Called To The Hall   The UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame committee has announced that the 1998-99 men's hockey team has chosen for induction into the school's hall of fame during the induction ceremony in October.  The team will be the fifth men's hockey team to be enshrined. "I always get very excited when one of my teams gets named for induction.  It's a great day for our program and for the young men that played on that team," athletics director Steve Nelson, who coached the 1998-99 team, said.  "They were a hard working group that clawed their way out of a difficult conference and found their way into the national championship game.  I'm as proud of them today as I was throughout that season." The team finished the season with a 22-8-3 overall mark and a 9-6-1 record in the NCHA.  Despite being tied with the second most wins in the conference, the team finished fifth in the NCHA that season, receiving a home playoff series in the first round.  Team captains were Steve Wiggins and Chris Chelios.  Sophomore Jeff Glowa was the leading scorer. "That was a particularly tough season in conference play," Nelson said.  "St. Norbert won the league and had River Falls right on their heels.  Stevens Point and Bemidji were tied for third and we were one point behind them, so we could very easily have wound up in third place.  It was a tough conference that year." After dispatching Stout in the first round, the Yellowjackets had a date with St. Norbert in the second round.  The Green Knights sent the Yellowjackets packing with a victory in the mini-game.  Still, the Yellowjackets got the call on selection Sunday and pulled a home playoff series in the first round of the NCAA tournament.  After a 5-5 tie in the Friday game with St. Thomas, the Yellowjackets won on Saturday, punching their ticket for the final four. "It was the first year where the NCAA selections were unbalanced, so we only had three teams from the west region involved," Nelson said.  "We hosted St. Thomas and St. Norbert got to play at home, but they had to host Middlebury who had won the last four titles.  It was a bad draw for them, but we could only worry about what we were dealt and that was a series with St. Thomas." The Yellowjackets were the only western team to advance to the final four, joining eastern powerhouses Middlebury, RIT and host school Norwich. "Back then, when you were talking Division III hockey, in the east it was those three and Plattsburgh that consistently made the tournament," Nelson said.  "And that was right when St. Norbert was starting to come into its own as a program.  But for us, we were there consistently as well." The four-time defending champion Panthers ousted RIT in the first game of the day, while the Yellowjackets took on Norwich in the second semifinal. "There was a lot of buzz that year because Norwich was hosting and they just opened that great new arena," Nelson said.  "Then Middlebury won the first game and all anyone could take about was an 'All-Vermont final.'  We rained on their parade." After falling behind, the Yellowjackets tied the game and eventually took the lead, thanks in large part to the effort of Wiggins.  Playing the role of "Mr. Clutch," Wiggins took the team on his back, scoring three times en route to a 4-2 win over the Cadets. "It was one of the best individual efforts that I have seen on a hockey rink," Nelson said.  "Steve took the team on his shoulders and was determined to win the game.  That was his night." On to the finals it was for the Yellowjackets, but this time they would be denied, as the Panthers got one for the thumb, trouncing the Yellowjackets 5-0 in the title game. "That Middlebury team was very, very good," Nelson said.  "We were a little tired from the emotional game the night before, but they came out and shut us down completely.  Couple that with the number of penalties that we had to kill off and we just had too big of a hill to climb. "But I said it after the title game in 1997 and will say it again about this group.  They had nothing to hang their heads about.  Middlebury was a very good team and there is no shame in getting beat by them.  We made it further than any other team in the nation but one.  That's something to be proud of." The national championship teams of 1976 and 2002 have already been enshrined in the hall, as have the 1994 and 1997 teams that finished second in the nation. Click here to view the 1998-99 team page.