Game notes for weekend series with Blugolds
MENOMONIE (October 25, 2012) – Scoring wasn't the problem for the UW-Stout hockey team last season, but allowing the other team to score, particularly late in the game, proved an issue.
As Blue Devil coach
Terry Watkins enters his 17th season with the varsity program and his 25th overall as a UW-Stout head hockey coach, Watkins and his coaching staff believe they have addressed the situation.
“Scoring shouldn't be a problem again for us this season,” Watkins said. “I believe we have addressed our defensive zone issues through recruiting.”
The Blue Devils finished with an 8-17-2 overall record with 11 losses either by one goal or by two after Stout pulled their goalie to get an extra attacker on the ice.
Stout returns seven of their top eight scorers from last year's squad and graduated only one forward from last year's team.
#Mike Hartviksen# (Jr, Thunder Bay, Ontario) returns with the most goals from last season, punching in 10 goals and adding 10 assists.
Sam Carr (Sr, Roseau, Minn) was the team's leader in assists with 17 and had four goals.
#Kevin O'Donnell# (Jr, Stoughton) scored six goals and 13 assists.
#Garrett# Grimstad (Sr, Rochester, Minn) had eight goals and eight assists.
#Charles Lachance# (Sr, Quebec City, Quebec) fired in six goals and 10 assits, while
#Zach Vierling# (So, Coon Rapids, Minn), a WIAC honorable mention pick, had three goals and seven assists in his inaugural collegiate career.
#Jordan Tredinnick# (So, Onalaska), the only defenseman among the leading scorers, added seven goals and 11 assists.
Tredinnick, who earned NCHA all-rookie team honors and was a first team all-WIAC selection, will move up front, but will also remain available to step back to the defensive zone, a move Watkins and his staff will do with many of his returning players. Several defenders will also be called on to step into the front line, including
#Scott Bell# (So, Eagan, Minn), #Joe Beaudette# (Sr, Blaine, Minn) and
#Carl Bombardier# (So, Valcourt, Quebec).
Also returning are forwards
#Casey Kirley# (Jr, Hayward) and
#Micky Knox# (So, Warroad, Minn). Newcomers
#Jake Useldinger# (Fr, East Grand Forks, N. Dak) and
#Jayce Paulseth# (Fr, Duluth, Minn) add to the team's depth, along with
#Gavin Tufte# (Fr, Ham Lake, Minn) and
#Jace Baldwin# (Fr, International Falls, Minn).
“Our depth up front is the best it has been in a number of years,” Watkins said. “All of our returning forwards have seen a lot of ice time.”
With an increase in depth, Watkins sees a much more balanced scoring attack than in the past several years.
“I expect that we will get scoring from a lot of different guys,” Watkins said.
Size up front was also an area that needed to be addressed, Watkins said, and that seems to be taken care of.
A nice nucleus of defensemen does return for the Blue Devils, including Bell, Beaudette,
#Logan Maly# (Jr, Rio), #Russell Whited# (Jr, Indianapolis, Ind) and
#Jason Cohen# (Sr, Anchorage, Alaska).
#Ricky Doriott# (Sr, Blaine, Minn) adds both size and big-time playing experience to the Blue Devils' defense. Doriott, a transfer from NCAA Division I Michigan Tech, is listed as a 6-5, 235-pound defenseman.
Other newcomers to the defensive fray will be
#Tate Rusk# (Fr, Brainerd, Minn), #Danny Ray# (Fr, Grand Forks, N. Dak), #Cole Meyer# (Fr, Buffalo, Minn), #Carson Gray# (Fr, Warroad, Minn), and
#Adam Slagle# (Fr, North St. Paul, Minn).
Two seniors return to lead the group between the pipes.
#Tom Lescovich# (Sr, Clifton Park, NY) and
#Nick Hopper# (Sr, Culver City, Calif) are in their finals seasons with the Blue Devils and both have seen considerable time throughout their careers.
Lescovich has appeared in 57 games for the Blue Devils and has a 27-24-4 overall record with a goals against average of 3.00. Hopper has appeared in 31 games and has an overall record of 7-16-2 with a GAA of 3.70.
The Blue Devils also return
#Eric Wobschall# (So, Owatonna, Minn) who saw action in one game last year and is looking good in the preseason after a solid summer.
“Your goalies are only as good as the guys who are in front of them,” Watkins said. “We can't give up the number of shots we did last year. That is going to wear the goalies down.”
In year's past, Watkins' teams were able to wear their opponent down, especially in the final period. That didn't happen last year.
“We always ran people into the ground in the third period,” Watkins said, “and we didn't do that last year.
“We addressed our weaknesses. We are solid up front and in the goal, and are much better in the d-zone.”
The Blue Devils opened the 2012-13 season with a 3-3 tie at Marian University, Oct. 20. Stout will open NCHA and WIAC play this weekend when they travel to UW-Eau Claire, Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27.
This is the final year of play in the NCHA. Stout will play solely in the WIAC beginning with the 2013-14 season.
