Coming off an up-and-down 2011-’12 campaign, the No. 15 Wisconsin men’s hockey team will kick off a new season this weekend in Green Bay against Northern Michigan.
The Badgers return 15 of their 16 top scorers from last year’s team, which came on strong at the end of the year after struggling through the first few months of the season.
“We’ve liked what we've done in practice and we’re working hard,” head coach Mike Eaves said. “We’re starting to get back to those good habits that we had at the end of the year.”
Junior forward Mark Zengerle returns after leading the team in points last season (50), as do senior defenseman John Ramage, the Badgers’ two-time captain and fellow senior forward Derek Lee.
Lee played in just 17 games last year, missing time first with a lacerated right hand and later with a concussion that sidelined him for much of the second half of the season.
Lee is healthy now and eager to see what he can accomplish in his final season at UW.
“I didn't get to play a lot at the end of the year last year with the injuries, and I think as much as it hurt me, it probably helped me,” Lee said. “I got to watch the games and learn a little bit that way. It gets me excited about this year and realize that you can’t really leave anything out there.
This is your last year.”
Returning 15 of 16 top scorers is a welcome sign for any team, but that one missing player was a big one. Defenseman Justin Schultz left Wisconsin for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers this summer in a well-publicized move that left the Badgers without their two-time All-American and Hobey Baker finalist.
To fill the void left by Schultz, the Badgers will rely more on sophomore defenseman Jake McCabe. The Eau Claire, Wis., native gave his team a taste of his vast potential late last season in a playoff series against Denver, and he believes he can build off of that going into this year.
“I have a lot of confidence right now,” McCabe said. “A year of college hockey does wonders for you, it really does. You’ve got to keep building, you can’t be complacent whatsoever. You have to embrace your role.”
This is the second straight year Wisconsin will have started its season off against Northern Michigan, splitting a two-game series with the Wildcats last season.
Northern Michigan lost its top two scorers from a year ago, but it returns every member of a deep defensive unit. Sophomore goaltender Jared Coreau started 23 games for the Wildcats last season, posting an impressive 2.21 goals against average. With an experienced defense and a proven goalie, the Wildcats will be a tough team to score on.
“They’ve got a veteran goaltender coming back, and their whole starting defensive corps is back so they’ll be strong there,” Eaves said. “Their game is going to be started in goal and played out to the blue line first.”
After weeks of workouts and practice, the Badger players feel ready to finally get onto the ice and take on a real opponent.
“We’ve been beating up on each other in practice, and I think we’re excited to go beat up [Northern Michigan] in a game,” McCabe said. “I think we’re going to like the results.”
