University of Minnesota Athletics
Wisconsin Quotes
3/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Hockey
Wisconsin Head Coach Mike Eaves
Opening Statement:
"First of all, we're very pleased to be here. To borrow a line from Yogi Berra, it's déjà vu all over again. It seems like we were just here and we were. We're glad to be back. Speaking on behalf of the coaching staff and the boys, I know this week there was great energy when we practiced because of looking forward to coming back. The anticipation of playing an unknown team like Vermont, unknown the fact that we haven't played them this year, and trying to figure out what we need to do against them. Lots of excitement. This is a fun time of year for all the work these young men have done over the past summer and during the season, through the ups and downs; this is a natural reward for them to be here and to be a part of this. We're all truly excited to be here."
On playing a big physical team like Vermont:
"It's an interesting thing about size in this game of hockey. Coach Johnson used to talk about this all the time. You can neutralize that by puck movement, skating and quickness. Look at the team that Vermont played last in the B.C. (Boston College) Eagles. They are not a very big team, but if you hang onto the puck and let them get you in close spaces, then you play to their strengths. One of the things (defenseman) Ryan (McDonagh) talked about was being smart in the neutral zone, but we have guys that can move the puck. We have to move our feet and move the puck to space and not allow them to use their strengths."
On who plays a similar style to Vermont:
"Anchorage, (Minnesota State) Mankato, Michigan, we've played a bunch of teams that their strengths is their heart. It's nothing new. It truly isn't. It's just a matter of how we handle it."
On what they perceive as Vermont's biggest strengths:
"Start right at the goal line. They have a very athletic young man in nets. He reminds me a little bit of a smaller version of Marc Andre Flurry. He has the ability to make a big save. He's quick from side to side and he's got a good glove. I think he's one of their strengths. Obviously you take a look at their blue line. They take up a lot of space physically. Again, they play well together and they try to put you in situations where you have to make decisions with the puck and if you make a poor decision, that's when they are going to try and score on you and counter back and hurt you that way. In watching on film and talking to different people, that's what we feel their strengths are."
On how this team compares to the 2006 Wisconsin national championship team:
"The way that we measure this question is that a championship caliber team or a team that has a good record has some fundamental strengths. Goaltending, good defensive blue line, and then talented people up front. Everyone plays well together and is competitive. This group is similar to that group in 2006. The difference is in why it's hard to compare and what Ben Street was alluding to is the fact that each team has its own personalities. I think this team has a different sense of personality than the team did in 06. Different characters, different cast of characters, any way you want to put it. It's a personnel of the team that differs, but the reason the team is good is because of those things we just mentioned."
On how people will be able to tell if the team is off to a good start without even scoring a goal:
"We could go right back to last weekend in the first game in the fact that it was three or four times up the ice and before we got the puck in behind the defensemen. We had the right ideas, but we couldn't execute. We weren't sharp and decisive. If we have that sharpness and decisiveness in getting the puck in behind the defensemen, that will give us a good start in getting a start that we want."
Senior forward Blake Geoffrion
On coming off a win Saturday in the Final Five:
"It just gives us momentum coming into the weekend here, getting back to our winning ways last weekend. We're all excited with the NCAA tournament starting here and I know the guys are full energy and ready to go."
On playing in Minnesota for the third time in four weeks:
"I think it is good we're back here in Minnesota. We're familiar with the area. We stay on the same time, there's no time change like if we go out east, so that's another positive. We're familiar with the locker rooms. I think we've been in every single one of them now the last couple weekends here, so that's good. We're all familiar with the area. I think it's a positive coming back to Minnesota."
Senior forward Ben Street
On comparisons with the 2006 national title team:
"I think one of the biggest things people look at is we're an upperclassmen team. We're pretty mature and a lot of the guys have been in the first round of the tournament before. It's tough to compare two teams. It's real different. Our strengths are our depth. We can roll three lines that can score pretty well and I think on any given night our game matches up pretty well. That's the way it was in 06 as well. We felt that if we wanted as much as the other guys we'd be able pull it off and I think that group feels the same way."
On having that experience of playing for a national title squad:
"It's familiar, but it's still once the puck drops, you've still got to play your game."
Senior forward Ryan McDonagh
On facing a team with the size of Vermont:
"We prepare for teams pretty similar every time. We've got to make sure to pucks in deep against a team with this size. They kind of clog up the middle a lot, so we can't be fancy in the neutral zone. We've got to really use our speed I think against this team. We've got guys that can do more with the puck and if they get some open ice on them it could be dangerous, so we've got to make sure we get pucks in deep against them and just kind of grind them for all three periods."
On the most physical team the Badgers faced this season:
"I think you look at a team like Alaska Anchorage. They're an older team, have a lot of size, similar to Vermont. They're game is to be physical, be gritty and try to get you off your game. I'm not sure if that's what Vermont's strategy is to be gritty and get us off our game, but I'm sure it will be. It's going to be an up and down battle. I think I look to Anchorage first and foremost as a pretty physical team like I think Vermont will be."
