is she supposed to say? I have to believe the coaches in general work really hard on managing player expectations and the emotional impact of being the big dog on the HS team, then coming to WI and having to compete against players as good or better than you for a piece of the rodent pie. The big difference now is the transfer portal makes it pretty easy to try and find greener pastures.

Which made me think of.....
Greig is 17g 15a in 29 games for Colgate, their 3rd leading scorer.
Grant is 0g 2a in 26 games for OSU. The 26 games is fourth on the team in terms of games played by a D.
DeVito is 0g 5a in 22 gamed for BU.

Checking the overall stats for scoring I came across a fascinating statistic. WI has 3 of the top 5 goal scorers in the country and no player in the top 10 for assists. That may be a huge reason why scoring is a struggle at times, they really lack a playmaking set-up player with tremendous vision like Roque for instance. Watts and O'B are 11th and Web is 17th. FYI MN as 2, OSU 1 and UMD 2 in the top 10 in assists.

 

[Patricio]

I need some help understanding the move of Sunday’s women’s hockey game to tonight.

Once the UW’s brain trust decided to move the ND series to Saturday and Sunday nights, the change in the women’s BB game on Sunday t0 1:00 was necessary since it takes around 4 hours to flip the playing floor at the KC. They apparently have no concerns about accomplishing this on Saturday despite the 4 o’clock starting time at LaBahn as the men’s BB game likely will end no later than 3:30ish. And there appear to be few concerns about parking conflicts tomorrow. So, no change in the start time for tomorrow’s women game despite it ending 2 hours later than Sunday’s scheduled game. Not a problem since LaBahn is a separate rink dedicated to the women’s team.

However, this scenario begs the question: why the need to move the Sunday hockey game? It was (is) not needed to accommodate the men playing on Saturday and Sunday night. What it does is force Badger MNSt fans to adjust their weekend plans which, for MNSt fans, will include changes to hotel reservations and travel times – not necessarily a pleaser for them.

Not a stellar performance.

 

[robertearle]

I need some help understanding the move of Sunday’s women’s hockey game to tonight.

Once the UW’s brain trust decided to move the ND series to Saturday and Sunday nights, the change in the women’s BB game on Sunday t0 1:00 was necessary since it takes around 4 hours to flip the playing floor at the KC. They apparently have no concerns about accomplishing this on Saturday despite the 4 o’clock starting time at LaBahn as the men’s BB game likely will end no later than 3:30ish. And there appear to be few concerns about parking conflicts tomorrow. So, no change in the start time for tomorrow’s women game despite it ending 2 hours later than Sunday’s scheduled game. Not a problem since LaBahn is a separate rink dedicated to the women’s team.

However, this scenario begs the question: why the need to move the Sunday hockey game? It was (is) not needed to accommodate the men playing on Saturday and Sunday night. What it does is force Badger MNSt fans to adjust their weekend plans which, for MNSt fans, will include changes to hotel reservations and travel times – not necessarily a pleaser for them.

Not a stellar performance.

They don't like - and the city doesn't like - to have something at LaBahn the same time as something in the KC, because of parking and general traffic congestion in the area (which is bad enough on a regular day/weekend). Moving hockey to tonight means only one event fighting for space in Lot 91, etc at 1 PM Sunday.

Moving the game does also has the pretty significant possible negative effect of any friends and family of Badger players travelling here for Senior weekend.

(There were a good number of Mankato fans sitting near me. They should put on their effing masks, and leave 'em on!!)

 

[Gargoyle]

Well, I personally am glad that the men have to play against the Super Bowl and not the women.
I thought I'd let you know that one of the stalwarts of the Crease Creatures is gravely ill in the hospital with heart issues. If inclined, please keep him and his wife in your prayers. The games seem quiet without him, don't they?

 

[ARM]

I thought I'd let you know that one of the stalwarts of the Crease Creatures is gravely ill in the hospital with heart issues. If inclined, please keep him and his wife in your prayers. The games seem quiet without him, don't they?

Prayers for your friend and his family.

 

[Gargoyle]

Prayers for your friend and his family.

He's not actually a friend, just a fellow hockey fan.

 

[robertearle]

Well, I personally am glad that the men have to play against the Super Bowl and not the women.
I thought I'd let you know that one of the stalwarts of the Crease Creatures is gravely ill in the hospital with heart issues. If inclined, please keep him and his wife in your prayers. The games seem quiet without him, don't they?

I noticed how quiet that 'section' has been the last two weekends (particularly when the band plays "The Horse" ).

In my prayers...

 

[Timothy A]

So when we get there at 3 for the game, where are we suppose to park with bb filling all the parking areas? Last weekend the bb game ended just about an hour before the women started we sat in lot 90 by a dumpster and grabbed a spot right away when it opened. The honoring the seniors starts at 340. My daughter can't walk long distances.

 

[robertearle]

So when we get there at 3 for the game, where are we suppose to park with bb filling all the parking areas? Last weekend the bb game ended just about an hour before the women started we sat in lot 90 by a dumpster and grabbed a spot right away when it opened. The honoring the seniors starts at 340. My daughter can't walk long distances.

Call the athletic dept and see how you get permission to drive up to the west entrance to drop her off before you go park in lot 91 or the Fluno Center, or Lake St ramp, or.... (they're all gonna have BB fans already parked in them; it's gonna be a bit of a mess.)

 

[Timothy A]

Well that was a game of beauty and ugliness all wrapped in one. Beauty - The WOW line produced bigtime with some great shots. Great to see them heat up at the right time. Can they stay hot? Ugly - The D play was a dumpster fire in transition. It's easier to say the only player that did not majorly screw up was LaMantia. I'd say Edwards had the next best game. Helgesen was probably 3rd based on minimal playing time. Posick got benched for over a period after having all day to pass the puck to anyone from the high slot, but instead whiffed the puck right to a Kato player inside the UW blueline in the middle of the ice. There I would say her lack of playing D for years showed and she did not instinctually move the puck quickly like she should have and passing up the center like that is a no-no in traffic. If anything just go to the D next to you and let them make the play. Toft got a lot of her minutes and had some scary sequences. I did see Posick back on the ice late in the 3rd period. Kotlowski's been very solid, but she was the main player on the Kato goals, though on goal 1 Bowlby got caught deep and so the the F's, but her play at the blueline set the 3 on 1 up. I can't recall the last time I saw UW give up a 3 on 1 where there was no backchecker anywhere to be found. The on the 2nd goal she played neutral on the 2 on 1, didn't take the shooter or deny the backside pass. And also the team had a lot of bad passes too far behind or in front of people when the time was there to make a quality pass. These are all great film study learning events but it's pretty late in the season to be playing like you haven't played a game in a month. Maybe they lacked focus with all he parents in town and it being Sr. weekend and all. I would have expected this type of game today though, not yesterday.

O'B's parents were sitting across the isle from us. Her Dad said "middle middle middle" about 54 times, I guess that's supposed to be the gameplan, go right up the middle with passes and carries and not around the perimeter. They did not go too crazy when she scored, they acted like they have seen it before, which I think they have. Wink.

Today is going to be an absolute parking nightmare. I can't believe UW would screw this up like they are. There's no way more than a couple hundred people are going to see the departing player get honored with parking being a complete disaster, let alone the start of the game.

 

[Timothy A]

Call the athletic dept and see how you get permission to drive up to the west entrance to drop her off before you go park in lot 91 or the Fluno Center, or Lake St ramp, or.... (they're all gonna have BB fans already parked in them; it's gonna be a bit of a mess.)

I can drop her off close enough, but she also has communication issues and as a uber highly protective parent I just can't let her walk by herself from 91 to the building, swipe the ticket from her phone, get to our seats and have me show up an hour later after I illegally park the car somewhere and worry the whole game it's gonna get towed. She's capable of doing all this (and she would tell me "I can do it"), but she's also capable of tripping on her own in some random spot, falling down and struggling to get up, even if I help her. At this point I'm actually considering not going to the game today.

 

[robertearle]

I can drop her off close enough, but she also has communication issues and as a uber highly protective parent I just can't let her walk by herself from 91 to the building, swipe the ticket from her phone, get to our seats and have me show up an hour later after I illegally park the car somewhere and worry the whole game it's gonna get towed. She's capable of doing all this (and she would tell me "I can do it"), but she's also capable of tripping on her own in some random spot, falling down and struggling to get up, even if I help her. At this point I'm actually considering not going to the game today.

I understand the rest of it remains, but I meant the west side entrance. You turn off of Dayton between Ogg Hall and the new recreational building and drop her off literally ten steps from the door. Most of the time, It's part of the pedestrian mall, but cars are allowed for such drop-off and to get to a couple of VERY limited parking spaces.

 

[robertearle]

Before we turn the page to today's game, it should be noted that yesterday was the THIRD time in the last five games that the first shot-on-goal by the opponent resulted in a goal for the opponent! yesterday, they managed to overcome it, the other two times they did not.

In fact, the score was 1-1 yesterday before either goalie had recorded a save. How often does that happen, anywhere?