In The Beginning The men's hockey program at the University of Wisconsin-Superior has a rich and storied tradition, rivaling that of any program in college hockey.  The program has roots dating back to 1928, when the first team was put together at Superior State Teacher's College.  Here is an excerpt on the school's inaugural season as it appeared in the The Gitchee Gumee, Superior State's annual yearbook (special thanks to Peter Nordgren for providing this to the UW-Superior Sports Information Department). Hockey as part of the athletic activities of the College had never gained any headway until this year.  No doubt, this was due to lack of equipment, and playing facilities, and no enthusiasm among the student body.  However, in spite of all obstacles, a few students attempted to get this sport started in the days when Professor Thorpe Langley and W.W. Gude, Duluth Central hockey coach were students; but all effort was in vain.  No ice rink could be made and the school lacked funds and enthusiasm.  Thereupon, all interest in hockey was lost - until this year. This change was due to the efforts and hard work of Professor Langley and Clough Gates, our regent.  These men obtained the use of the Superior Curling Club ice for practice.  Immediately with the news that a place for practice had been obtained, a call for candidates was sent out.  This call was responded by about fifteen candidates. These candidates were organized into a team, and a $25.00 appropriation was obtained through Coach (Irl) Tubbs.  Andrew Broccone was made coach and Hyman Berman, manager.  Then, about four or five games were booked, and the playing season started in the latter part of January.  Two of these games were played with the Duluth Cathedral, and the other two with Duluth Central.  The first game with the Cathedral sextet was won, and the rest lost, but the fellows at all times played a good game, considering the fact that the team was the school's first one, and the backing and enthusiasm in the school was very small indeed. The school would field several teams over a 30-year period between 1928 and 1959, compiling a 21-29 record in the program's first era, the first winning season coming in 1929 when Mitchell Miller's team went 4-2.  Hockey Returns Following a six-year hiatus, Yellowjacket hockey returned in 1965.  Wally Akervik was named head coach, coming in and building a program from scratch.  Akervik was on board with the Yellowjackets for 11 seasons after the resurrection of the program, slowly turning the team into a contender at the NAIA level. During this time several key players were recruited into the program, including goaltender Lou Karakas, defensemen Gary Fritch and Greg Lien and forward Mas Fukushima (pictured), arguably the best forward to ever play at Superior.  The diminutive Fukushima was the school's first three-time All-American ('72, '74, '75) and to this day still ranks in the top ten in points (8th) and assists (8th).  In 1969, the university started construction on a new, on-campus arena.  After years of playing at Superior's Municipal Ice Arena, the Yellowjackets would finally have a home of their own.  The state-of-the-art facility was slated to open in time for the 1970-71 season and was named Siinto S. Wessman Arena.  Located on the south end of Superior's campus, Wessman Arena took its name from a local civic leader who served with the UW Board of Regents for many years.  The arena officially opened on November 15, 1970 as the Yellowjackets played host to the University of Wisconsin Badgers.  The game, a mismatch of epic proportions, saw the Yellowjackets fall 13-1. Superior enjoyed its first .500 season in 1972-73, the first in a string of four seasons the team would finish with a winning record.  It was the last year in that span, however, that put Superior on the national hockey map. NAIA National Champions Captained by Steve Anderson and accompanied by a supporting cast that included Jeff Bottem, Scott VanDamme, John Hanson, Mike Heinzen and Fritch (all of which were named to the NAIA All-Tournament team), the 1975-76 Yellowjackets turned the hockey world on its ear as the NAIA Tournament descended on Wessman Arena.  In the end, it would be an all-Twin Ports battle for the crown.  St. Scholastica defeated Gustavus 6-5 in the semifinals, while the Yellowjackets knocked off Bemidji State 4-3. The 'Jackets came out flying in the final, getting three goals (from Anderson, Bottem and VanDamme) in the first ten minutes and led 3-2 after the first period.  After the Saints tied the game early in the second period, Bottem scored his second of the game late in the period to give the 'Jackets a 4-3 lead after two.  Ralph Worthing scored early in the third to give the 'Jackets a two-goal lead.  Later, Mark Palmer scored the eventual game-winning goal while shorthanded, making the score 6-4.  Bottem completed his hat trick and Mark Wellman added a goal in the final three minutes, making the final score 8-5 and giving the Yellowjackets the program's first-ever national championship.  Heinzen, who played every playoff game for the Yellowjackets during the season, finished the title game with 33 saves.  VanDamme was named the tournament MVP.  "I don't think I deserved the honor.  I think Heinzen did.  This is the greatest thrill of my life.  It beats playing in the state high school hockey tournament," VanDamme said to The Evening Telegram after the game. "The championship was a great tribute to the players.  It was a great team effort.  We've been battling this way all season," Akervik told writer Stan May from The Evening Telegram.  The game was Akervik's last as Superior's head coach.  He would leave following the season and pursue opportunities in Eau Claire, Wis.  He left Superior with an all-time record of 118-134-5 and was inducted to the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983. Going On The Offensive Beginning the year prior to the national title, the Yellowjackets began to show a penchant for scoring goals...a lot of goals.  In five of the next seven seasons they averaged at least five goals per game, including a school record average of seven goals-per-game for Gary Harker's 19-win team of 1978-79.  Among the players contributing to the gaudy scoring totals include Fukushima, Bottem, Kevin Kranics, Tom Doig, Ralph Worthing, Ron Pulak and Mike Hendrickson.  Also in the group are a pair of Superiorites - Scott and Casey VanDamme.  Scott is the only player in school history to eclipse the 100-goal barrier and Casey was the school's all-time leading scorer for more than 15 years.  Both VanDamme's are enshrined in the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame. In total, 15 players who have reached the 100-point plateau at Superior played during this golden era of offense.  Into The NCHA In their early years, the Yellowjackets were members of the International Collegiate Hockey Association.  Upon that league's demise, the Yellowjackets, along with five other teams formed the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association in 1981.  The 'Jackets were the league's doormat early on, finishing in last place the first three seasons, falling at the hands of powerhouses like St. Cloud, Mankato and Bemidji, who today play at the NCAA Division I level.  After the first three years, however, the 'Jackets began a gradual climb up the league standings. Follwing the 1985-86 season, head coach Gary Harker resigned his post to pursue other opportunities.  Harker spent four seasons as a player for the Yellowjackets from 1965-69, scoring 46 points.  Harker then spent time as a high school coach at Superior Senior High before taking over the Yellowjackets in 1978.  Today, Harker works for the City of Burnsville, Minn. and as a scout for the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.  He was inducted into the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. Nelson's Arrival With Harker leaving, UW-Superior was in the market for a new head coach, and it came in the form of Steve Nelson, a high school coach from Fridley, Minn.  Nelson took over a Yellowjacket team that won just seven games the previous season and the first weekend of play for the new coach wasn't much better.  A pair of losses to UW-Stevens Point by a combined score of 16-3 started the season off on a bad note.  But as bad as opening weekend was, the second one was one of the most exhilarating in school history.  The 'Jackets traveled to the John Glas Fieldhouse on the campus of Bemidji State, the defending Division III National Champions.  The underdog Yellowjackets walked in and won...twice, giving Nelson his first win and first sweep. More tough times were ahead, as the Yellowjackets didn't reach the .500 mark until the 1990-91 season.  It would also mark the first time the 'Jackets qualified for post-season play in the NCHA.  For Nelson, it was the season that saved his job.  "I told myself before the season started that it would be my last year if we didn't make the playoffs," Nelson said.  Although that first Yellowjacket team to qualify for the post-season was dispatched in two games by Mankato, the seeds for future success were planted, and Superior's finest days on the ice were just around the corner. Team and Individual Success With the 'Jackets first run into the NCHA post-season, and later, the NCAA tournament, the program began a run of success that it had never before experienced.  Following their playoff appearance in 1991, UW-Superior made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1992, placing fourth in the country.  The trip would lay the foundation for unparalleled NCAA success later in the decade. With the success the team enjoyed came success for its individual parts.  David Esse became the school's first AHCA All-American in 1991.  He was soon followed by the dynamic scoring duo of Glen Lang (pictured) and Chris Campbell.  The two sit atop the school's all-time scoring chart with 188 and 186 points respectively.  Lang's total is particularly impressive considering he put up those numbers in just three seasons (he was a transfer from Division I Minnesota-Duluth).  His high point came in 1991-92 when he set school records with 33 goals and 71 points and was named NCHA Player of the Year, the first Yellowjacket to ever receive the honor. Also during this time the program opened a recruiting pipeline to Calgary, Alberta.  The pipeline to southern Alberta provided forwards, defense, leadership and scoring prowess.  The pipeline provided the likes of Fred Harbinson, Kevin Sobb, Vance Mattson and Lindsey Braun, all of whom became All-Americans in their time at Superior.  The players coming to Superior through the pipeline were huge contributors to the 'Jackets in their NCAA glory years. Four Straight - Part 1 Following the 1993 graduations of Lang and Campbell, pundits and prognosticators forecasted doom for the Yellowjackets.  There was no way the team could recover from those losses.  But a massive recruiting class helped provide some offense and All-American goaltending from Jeff Markham not only made the 'Jackets competitive, it made them contenders for the championship.  "That team was so special because of who we were not rather than who we were.  That was the first team after Glen Lang and Chris Campbell, and most people had us dead in the water.  Instead, it turned out to be probably one of the best teams in school history.  I really loved this team because they were all unselfish and worked toward a common goal," Nelson said. And common goals they achieved.  After an 8-1-1 start, the 'Jackets skated away with the first NCHA regular season and playoff championships in school history.  They qualified for their second NCAA tournament and this time, would host the event at Wessman Arena.  A capacity crowd was on hand as the 'Jackets battled Salem State in the semifinals.  The game would head to overtime, where Corey Campbell scored the game-winner, sending Superior to the NCAA title game.  In the end, the 'Jackets would have to settle for a second place finish, falling to NCHA rival River Falls, 6-4 in the title game. The 1993-94 season was the first of four straight trips to the NCAA Final Four, a remarkable feat considering the competitive nature of Division III hockey in the west region at the time.  Superior would finish fourth in 1995 and 1996 before again placing second in 1997.  That year, the 'Jackets traveled out to Middlebury, Vt. and played the host Panthers in the title game, losing 3-2.  "They don't look like much now, but they played like champions last night," Nelson would say at an impromptu gathering at Wessman Arena upon the team's return. In all, five players would appear on each of the final four teams - Dave Graichen, Dustin Fahl, Jason Radtke, Rodney Graham and Brent Shaback. The Graichen Game Sitting atop the charts in many goaltending categories and being a three-time All-American, surely there are many highlights throughout your career that stand out.  That is the case for Dave Graichen, however, one game stands a little taller than all the rest. It was March 21, 1997 and Graichen's career at Superior was winding down.  The 'Jackets were appearing in their fourth straight NCAA Final Four, playing new entrant Norwich University in the semifinals, which were being hosted by Middlebury College.  For most of the game, Norwich carried the play and relentlessly peppered the Superior goal with shots, but Graichen stood tall.  One shot after another was sent toward the Yellowjacket goal, and Graichen was there to make the save on all of them, except one.  The teams were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation...and the first overtime as well.  The 'Jackets would win the game 2-1 in the second overtime (on a goal by Brian Barker), and advance to the national championship game.  Graichen would finish the game with 69 saves, a number that still stands as the record for saves in a NCAA Division III Final Four game. Four Straight - Part 2 After one year away from NCAA action, the Yellowjackets returned in 1998-99, the first of what would once again be four straight trips to the Division III Final Four.  Making the trip to the NCAA tournament, and ultimately the Final Four, would become much tougher in the latter part of the 1990's.  More leagues, particularly in the east region, were now receiving automatic berths into the tournament, meaning that there would be fewer at-large bids.  What this meant is that the only safe way to qualify for the NCAA's was to win your league tournament and secure the automatic berth.  The 'Jackets of the late 1990's and early 2000's had a propensity for winning the NCHA tournament.  An at-large berth in 1999 allowed the 'Jackets to advance to the Final Four, where they would defeat Norwich University 4-2 on the strength of a natural hat trick by Steve Wiggins in what could be considered one of the best one-game performances in school history.  The next night, however, the 'Jackets would have to settle for second place for the third time, losing to Middlebury 5-0 in the title game.  The loss was big, but the stage was set for great things later on. The following season, the 'Jackets would win the first of their three straight Peters Cup titles.  They would advance to the Final Four, held for the second time at Wessman Arena.  This time it was Norwich who came in and beat the 'Jackets on their home ice and they were once again relegated to a fourth place finish.  It also marked the end of the line for Steve Nelson as head coach. Nelson would leave the team after 14 seasons as the school's all-time winningest coach, fashioning a record of 249-168-21.  He would be replaced by Dan Stauber, who would keep the program moving in the same direction as his predecessor. 30 Wins The first season of the Stauber Era was, to date, the greatest in the school's hockey history.  A school record 30 wins, a school record 19-game winning streak, a school record 23-game unbeaten streak.  The school's second NCHA regular season title and the second straight Peters Cup title were just some of the accolades that came the way of the 2000-01 Yellowjackets.  "That team was incredible to work with," Stauber said.  "We had a great start and then struggled for a couple weeks.  After that, we really took off and it wasn't a question of whether or not we would win but by how much.  We had a lot of confidence and truly felt we would win every night."  But once again that elusive championship wasn't in the cards. Riding a 21-game unbeaten streak into the Final Four, the 'Jackets fell to Plattsburgh 5-3 in the semifinals.  The Cardinals attack was propelled by three goals on three shots in the game's first period.  The loss forced the 'Jackets into a third-place finish, defeating league-rival UW-River Falls 3-1 in the third place game.  The team finished 30-4-1, the second best record in the nation.  Several players received individual honors following the season, and Stauber was named NCHA Coach of the Year.  And although the season was an overwhelming success, there will always be the "what if" question.  "I felt very bad for those boys, particularly the seniors because they did such a great job of leading that team.  We had players get honors, but nobody got the big one because the best part about that group was how great of a team they were.  They worked extremely hard and every one of us in that room felt we were without a doubt the best team in the nation, but the best team doesn't always win," Stauber said. Kendall Scores!  'Jackets Are National Champions! Coming off the most successful season to date, nothing short of winning a national title would make the 2001-02 season a success.  The season started on a down note, with a pair of road losses to St. Norbert and Lake Forest.  But then the boys would reel off an 11-game unbeaten streak and begin their march toward another Final Four.  The team would show a penchant for overtime games during the season, something that would serve them well in the post-season. "We played a lot of overtime games, so we got accustomed to the tight finishes.  We knew going into the playoffs that every game would be tight and we felt that we were prepared because of the way our season played out," Stauber said. The 'Jackets eliminated Lake Forest in the first round.  It was the first season of the NCHA's "final four" playoff format (played at St. Norbert) and Stevens Point was the first opponent.  Another tight game headed to overtime, and goal by Tim Schneider sent them to the final against the hosts.  In the final, it was another close one, and another one that called for overtime.  This time it was Kris Wilson who was the hero.  Wilson let a shot go from just in front of his bench, about 2/3 of a rink away that somehow found the top corner and sent the 'Jackets back to the NCAA tournament.  This was the year that the NCAA expanded the tournament field, allowing for another at-large team to get in.  It also meant an odd number of teams in the west, and the most unpleasant play-in game.  The 'Jackets may have won the NCHA automatic bid, but they were forced into this game.  A 2-1 win over St. Thomas (Reed Larson with the game-winner) sent the 'Jackets back to St. Norbert for the NCAA Quarterfinals.  Surprise, surprise, the two teams tied in the first game, meaning Saturday's game (it was a two-game series back then) was a winner-take-all match with a berth in the Final Four on the line.  The 'Jackets completely shut down the Green Knights, taking a 4-2 win and booking another trip to Middlebury for a shot at the elusive championship. The first game was a rematch of the 2001 semifinal against defending champion Plattsburgh.  This time around, it was all Yellowjackets, as the west's only entrant crushed the Cardinals 5-0 to advance to the final.  Waiting for them there was Norwich, the team that won the championship on Superior's ice in 2000.  Norwich got on the board first at 13:38 of the first period, but the 'Jackets came back and tied it up 47 seconds later on a goal by Randy Currie.  Norwich would again take the lead in the second period, and control much of the play in the second and third periods.  If not for the stalwart goaltending of Nate Ziemski, the game could have been a blowout.  But Ziemski kept the team in the game, giving them that shot to tie it up.  Late in the third, with Norwich still leading 2-1, Colin Kendall morphed into a superhero.  Kendall sent a harmless shot into the Norwich zone from center, a dump in so he could make a change.  The puck glanced off a Norwich defender and ended up in the net, tying the game with 1:26 to play in regulation.  Yes, we were heading to overtime again. The OT didn't last long.  Just 23 seconds in, Kendall picked up a rebound near the Norwich goal and beat Cadet goaltender Randy Schieve, ending years of frustration and giving the 'Jackets their first NCAA title.  It was the ninth trip to the Final Four and fourth trip to the title game for Superior. Six seniors played their final games that night.  In addition to the aforementioned Wilson and Currie, Bruce Leonard, Milan Tomaska, Shane Lodhar and Jay Stewart went out champions.  Five of them (all but Lodhar) also played in four Final Fours.  Wilson would play professional hockey briefly after the championship run and then later would land a starring role in the 2004 film Miracle, a film chronicling the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team's run to the gold medal.  He played the part of two-time Olympian and Duluth native Phil Verchota Click here to listen to the 2002 Frozen Four goal montage! 2002-2006 Since the 2002 championship, the 'Jackets have not returned to the Final Four, but there have been successes.  They returned to the NCHA Finals in 2003, falling in the final to St. Norbert.  In 2004-05, UWS was the final unbeaten team in the nation and for a time was the number one ranked team in the USCHO Division III poll.  Also in 2004-05, Mike Wiggins broke the 30-goal barrier and was named NCHA Player of the Year, just the second Yellowjacket to earn the honor.  Three players - Kyle Nosan, Dale Lupul and Wiggins were named All-Americans.  That team set the record for fewest losses in a season (3) and again advanced to the Peters Cup title game, again falling to St. Norbert.  The 2004-05 season also marked the 50th anniversary of Yellowjacket hockey. The end of the 2004-05 season also brought to an end the careers of the players who won the 2002 championship as freshmen.  The result was a team coming back in 2005-06 that was short much of its scoring punch from the year before.  With a good returning core of players and what appeared to be a nice recruiting class, the 'Jackets embarked on a season when nobody expected them to do much - kind of like the 1993-94 season was supposed to.  There were struggles, but the 'Jackets found a way to finish in third place and once again advance to the NCHA finals.  A win, and the 'Jackets would advance to their first NCAA tournament since 2002.  The game went to overtime and the 'Jackets won the Peters Cup when Mike Bickley (pictured) won the faceoff and B.J. Radovich scored the goal to give the 'Jackets the 3-2 win.  (click here to listen to the goal)  A week later, the 'Jackets were back at St Norbert, but this time they weren't as fortunate, finishing one game away from a trip to the Final Four. That 2006 post-season run with all of the one-goal wins was the last bit of playoff success the 'Jackets have enjoyed, until 2009.  Back To The Top The 2008-09 season was supposed to be a down one in Superior.  At the beginning of the season, the team was chosen by the league coaches to finish fifth, but instead used it as motivation and put together one of the most special seasons in league history.  They lost on Halloween, but didn't drop another game until mid-January.  In the end, they would mow through the NCHA, going 11-1-2 and locking up the school's third conference title.  They would also advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in three seasons, but just like their last trip, would finish one game short of the Final Four. --HTD--