Gophers, UMD women split, solidify Badger lead
Wisconsin very likely secured the WCHA womenÂ’s hockey regular-season championship on a chilly Saturday night when the Badgers didnÂ’t even play. Wisconsin beat Ohio State 4-3 in overtime on Friday, but was idle last Saturday, before completing a sweep of the Buckeyes with a 5-1 victory on Sunday.
Wisconsin solidified its hold on first place, ironically enough, on Saturday night, thanks to the rivalry between its two most historically persistent tormentors – Minnesota and Minnesota-Duluth. Two-time defending NCAA champion Minnesota arose from a first-game loss at Minnesota-Duluth to beat the Bulldogs 2-0 in the latest renewal of their emotionally intense rivalry.
The split was a rewarding lift for the Gophers, who realistically are not in title contention with six WCHA losses, while it dealt a serious blow to what actually was only a fleeting chance for UMD to keep pace with the once-beaten Badgers.
UMD had gone into the weekend tied with Wisconsin atop the WCHA in points, but it was a misleading statistic. Both teams had 29 points, based on 14 victories and one tie, but Wisconsin, which has played two fewer games, had only one loss, while UMD had three. Clearly, the Badgers could pull away to the title by simply winning the two “games in hand,†but more important is that Wisconsin and Minnesota-Duluth had split an early series at Madison, then tied the first game of their later series in Duluth, before the Badgers beat the Bulldogs in the second, giving them a 2-1-1 record against UMD.
That was key, because it gave Wisconsin the season series in case the two finished the season tied, and the illusion of being tied in points continued when UMD beat Minnesota 4-2 in the first game of last weekend’s series. But when the Gophers handed UMD its first shutout of the season in the second game, as Gopher goaltender Brittony Chartier turned in the blank job with 35 saves. Along with the game, the Bulldogs slim hopes – which required a late-season stumble by the Badgers – became much more distant.
When Wisconsin won Sunday’s second game with Ohio State, the Badgers rose to 16-1-1 atop the WCHA for 33 points, while UMD has 31 points, but a 15-4-1 record. With only 10 games remaining in the league schedule – and only eight for UMD – Wisconsin would have to lose four of its final 10 games while the Bulldogs won all eight to overtake the Badgers.
It is incomprehensible to think that the Badgers, who have lost just once, might slump to 6-4 down the stretch, while UMD would go 8-0 in its half of the deal.
But all those statistics show the growth of WCHA womenÂ’s hockey, and donÂ’t detract from the rivalry that UMD and Minnesota have enjoyed while the two have won every WCHA regular-season title in its six-year history, to say nothing of NCAA championships. The NCAA didnÂ’t even recognize womenÂ’s hockey with a national tournament until six years ago. Minnesota-Duluth won the first three NCAA womenÂ’s hockey tournaments ever held, and the University of Minnesota won the next two, while Wisconsin rose closer to title contention with each passing season.
The Gophers chances of an NCAA three-peat that would match UMDÂ’s previous run appeared slim this season, and at 10-5-1 going into the weekend series in Duluth, the Gophers found themselves pretty well isolated in third place, as far behind Wisconsin and UMD as ahead of Minnesota State-Mankato and Ohio State.
In their first series of the year, Minnesota stung UMD 4-1, before the Â’Dogs erupted for a 6-0 shutout victory. So the 4-2 victory in the first game last weekend seemed large for the Bulldogs. But the goals came too easily. It was difficult to assess at the time, but while the Bulldogs played well at the outset of the first game, they really didnÂ’t have to work very hard for their goals.
Krista McArthurÂ’s power-play shot from the right point was screened and found the net behind Chartier, and five minutes later, Ashley Waggoner tried to fire a hard pass across the slot, but the puck hit Mari Pehkonen and deflected perfectly into the net, just inside the right post for a 2-0 first-period lead. Noemie Marin snuck to the weak-side edge of the net and knocked in Jessica KoizumiÂ’s power-play pass to make it 3-0 in the second period.
So when Sara OÂ’TooleÂ’s goal in the third period gave UMD three power-play tallies against Chartier, it also gave UMD a 4-0 bulge, and, perhaps, reason to swagger. After all, it meant that UMD had scored 10 consecutive goals in their head-to-head duel with Minnesota, after the 6-0 romp at Ridder Arena early in the season.
But the 4-0 lead was misleading, because the Gophers were playing well, and in fact seemed to be challenging their frustration at falling further and further behind in the game by staying focused and continuing to work harder. The result was that as UMD kept scoring, the Gophers were taking over the flow of the game.
Jenelle Philipczyk finally broke Riitta SchaublinÂ’s bid for a shutout midway through the third period, and an enormous power-play tangle at the UMD net resulted in a second Gopher goal, also awarded to Philipczyk. UMD never seemed seriously threatened on the scoreboard, but only because Schaublin came up with repeated big saves against the onrushing Gophers.
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UMD coach Shannon Miller said after the first game that she thought it was good for her team to be challenged, and that the fact that they lost the momentum but won the game was important. She was confident that the strong finish by the Gophers would assure her Bulldogs of playing a stronger game in the rematch.
However, MinnesotaÂ’s momentum took a different turn Saturday. UMD outshot the Gophers 16-3 in the first period, but the only goal came when MinnesotaÂ’s Andrea Nichols scored late in the session. The Gophers picked up the tempo and outshot UMD 16-6 in the scoreless second period, and carried play into the third, when Becky Walker tipped a shot through Schaublin for the 2-0 shutout.
The Gophers outshot UMD 35-29, but after the first period, Schaublin had tougher saves than Chartier, who came up with some acrobatic stops to secure the shutout.
Miller was frustrated afterward, and told the Duluth News TribuneÂ’s Christa Lawler: “If this team thinks they can win the national championship and play like that, theyÂ’re wrong.Ââ€
While the rivalry resulted in one more split series between the Bulldogs and Gophers, down in Wisconsin, the Badgers were becoming reinforced as the likeliest WCHA team to look like a serious threat to win the WCHA and NCAA titles.
Tahoe renews big-SUV grip with new 2007 model
DETROIT, Mich. – They can dress up the giant interior of Cobo Hall at auto show time, but they can never make it resemble the Phoenix desert as it rolls and rises up into the mountains of Arizona. The 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe seemed much more at home out in Arizona, where it could negotiate the open countryside, and you could visualize it towing a big horse trailer, or a house-sized recreation trailer.
The North American automotive media got the chance to first drive the Tahoe in that cactus country setting of Arizona, but we were asked not to reveal our impressions until the world could catch a look at the Tahoe during this past weekÂ’s press days at the North American International Auto Show.
Driving through the twisting mountain roads outside Phoenix, or zipping along highways down in the valley, the Tahoe performed admirably. In fact, it can be unequivocally stated that the 2007 Tahoe is by far the best Tahoe ever built. It is sleeker, more aerodynamic, with smoother and more appealing edges than its husky but squarish predecessor, and with dozens of fancy creature comforts that are breakthrough items for GM, and even if all or almost all of the features are already out on a variety of competitors, itÂ’s impressive that the Tahoe has packed all of them into its shapelier body.
General Motors is stressing those features, and it’s stressing a $33,990 base price that is $2,000 less than the 2006 model. But mostly itÂ’s stressing that the Tahoe has “broken the 20-mile-per-gallon barrier†for large SUVs. There were all sorts of stylish responses to the challenges facing the automotive world at DetroitÂ’s show – small cars, smaller cars, hybrids, and all sorts of compact, downsized and fuel-efficient crossover SUVs. And there was General Motors, introducing as its primary new vehicles the all-new Chevrolet Tahoe, and the all-new Cadillac Escalade. The corporate twins, are trimmed up with distinctly different features, but they are both large SUVs with big V8 engines.
ItÂ’s been eight model years since General Motors made its last major change to its large truck-based vehicles, back when the code-named 800 trucks supplanted the 12-year stand of the 400 model. So the new 900 was long in coming. “The 400 model was pretty loose,†said GM engineering spokesman Gary White. “The 800 was much stiffer, but is still squeaked and rattled more than we liked.Ââ€
When gas prices rose toward $3 a gallon, people started looking for more fuel-efficient cars. When it looked as though the prices would stay over $2, the exodus from large SUVs left acres of unsold trucks on GM, Ford Toyota, Nissan, and Dodge dealerships, but General Motors sells the most and therefore felt the dropoff the most.
As cars stood unsold, the incentive rebates rose. Edmunds.com, an industry-analyzing website, said that calendar year 2005 ended with large SUVs averaging just over $6,000 per unit, while large trucks averaged $4,049, and nothing else had over a $3,000 average, with midsize SUVs third at just under that mark. Compact cars, on the other hand, averaged only $876 in rebates per unit, and sports cars only $553. Such small rebates gave large SUVs an inflated popularity, as many buyers couldnÂ’t pass up the bargain price, even knowing fuel economy pains might be forthcoming.
Meanwhile, back at Detroit, virtually all of the top GM competitors were stressing crossover SUVs, particularly Ford, Lincoln, Dodge, Jeep, Hyundai, and HondaÂ’s Acura arm. Most of those companies also introduced fuel-sipping compact cars and small hatchbacks.
Still, for those who genuinely need a large SUV for hauling a big family around, or towing hefty trailers, SUVs fill an important niche, and they will be around for years to come. And the Tahoe, which ranks as king of the large-SUV hill, was crying out for a renovation.
Aerodynamic smoothness shows up on the flush rear side glass, and on the integrated antenna, and removal of the lip on the fuel-filler door, dropping the coefficient of drag to .363, which is the best for large SUVs. The front has a stylish upgrade on the grille, with its horizontal headlights and the horizontal line that splits the grille. Great attention to narrowing all body panel gaps adds to the classiness of the Tahoe.
Inside, the headliner is made of a woven fabric that is an improvement over that ubiquitous fuzzy stuff of the past. The front seats are heated and so is the second row of seats, while the rear seat folds and tumbles forward at the push of a button to join the foldable rear seat in making a flat floor. The instrument panel is moved down and positioned six inches forward, to make the roomier interior seem roomier still.
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Some other intriguing features include rain-sensing wipers, a rear camera to help avoid crushing smaller vehicles or objects when backing up, and remote start, a feature on other GM products that is eminently useful in cold climates.
Out of view of driver, occupant and passer-by, the Tahoe has been improved from the ground up. It sits on the same wheelbase, but the frame has been strengthened considerably. The entire frame has been increased 49 percent in torsional stiffness. ThatÂ’s a lot. The new front section, with stronger cross-members, has been increased 90 percent in torsional stiffness.
That allowed engineers to remake the suspension and steering for much better handling feel, from on-center steering to cornering precision without the sway normally associated with large, top-heavy trucks. A 3-inch wider stance up front aids that feel, and use of higher-strength steel in body pillars adds to the safety of occupants, along with rollover sensors and roof-mounted side airbags, supplementing the usual array of airbags and side pillars.
Under the hood, the 5.3-liter pushrod V8 is all aluminum, with 320 horsepower and 340 foot-pounds of torque, and featuring an imperceptible cutoff of four of the eight cylinders when cruising. ThatÂ’s something GM has been promising for two years, while Chrysler beat the General to it and now has it in use on every Hemi V8 application.
I like the instrumentation, and the new seats, which have better side support than the smoothly slippery seats of past Tahoes. Steering feel and the improved brake feel add to the feel of control. The interior room and smoother exterior leads Chevy stalwarts to claim the Tahoe drives smaller on the outside, while you live bigger inside.
The biggest claim for the Tahoe is improved fuel economy. That, too, remains to be seen. All the cars in the introductory fleet had the 5.3 V8, the two-wheel-drive Tahoe EPA estimates are for 22 highway and 16 city, while the four-wheel-drive units show 21 highway and 15 city.
These are EPA estimates, with city figures obtained in a lab without driving, and highway figures calculated without going over 60 miles per hour and without air-conditioning on. I asked if Chevy had any real-world evidence that they could get that sort of mileage, but Chevrolet officials said they only use the EPA figures.
No matter what the actual mileage comes down to, and even if large-SUV sales drop off from their annual sale of 750,000, GM is not likely to lose their 62-percent share of that market. GMÂ’s Gary White mentioned that the company likes that 62 percent share, “But with the new Tahoe, we want to take the excuses away from the other 38 percent.Ââ€
(John Gilbert writes weekly new vehicle reviews and can be reached at cars@jwgilbert.com.)
Concept Camaro unveiled amid flurry of auto show cars
DETROIT, ,MICH — Call it the return of the ponycars – emphasis on the plural. If the superbly styled high-tech/retro Dodge Challenger was the star of SundayÂ’s opening of media days at the North American International Auto Show, then Chevrolet may have stolen the scene from a number of spectacular new vehicles by showing off a new concept Camaro.
It may take a year or two to bring the Camaro to production, but both the Challenger and the Camaro will take off in hot pursuit of the enormously successful Ford Mustang. Shades of the 1960s. Next thing you know, theyÂ’ll resurrect the Trans-Am road-racing series and try to bring back Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney and the boys. In fact, Roger Penske, the racing guru who ran the original Camaros that the late Mark Donohue drove to Trans-Am glory, was on the podium to help with the introduction of the exotic-looking Camaro concept, which took place after some of the original Camaros paraded past in the huge General Motors section of Cobo HallÂ’s main floor.
When it comes to ceremony and pure show-biz, however, nothing can match DaimlerChrysler, which has set and reset the standard every year, and in fact every day, since Jason Vines took over as promotional wizard.
On Monday, Jeep unveiled the new 2007 Wrangler, which is 5-inches longer and armed with stability control and roll-mitigating electronics. Jeep, under Chrysler Group auspices, also unveiled a new Compass, a compact SUV smaller than the Cherokee. The transition was the fun, however, After the Wrangler was introduced, Vines suggested that boss Tom Lasorda should take the vehicle outside, where it belongs. Sure enough, they drove off the stage, down the corridor in Cobo, out the opened doors into the lobby, and then they crashed through a huge plate-glass window to burst out into the street. As the gathered media watched a video screen, the Wrangler crossed the street, climbed the stairs to the Pontchartrain Hotel, and then scaled a jagged, geometric pile of fake rocks to perch atop a huge “Jeep†sign for the rest of the two-week auto show.
As a very impressive band played a number of varied hits, the Compass was next,. One of the songs the band played was a rendition of the Eagles “Takin’ It Easy,†only at the part where it should say: “It’s a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford,†they substituted: “It’s a girl, I see, in a Grand Cherokee…†Pure show-biz.
Other highlights of the day included the new Lincoln Mk S luxury sedan and a new Mark X luxury SUV; Nissan brought out an all-new Sentra, looking very Altima-like, as well as a concept sporty car; Toyota officially showed off its new 2007 Camry and the FJ Cruiser SUV; BMW underplayed the just introduced Z4 Coupe, introduced in Frankfurt in September, and spent a half-hour on annual-report stuff before unveiling the M-Class racy model of the Z4 roadster, and showed the M6 version of the 6-Series coupe as well as the M5.
Perhaps the most intriguing new car was the Volvo C30, a concept 3-door hatchback – one of a trend most auto companies are taking to downsizing and creating neat subcompacts. This one is a cinch to be made, and, with the S40 underpinnings, could challenge the GTI, Civic Si, and every other high-performing hatchbacks in the world. The fact that there aren’t many competitors may just make the chances for major success greater.
FordÂ’s PAG (Premier Automotive Group) includes Jaguar, Aston Martin and Range Rover as well as Volvo, and a new Aston Martin Rapide 4-door also was a big hit at the group introduction. Mitsubishi showed off a racy new sporty-coupe concept, as well as the 2007 Eclipse Spyder, the convertible version of the just-introduced Eclipse coupe.
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Acura unveiled the prototype version of the previous concept RDX, a compact but high-performance SUV that I thought was the hit of last year’s concept vehicles. Being a prototype is one step away from production, and this one will be powered by a 2.3-liter VTEC turbo – Honda’s first production turbocharged engine – with 240 horsepoewr and 260 foot-pounds of torque, and paddle shift buttons on the steering wheel for the 5-speed automatic.
HondaÂ’s upscale Acura line followed up on the new and smaller Fit, a new Honda subcompact that indicates Honda is joining Toyota, Nissan and Mazda in the trend toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The Fit is smaller than the Civic, but, to make the name come alive, people fit inside.
Mini, the subsidiary of BMW that has continued to increase in sales in the five years since it was introduced as a high-tech version of the old British hatchback, may have kindled the new trend toward small hatchbacks, and Mini introduced a stretched version of its Traveler model of the Mini, which makes it more storage-friendly and rear-seat-occupant usable.
Kia unveiled its revised Sedona minivan and an all-new Optima midsize sedan, that looks different but shares the platform of HyundaiÂ’s Sonata in the all-Korean relationship. It was a hectic day-full of introductions, climaxed with a concept vehicle from Subaru.
Civic’s revised fleet worthy Car of the Year favorite
The last car I road-tested before the Upper Midwest was hit by its winter coating of snow was a 2006 Honda Civic EX sedan. The first car I road-tested after every square mile from Chicago to Minnesota to the Canadian border was covered with snow was a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid.
That same week, voting was due for the North American Car of the Year, and my ballot listed the Honda Civic as No. 1.
Those two weeks produced more confirmation than surprises to me, and the result was inescapable on my chart. I listed a variety of criteria, such as styling, innovative technology, usefulness, economy, fun to drive, and a couple others, and ranked all 14 vehicles on a scale for each one, and when I compiled all my own criteria, the Civic came out on top.
ThatÂ’s no guarantee the Civic will win the award, when it is announced at the Detroit Auto Show on January 8. The three finalists were named this past week, and the Civic joined the Ford Fusion and the Pontiac Solstice as the three top vote-getters from the 50-person jury of North American auto journalists. All three are worthy, and I gave points to all three, but the winner remains a secret.
In splitting up my 25 voting points, giving from 10 to 1 points to any of 14 final candidates, I ranked them as follows: 1. Civic, 2. Audi A3, 3. BMW 3-Series, 4. Fusion. I had the Dodge Charger and the Mercedes R-Class tied for fifth, followed by a tie between the Solstice and the Hyundai Sonata.
I would like to have awarded more points to fewer cars, but this was clearly the most competitive field in the 13 years the award has been given. An indication of that competitiveness is that all the major car-zealot magazines hold some form of new-car award, and this year, it seems like they all picked different cars. Automobile picked the BMW 3-Series, Road and Track chose the Z06 Corvette — which wasn’t a candidate on our ballot, because it was a revision of a car on our ballot a year ago — and Motor Trend picked the Civic.
Usually, those winners have heavy support of advertising from the winning car company (wink-wink), but the North American Car of the Year has no such threat of influence or reward for any of us.In fact, after we had voted, I talked to a fellow jury member, and it turns out I hadnÂ’t given a single voting point to three of his top four cars, while the Civic was the only one of my top four that he had given any points.
The Civic had a built-in advantage of providing a variety of cars all rolled into one candidate. There is a basic coupe, and a high-performance “Si†version of it, which I had driven only at the vehicle’s launch, in Chicago. It made a stirring impression, with its sleek lines, 197 horsepower RSX 2.0-liter four-cylinder, six-speed stick, and 8,000-RPM redline, with standard traction control to plant all that power firmly under the front-wheel-drive platform.
The Si and coupe havenÂ’t made it to the regional test fleet yet, so it will get its own treatment when it shows up, but it remained fresh in my mind as a bargain sporty coupe for $20,000.
The Civic Hybrid was impressive in the snowy conditions, although I would have to replace the hard Bridgestone tires – slim and aerodynamically efficient for the gas-electric economy sedan – with more winter-friendly tires. Something like the Nokian WR tires with a tread compound aimed at remaining more flexible in the cold would eliminate the car’s skittishness on ice.
In driving around both Minneapolis and Duluth as well as back and forth between the two Minnesota cities, I was able to get about 37.5 miles per gallon combined, and experimenting with different speed ranges on strictly freeway driving, I got 42 miles per gallon at a sustained 70 miles per hour. That is less than the EPA estimates of 49 city and 51 highway, but it still is impressive, slightly better than what I averaged in the most recent week I spent with a Toyota Prius.
Driving the Civic Hybrid is most fun if you play with your driving style to try to coax the gauges into more miles per gallon. If you get up to speed smoothly, then let off and coast whenever you can, the MPG gauge soars, and you are adding regenerative power to the battery pack, which allows the balance of power to swing more toward electric than gas-engine driving force. Same with braking moderately early when you plan to stop, when regenerative brake force helps add to battery storage.
Acceleration is not swift, but it is adequate for most circumstances. Compared to the swift and sporty Si coupe, the Civic Hybrid feels less quick, which further defines the parameters of the Civics. If you have to pull onto fast-moving cross traffic in the Civic Hybrid, you step on it and it moves away, although the continuously variable transmission holds the same audible sensation, which leaves you surprised that youÂ’re still accelerating when the sound doesnÂ’t indicate it.
At just about $23,000, the Civic Hybrid is a bargain as well as a clean-running vehicle, with the 1.3-liter four-cylinder working easily with the imperceptible aid of the Panasonic-designed electric motor.
Otherwise, the Hybrid is no different from the normal Civic sedan in design. Both have the wedge-like front end rising up a steeply sloped hood and a steeply raked windshield.
But surprisingly, with the ultra-economy Hybrid on one hand, and the ultra-sporty Si on the other, it was the basic Civic sedan that was the clincher when I recalculated all my voting criteria. The basic DX starts at about $16,000, with the LX more than that, and the test vehicle, a top of the line EX, listing at $21,110 including destination charges.
The EX comes fully loaded at that price, with nary an option. Standard is a 140-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with the i-VTEC Honda style variable valve-timing, and a five-speed automatic transmission with computer control. Front and rear disc brakes have electronic brake-force distribution, revised suspension to coordinate handling on a greatly revised frame that is 35 percent stiffer, and achieves the top-rated crash-test marks in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offset frontal and side-impact crash simulations.
It was one of only four vehicles to achieve the highest “gold†rating, and the only compact among them. Occupants are protected with standard front and side airbags, plus side-curtain airbags and door beams reinforce the high-strength steel body with its front and rear crumple zones.
The driving experience of the EX sedan is enjoyable, with the automatic transmission geared for quick takeoffs, and features such as navigation with voice recornition, a 160-watt audio system and MP3 input, plus driver seat height adjustment and an air filtration system on the air conditioning added to the standard list. Sixteen-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires also add to handling stability.
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IÂ’ve talked to some people who were uneasy at first testing of the new two-tiered Civic dashboard and instrument layout. Personally, I like it. In most vehicles, you might glance down from the road and see two gauges, and you might have to search for a moment to make sure youÂ’re focusing on the speedometer instead of the tachometer. In the new Civic, you have an easy view of a big, round tachometer through the steering wheel, and at a glance you can spot the upper-tier strip that includes a digital speedometer readout. The upper level also shows the fuel gauge and a switchable temperature gauge that can become an instant fuel-economy readout. Up high like that, positioned just below road-level view, glance down only slightly to see the speedometer number, while the road remains in your peripheral vision.
But along with surprisingly good power and handling, and the roomy interior and trunk capacity of a compact car that has grown in its eighth generation to now stand longer than the 1985 Accord, which was considered roomy for an intermediate sedan, the clinching feature came when I filled up with gas.
True, gas has dropped from the $3-per-gallon level, even if temporarily, but it still costs a jolting amount to fill a tank, so it was with surprise that I achieved 37.5 miles per gallon in combined city-freeway driving, and, on a strictly freeway test between Minneapolis and Chicago the Civic EX sedan hit 42 miles per gallon.
Against an EPA estimate that projects 40 for freeway driving, it is great to find a vehicle that can beat such a lofty number. I really like the Hybrid, but the EX sedan can make the same mileage, while driving it with much less daintiness.
So you can choose your sporty Civic, or your sedan in either Hybrid or normal Honda form, but in whatever model you choose, you more than satisfy your desire for flashy styling, new-tech efficiency, fuel-economy, fun-to-drive capability, family functions, and a new determination for safety. All at a bargain price.
I have no idea which finalist will win Car of the Year, but my vote was unequivocal.
Badger sweep at Minnesota secures No. 1 spot
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — The WCHA reached its holiday halftime break, and a quick review of the first half might show that the most significant series was Wisconsin’s sweep at Minnesota, which thrust the Badgers into a commanding lead in the WCHA.
Wisconsin had held off Minnesota 4-3 in the first game, and crushed the Gophers 4-0 in the Saturday night rematch. Somebody actually asked Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves if it might be a problem that the Badgers were winning so much, as if living the cliché of peaking too soon.
ThatÂ’s the kind of first half Wisconsin had. With a 10-0-2 WCHA start and a 13-1-2 overall mark that featured a 14-game unbeaten streak (12-0-2) there had been so few problems that media types were trying to invent some. Is winning so much a problem? Eaves shot a glance that seemed to be incredulous, but for no more than a millisecond, then he answered, thoughtfully.
“ItÂ’s like riding a wave,†Eaves said. “WeÂ’re riding a wave and weÂ’re trying to stay on it as long as we can. And if it goes away, weÂ’ll try to find another one, and ride it some more.Ââ€
Outside Mariucci Arena, the temperature was plunging toward single-digits, which was pretty much duplicated by the chilled silence inside, as over 10,000 Gopher fans each night absorbed the sweep. The No. 1 Badgers had foreseen a serious challenge from the No. 4 ranked Gophers, the preseason coaches favorite to win the WCHA, and besides, it was nearly five years since Wisconsin had last swept at Minnesota.
But here was Eaves, beach-talking about trying to catch a wave.
The wave showed a puncture wound almost immediately, as last-place Michigan Tech went into Madison and surprised the Badgers in their next game, but that loss, the first since a 2-1 second-game loss to St. Lawrence in overtime, barely caused the Badgers to stumble, and then the wave continued.
The rest of the WCHA, instead of trying to catch a wave, can only think about trying to catch the Badgers in the second half.
Minnesota holds second, six behind Wisconsin; Colorado College is third at 15 points, Denver fourth with 14, Minnesota-Duluth fifth with 13, North Dakota sixth with 12. ThatÂ’s a great fight, but right now, itÂ’s for second place, the way the Badgers are surfing.
Wisconsin has established some pretty impressive achievements. The Badgers tied and won at St. Cloud State, swept Alaska-Anchorage, swept at North Dakota, tied and won against Colorado College, swept Minnesota State-Mankato, took a break to tour Michigan and spank both Michigan State and then-No. 1 Michigan at Thanksgiving, before coming back into the league to whip Minnesota. The split with Tech just allows Eaves to bring his Badgers back to reality.
Sweeping at Minnesota was big, but the way the Badgers did it was bigger. The first game was 4-3, but it was 4-1 before Minnesota scored twice in the last 10 minutes to make it close.
“It was 4-1, but we made a couple mistakes and it ended up 4-3 with us under pressure,†said Eaves. “But sometimes youÂ’ve got to learn how to get out of a tough situation. Coming in here, we thought it would be tough like this.Ââ€
Eaves anticipated a one-goal battle, but instead, Minnesota’s spirited finish was the only time the Gophers were fiercely competitive all weekend – one half of one period, out of six periods. At that, Robbie Earl’s opening goal staked the Badgers to a 1-0 lead. When Minnesota tied it 1-1 on Ryan Potulny’s power-play goal at the end of the first period, Joe Pavelski and Ross Carlson scored in the span of 1:14 midway through the second period. Pavelski scored again early in the third for the 4-1 lead.
And then the Badgers seemed complacent on a power play, as if they thought the game was already in hand. That opened the door just a crack, and Gopher goals by P.J. Atherton and Justin Bostrom made it a hectic finish. Obviously, Eaves suggested an adjustment, because there was no letting up the next night. No openings. No comeback.
There has been an evolutionary change in Badger hockey as Eaves coaches into his fourth season. One key difference is that in this “year of the freshman†in the WCHA, the Badgers have four seniors and seven juniors in the lineup. But the biggest difference in the Badgers is at the top – Eaves himself.
When Eaves was selected to replace Jeff Sauer as coach of the Badgers, it was after the decision came down to Eaves and Mark Johnson – former Wisconsin teammates in their glory days under Badger Bob Johnson, Mark’s dad. For whatever reason, the choice of Eaves met with some harsh reaction among some long-standing Badger backers close to the program.
Frankly, with Johnson taking over the Wisconsin womenÂ’s program, both have done fantastic jobs in leading their teams to contention. But EavesÂ’s task was far more daunting. Sauer won three NCAA championships, and is a man well-liked by all, but he ran a comparatively loose ship, by some standards. Eaves, on the other hand, is a firm believer in strictly disciplined play, practice, and off-ice demeanor. There were some repercussions whenever the transition was less than smooth. Some suggested that the Badger program went from country club to boot camp. When a team doesnÂ’t succeed under the whip of such discipline, the easy alternative is for the coach to relax his standards a little. Eaves never considered varying, even if it meant isolating himself and his team as a work in progress.
“These four years have been a learning experience, for me as well as for the players,†said Eaves. “I guess itÂ’s like redoing a house; you may take down a wall, and then find that thereÂ’s a lot more that you have to do to get it the way you want.Ââ€
It was tough for some returning players, who resented going back to square 1 as if they were rookies all over again. Some of the discipline was tough. Some players complained, some left. But the ones who stayed to catch that wave now realize how well they fit the system, and how well the system fits their objectives.
“I canÂ’t say I look back now and realize how difficult it was my first or second year, but I do know that itÂ’s a lot more enjoyable now,†said Eaves. “Having older guys on the team helps a lot, because you can lean on them a little more. ThereÂ’s a cumulative effect from having been with these young men for four years. They become pseudo coaches. When I set up a drill, sometimes they donÂ’t even wait for me to blow the whistle. They know what weÂ’re going to do and they start on their own.Ââ€
As a player, at Wisconsin and later in the NHL, Eaves was a pensive student of the game, always inquisitive, always wanting answers, and applying himself to his own rules, which often were stricter than the teamÂ’s. As a coach, he is a premier teacher, in an era where many prominent college coaches recruit well, line up the players, and turn them loose. The scarcity of teaching coaches is growing, which makes the result of teaching coaches more dramatically noticeable.
“I think teaching players the little things to do in different situations is the most fun part of the job,†said Eaves. “I think it shows that my assistants, Mark Osiecki and Kevin Patrick, also enjoy teaching. We enjoy working on fundamentals, and also on little things that can help players improve. WeÂ’re on the ice from 2:30 to 5 every day, and sometimes the three coaches are the last guys off the ice.Ââ€
Critics say the dedication to defense makes the Badgers boring to watch. It is widely believed that the defensive style compared to the Gophers more wide-open style was a reason that Phil Kessel left the shadows of Kohl Center to become the first Wisconsin kid ever to play for the Gophers.
But a couple Wisconsin lads did stay home. Pavelski, for example, is a sophomore center on the first line who scored the two goals Friday and added another Saturday against Minnesota, while Kessel was, basically, prevented from generating any threats. Adam Burish is a senior from Madison, and broke in to feed Robbie Earl for a goal at 0:27 of the first game, when MinnesotaÂ’s defense turned a 2-on-1 into a 2-on-0. Second-liners Jake Dowell and Jack Skille are Wisconsinites, as are defensemen Kyle Klubertanz, Joe Piskula, Matt Olinger, and Davis Drewiske.
“Joe Pavelski doesn’t have the speed of Phil Kessel, but he has his own attributes,†said Eaves, proudly.
Kessel was being effectively shut down by the Badgers, and may have noticed there was nothing boring about the way the Badgers instinctively made all the right moves defensively, and countered offensively with creative playmaking to shred MinnesotaÂ’s defense. Repeatedly, MinnesotaÂ’s 2-on-1 chances became 2-on-3 by the time they got to the circles, while WisconsinÂ’s 2-on-1 rushes led to several goals and great scoring opportunities.
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Three Minnesotans figured in the sweep as well. Senior Nick Licari set up junior Ross Carlson once each game for spectacular goals by the former Duluth East duo. And senior defenseman Tom Gilbert from Bloomington has developed into one of the elite defensemen in the WCHA. A big factor in the “Border Battle†had nothing to do with the border, and more to do with a kid from Newmarket, Ontario. Junior goaltender Brian Elliott was outstanding, and now has fashioned WCHA-best records of 1.42 goals-against and a .945 save percentage.
Wisconsin went back home and was promptly upset by last-place Michigan Tech, but rebounded for a 7-0 romp and a split. The rest of the league resumed its battle to see who might emerge as contenders, with Minnesota sweeping at North Dakota, and UMD surprising Colorado College with a split, as did Alaska-Anchorage at Denver. It seems uncertain who might rise to challenge the Badgers, and Eaves knows that position well.
“Last year, it was a tough situation,†Eaves said. “We didn’t get it done. But even that helped us learn for this year.
“Sometimes it comes down to individual stuff. People make plays on two sides, and weÂ’ve always played well when we donÂ’t have the puck. But this year, weÂ’re doing things WITH the puck, too.Ââ€
The big wave the Badgers are riding shows no sign of letting up, despite the upset loss to Tech. If itÂ’s still rolling around the end of March, the NCAA Frozen Four will conveniently be held in Milwaukee this year.
About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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