No. 14 Wisconsin Badger men’s hockey head coach Mike Eaves addressed the media Monday, and seemed upbeat about his young team after its first weekend of play.
The Badgers went 1-1 in the Lefty McFadden Invitational, beating No. 8 Notre Dame Friday 4-1, but losing to Ohio State Sunday 5-3. UW did show signs of great play, as the team scored seven goals over the weekend, but Eaves was quick to note the team’s short-comings, mainly the inconsistent play of the young defensemen.
“The realistic things came up where our young defensemen weren’t ready for the pace or didn’t have a good stick in the right position,” Eaves said.
That group of young Badgers may become even younger, as Wisconsin lost senior forward Josh Engel to an injury.
According to Eaves, the former defenseman went for an evaluation Monday. The Wisconsin State Journal reported it could be weeks before his return.
The opening weekend was also interesting with Wisconsin playing both games on the road, something that the team is not used to doing. Especially with such a young club, Eaves felt good about the trip and saw it as more experience for his players.
“Going on this trip was a chance to have everyone come on the road and there are no real distractions,” Eaves said. “I think that can be a big benefit. I think just going on the road and being around each other was a real B-12 shot for us.”
Wisconsin will now turn its sights to Robert Morris, who gained national attention last weekend by upsetting Boston University 3-2.
Eaves feels that the win over BU gives Wisconsin an advantage, since the team now knows how well Robert Morris can play.
“I think it’s almost a benefit that they beat BU,” Eaves stated. “Because that is going to get our attention and in case anyone is asking ‘who the heck is Robert Morris’ they put themselves on the map this last weekend.“
While people contemplate Robert Morris’ identity, Eaves feels confident that the fans will enjoy the new version of hockey that the Badgers are sporting this season.
“I think [a talented young team] is what people are going to see,” Eaves explained. “They are going to see a team that can skate and have a little more giddy-up in their step and pass the puck and make some things happen offensively so it is going to be a little bit of a different look.”
