'Jackets Could Make Playoffs

The Promethean – January 26, 1990

By Dan Laughlin
Promethean Staff Writer

Coming on strong the second half of the season, the 'Jacket hockey team is fighting for a Northern Collegiate Hockey Association play-off berth.

The 'Jackets, who are currently in sixth place with a 6-13-1 overall and 6-11-1 NCHA record, have split their last four weekend series games to Mankato 4-0, 2-5, Bemidji State 3-6, 5-4, St. Scholastica 8-1, 5-6 and River Falls 6-4, 1-5.

"We play excellent one game and then we tail off the next," head coach Steve Nelson said.  "We have to get that killer instinct where we can win both games."

The 'Jackets, who have six conference games remaining, need to be one of the top four teams in the conference in order to compete in the NCHA play-offs.  The split last weekend put the 'Jackets four points out of the fourth-place position.

"We are by no means out of a play-off position, but at this point the three points lost to St. Scholastica are looming big on us now," Nelson said.  "When you beat a few teams ahead of us like we have, you never know what can happen."

The 'Jackets will try to better their play-off chances as they host their last home series against the national champions and the current number-one team in the nation, Stevens Point, Friday and Saturday night at Wessman Arena.

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'Jackets Third in NAIA Tourney

The Daily Telegram – March 4, 1984

By Deb Krieg
Telegram Staff Writer

The two winning goaltenders in the 17th annual NAIA hockey tournament here Friday survived superb tests and were rewarded with All-Tournament team plaques while the pair they replaced ended sparkling college careers in the shadows of Hobbs Arena.

Todd Welhouse of the third place UW-Superior Yellowjackets, 3-2 winners over Roger Williams of Rhode Island, and Eau Claire's Mark MacLean who powered the Blugolds past the University of Michigan-Dearborn 6-1 for the team's first national championship, both had less than eight games of experience between them.  But it never showed.

Welhouse was given the nod after Don Carlson was hit in the elbow during warmups Friday while MacLean got Blugold duty when Duluthian Tom Johnson pulled a hamstring after going down for a save in the opening period of Eau Claire's first game.  Carlson, who ended his career in street clothes, said the badly bruised elbow was a "crusher" and Johnson, who did suit up, referred to it all as a "nightmare."

"I felt so good prior to the game," Carlson, a former All-American and two-time NAIA all-tournament team member noted.  "I had myself all set, really fired up to play my last game.  It was hard to take," he added.

Carlson and Johnson both praised their backups.

"We sure put a lot of pressure on them and our teams," Johnson inserted.

But they weren't alone.  Another duo - the coaches, Wally Akervik and Gary Harker - looked as though their best friends had been shot when their star goalies had fallen.  "Jeepers cripes," was Akervik's first words and "What, now..." was Harker's sentiments.  More was to come.  By the end of the game Harker's bench looked like a scene from "Mash," with four players, Mike VanOvermeiren, Brian Swanson, Dave Wangen and Carlson, in slings.

The teams rose to the challenge and ironically the tournament's "most valuable player" was a 6-5 Blugold defenseman, Scott Parker, of White Bear Lake, Minn.  Parker was to MacLean, what All-Tournament team election UWS's Dave Kukowski, was to Welhouse.  The blueliners, two of four named to the team, represented relief, safety and made the goalies' jobs easier.

"These last two games were real defensive battles...even though we won by five," Akervik, who won his championship as host in 1976 in Superior, said.  "Also, we (Eau Claire and UWS) both got surprise offense from other than our No. 1 lines which says something about this wild post-season," he added.

Akervik's team which only features three seniors were led by the trio of Duluthian Rich Penick, Steve Blodgett and Troy Ward.  Penich had a hat trick in the finale while Ward scored one in the opener.  All three landed tournament team honors.  Superior's most potent line for five periods was that of former Spartan Mike VanOvermeiren, Dave Wangen and Todd Bergland.  That line clicked until VanOvermeiren's shoulder separated and he was forced out.  Wangen scored his first goal of the year to give Superior a 1-0 first period lead over the Easterners and he played the entire 60 minutes with a broken wrist.  Gary Gilbertson got the other two goals for the Yellowjackets, the last of which came with only two minutes in regulation on a speedy break.  Roger Williams goals were staggered two minutes apart in the second period, to leave the middle session knotted 2-all.  Welhouse finished with 30 saves while RW's Dave Schappel had over 90 shots fired at him in the tournament. 

Blugold Aaron Gotham, a freshman wing from Superior, was on the ice for two of Eau Claire's six goals.  He's played on three championship teams, including two state crowns won by Superior Senior.

"I'm just numb," he said as he joined his mates in a victory lap.  "We did it.  We really did it," Gotham added.

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Blugolds Outshoot ‘Jackets

The Promethean – January 26, 1984

By Scott Pionk

UW-Eau Claire blew open tight games in the third period last Friday night and Saturday afternoon and went on to down UW-S 7-3 and 8-4 at Wessman Arena.

On Friday the two teams battled evenly for two periods and entered the third period tied 3-3.  The Blugolds struck quickly in the third period though, as Todd Geisness scored his second goal of the game just seven seconds into the period.  Eau Claire added two more goals in the next three minutes and another later for the final 7-3 margin.  UW-S was outshot 18-8 in the final period and 47-32 for the game.

Brian Swanson had two goals and Bill Thoreson one for the Yellowjackets, all coming in the second period.

Saturday’s contest was much the same.  UW-S trailed 5-3 after two periods, but the shots on goal were even at 29 apiece.  Once again, however, it was the third period that did the ‘Jackets in.  With UW-S defenseman Pat Tollerud off for high-sticking at the two-minute mark, the Blugolds’ Steve Blodgett scored on a two-on-one break just 20 seconds into the penalty.  Blodgett added two more goals in the period giving him four for the game.  Eau Claire led 8-3 before Kevin Mattila scored his second goal of the afternoon off a rebound for the final score of 8-4.

Gary Gilbertson scored UW-S’ other two goals in the first period.  Mattila assisted on both goals.  For the game, ‘Jacket goalie Don Carlson had 34 saves to 32 for Eau Claire goalie Tom Johnson.

UW-S’ next games are with UW-River Falls on Feb. 3 and 4 at Wessman Arena.  Both start at 7:30.

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‘Jackets Clinch NCHA Title

The Daily Telegram – March 5, 2001

By Rick Lubbers

Daily Telegram

The music bellowing out of the locker room couldn’t have been more appropriate for the University of Wisconsin-Superior men’s hockey team.

Moments after defeating the University of Wisconsin-River Falls 4-2 Saturday night to claim the NCHA playoff championship, Limp Bizkit’s hard-rocking “Rollin’” was setting the backdrop to the ‘Jackets’ postgame celebration.

With the exception of undefeated RIT, there isn’t an NCAA Division III hockey team on a better roll right now than the ‘Jackets (27-3-1), who have extended their unbeaten streak to 21 games.  The last time UWS lost was on Dec. 2 to UW-Stout.  The only hiccup they’ve sustained since then was Friday’s 2-2 deadlock vs. the Falcons.

Surfing that tide of momentum, the ‘Jackets will host MIAC foe St. John’s University Friday and Saturday in the NCAA Division III National Ice Hockey Tournament Quarterfinals on the virtue of winning the NCHA playoffs and grabbing the automatic qualifier.  UWS is the No. 3 seed and defeated the sixth-seeded Johnnies 4-3 on Jan. 5.

Despite Saturday’s loss, UW-River Falls (21-8-2) earned the eight-team field’s only at-large bid.  They Falcons (seeded No. 4) will host New England College (No. 5) this weekend.

In the much quieter coaches room Saturday, UWS coach Dan Stauber – who would be named NCHA Coach of the Year the next day – was excited for his players, himself and the program.

“It feels good, but I’m so excited for these kids because they worked extremely hard all year.  Every coach will say that, but this group here has a vision, and I hope we get to see that,” Stauber said.

Following Friday’s lackluster performance and subsequent 2-2 tie, the ‘Jackets seemed to skate faster and hit harder Saturday.

Jeff Glowa kickstarted the UWS scoring by notching a power-play goal at 7:36 of the first period.  Colin Kendall and Tim Schneider assisted.  Chris Hackett upped the UWS advantage to 2-0 at the 12:19 mark with an even-strength goal that was set up by Schneider and Ryan Kalbrener.

Stauber said a fast start was exactly what the ‘Jackets needed.

“We just felt that we needed to come out here in our building and play with a lot of emotion, which we did,” Stauber said.  “And they matched us.  It was a hard-fought battle right to the end.”

UW-River Falls recovered somewhat in the second period when Matt Elsen slipped the puck past UWS goalie Nate Ziemski at 10:27.  The power-play goal was assisted by Superior-native Tyler Sawchyn and Duluth’s Rheese Carlson.

But the Yellowjackets regained a two-goal lead when Josh Liebenow scored an even-strength goal at 15:02, with assists coming from Kendall and Reed Larson.

That 3-1 lead was short-lived, however, as two UWS penalties put the Falcons on a 5-on-3 power play.  Jared Anderson’s ensuing goal at 16:35 of the second pulled the Falcons to within one goal of the lead.  Jeff Bernard and Adam Kragthorpe were credited with the assists.  The ‘Jackets killed off the remaining 26 seconds of the second penalty.

The game remained at 3-2 through the third period until the waning seconds, when UW-River Falls pulled its goalie and Liebenow notched an unassisted empty-net goal at 19:53 to cement the game.

Liebenow, a sophomore, savored his two-goal performance and postgame celebration.

“Last year I wasn’t playing when we won it, so I really didn’t get the full feeling,” Liebenow said.  “But this year I scored two goals in the game and I got to hoist that trophy up in front of our home crowd – there’s not a better feeling in the world.

“The UWS fans are great; you couldn’t ask for better fans.  We’ve got the greatest fans in the whole league.  I couldn’t ask to play anywhere else.  The guys on this team, the fans, the coaches – it’s a great nucleus here.”

The 2,048 fans who literally squeezed into Wessman Arena – they filled all the seats and lined up around the glass of half the rink – cheered loudly as the ‘Jackets were presented with their NCHA playoff trophy and paraded around the rink showing it off.

The ‘Jackets showed their appreciation for the fans’ support with a stick salute.

“They were definitely our seventh player,” said Ivan Prokic.  “You always want to perform well in front of your home crowd.”

The home ice advantage wasn’t lost on UW-River Falls coach Steve Freeman.

“They just came out of the chute faster than we did,” Freeman said.  “I think you do that a lot when you have home ice, especially in front of a big crowd like that.  They were really charged up to come out and play.  And that’s the advantage of getting home ice and why you play so hard to get home ice heading into the playoffs. 

“It was a great hockey game.  It had everything.  There were lots of nice plays and lots of big hits.”

Ziemski finished the game with 25 saves on 27 shots, while River Falls’ goalie Jacque Vezina ended up with 22 saves on 26 shots.

The Falcons were whistled four times for eight minutes, while the ‘Jackets were penalized eight times for 16 minutes.  UWS was 1-for-2 in power play situations, but the ‘Jackets spent more time fending off power plays, as they held the Falcons in check all but twice in their six extra-man opportunities.

“I was very impressed by Superior,” Freeman said.  “They are very, very physically strong and that’s what makes them so tough defensively.  We had a hard time getting to their net all weekend.”

Following the game, Stauber was quick to deflect any attention put on him, despite coaching the ‘Jackets to both the NCHA regular season and playoff titles in his first campaign as the UWS head coach.

“I’ve played the game and I understand the game, and it’s not about the coaches,” Stauber said.  “We work hard, but it’s about the players – the 30 players that we have here – the ones that have to practice day in and day out.  That’s what it’s about, 30 players coming together and making it happen.”