Wisconsin Women's Hockey 2021-2022

[Timothy A]

Waiting to see which goalie will be spending a 5th year in grad school at UW. You know it’s coming…

I think they like Kronish a lot. That was bigtime game yesterday and she kept them in a spot to win. But you never know. Obviously UW is a goalie destination.

 

[Timothy A]

Go full Muzzinator and poach players like crazy?

I would love to hear his thoughts on it.

 

[Patricio]

In my view, Kronish’s impressive performance against a top tier team in a crucial rivalry series on their home ice this past weekend was an unexpected audition to be next year’s goalie position and it makes talk about seeking a transfer goalie premature. Those 54 saves of 56 shots, which included 3 shoutout periods, also should have earned her a start in goal this Friday. If she continues to perform at the same level, next Saturday and thereafter too until she shows a sharp drop-off. The focus for now should be on building her confidence and preparing her for the remainder of the season (which, depending on its severity, Blair’s injury may necessitate anyway). Ride it out, then decide the need for the future at goalie.

As for options for future goalies, if it is difficult finding good goalies out of the US pipeline, I suggest the Badgers start putting efforts into recruiting in the Scandinavian and other European countries. OhSt and the MN schools have done well attracting very good goalies from these countries for years.

 

[Bonzo]

In the fall of 2023 Ava McNaughton should be on campus as she has orally committed. She is a highly touted goalie who is on the U18 national team. Big goalie at 5”11 from Pittsburgh.

So if the staff has confidence in Kronish, ride her for a year and then turn the reigns over to McNaughton instead of bringing in a transfer. Bringing in a 3rd straight transfer goalie could cause McNaughton to look elsewhere and hurt future goalie recruiting

 

[Timothy A]

In the fall of 2023 Ava McNaughton should be on campus as she has orally committed. She is a highly touted goalie who is on the U18 national team. Big goalie at 5”11 from Pittsburgh.

So if the staff has confidence in Kronish, ride her for a year and then turn the reigns over to McNaughton instead of bringing in a transfer. Bringing in a 3rd straight transfer goalie could cause McNaughton to look elsewhere and hurt future goalie recruiting

Kronish has 2 years left, right? She'll be a Sr next year, plus she gets a covid year, correct? Gervais could also get some playing time also. And so we really know Watts Baker is capable of. They don't bring players in who they don't think can contribute.

I would not rush Blair back this weekend, maybe this injury has been lingering and has affected her for weeks but we did not know it.

Of course the goalie play is a non-point if UW only scores 1 goal a game.

 

[robertearle]

Kronish has 2 years left, right? She'll be a Sr next year, plus she gets a covid year, correct?

Kronish is listed as part of the 2017-18 roster, per her 'bio' page. That would mean before COVID, her "five year clock" would run out at the end of 2021-2022 season. COVID extends that a year, through the 2022-23 season.

But she's also listed as a "redshirt junior", so IF that "redshirt" was a medical hardship, that might extend her an additional year.

But unless we're told that specifically, I assume she's done at the end of 2022-23.

 

[Timothy A]

As for options for future goalies, if it is difficult finding good goalies out of the US pipeline, I suggest the Badgers start putting efforts into recruiting in the Scandinavian and other European countries. OhSt and the MN schools have done well attracting very good goalies from these countries for years.

This is an interesting angle. Since ARD, MJ's recruits @ G have been not panning out, using a transfer for the last 5 years. One has to think once McNaughton gets here will a fixture in goal. I do not have any knowledge of another goalie committed past her last 2 years either. I does not seem likely UW will lose her to the next Olympics either. One has to think in the next couple seasons MJ will be getting some long term commitments from recruits to overlap with McN's last 2 years.

Am I too buzzed up on thinner or could UW lose 2 games this weekend? Only 1 line is scoring, the PP sucks, questions in goal.

 

[ARM]

Am I too buzzed up on thinner or could UW lose 2 games this weekend? Only 1 line is scoring, the PP sucks, questions in goal.

It's the thinner talking. If you were going to list the Bemidji flaws, you could go on for another 3,000 words.

 

[robertearle]

It's the thinner talking. If you were going to list the Bemidji flaws, you could go on for another 3,000 words.

I'm glad it's a three game series...

 

[D2D]

I'm glad it's a three game series...

Looking back to when this format was put into place, how often has a third game been necessary to decide which team moves on?

 

[ARM]

looking back to when this format was put into place, how often has a third game been necessary to decide which team moves on?

2020: 1/3 (bsu @ umd)
2019: 0/3
2018: 1/3 (bsu @ umd)
2017: 2/4 (osu @ umd; bsu @ um)
2016: 0/4
2015: 1/4 (bsu @ umd)
2014: 2/4 (msu @ uw; msu @ umd)
2013: 0/4
2012: 0/4
2011: 1/4 (bsu @ und)
2010: 1/4 (bsu @ scsu)
2009: 1/4 (msu @ scsu)
2008: 1/4 (osu @ scsu)
2007: 1/4 (scsu @ umd)
2006: 0/4

 

[robertearle]

Looking back to when this format was put into place, how often has a third game been necessary to decide which team moves on?

Besides Arlen's post, also worth mentioning 2010 (an Olympic year, btw) when #5 Ohio State beat #4 Wisconsin two straight games, both overtime games. Natalie Spooner hat-trick one of the nights.

(Maybe also worth noting that the year it took Wisconsin three games to beat Mankato was 2014, an Olympic year.)

 

[Patricio]

A few comments on the Badger’s goalie situation.

• Kronish did not see any playing time her first year which qualifies for a standard red shirt. She also qualifies for an added covid year. This means (I believe) that she retains 2 more years of eligibility at the end of this season extending through the 23-24 season.
• Gervais did not see any playing time in her first year either which qualifies her for a standard red shirt too. This leaves her with 3 more years of eligibility through 24-25.
• Next year’s recruit, Chloe Baker, will have 4 years of eligibility which will extend through 25-26 (a year longer if she were to red shirt).
• McNaughton’s eligibility will last until at least the 26-27 season.

Finding sufficient playing time for all 4 of these goalies will be challenging. So, it will be interesting to see how they and MJ handle this situation. It is conceivable that one goalie or more could address it via a transfer. Or, since continued training would be demanding, anyone with insufficient playing time could decide 4 years is enough and to move on with her career plans. However this plays out, hopefully the outcome will be favorable for everyone.

As for this weekend, Bemidji did take the Badgers to a SO following a 0-0 tie through OT and its prior history in this round indicates 3 games is a possibility. Thus, if the toll on eligible forwards from injuries remains unchanged, moving on to the WCHA Playoff semis may prove more difficult than one would like. However, if we make it to these semis and the injury situation remains unchanged, the outcome likely will be unpleasant since we probably would play MN or OhSt and recent history suggests the outcome either way. This, in turn could impact our NCAA seeding negatively as well.
As for the NCAA, MN and OhSt seem locked in as the top 2 seeds. Were we able to get to those semis, once again we would have to play MN or OhSt. That familiar scenario redux.

By chance, has anyone heard anything about the severity of the injuries?

 

[robertearle]

A few comments on the Badger’s goalie situation.

• Kronish did not see any playing time her first year which qualifies for a standard red shirt. She also qualifies for an added covid year. This means (I believe) that she retains 2 more years of eligibility at the end of this season extending through the 23-24 season.
• Gervais did not see any playing time in her first year either which qualifies her for a standard red shirt too. This leaves her with 3 more years of eligibility through 24-25.
• Next year’s recruit, Chloe Baker, will have 4 years of eligibility which will extend through 25-26 (a year longer if she were to red shirt).
• McNaughton’s eligibility will last until at least the 26-27 season.

Finding sufficient playing time for all 4 of these goalies will be challenging. So, it will be interesting to see how they and MJ handle this situation. It is conceivable that one goalie or more could address it via a transfer. Or, since continued training would be demanding, anyone with insufficient playing time could decide 4 years is enough and to move on with her career plans. However this plays out, hopefully the outcome will be favorable for everyone.

Kronish - I'm not at all sure that one can declare a redshirt year retroactively. Medical hardship year, yes. But I think you have to 'put on' the redshirt at the start of the year. No idea whether she did so, but that isn't the issue with her. She was on the roster in 2017-2018, Clearly, that means she was enrolled in school. And that means her "five year clock" started with the 2017-2018 year. Under normal circumstances, that would mean her clock runs out this year, regardless of any redshirt years. COVID extends the clock by one year. So again, regardless of any redshirt years, her "clock" runs out at the end of the 2023 season. The only way it could be or have been extended beyond that is a 'medical hardship' year, and I'm not aware of any year lost to season-ending injury.

Gervais - She is listed as being a "redshirt freshman" this year, "Did not see game action" in 2020-2021. Now this is an interesting description. 2020-2021 was the COVID year; it didn't count against eligibility or the five year clock. But ONLY for those athletes who participated during 2020-2021 (see the sad tale of Kendra Nealey). So either way, she has four years of eligibility remaining. But does she have four years or five years during which to use them? Did she "participate" during 2020-2021 by wearing a redshirt, meaning she still has five years on her clock? Or did she 'sit out' the COVID year, and so not benefit from the extension on her clock? I have no idea.

 

[Timothy A]

Some heartwarming comments from the Star Tribune's All Metro team:

Jungels: "The Hornets’ career leader in points among defenders has added 16 goals and 30 assists this season. Those stats overshadow her defensive play, which is every bit as impressive. She is the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year."

Enright: "Pumped 54 goals into the Cougars’ offense this season. Threat to score on every shift."

I'm not going to fall into the Webster trap and go all gonzo about them being dominant players as Fr. It will be a fun trip next season to see how they acclimate to the college game getting a lot of minutes. Jungels and Harvey will have lots of opportunity to energize the woeful PP. I'd love to see both on the same pp unit. We're looking at a 40% conversion rate, right?

Another interesting recruiting note is Chris Dilks has Simms on a watch list to make the next Olympic team. He said she has "electric skill".

I don't think UW is going to lose a game next season! Maybe not until the next Olympic cycle. Now the question is can UW hack their way to their 3rd title in a row this season?

 

[ARM]

I don't think UW is going to lose a game next season!

Possible. I'm too lazy to scroll back that far -- were you predicting that they'd go undefeated this season as November wound down?

 

[Patricio]

If I have everyone’s eligibility correct, the roster for next year with the 2 new D recruits and holdovers makes for an interesting picture. To whit:

• Buchbinder returns for her final year.
• LaMantia plays her final year.
• Edwards will have 2 years left (added covid year).
• Kotlowski will have 3 years left (RS as freshman then added covid year).
• Harvey - 4 years (will be first year).
• Jungels – 4 years (will be first year).
• Toft – 3 years (added covid year which was first year).
• Helgesen – (3 years).

The losses of Buchbinder and LaMantia will create 2 openings for 23-24. At the moment, I believe Lanny Potter is the only D recruit for 23-24 which will mean 3 candidates for the open spots for that year – if there are no portal transfers. All of this suggests Toft and Helgesen are unlikely to be starters, though after this year’s experience with injuries, it would pay to retain at least one (if not both). Alternatively, one or both could address this matter via the portal.

However this turns out, it looks like next year has an excellent chance of being one of riches on D as well as O compared to the turmoil of this one.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Possible. I'm too lazy to scroll back that far -- were you predicting that they'd go undefeated this season as November wound down?

Nice passive agressive question...lol.

In all seriousness (well at least mostly serious), the sinners are going to be more loaded than Timothy A next year.

 

[Timothy A]

Nice passive agressive question...lol.

In all seriousness (well at least mostly serious), the sinners are going to be more loaded than Timothy A next year.

More loaded than me now anyway. The gals struggling and the men's team being embarrassingly bad has Menards struggling to keep up with my needs.

 

[D2D]

More loaded than me now anyway. The gals struggling and the men's team being embarrassingly bad has Menards struggling to keep up with my needs.

To me it was a major shock to see how your women struggled the last third (or so) of the season. Certainly not over by a long shot, as I firmly believe - but not hoped for - your team can put it all together and go far into the post-season. I still believe the talent is there to put a late season string together.
Should that happen, I'll have to check out the specials at Menards myself!