After going through summer training and conditioning, finding out that star defenseman Ryan Suter would be leaving and participating in four-man practices over the past few months, the Wisconsin men's hockey team is ready to hit the ice for its first full-team practice Saturday. NCAA rules specify that practices cannot begin before Oct. 2, which leaves the Badgers two weeks to get ready for their season opener against Mercyhurst.
At the top of the agenda for Head Coach Mike Eaves and his coaching staff has to be sifting through the young pack of defensemen in hopes of solidifying a lineup to begin the season.
With six defenseman spots in the lineup and now, with the loss of Suter, only three players with defensive experience returning from last year's team, five young freshmen-Kyle Klubertanz, Davis Drewiske, Josh Engel, Joe Piskula and Jeff Slinde-will be expected to step up right away for UW.
\We lost Suter and he is a great player, but we still have one thing in mind, and that's to win ... I think as a group we can still do that. One guy is not going to win a national championship. It's going to take all of us,"" Klubertanz said.
""The young guys look good right now,"" senior goalie and assistant captain Bernd Br??ckler said. ""But they're going to be put in situations that they haven't been in. They're going to learn. But they are smart kids and they fit in so we're really happy about our freshman class.""
Br??ckler's confidence means a lot considering he is the last one in the line of defense for the Badgers. 'The Awesome Austrian' is the first goalie to take on the role of assistant captain since Kirk Daubenspeck did so in 1996-'97. He was a first team All-American in his last season for the Badgers and set school records with a 2.09 goals against average and a .924 save percentage.
""I think [the freshmen] are confident enough that if they have any questions leading up to the season they can come to me,"" Br??ckler said. ""And in game situations, I think it's just going to help them to know that they can rely on me.""
""It's great to know that he's back there,"" Drewiske said. ""It's a team game defensively so hopefully we can all work together and take care of our own end of the ice.""
While Br??ckler's numbers speak for themselves, no goalie can do all the work by himself and he will need help right away.
""We just have to learn here quick in the upcoming weeks before the season starts,"" Klubertanz said. ""We can't play scared and we can't play nervous. We just have to play with a good head on our shoulders and learn from the older guys.""
""I definitely think we need to take full advantage of every minute we have over the next few weeks,"" Drewiske said. ""It's only a couple weeks away and we're really going to have be ready to go when that comes.""
It is clear that the older players have quickly etched their mentality into the minds of the freshmen.
Since the Badgers lost in the NCAA Regional Final at the end of last season, they have had one thing on their mind--last year was good, but not good enough.
""[Again] coming in we have one thing in mind and that's to win,"" Klubertanz said. ""They had a good season last year, but they didn't go all the way. So we want to go all the way this year.""
Badger fans can get their first look at the team Friday, Oct. 6 in the Red/White Scrimmage with the face-off at 4 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
