The Old Abes had opportunities to pad their lead in the third period, but couldn't seem to figure out Superior goalie Kyle Johnson.
But the disappearance of their finishing touch seemed to matter little.
Memorial's lone goal of the third was an empty net tally and the Old Abes set a record that means more to them than the rest of the records they’ve broken this year combined, becoming the first team in school history to make it to the WIAA boys state hockey tournament final by virtue of their 4-1 win over Superior on Friday night at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
Memorial grabbed its second win over Superior this season – and fourth straight—to advance to play Madison Edgewood in the state final today at approximately 2:30 p.m.
A little more than a day removed for its first goalless game of the season, Memorial’s top line responded with authority, scoring the first two goals of the game to help lead the Memorial offense that peppered Superior goalie Kyle Johnson with 36shots in the game.
The Spartans capitalized on a power play opportunity, tying the game at 2-2.
Noah Gilbertson took a pass from Tim Smith and sent a slap shot past Sand to tie the game.
Shayne McLaughlin put the Old Abes on top when he poked a Jefferson Dahl rebound past Superior's Kyle Johnson to regain one-goal advantage for the Old Abes.
McLaughlin broke into the offensive zone and threw a shot on net that sailed wide and bounced to a waiting Jefferson Dahl at the right side of the net. Dahl tried to sneak a shot past Johnson, who made the save but allowed the rebound to go right to McLaughlin for the 2-1 advantage.
A first-period penalty hurt the Old Abes when Pat Dalbec finished a 3-on-2 breakaway for the equalizer.
After Mike Miettenun was stopped on a breakaway opportunity, Dalbec got the puck back and skated in between the circles to power the goal past Memorial's Brady Sand.
It didn't take long for the Memorial offense to get into the swing of things. Just 38seconds into the contest, Jefferson Dahl scored his first goal of the tournament, tipping in a Ben Kincaid shot from the blue-line to take the early advantage.
Dahl set up the play by digging the puck out of the corner to the left of Superior netminder Kyle Johnson, sending a pass to Kincaid and then breaking to the net to tip in the tally.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Old Abes lead/Second intermission thoughts
The Memorial defensemen just keep on firing from blue line and their forwards just keep tipping them in. This time it David Donnellan who let loose a shot from just inside the blue line that was tipped by Ryan Falch to give Memorial a 3-2 advantage with just 35.9 seconds remaining in the second.
Memorial now takes a one-goal advantage into the final period with just 17 minutes standing between it and its first-ever state title appearance.
Some more thoughts:
The penalties continue to be a problem for ECM as both of Superior's goals have come on the powerplay. All three of Memorial's goals allowed in the state tournament have come on the power play, the exact same number that they allowed in 23 previous games this season.
Memorial is starting to put a little more pressure on Superior goalie Kyle Johnson, firing 15 shots at the senior netminder this period -- giving them a two-period shot total of 23 to Superior's 17.
-- Adam Parks
Memorial now takes a one-goal advantage into the final period with just 17 minutes standing between it and its first-ever state title appearance.
Some more thoughts:
The penalties continue to be a problem for ECM as both of Superior's goals have come on the powerplay. All three of Memorial's goals allowed in the state tournament have come on the power play, the exact same number that they allowed in 23 previous games this season.
Memorial is starting to put a little more pressure on Superior goalie Kyle Johnson, firing 15 shots at the senior netminder this period -- giving them a two-period shot total of 23 to Superior's 17.
-- Adam Parks
Sup ties it...again
No sooner do I stop writing than do the Spartans capitalize on the power play opportunity, tying the game at 2-2.
Noah Gilbertson took a pass from Tim Smith (who is currently doing penance for a hooking infraction), and sent a slap shot past Sand for to tie the game.
Let's see if Memorial can repay the favor on the power play, just its second opportunity of the game.
-- Adam Parks
Noah Gilbertson took a pass from Tim Smith (who is currently doing penance for a hooking infraction), and sent a slap shot past Sand for to tie the game.
Let's see if Memorial can repay the favor on the power play, just its second opportunity of the game.
-- Adam Parks
Memorial back on top
Shayne McLaughlin put the Old Abes back on top when he poked a Jefferson Dahl rebound past Superior's Kyle Johnson to regain one-goal advantage for the Old Abes.
McLaughlin broke into the offensive zone and threw a shot on net that sailed wide and bounced to a waiting Jefferson Dahl at the right side of the net. Dahl tried to sneak a shot past Johnson, who made the save but allowed the rebound to go right to McLaughlin for the score.
Similar to the last Memorial goal they committed a penalty soon after and are currently on the penalty kill.
-- Adam Parks
McLaughlin broke into the offensive zone and threw a shot on net that sailed wide and bounced to a waiting Jefferson Dahl at the right side of the net. Dahl tried to sneak a shot past Johnson, who made the save but allowed the rebound to go right to McLaughlin for the score.
Similar to the last Memorial goal they committed a penalty soon after and are currently on the penalty kill.
-- Adam Parks
First Intermission
After a period of action there aren't a whole lot of surprises as the two squads battled to a 1-1 tie after the first 17 minutes.
The action remained back and forth with neither team dominating in the offensive zone as evidenced by the shots on goal totals (Memorial 8, Superior 7).
Penalties were a major point of emphasis for the Old Abes after yesterday's 3-1 victory over Janesville and they came back to haunt them again today as the lone Superior goal came on the power play.
Memorial coach Mike Schwengler made a much more concerted effort to get in his third and fourth lines tonight in the first period. By unofficial count I saw the third line of Curtis Deprey, Connor Moe and Alec Budzinski in for at least two shifts and the fourth line of Lukas Campbell, Will Fadness and Will Robertson once. Part of this strategy is due in part to Superior's use of three lines for a good portion of the period, while he may also be hoping to wear down a Superior team that went into overtime last night and is playing on less than 24 hours of rest.
It was good to see the top line get into the scoring early after being held without a goal last night while Ben Kincaid continues to be the most dangerous offensive weapon from the blue line in the playoffs by notching an assist tonight to go along with yesterday's tally.
-- Adam Parks
The action remained back and forth with neither team dominating in the offensive zone as evidenced by the shots on goal totals (Memorial 8, Superior 7).
Penalties were a major point of emphasis for the Old Abes after yesterday's 3-1 victory over Janesville and they came back to haunt them again today as the lone Superior goal came on the power play.
Memorial coach Mike Schwengler made a much more concerted effort to get in his third and fourth lines tonight in the first period. By unofficial count I saw the third line of Curtis Deprey, Connor Moe and Alec Budzinski in for at least two shifts and the fourth line of Lukas Campbell, Will Fadness and Will Robertson once. Part of this strategy is due in part to Superior's use of three lines for a good portion of the period, while he may also be hoping to wear down a Superior team that went into overtime last night and is playing on less than 24 hours of rest.
It was good to see the top line get into the scoring early after being held without a goal last night while Ben Kincaid continues to be the most dangerous offensive weapon from the blue line in the playoffs by notching an assist tonight to go along with yesterday's tally.
-- Adam Parks
Sup ties it up
A first-period penalty hurt the Old Abes when Pat Dalbec finished a 3-on-2 breakaway for the equalizer.
After Mike Miettenun was stopped on a breakaway opportunity, Dalbec got the puck back and skated in between the circles to power the goal past Memorial's Brady Sand.
-- Adam Parks
After Mike Miettenun was stopped on a breakaway opportunity, Dalbec got the puck back and skated in between the circles to power the goal past Memorial's Brady Sand.
-- Adam Parks
Old Abes lead
It didn't take long for the Memorial offense to get into the swing of things. Just 38 seconds into the contest, Jefferson Dahl scored his first goal of the tournament, tipping in a Ben Kincaid shot from the blue-line to take the early advantage.
Dahl set up the play by digging the puck out of the corner to the left of Superior netminder Kyle Johnson, sending a pass to Kincaid and then breaking to the net to tip in the tally.
Memorial has also killed a penalty since the early tally.
-- Adam Parks
Dahl set up the play by digging the puck out of the corner to the left of Superior netminder Kyle Johnson, sending a pass to Kincaid and then breaking to the net to tip in the tally.
Memorial has also killed a penalty since the early tally.
-- Adam Parks
Old Abes on tap
Well folks, after a quick bite to eat with WQOW-TV 18 sports director Bob Bradovich and his lovely fiance, it's back to hockey here at the Alliant Energy Center where the Eau Claire Memorial Old Abes prepare to take on the Superior Spartans in the second WIAA boys hockey state semifinal.
Memorial already owns a 6-5 victory over Superior this season. Brady Sand struggled in that game, making only four saves on eight shots in the first before being pulled in favor of Aarin McLaughlin who let in only one goal the rest of the way. Sand would love to redeem himself today.
Superior needed an extra frame yesterday, but pulled off the 6-5 win over University School of Milwaukee to advance. John LeDoux scored the overtime power-play tally, his second of the game, to power the Spartans.
The winner will advance to play Madison Edgewood in tomorrow's state title game at approximately 2:30 (though probably later, let's be honest here...the trophy presentation for the girls game prior to the boys game will take longer than expected. And unlike the Oscars, there's no music to push people off the stage.)
We're about 15 minutes from game time right now but be sure to check back later for live updates of all the scoring and a few insights as well.
--Adam Parks
Memorial already owns a 6-5 victory over Superior this season. Brady Sand struggled in that game, making only four saves on eight shots in the first before being pulled in favor of Aarin McLaughlin who let in only one goal the rest of the way. Sand would love to redeem himself today.
Superior needed an extra frame yesterday, but pulled off the 6-5 win over University School of Milwaukee to advance. John LeDoux scored the overtime power-play tally, his second of the game, to power the Spartans.
The winner will advance to play Madison Edgewood in tomorrow's state title game at approximately 2:30 (though probably later, let's be honest here...the trophy presentation for the girls game prior to the boys game will take longer than expected. And unlike the Oscars, there's no music to push people off the stage.)
We're about 15 minutes from game time right now but be sure to check back later for live updates of all the scoring and a few insights as well.
--Adam Parks
Chi Hi falls
Jess Lakin won the faceoff and sent a shot past Kiara McChesney to win the game for Fond du Lac. The power play tally came with just more than a minute to play in overtime.
-- Adam Parks
-- Adam Parks
Tied up and going to OT
Allie Tanzer knocked home a backside rebound to knot the game up for CF at 2-2.
The Warbirds responded with two penalties that put them at a 5-on-3 disadvantage but a bunch of spectacular saves by Fond du Lac's Samantha Lakin kept the Warbirds in it to force overtime.
Let's just hope we don't see another 6 OT game like the Wisconsin Rapids/Middleton affair from two years ago. I sat through that game--and sitting through a game that long once was more than enough for this sports writer.
-- Adam Parks
The Warbirds responded with two penalties that put them at a 5-on-3 disadvantage but a bunch of spectacular saves by Fond du Lac's Samantha Lakin kept the Warbirds in it to force overtime.
Let's just hope we don't see another 6 OT game like the Wisconsin Rapids/Middleton affair from two years ago. I sat through that game--and sitting through a game that long once was more than enough for this sports writer.
-- Adam Parks
Warbirds take the lead
The goals are coming in bunches for Fond du Lac/Waupun, taking the lead on an Amy Knutson goal just 2 minutes, 2 seconds following the equalizing tally.
With a faceoff in the right circle, Knutson took the puck across the face of Kiara McChesney and beat the junior for the goal.
-- Adam Parks
With a faceoff in the right circle, Knutson took the puck across the face of Kiara McChesney and beat the junior for the goal.
-- Adam Parks
Warbirds knot it up
Penalties finally hurt the Cardinals when Fond du Lac's Katie Lindsley beat the Cards Kiara McChesney on the power play to tie the game up at one apiece.
With Mikayla Hogan in th box. Lindsley took a pass from Megan Sesing-Gomoll, skated in a circle before throwing a shot on net from the top of the right circle that found the upper left corner of the net.
-- Adam Parks
With Mikayla Hogan in th box. Lindsley took a pass from Megan Sesing-Gomoll, skated in a circle before throwing a shot on net from the top of the right circle that found the upper left corner of the net.
-- Adam Parks
Chippewa Falls leads
Mikayla Hogan scored the first tally of the game 4 minutes, 4 seconds into the second when she poked the puck past the Fond du Lac defense, had a one-on-one with Samantha Lakin and beat the Warbirds senior high for the unassisted goal.
-- Adam Parks
-- Adam Parks
First Intermision
Well, it looked like the Cardinals were finally going to a take a lead with 1 minute, 56 seconds remaining when Rebecca Foster appeared to poke a wraparound backhand past the Warbirds Samantha Lakin in the the first period, but the goal was disallowed as a penalty was called on CF's Sam Phephles instead. I'm sure the Cards are none too happy about it either.
In other news:
-- Chippewa Falls dominated its only power play opportunity of the period, getting a handful of good shots on Lakin, but couldn't quite get the puck bast the senior netminder.
-- The same couldn't be said for Fondy, who struggled during its lone power play opportunity. Allie Tanzer nearly broke loose on a breakaway during the span and Mikayla Hogan skated in circles to eat up a good chunk of the time as well. There is four seconds remaining on that power play for Fondy.
-- Shots were pretty even through 17 minutes, with the Cards managing 12 and Fondy getting 11 with neither goalie breaking.
-- Fond du Lac seemed to do a fairly good job of keeping up with the Cards in the first period, which shouldn't come as a surprise. The Warbirds were tied with the Cards 2-2 in the first meeting after two periods. From the looks of things, it could come down to the third period again.
-- Adam Parks
In other news:
-- Chippewa Falls dominated its only power play opportunity of the period, getting a handful of good shots on Lakin, but couldn't quite get the puck bast the senior netminder.
-- The same couldn't be said for Fondy, who struggled during its lone power play opportunity. Allie Tanzer nearly broke loose on a breakaway during the span and Mikayla Hogan skated in circles to eat up a good chunk of the time as well. There is four seconds remaining on that power play for Fondy.
-- Shots were pretty even through 17 minutes, with the Cards managing 12 and Fondy getting 11 with neither goalie breaking.
-- Fond du Lac seemed to do a fairly good job of keeping up with the Cards in the first period, which shouldn't come as a surprise. The Warbirds were tied with the Cards 2-2 in the first meeting after two periods. From the looks of things, it could come down to the third period again.
-- Adam Parks
Line Notes
Just a quick observation on the Fondy lines. Coach Mike Cowan opened up the game with his top three scorers-Amy Knutson, Katie Fritz and Lindsey Farmer - as his second line, matching them up with CF's second line. Not sure if this is the Fondy's usual line setup, or if Cowan is trying to keep his top line away from CF's top line but it'll be something to keep an eye on throughout the game.
--Adam Parks
--Adam Parks
Back at the WIAA state hockey tournament
Well folks we're back bright and early this morning. The parking lot here at the Alliant Energy Center closely resembles the sheet of ice inside -- something I found out the hard way. Guess I should have brought some skates.
We're about five minutes from the day's first girls semifinal of the day between the Chippewa Falls Cardinals and the Fond du Lac/Waupun Warbirds. The Chippewa Falls band is getting the fans warmed up with some old favorites as the teams take the ice (I, on the other hand, and enjoying some Caroline's Spine on my headphones--but I digress.)
A few quick hitters before we get this party started:
-- Chippewa Falls is looking to make it to the state final for the second consecutive season. They lost last year to Appleton United (who isn't in the tournament this year) 4-2.
-- The Cardinals won the only matchup between the two teams this season 5-2.
-- Mikayla Hogan shattered the girls scoring records last year -- scoring six goals and seven points in one game.
And now, without further adieu...let's play hockey.
-- Adam Parks
We're about five minutes from the day's first girls semifinal of the day between the Chippewa Falls Cardinals and the Fond du Lac/Waupun Warbirds. The Chippewa Falls band is getting the fans warmed up with some old favorites as the teams take the ice (I, on the other hand, and enjoying some Caroline's Spine on my headphones--but I digress.)
A few quick hitters before we get this party started:
-- Chippewa Falls is looking to make it to the state final for the second consecutive season. They lost last year to Appleton United (who isn't in the tournament this year) 4-2.
-- The Cardinals won the only matchup between the two teams this season 5-2.
-- Mikayla Hogan shattered the girls scoring records last year -- scoring six goals and seven points in one game.
And now, without further adieu...let's play hockey.
-- Adam Parks
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Old Abes win
It was far from the dominating performance the Old Abes have had all season, but they held on for the 3-1 victory to advance to the state semifinal against either Superior or University School tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Nate Verbracken put the game out of reach with a one-timer that slipped past Janesville's David Jacobson with just 46.3 seconds remaining.
The Old Abes battled through eight penalties -- allowing just one power play goal to advance to the semifinal for the second consecutive year.
I'm heading down to talk with coach Schwengler and the boys but be sure to check back later for some more observations from the Alliant Energy Center. Also be sure to check out tomorrow's Leader-Telegram for an in-depth look at the Old Abes victory.
-- Adam Parks
Nate Verbracken put the game out of reach with a one-timer that slipped past Janesville's David Jacobson with just 46.3 seconds remaining.
The Old Abes battled through eight penalties -- allowing just one power play goal to advance to the semifinal for the second consecutive year.
I'm heading down to talk with coach Schwengler and the boys but be sure to check back later for some more observations from the Alliant Energy Center. Also be sure to check out tomorrow's Leader-Telegram for an in-depth look at the Old Abes victory.
-- Adam Parks
Janesville makes it a game
The Bluebirds aren't going away quietly, as leading scorer Ross Mauerman notched a power play goal to bring Janesville back within one. Memorial is holding on to the slim 2-1 lead but there's just four minutes remaining in the contest.
-- Adam Parks
-- Adam Parks
Abes pad lead
Ben Kincaid got the second goal the Old Abes have been looking for the better part of a period and a half, giving Memorial a more comfortable 2-0 advantage.
Kincaid's slapshot from a couple of steps inside the blue line beat Janesville's David Jacobson top-shelf glove side for the important power-play tally.
Janesville nearly got its revenge minutes later when a shot slipped through on ECM's Brady Sand, but never crossed the goal line. Tough to tell from my angle if the puck crossed the line, but we'll just consider the no-goal calls even after that close call.
-- Adam Parks
Kincaid's slapshot from a couple of steps inside the blue line beat Janesville's David Jacobson top-shelf glove side for the important power-play tally.
Janesville nearly got its revenge minutes later when a shot slipped through on ECM's Brady Sand, but never crossed the goal line. Tough to tell from my angle if the puck crossed the line, but we'll just consider the no-goal calls even after that close call.
-- Adam Parks
Memorial Penalty Kill
It's not something Old Abes fans get to see a whole lot, but Memorial neutralized a potentially hazardous situation by killing a two minute 5-on-3 opportunity for the Bluebirds 7 minutes, 52 seconds into the period. Mike Miettenun single-handedly ate up roughly 15 seconds of the penalty when he took on three Janesville players in the corner of the Bluebirds zone and kept them occupied by kicking the puck around -- earning him a hefty round of applause from the Memorial fans.
Nate Verbracken also had a breakaway short-handed shot on net during the kill an
d nearly batted in the rebound as well.
-- Adam Parks
Nate Verbracken also had a breakaway short-handed shot on net during the kill an
d nearly batted in the rebound as well.
-- Adam Parks
First Intermission
A few observations from the first period...
-- It looked like Memorial was going to grab a 2-0 lead on a power play goal, but the goal was disallowed by one of the linesman at the goal line. There was a Janesville player in the net at the time, but the net didn't appear to be dislodged. A brief discussion was held with an off-ice official but the call was upheld.
-- Janesville is making a conscious effort to try and sneak a forward through the Memorial defense and cherry-pick a goal from the Abes. The Bluebirds have gotten close to sneaking through once or twice, but they still don't seem to have the active Alliant Energy Center boards figured out yet.
-- As expected, the Old Abes did a solid job of keeping the Bluebirds off of senior goaltender Brady Sand -- forcing him to make just two saves in the first period. The Bluebirds Jacobson also didn't see to many shots making only six saves and allowing one goal in the first.
-- The ice appears to be a slight factor in the game so far. The usually sure-footed Jefferson Dahl has slipped on several occasions and the same has been true for players on both sides. We'll see how the players adjust.
-- The game has been played mostly with the top two lines of both squads, with each team's third line making a token appearance early. Memorial coach Mike Schwengler likes to wear teams down with his depth and we should see more of the Budzinski and Campbell lines in the next two periods.
-- Adam Parks
-- It looked like Memorial was going to grab a 2-0 lead on a power play goal, but the goal was disallowed by one of the linesman at the goal line. There was a Janesville player in the net at the time, but the net didn't appear to be dislodged. A brief discussion was held with an off-ice official but the call was upheld.
-- Janesville is making a conscious effort to try and sneak a forward through the Memorial defense and cherry-pick a goal from the Abes. The Bluebirds have gotten close to sneaking through once or twice, but they still don't seem to have the active Alliant Energy Center boards figured out yet.
-- As expected, the Old Abes did a solid job of keeping the Bluebirds off of senior goaltender Brady Sand -- forcing him to make just two saves in the first period. The Bluebirds Jacobson also didn't see to many shots making only six saves and allowing one goal in the first.
-- The ice appears to be a slight factor in the game so far. The usually sure-footed Jefferson Dahl has slipped on several occasions and the same has been true for players on both sides. We'll see how the players adjust.
-- The game has been played mostly with the top two lines of both squads, with each team's third line making a token appearance early. Memorial coach Mike Schwengler likes to wear teams down with his depth and we should see more of the Budzinski and Campbell lines in the next two periods.
-- Adam Parks
Old Abes 1-0
Memorial drew first blood 9 minutes, 3 seconds into the first when Nate Verbracken stuffed home a rebound for the first tally.
Brady Keegan got the action started from the point where he skated around a Bluebirds player and boomed a shot from the right circle on net. Mike Miettenun slapped a rebound shot that was saved by Janesville's David Jacobson but Verbracken was there to clean up the second rebound.
-- Adam Parks
Brady Keegan got the action started from the point where he skated around a Bluebirds player and boomed a shot from the right circle on net. Mike Miettenun slapped a rebound shot that was saved by Janesville's David Jacobson but Verbracken was there to clean up the second rebound.
-- Adam Parks
Live from WIAA state hockey tournament
Welcome to the L-T's live blog from the WIAA boys state hockey tournament in Madison.
The Old Abes have just taken the ice for warmups to a ringing chorus of boos from the Janesville Parker/Craig faithful. I'll give the Bluebirds this, their fans certainly know how to travel. The J-Ville student section easily outnumbers the Memorial one three-to-one.
A quick roundup from this morning's matchups where Madison Edgewood dispatched of Mosinee 5-4 and Appleton East breezed past Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln 4-0.
Edgewood held a 5-1 advantage heading into the third period before the Indians top line of Ethan Nauman, Kevin Radke and Parker Tomczyk busted loose for three goals against Edgewood freshman netminder Brad Jerzewski to push the envelope. But an Indians committed a penalty with 1:19 remaining in the game to seal their fate.
Appleton didn't have similar problems with Rapids, scoring twice in the first and twice in the third to send the Red Raiders home packing. Dustin Klitzke scored twice and Appleton outshot Rapids 33-25. Josh Lehr was his usual dominant self for the Patriots, making 25 saves to secure his fifth shutout of the season.
Appleton and Edgewood will face each other in the semifinals tomorrow at 5 p.m.
In other news Old Abes forward Jefferson Dahl was tabbed as the state player of the year by the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association at a ceremony at the Alliant Energy Center Wednesday evening. If the senior didn't have a target on his back entering the state tournament there's now doubt he has one now -- we'll see how he reacts.
Be sure to check back for periodic updates from the game.
-- Adam Parks
The Old Abes have just taken the ice for warmups to a ringing chorus of boos from the Janesville Parker/Craig faithful. I'll give the Bluebirds this, their fans certainly know how to travel. The J-Ville student section easily outnumbers the Memorial one three-to-one.
A quick roundup from this morning's matchups where Madison Edgewood dispatched of Mosinee 5-4 and Appleton East breezed past Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln 4-0.
Edgewood held a 5-1 advantage heading into the third period before the Indians top line of Ethan Nauman, Kevin Radke and Parker Tomczyk busted loose for three goals against Edgewood freshman netminder Brad Jerzewski to push the envelope. But an Indians committed a penalty with 1:19 remaining in the game to seal their fate.
Appleton didn't have similar problems with Rapids, scoring twice in the first and twice in the third to send the Red Raiders home packing. Dustin Klitzke scored twice and Appleton outshot Rapids 33-25. Josh Lehr was his usual dominant self for the Patriots, making 25 saves to secure his fifth shutout of the season.
Appleton and Edgewood will face each other in the semifinals tomorrow at 5 p.m.
In other news Old Abes forward Jefferson Dahl was tabbed as the state player of the year by the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association at a ceremony at the Alliant Energy Center Wednesday evening. If the senior didn't have a target on his back entering the state tournament there's now doubt he has one now -- we'll see how he reacts.
Be sure to check back for periodic updates from the game.
-- Adam Parks
Friday, February 22, 2008
More on the Crickets and Orioles
A couple other factoids from Thursday night’s Division 3 regional semifinal between Fall Creek and Stanley Boyd that I forgot to post:
* Fall Creek now leads the all-time series with Stanley-Boyd 88-17-1. The Crickets have won 25 of the past 26 meetings.
* The Creek also improved to 8-0 all-time against the Orioles in the playoffs.
* Junior forward Matt Steinke just might be the hardest-working player in the Western Cloverbelt. He turned in his usual hard-hat-and-lunch-pail night by scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Thirteen of his 15 points came in the second half, and 10 of the 13 came in the third quarter — which was a big one for the Crickets.
“He does all the little things that never show up in a box score,” Fall Creek coach Rick Storlie said. “He gets a huge steal and we’re able to convert on that. He gets the big rebound when we need it. He comes through. I don’t know how he made that one shot in the lane. He’s a gamer.
“He’s a kid who never shows his emotions. He always stays in the game. I’m real proud of that young man.”
* As I noted in Thursday’s Inside Hoops column, this loss doesn’t change the fact that Stanley-Boyd had a fantastic season. Going 16-6 was a great way to lay the foundation for what first-year coach Tom Hause is trying to build.
“I’m really proud of these guys, the way they played and the example they showed,” Hause said. “We just wanted to go out and play hard for 32 minutes every night. I can’t ask for anything more.”
— Joe Ziemer
* Fall Creek now leads the all-time series with Stanley-Boyd 88-17-1. The Crickets have won 25 of the past 26 meetings.
* The Creek also improved to 8-0 all-time against the Orioles in the playoffs.
* Junior forward Matt Steinke just might be the hardest-working player in the Western Cloverbelt. He turned in his usual hard-hat-and-lunch-pail night by scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Thirteen of his 15 points came in the second half, and 10 of the 13 came in the third quarter — which was a big one for the Crickets.
“He does all the little things that never show up in a box score,” Fall Creek coach Rick Storlie said. “He gets a huge steal and we’re able to convert on that. He gets the big rebound when we need it. He comes through. I don’t know how he made that one shot in the lane. He’s a gamer.
“He’s a kid who never shows his emotions. He always stays in the game. I’m real proud of that young man.”
* As I noted in Thursday’s Inside Hoops column, this loss doesn’t change the fact that Stanley-Boyd had a fantastic season. Going 16-6 was a great way to lay the foundation for what first-year coach Tom Hause is trying to build.
“I’m really proud of these guys, the way they played and the example they showed,” Hause said. “We just wanted to go out and play hard for 32 minutes every night. I can’t ask for anything more.”
— Joe Ziemer
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Anderson seals victory
It was fitting that Wesley Anderson was the one to seal Fall Creek’s 60-55 overtime victory over Stanley-Boyd in Thursday’s WIAA Division 3 regional semifinal — which was one of the better high school games I’ve been lucky enough to cover.
Anderson, an undersized senior forward, only scored six points in the game but came up big in the final seconds. He rebounded Nathan Price’s missed 3-pointer and with 1.4 seconds left, calmly sank two free throws to make it a two-possession game and give the Crickets a berth in Saturday's regional final in Altoona.
“You always look for memories,” Fall Creek coach Rick Storlie said, “and the smile on Wesley Anderson’s face when he nailed the first one and there was not enough time for them to get two scores, that’s what I’m going to remember.”
Anderson finished the game with seven rebounds and two assists — one of which set up a big 3-pointer by Luke Tweed in overtime.
One of just three seniors on the team, Anderson may not be the most skilled or polished player on the court, but the leadership and emotion he provides is invaluable to the Crickets. Most of his teammates — guys like Matt Steinke, Jordan Reetz, Tweed, Matt Dickinsen and Zach Jacobson — are very calm and even-keeled on the court, which is a good thing. But a little fire can come in handy when a team’s struggling. And Anderson, who also boasts the best hair in the Western Cloverbelt Conference, always seems to be there when his younger teammates need a lift.
“Wesley is our emotional leader,” Storlie said. “He’s not maybe our most gifted player but he’s a gifted athlete. He really gets things done for us. To have him, who’s undersized, going inside, getting the big rebound against their guys and then having to come down and hit free throws, it was just a special time for him and for our team. Did you see the lift from our team when he hit that free throw? The whole bench exploded — and it’s not just because they realized we’re going to win this ballgame. It’s because of Wesley and the emotion he gives us.”
— Joe Ziemer
Anderson, an undersized senior forward, only scored six points in the game but came up big in the final seconds. He rebounded Nathan Price’s missed 3-pointer and with 1.4 seconds left, calmly sank two free throws to make it a two-possession game and give the Crickets a berth in Saturday's regional final in Altoona.
“You always look for memories,” Fall Creek coach Rick Storlie said, “and the smile on Wesley Anderson’s face when he nailed the first one and there was not enough time for them to get two scores, that’s what I’m going to remember.”
Anderson finished the game with seven rebounds and two assists — one of which set up a big 3-pointer by Luke Tweed in overtime.
One of just three seniors on the team, Anderson may not be the most skilled or polished player on the court, but the leadership and emotion he provides is invaluable to the Crickets. Most of his teammates — guys like Matt Steinke, Jordan Reetz, Tweed, Matt Dickinsen and Zach Jacobson — are very calm and even-keeled on the court, which is a good thing. But a little fire can come in handy when a team’s struggling. And Anderson, who also boasts the best hair in the Western Cloverbelt Conference, always seems to be there when his younger teammates need a lift.
“Wesley is our emotional leader,” Storlie said. “He’s not maybe our most gifted player but he’s a gifted athlete. He really gets things done for us. To have him, who’s undersized, going inside, getting the big rebound against their guys and then having to come down and hit free throws, it was just a special time for him and for our team. Did you see the lift from our team when he hit that free throw? The whole bench exploded — and it’s not just because they realized we’re going to win this ballgame. It’s because of Wesley and the emotion he gives us.”
— Joe Ziemer
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
More on Chi-Hi and Memorial
A couple more notes and observations from Tuesday’s Memorial-Chippewa Falls regional semifinal:
* Josh Prince didn’t score a ton of points — only seven — but the Cardinals often have been at their best this season when Prince isn’t carrying the scoring load. That’s what’s made this season’s Chippewa Falls team so dangerous. It’s not just Prince. There’s Dustin Kalien, Cole Zwiefelhofer, Brad Goeman, Brad Meade, Jared Jaquish, etc.
Prince played very well in other facets of the game Tuesday, grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out four assists. He also played well defensively.
“In order to win in the tournament, you have to have more than just your top players contribute,” Cardinals coach Luke Madsen said. “Kids like Brad Goeman have to step up and knock down shots. Dustin Kalien, Cole Zwiefelhofer, all those guys have to be ready to contribute. Josh has to continue to do a good job of not forcing things. I thought he did that tonight. I thought he played within himself. He continued to get good looks for his teammates.”
* One area Chippewa Falls may be vulnerable in is the post. The Cards certainly aren’t the bulkiest team around and had some trouble defending Memorial forward Collin Cooper, who had 18 points — almost all of them in the post.
Meade is the team’s best post defender, but he was slowed by the flu Tuesday and wasn’t able to play his usual minutes.
“When he’s not in there, we need somebody else to be able to play in the post,” Madsen said. “We can not allow players to get those kind of looks. But to his credit, some of those shots he knocked down were tough. He made some contested shots. He’s an excellent player.”
* The Cardinals were more than ready for the Old Abes. They had a four-hour practice Sunday and then did what Madsen called “fine tuning” Monday.
“When you have a veteran group, you can do that,” Madsen said. “You can put more stuff in and challenge them to be focused and ready to play.”
— Joe Ziemer
* Josh Prince didn’t score a ton of points — only seven — but the Cardinals often have been at their best this season when Prince isn’t carrying the scoring load. That’s what’s made this season’s Chippewa Falls team so dangerous. It’s not just Prince. There’s Dustin Kalien, Cole Zwiefelhofer, Brad Goeman, Brad Meade, Jared Jaquish, etc.
Prince played very well in other facets of the game Tuesday, grabbing 10 rebounds and handing out four assists. He also played well defensively.
“In order to win in the tournament, you have to have more than just your top players contribute,” Cardinals coach Luke Madsen said. “Kids like Brad Goeman have to step up and knock down shots. Dustin Kalien, Cole Zwiefelhofer, all those guys have to be ready to contribute. Josh has to continue to do a good job of not forcing things. I thought he did that tonight. I thought he played within himself. He continued to get good looks for his teammates.”
* One area Chippewa Falls may be vulnerable in is the post. The Cards certainly aren’t the bulkiest team around and had some trouble defending Memorial forward Collin Cooper, who had 18 points — almost all of them in the post.
Meade is the team’s best post defender, but he was slowed by the flu Tuesday and wasn’t able to play his usual minutes.
“When he’s not in there, we need somebody else to be able to play in the post,” Madsen said. “We can not allow players to get those kind of looks. But to his credit, some of those shots he knocked down were tough. He made some contested shots. He’s an excellent player.”
* The Cardinals were more than ready for the Old Abes. They had a four-hour practice Sunday and then did what Madsen called “fine tuning” Monday.
“When you have a veteran group, you can do that,” Madsen said. “You can put more stuff in and challenge them to be focused and ready to play.”
— Joe Ziemer
Wrapping up the Old Abes
First-year Eau Claire Memorial coach Greg Van Grunsven inherited a team with some talent but very little experience. And just when they got the necessary varsity experience under their belts, they’re going to off and graduate.
After rapidly improving throughout the course of the season, the Old Abes (5-16) saw their season come to an end Tuesday night with a 45-40 loss to Chippewa Falls in the opening round of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs.
That loss marked the final prep game for all but two of the players on the Memorial roster and six of the eight Old Abes who saw action Tuesday.
“I wish I could redshirt eight seniors right now,” Van Grunsven said. “If I could bottle some of these guys and keep them coming back ... But there will be a new group of kids to fall in love with too. I’m confident of that.”
After taking their lumps early in the season, the Abes matured into a very competitive team by the end of the Big Rivers Conference season. They nearly beat conference champion Eau Claire North, taking the Huskies into overtime. They beat Chippewa Falls twice and closed the regular season with a win over Hudson.
“I think Coach Van Grunsven’s done a nice job with this group, getting this group to where they are now and the level they’re playing at,” said Chippewa Falls coach Luke Madsen, whose team ended an eight-year losing streak to the Abes on Tuesday. “More than breaking that string, it’s nice to beat a good team.”
Most of the Old Abes won’t be able to use this season as a platform, however. Versatile forward Collin Cooper and point guard Zach Hazuga — arguably Memorial’s two most important players — headline the graduates. Also departing are starters Jon Porn and Taylor Aylesworth.
Juniors Keegan Meier, who should be one of the Big Rivers’ leading scorers next season, and reserve guard Andrew Kasmarek will represent the varsity experience on next season’s team. Now it’s just a matter of building on that experience.
“I told the kids, and it’s not a fun locker room to be in at the end of the year, I told them they represented Memorial High School as well as they possibly could have,” Van Grunsven said. “Certainly, they’ve been a part of teams that have had more success and I’ve been a part of teams that have had more success but never have I had more fun or a more enjoyable time being with a group of boys. They have nothing to hang their heads about. I certainly think they’re going to gain an awful lot in years to come from this experience this year.”
-Joe Ziemer
After rapidly improving throughout the course of the season, the Old Abes (5-16) saw their season come to an end Tuesday night with a 45-40 loss to Chippewa Falls in the opening round of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs.
That loss marked the final prep game for all but two of the players on the Memorial roster and six of the eight Old Abes who saw action Tuesday.
“I wish I could redshirt eight seniors right now,” Van Grunsven said. “If I could bottle some of these guys and keep them coming back ... But there will be a new group of kids to fall in love with too. I’m confident of that.”
After taking their lumps early in the season, the Abes matured into a very competitive team by the end of the Big Rivers Conference season. They nearly beat conference champion Eau Claire North, taking the Huskies into overtime. They beat Chippewa Falls twice and closed the regular season with a win over Hudson.
“I think Coach Van Grunsven’s done a nice job with this group, getting this group to where they are now and the level they’re playing at,” said Chippewa Falls coach Luke Madsen, whose team ended an eight-year losing streak to the Abes on Tuesday. “More than breaking that string, it’s nice to beat a good team.”
Most of the Old Abes won’t be able to use this season as a platform, however. Versatile forward Collin Cooper and point guard Zach Hazuga — arguably Memorial’s two most important players — headline the graduates. Also departing are starters Jon Porn and Taylor Aylesworth.
Juniors Keegan Meier, who should be one of the Big Rivers’ leading scorers next season, and reserve guard Andrew Kasmarek will represent the varsity experience on next season’s team. Now it’s just a matter of building on that experience.
“I told the kids, and it’s not a fun locker room to be in at the end of the year, I told them they represented Memorial High School as well as they possibly could have,” Van Grunsven said. “Certainly, they’ve been a part of teams that have had more success and I’ve been a part of teams that have had more success but never have I had more fun or a more enjoyable time being with a group of boys. They have nothing to hang their heads about. I certainly think they’re going to gain an awful lot in years to come from this experience this year.”
-Joe Ziemer
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Seeding the North/Memorial girls hoops regional
So, who should get the No. 1 seed in the local regional of the WIAA Division 1 girls basketball Eau Claire North Sectional?
Both Eau Claire North and Eau Claire Memorial can make a pretty convincing argument.
First, let’s look at the Huskies (12-6). North had a rough start to the season, but played some pretty tough competition. In conference play, North lost twice to Rice Lake and split with Chippewa Falls, but swept Eau Claire Memorial.
Memorial (13-5) coach Steve Smith will need to convince the other coaches that those two losses to North could have gone the other way. He can also point to the fact the Abes swept both Rice Lake and Chippewa Falls.
“That’s going to be interesting,” Smith said after beating Chippewa Falls on Thursday night. “It is hard. North beat us twice. The only hammer we have on them is that we’re the only team to beat Rice Lake twice. I don’t know how my colleagues are going to vote, but I’m certainly going to ask (for that top spot).”
Not only does the top seed get the advantage of an easier road to state, it also gets a first-round bye, which allows all those bumps and bruises acquired over a long and arduous conference season to heal.
The guess here is that North will get the top seed. It will be hard to overlook the sweep of Memorial no matter how close the games where. Plus, the Huskies have won nine of their last 10 games. Memorial will get the No. 2 seed.
The rest of the regional is fairly easy to predict. Chippewa Falls is a lock at No. 3. River Falls and Superior will battle it out for the No. 4 seed, but I think the Wildcats will get the nod due to Superior’s lack of success against the top half of the Big Rivers. Menomonie and Hudson will get the sixth and seventh seeds. Which one will go where? Take your pick.
Voting will be held Friday morning by e-mail, which is kind of disappointing. I’d like to see Smith and North coach Dan Sippel make their case in person. That would be interesting.
— John Casper Jr.
Both Eau Claire North and Eau Claire Memorial can make a pretty convincing argument.
First, let’s look at the Huskies (12-6). North had a rough start to the season, but played some pretty tough competition. In conference play, North lost twice to Rice Lake and split with Chippewa Falls, but swept Eau Claire Memorial.
Memorial (13-5) coach Steve Smith will need to convince the other coaches that those two losses to North could have gone the other way. He can also point to the fact the Abes swept both Rice Lake and Chippewa Falls.
“That’s going to be interesting,” Smith said after beating Chippewa Falls on Thursday night. “It is hard. North beat us twice. The only hammer we have on them is that we’re the only team to beat Rice Lake twice. I don’t know how my colleagues are going to vote, but I’m certainly going to ask (for that top spot).”
Not only does the top seed get the advantage of an easier road to state, it also gets a first-round bye, which allows all those bumps and bruises acquired over a long and arduous conference season to heal.
The guess here is that North will get the top seed. It will be hard to overlook the sweep of Memorial no matter how close the games where. Plus, the Huskies have won nine of their last 10 games. Memorial will get the No. 2 seed.
The rest of the regional is fairly easy to predict. Chippewa Falls is a lock at No. 3. River Falls and Superior will battle it out for the No. 4 seed, but I think the Wildcats will get the nod due to Superior’s lack of success against the top half of the Big Rivers. Menomonie and Hudson will get the sixth and seventh seeds. Which one will go where? Take your pick.
Voting will be held Friday morning by e-mail, which is kind of disappointing. I’d like to see Smith and North coach Dan Sippel make their case in person. That would be interesting.
— John Casper Jr.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Eau Claire Memorial/Chippewa Falls hockey notes
A few nuggets for those of you out there who can't get enough of the local hockey scene:
- Chippewa Falls was at a disadvantage even before the game began Thursday, after losing a pair of second-line forwards to injury at Wednesday's practice.
Sophomore Jake Sullivan took a slap-shot off the foot during the team's final tune-up for Memorial and was unable to go in Thursday's game. Chippewa Falls coach Scott Parker believes the injury is just a bruise and hopes to have the team's seventh-leading scorer back soon.
The prognosis is less certian for fellow defenseman Jake Bruhn, who broke his hand during practice and is currently wearing a cast. While Parker is uncertain about the time-frame of Bruhn's return, he did say the sophomore wanted to get a playing cast for the injury in an effort to try and return for the playoffs.
"He said he'd like to try playing with it next week and we'll see what happens," Parker said.
Speaking of the playoffs, Parker admitted he'll be riding the hot hand in net when regionals start Tuesday. Parker has spent most of the season rotating sophomore Pat Moran and senior Ryan Darrow, but wouldn't hesitate to go with just one goalie down the stretch.
Darrow has been especially solid the past few weeks and held Memorial scoreless after entering the game in the second period Thursday, though he mostly was facing the Old Abes third and fourth lines. The decision, however, won't be made until the playoffs start.
"We'll see how it pans out," Parker said.
- With the season winding down, Memorial coach Mike Schwengler opted to give a few of his players some time to try and recover from injuries and illness in Thursday's game.
Sophomore forward Shayne McLaughlin, the team's second-leading scorer, suited up for the game but spent most of his time on the bench nursing some soreness. The sophomore saw the ice roughly three times during the game, all on the penalty kill.
Memorial was also without the services of Lukas Campbell, who was out while battling an illness.
In his stead, Schwengler got a good look at freshman Alex Dahl, the younger brother of star center Jefferson Dahl, who saw the first varsity action of his career. Joining Dahl for his first time at the varsity level was freshman netminder Saxton Soley, younger brother of former Old Abes forward Seth Soley (now playing in the USHL for the Omaha Lancers), who saw a little more than a period of action in his first varsity game.
"I thought they both played very well in their first experience at the varsity level," Schwengler said. "Alex made some plays with the puck and had a chance in the second period to pop one and Saxton was strong on the puck and obviously made the saves he needed to make."
-Adam Parks
- Chippewa Falls was at a disadvantage even before the game began Thursday, after losing a pair of second-line forwards to injury at Wednesday's practice.
Sophomore Jake Sullivan took a slap-shot off the foot during the team's final tune-up for Memorial and was unable to go in Thursday's game. Chippewa Falls coach Scott Parker believes the injury is just a bruise and hopes to have the team's seventh-leading scorer back soon.
The prognosis is less certian for fellow defenseman Jake Bruhn, who broke his hand during practice and is currently wearing a cast. While Parker is uncertain about the time-frame of Bruhn's return, he did say the sophomore wanted to get a playing cast for the injury in an effort to try and return for the playoffs.
"He said he'd like to try playing with it next week and we'll see what happens," Parker said.
Speaking of the playoffs, Parker admitted he'll be riding the hot hand in net when regionals start Tuesday. Parker has spent most of the season rotating sophomore Pat Moran and senior Ryan Darrow, but wouldn't hesitate to go with just one goalie down the stretch.
Darrow has been especially solid the past few weeks and held Memorial scoreless after entering the game in the second period Thursday, though he mostly was facing the Old Abes third and fourth lines. The decision, however, won't be made until the playoffs start.
"We'll see how it pans out," Parker said.
- With the season winding down, Memorial coach Mike Schwengler opted to give a few of his players some time to try and recover from injuries and illness in Thursday's game.
Sophomore forward Shayne McLaughlin, the team's second-leading scorer, suited up for the game but spent most of his time on the bench nursing some soreness. The sophomore saw the ice roughly three times during the game, all on the penalty kill.
Memorial was also without the services of Lukas Campbell, who was out while battling an illness.
In his stead, Schwengler got a good look at freshman Alex Dahl, the younger brother of star center Jefferson Dahl, who saw the first varsity action of his career. Joining Dahl for his first time at the varsity level was freshman netminder Saxton Soley, younger brother of former Old Abes forward Seth Soley (now playing in the USHL for the Omaha Lancers), who saw a little more than a period of action in his first varsity game.
"I thought they both played very well in their first experience at the varsity level," Schwengler said. "Alex made some plays with the puck and had a chance in the second period to pop one and Saxton was strong on the puck and obviously made the saves he needed to make."
-Adam Parks
Altoona girls playing with confidence
Every week in our Inside Hoops package, both Joe Ziemer and I offer our top 10 rankings for boys and girls basketball, respectively. You can find my rankings here by scrolling down a bit.
Neillsville has held the top girls spot for quite a while, mainly because they have the best defensive team in the area and haven't come close to losing all season. Flambeau is behind them for similar reasons.
But while those two have been the area's best team all season, the area's best team over the past few weeks is a different story.
I'd have to go with Altoona. The Railroaders have won 10 straight games, including a 50-47 victory over Osseo-Fairchild which will probably give them a share of the Western Cloverbelt title. I've seen them play four times this season, and they just get better and better every night out.
I thought they were done when 6-foot-3 sophomore center Kate Hansen broke her collarbone, pretty much ending her season. And while the Rails may miss her inside presence, especially defensively, they've become a different team. They run. They aren't afraid to take shots, and more often than not they make them. They are aggressive on defense and take the fight to the other team.
I like their balance. They have the star power in Tiffany and Brittany Gregorich. The gritty play from senior Aimee Reyzer. Players that know their role like Brooke Richardson, Rachel Larson and Katie Hanson. And a deep bench. Freshman Bethany Reyzer, who was called up to the varsity midway through the season, isn't playing like a freshman at all. Monica Rasmussen gives them some spunk as well. She may be the smallest player on the court, but in every game I've seen she is not afraid whatsoever to sneak in on the boards and come away with a few.
They are definitely a team I'd keep my eye on in the postseason. True, they have a loaded regional. The key will be for coach Scott Harmon to make his case that his team deserves the No. 1 seed. He'll probably have the best record of any team in the regional, but will need to convince others they've had a better season than Rice Lake (13-4) and Durand (13-3). The one thing working against them is a 42-38 loss to Rice Lake in December, but Harmon could make the case that his team has improved since while the Warriors have regressed to a point, including a head-scratching 34-23 loss to Northwestern on Tuesday.
If they get the No. 1 seed, that means they'll only have to play Rice Lake or Durand in a regional final rather than both in order to win the regional.
No matter what happens, I'd look for Altoona to make a deep tournament run.
- John Casper Jr.
Neillsville has held the top girls spot for quite a while, mainly because they have the best defensive team in the area and haven't come close to losing all season. Flambeau is behind them for similar reasons.
But while those two have been the area's best team all season, the area's best team over the past few weeks is a different story.
I'd have to go with Altoona. The Railroaders have won 10 straight games, including a 50-47 victory over Osseo-Fairchild which will probably give them a share of the Western Cloverbelt title. I've seen them play four times this season, and they just get better and better every night out.
I thought they were done when 6-foot-3 sophomore center Kate Hansen broke her collarbone, pretty much ending her season. And while the Rails may miss her inside presence, especially defensively, they've become a different team. They run. They aren't afraid to take shots, and more often than not they make them. They are aggressive on defense and take the fight to the other team.
I like their balance. They have the star power in Tiffany and Brittany Gregorich. The gritty play from senior Aimee Reyzer. Players that know their role like Brooke Richardson, Rachel Larson and Katie Hanson. And a deep bench. Freshman Bethany Reyzer, who was called up to the varsity midway through the season, isn't playing like a freshman at all. Monica Rasmussen gives them some spunk as well. She may be the smallest player on the court, but in every game I've seen she is not afraid whatsoever to sneak in on the boards and come away with a few.
They are definitely a team I'd keep my eye on in the postseason. True, they have a loaded regional. The key will be for coach Scott Harmon to make his case that his team deserves the No. 1 seed. He'll probably have the best record of any team in the regional, but will need to convince others they've had a better season than Rice Lake (13-4) and Durand (13-3). The one thing working against them is a 42-38 loss to Rice Lake in December, but Harmon could make the case that his team has improved since while the Warriors have regressed to a point, including a head-scratching 34-23 loss to Northwestern on Tuesday.
If they get the No. 1 seed, that means they'll only have to play Rice Lake or Durand in a regional final rather than both in order to win the regional.
No matter what happens, I'd look for Altoona to make a deep tournament run.
- John Casper Jr.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Seeding, Superior, etc.
So how would I seed the Division 3 Altoona Regional? For starters, not very easily. But here’s my best crack at it:
1. Colby.
2. Fall Creek.
3. Stanley-Boyd.
4. McDonell.
5. Mondovi.
6. Osseo-Fairchild.
7. Owen-Withee.
8. Cadott.
Now on to some unfinished business. I’ve been meaning to post some extra notes and quotes from UW-Superior but keep getting distracted by shiny objects. Anyway, one week after I watched the Yellowjackets beat the Blugolds, here they are at last:
It’s interesting to watch how Shane Manor and Dan Culy have matured, both physically and in terms of basketball ability. Manor definitely looks bigger and stronger. Culy does looks older, but he’s probably never is going to lose that paper boy look.
The sky really is the limit for Manor. As his outside game continues to improve, he’s only going to get tougher and tougher to match up with in the WIAC. He showed off his improved 3-point shooting against the Blugolds.
“I’ve been working on my outside game a lot,” Manor said. “Coach has me in the gym every day shooting — shooting a ton of 3s, a ton of pull-ups, all that stuff. It’s helped a lot.”
“Shane Manor keeps getting better,” UW-Superior coach Dave Buchanan said. “Shane tonight was playing really confident. That 3-point shot was pure. He hit some nice pull-up jump shots and he’s obviously very athletic getting to the rim. As he keeps adding that dimension to the game, I really like the upside for these guys.”
Culy has always had that 3-point shot, though he’s struggled at times as a freshman after coming back from a stress fracture in his foot. But after watching him torch the Blugolds from the outside early in the game, it’s obvious how important his shooting is to that team’s success.
“For Dan to get off early, hit those three 3s early, really stretches everything out,” Buchanan said. “It really opens things up for the Jake Smiths, the Shane Manors. And there’s a collective calm our guys have when Dan is hitting. You can see it with everybody. When he’s not, they’re anxious and pressing for him to hit that shot. I believe when Dan is right and when he’s hitting like he was tonight, we can really compete with anybody in this league.”
Lastly, it’s pretty clear that there’s some momentum surrounding UW-Superior. Buchanan has a lot of young talent to build around in freshmen Culy, Manor, Jake Smith, Greg Roeder, Ben Lindberg and sophomore Dwight Hill.
“We’re getting our experience together,” Culy said. “Our team chemistry is good already and it’s only continuing to get better. Especially with all the young guys. We’re going to be tough this year and hopefully, for years.”
Well, that’s all for now. Hope it was worth the wait.
- Joe Ziemer
1. Colby.
2. Fall Creek.
3. Stanley-Boyd.
4. McDonell.
5. Mondovi.
6. Osseo-Fairchild.
7. Owen-Withee.
8. Cadott.
Now on to some unfinished business. I’ve been meaning to post some extra notes and quotes from UW-Superior but keep getting distracted by shiny objects. Anyway, one week after I watched the Yellowjackets beat the Blugolds, here they are at last:
It’s interesting to watch how Shane Manor and Dan Culy have matured, both physically and in terms of basketball ability. Manor definitely looks bigger and stronger. Culy does looks older, but he’s probably never is going to lose that paper boy look.
The sky really is the limit for Manor. As his outside game continues to improve, he’s only going to get tougher and tougher to match up with in the WIAC. He showed off his improved 3-point shooting against the Blugolds.
“I’ve been working on my outside game a lot,” Manor said. “Coach has me in the gym every day shooting — shooting a ton of 3s, a ton of pull-ups, all that stuff. It’s helped a lot.”
“Shane Manor keeps getting better,” UW-Superior coach Dave Buchanan said. “Shane tonight was playing really confident. That 3-point shot was pure. He hit some nice pull-up jump shots and he’s obviously very athletic getting to the rim. As he keeps adding that dimension to the game, I really like the upside for these guys.”
Culy has always had that 3-point shot, though he’s struggled at times as a freshman after coming back from a stress fracture in his foot. But after watching him torch the Blugolds from the outside early in the game, it’s obvious how important his shooting is to that team’s success.
“For Dan to get off early, hit those three 3s early, really stretches everything out,” Buchanan said. “It really opens things up for the Jake Smiths, the Shane Manors. And there’s a collective calm our guys have when Dan is hitting. You can see it with everybody. When he’s not, they’re anxious and pressing for him to hit that shot. I believe when Dan is right and when he’s hitting like he was tonight, we can really compete with anybody in this league.”
Lastly, it’s pretty clear that there’s some momentum surrounding UW-Superior. Buchanan has a lot of young talent to build around in freshmen Culy, Manor, Jake Smith, Greg Roeder, Ben Lindberg and sophomore Dwight Hill.
“We’re getting our experience together,” Culy said. “Our team chemistry is good already and it’s only continuing to get better. Especially with all the young guys. We’re going to be tough this year and hopefully, for years.”
Well, that’s all for now. Hope it was worth the wait.
- Joe Ziemer
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Warriors tuning up for playoffs
This is a bit delayed, but I wanted to share a few thoughts with y’all on two teams I saw last week.
Let’s start with the high school ranks and Rice Lake, which has a big game with New Richmond tonight and has to be the area’s best five-loss team.
Every team to beat the Division 2 Warriors is a Division 1 Big Rivers Conference team – and a pretty good one at that. Rice Lake has lost twice to Eau Claire North, twice to Chippewa Falls and once to Hudson.
The Warriors are the only D2 school in the BRC, something that should toughen them up significantly for the playoffs.
“I think it helps us so much because we’re not going to playing anyone the same as the Big Rivers in regionals or maybe even sectionals,” senior forward Andrew Lochmann said after Friday’s win over Eau Claire Memorial. “It just helps us so much.”
Against D2 teams, the Warriors (10-5, 4-5 BRC) are 6-0 this season. That includes some quality wins over the likes of Northwestern, Barron and Spooner. Tonight’s game against a very good New Richmond team will be another great test – and give us a good idea of just how good the Warriors can be in the Division 2 bracket.
Rice Lake definitely is a different team from last season, when the Warriors had a balanced four-pronged offensive attack. This year they’re much more reliant offensively on the 1-2 punch of Alex Culy and Lochmann, who probably are the best duo I’ve seen this season.
The rest of the crew entered the season with very little varsity experience and has taken some time to get used to their roles. But players like Derek West, Tim Hovde and David Gianoli have made big strides – something that bodes well for the Warriors’ playoff chances.
“You look at that team last year, we had a lot of experience coming back,” Culy said. “This year it’s me and Andrew. Those other guys, you can tell as the season goes on, they’ve gotten better and better with experience.”
I had a chance to chat with another Culy, Alex’s older brother Dan, on Wednesday. I’ll check back in a little later with some thoughts on UW-Superior. For now I best get to work on tomorrow’s sports section.
- Joe Ziemer
Let’s start with the high school ranks and Rice Lake, which has a big game with New Richmond tonight and has to be the area’s best five-loss team.
Every team to beat the Division 2 Warriors is a Division 1 Big Rivers Conference team – and a pretty good one at that. Rice Lake has lost twice to Eau Claire North, twice to Chippewa Falls and once to Hudson.
The Warriors are the only D2 school in the BRC, something that should toughen them up significantly for the playoffs.
“I think it helps us so much because we’re not going to playing anyone the same as the Big Rivers in regionals or maybe even sectionals,” senior forward Andrew Lochmann said after Friday’s win over Eau Claire Memorial. “It just helps us so much.”
Against D2 teams, the Warriors (10-5, 4-5 BRC) are 6-0 this season. That includes some quality wins over the likes of Northwestern, Barron and Spooner. Tonight’s game against a very good New Richmond team will be another great test – and give us a good idea of just how good the Warriors can be in the Division 2 bracket.
Rice Lake definitely is a different team from last season, when the Warriors had a balanced four-pronged offensive attack. This year they’re much more reliant offensively on the 1-2 punch of Alex Culy and Lochmann, who probably are the best duo I’ve seen this season.
The rest of the crew entered the season with very little varsity experience and has taken some time to get used to their roles. But players like Derek West, Tim Hovde and David Gianoli have made big strides – something that bodes well for the Warriors’ playoff chances.
“You look at that team last year, we had a lot of experience coming back,” Culy said. “This year it’s me and Andrew. Those other guys, you can tell as the season goes on, they’ve gotten better and better with experience.”
I had a chance to chat with another Culy, Alex’s older brother Dan, on Wednesday. I’ll check back in a little later with some thoughts on UW-Superior. For now I best get to work on tomorrow’s sports section.
- Joe Ziemer
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