After deep playoff runs in the 2007-'08 season, both the UW men's and women's hockey programs look to come back strong in 2008-'09. Strong nuclei of returning players look to provide more postseason success for both squads.
Admittedly, most of the news for both teams this offseason is about who won't be on the ice next fall. On the men's side, one-year wonder Kyle Turris headed west, signing with the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes just days after the Badgers' season ended. The women's team is in a similar situation, also looking to replace a dominant scorer in Jinelle Zaugg. Zaugg concluded her four years as a Badger with one of the most impressive stat lines in school history, setting a school record with 89 career goals.
Co-captains Ben Street and Blake Geoffrion look to lead the Men in 2008-09. Street and Geoffrion tied for second on the team in scoring last year, each with 30 points, and with Turris gone, these two pose the most potent offensive threat. Sophomore forwards Podge Turnbull and Patrick Johnson are capable of breakout years at the forward position, and junior John Mitchell should make some noise as well.
Defenseman Jamie McBain will be back for his junior season, and should provide the leadership for a young defensive corps. Sophomores Brendan Smith, Cody Goloubef and Ryan McDonagh all had solid seasons on the blue line last year, but will have to step up to fill spots vacated by Davis Drewiske and Kyle Klubertanz.
In net, it is still the Shane Connelly show. Badger fans have seen just about everything from the senior goalie over the past couple of seasons. He has proven he can come to play in big games, but a lack of consistency dogged him and the rest of the team for much of last season. The defensemen in front of him have another year's worth of experience, but so does the rest of the WCHA, and Connelly will have to be better than ever.
Wisconsin again boasts one of the best incoming classes in the nation for 2008-'09. Forwards Jordy Murray, Derek Stepan and Matt Thurber will join defensemen Jake Gardiner, Ryan Little and Eric Springer as freshmen for the Badgers next season.
On the women's side, senior forwards Erika Lawler and Meghan Duggan will lead the charge once again for the Badgers. Duggan tied for the team lead in points last year with 43, and Lawler was third on the squad with 40. These two should vie for the team lead in scoring again next season, and fans should look for Hilary Knight to follow up on her stellar freshman campaign of 2007-'08.
Clutch play for the second and third lines will be key again next year, especially in a talent-laden league like the WCHA. Junior forwards Jasmine Giles and Kyla Sanders both had 20-point seasons last year, and fans should expect more of the same next year.
Senior defenders Alycia Matthews and Rachel Bible will be back to lead the Badger defense next season. Bible was a team-leading plus-30 in plus-minus last season, and now that the younger defenders have a year of experience under their belts, they will hope to follow suit. Look for Matthews to step up offensively this season as well.
In goal, junior Jessie Vetter has done almost all there is to do is college hockey. The task ahead of her is fairly straightforward: Do it again. Vetter suffered the first NCAA Tournament defeat of her career in last year's national championship game against Minnesota-Duluth, and fans can bet she will be eager to avenge that loss when UMD comes to town.
As incoming freshmen, forwards Brooke Ammerman and Carolyn Prevost will compete for playing time along with defender Brittany Haverstock and goaltender Nikki Kaasa. Ammerman and Prevost have both played on national teams and are rated among the top forward prospects from the United States and Canada, respectively.
