Hockey Preview: Young, but experienced team, to hit the ice Saturday

Live Video at Lake Forest College

MENOMONIE (October 30, 2014) – When long time coach Terry Watkins looks down his bench, he is going to see a young crew on his 2014-15 UW-Stout hockey team.
 
But it will also be a team that, for the most part, has seen the rigors of the tough Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) season. The Blue Devils have four seniors, two juniors, 14 sophomores and six freshmen.
 
Of the 26 men that will be on the roster, 20 are freshmen or sophomores – and Watkins is okay with that.
 
"A few years back, we lost our identity, our heart and soul," Watkins, who begins his 19th season as the varsity coach, said. "We needed to get back to what worked. We needed to get back to where we outwork our opponent and we are a tough team to play against."
 
Watkins believes this team has what he and his coaching staff have been looking for.
 
"We talk about one heartbeat - this team is really close," Watkins said. "They work together. There are no shortcuts. They will put in the amount of work needed to win at this level."
 
The defense will be the strength of the team, Watkins said, and that is where the Blue Devils have a solid core of veterans.
 
Three-time all-WIAC pick Jordan Tredinnick (Sr, Onalaska) leads the way for the defense, along with fellow senior Patrick Regan (Edina, Minn), junior Danny Ray (Grand Forks, N.D.) and sophomores Derek Sand (West Fargo, N.D.) and Tate Rusk, who returns after a one year absence.
 
Tredinnick, a three-time all-conference selection, returns as the team's leading scorer. Tredinnick scored eight goals and dished off eight assists. As well as a team leader and solid defenseman, Tredinnick is a smart player, taking no penalties last season. Over his three year career, Tredinnick has taken nine total penalties.
 
Regan begins his second year with the Blue Devils after transferring last season. Danny Ray scored four goals and nine assists last year. Sand played in all 26 games last year, one of only seven players to dress for every game, scoring a goal and adding four assists. Rusk rejoins the Blue Devils after stepping away last year. During the 2012-13 season, Rusk contributed three goals and five assists.
 
"We are bigger and more talented," Watkins said. "We will build up from the "D" zone. We had to get better and we did. We are more mobile and have more speed."
 
Offensively, the Blue Devils return seniors Carl Bombardier (Valcourt, Ont) and Matt Millis (Black River Falls), along with junior Jake Useldinger (East Grand Forks, Minn) and sophomores Riley Colvard (Centerville, Minn), Craig Lindegard (Hallock, Minn), Justin Moody (Grand Forks, N.D., Tyler Cayemberg (East Troy), Joey Haydock (Junction City), Hunter Scott (Eau Claire) and Karl Anderson (River Falls).
 
Millis, who could miss part of the season due to injury, scored five goals and had nine assists last season. He shared team honors with several teammates with three power play goals.
 
Lindegard popped in six goals and three assists during his rookie year. Haydock had four goals and four assists. Cayemberg had three goals and five assists, while Useldinger had a goal and six assists.
 
"We will spread the scoring around, scoring by committee," Watkins said. "All of these guys have scored in their careers. If I would have to bet on who would be our leading scorer, I would have no idea at this time."
 
The Blue Devils have several players that are able to shift back and forth between forward and defense – sophomores Shayne McLaughlin (Eau Claire), Nolan Kirley (Hayward) and Isaac Hoagland (Menomonie).  Kirley played all 26 games, while McLaughlin played in 18 games. Hoagland is expected to see more ice time this season.
 
Expected to see time are freshmen forwards Wes Iverson, Tyler Shipstad, Fabian Hellgren and Austin Nelson, as well as defenseman Jordan Stejskal.
 
If the team overall is young, the goalie spot younger and has only a handful of collegiate experience.
 
"If there is an area where we will have to show up early, it will have to be in goal," Watkins said.
 
Chase Hollander is the only returning goalie, and he will be joined by Spencer Viele, a sophomore transfer from UW-Stevens Point, and Gustav Griborn, who hails from Sweden.
 
Hollander saw his first action later in the season and went 1-2-0 as a freshman in just under 200 minutes of time in five games. Hollander posted a goals against average (GAA) of 3.01 and a saves percentage of .913. Hollander got his first collegiate win against nationally ranked UW-Stevens Point, recording 37 saves in the 4-2 win.
 
Viele saw action in three games last season, getting a pair of non-conference wins and recording a tie with UW-Superior. He posted a 1.95 GAA.
 
"This group is talented and works hard," Watkins said. "They just lack the experience at the collegiate level."
 
The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is a very tough league, and the Blue Devils will have to rise to the occasion every night. When the season concluded, between conference teams and the non-conference schedule, Stout had played the No. 1 strength of schedule in the nation last season.
 
"Last year, we gave up around 35 shots per game," Watkins said. "And we have to get that down to the low 20s."
 
Even though Stout finished at 8-18-0, the majority of the games were close. The Blue Devils pulled their goalie 12 times throughout the season and lost six one-goal games and won five one-goal games.
 
"This league is really good," Watkins said. "If you win a game in this league, you deserve it. When you play against the other four teams, you have a plateful."
 
"We are going to go back to being a team that grinds, scratches and claws for 60 minutes," Watkins said.
After three road games to open the season, Stout will have a four-game homestand during the middle of November, then will be away from the Dunn County Ice Arena until January.
 
The Blue Devils will play 10 of their final 14 games at the Dunn County Ice Arena, where significant changes have been made, including new locker rooms for both home and visitor, relocation of the Zamboni garage and an improved viewing area for spectators.
 
Stout opens the season Saturday, Nov. 1 at Lake Forest College. The Blue Devils will be at Hamline University, Friday, Nov. 7 and at Gustavus Adolphus, Saturday, Nov. 8.Stout's first home game is Friday, Nov. 14 when the Blue Devils host Augsburg College at 7:30 p.m. Stout gets the WIAC schedule underway Thursday, Dec. 4 at UW-River Falls.




A LOOK AT LAKE FOREST:  UW-Stout opens the 2014-15 season with a long road trip to Lake Forest College, Saturday, Nov. 1 for a 7 p.m. game. The Foresters are coming off a 15-12-1 overall record, 11-7-0 in the NCHA, and are picked to finish fourth this season in the NCHA. Forward Bobby Barrett was the team's leading scorer last season, scoring 16 goals and 10 assists. The Foresters had a young goaltending crew last season, with now junior Leo Podolsky earning a 9-2-0 record with a GAA of 2.74 and a saves percentage of .893. Patrick Kelliher, after four seasons as a Forester assistant coach, takes over as the head coach this season. The Blue Devils are coming off a 10-15-0 overall season. Coach Terry Watkins is in his 19th season as the Blue Devils' head coach. Seniors Jordan Tredinnick, Matt Millis, Patrick Regan and Carl Bombardier will lead the team. | 2013 Blue Devil Statistics | 2013 Forester Statistics