"First practice", Derek Lee, Ben Street, Kelters and more . . .

• Yesterday, The Badgers took the ice @ the KC with the coaching staff for the 1st time this season. Per Andy Baggot's blog post, practices officially start 1 week before the season opener, but the NCAA allows 2 hrs/wk of instruction by the coaching staff starting Sept 15.
  
  Baggot tells us that Derek Lee can't skate with the coaches until a paperwork snafu is resolved, and he also gives us a preliminary look at line combinations.

  P. Johnson-Street-Davies
  Bohmbach-Geoffrion-Turnbull
  Murray-Stepan-Smith
  Mitchell-Dolan-Grotting
  Meuer-Thurber-Bendickson

• I've been waiting for quite sometime for Madison Newspapers to have an article about any random Badger and what they've been doing in the offseason / their outlook on the upcoming season, and yesterday Andy Baggot obliged with an article on Ben Street.
  
  About his summer and rehabbing his knee:
  

  Earlier this summer, Street spent four weeks working out with other college and pro players in Vancouver, looking to measure his rehabilitation.
  
  "The (athletic) trainers basically said, 'We're going to beat the hell out of your knee and then you'll start to trust it,'" he said. "After the first two weeks there, I felt like I was pretty much back."

  About the upcoming season:

  "On paper, I think we look pretty good and stack up as good as anyone else, probably," Street said.
  

  About the first look at line combinations:

  "There's a competitive air kind of laying over everything," Street said. "(Eaves) put some lines up (in the dressing room) so guys could sort of see where they're fitting in.

  "I'm guessing he'll change (the combinations) about 94 more times before the season starts, but it helps guys (see) where they're starting off and who they might be playing with and who's ahead of them."

• I completely missed this last week (sorry!) -- the Badger Herald had an article about the Kelters' playing both soccer and hockey. (Thanks to Boscacci for pointing it out.)

• Good ol' DPlaya found this complimentary article about Brad Winchester.

• DPlaya also found this article about Ron Vincent's ownership of the Penctincton Vees.

• And while I'm stealing from DPlaya, let me refer you to his coverage of Wisconsities in the NAHL Showcase, the NAHL's Future Prospects Tournament, and the USHL preseason. TW Minor is playing in the Future Prospects Tourney.

• Jonathan Willis calls San Jose a winner, Dany Heatley a winner for now, and Ottawa a loser in the blessed end of the Dany Heatley Saga. (Hey, congrats on the new gig, Jonathan!)
  

• BadgersWHockey tells us that Mark Johnson competed in the Ironman again this year.

• NCAA president Myles Brand has passed away from pancreatic cancer. You can find more articles about Brand here.

• Patick Kane traded Badgers Adam Burish and Jack Skille for almost-Badger Sam Gagner in NHL '10. Hmmm. [Thanks, IC.]

• Here's a nice article on Patrick Eaves with the Red Wings. [Thanks again, IC.]
  

09/10 Women's Preview: #15 Alev Kelter

Vitals:

Position: Defense
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Right
Height: 5-8
Hometown: Eagle River, Alaska
Major: Undeclared
Previous Team: Chugiak HS (boy’s team) and Team USA U18 last season

08/09 Stats: 5-3-8 @ Women’s WJC

09/10 Role: 2nd or 3rd pairing after soccer season

08/09 Recap: Alev (pronounced uh-LEV) served as team captain of Team USA in the 2009 Women’s WJC. The team was coached by Mark Johnson, and Alev was teammates w/ Brianna Decker and future Badger Alex Rigsby as they won gold. When she wasn’t busting it on the ice, she was busting it on the pitch. She was named Alaska’s POY in soccer in 2008 and captained Team USA’s U18 Select team against Canada. Future team captain in waiting.

09/10 Thoughts: Alev is currently playing soccer on UW Women’s team along w/ her twin sister Derya, so her season w/ the Badger will likely not begin til the 2010 part of the schedule. She had two goals to lead the soccer team over DePaul the other day. Based on her past success, I would guess she will step right in and make a difference on the Badger blue line. It appears the coaching staff has collected quite the freshman class of defenders.

Prediction: 18 games, 2-6-8*
*All predictions for regular season only

Photo from uwbadgers.com

Thursday Night Odds & Ends

• The WSJ discusses the Badger Women's 2009-2010 schedule.

• Alev and Derya Kelter are going to be part of "Faces of the Big Ten" commercial series.
  

• Jake Gardiner gets some love: Gardiner adapting fine to new position. (Thanks to anon for the link.) Lots of good quotes in this article -- too many to post -- so you'll just have to read it yourself.

• Bernd Bruckler is featured in the latest Uwbadgers "Where are they Now?". And nubeetle was kind enough to send me the link to this short video interview w/ Bernd in which he talks about going to the KHL next season and what he's working on this summer. Thanks, nu!
  

• Continuing their Fall 2009 Top 20 Prospects series, HF looks at the Montreal Canadiens. Patrick Johnson is an "Other Notable".

• Dany Heatley is finally going to talk to the media, participating in a confence call and a follow-up press conference in Kelowna on Friday. Heatley had been asked by Hockey Canada to clear the air before next week's Olympic orientation camp so that the "Dany Heatley Predicament" wouldn't overshadow the camp.

• This has been reported EVERYWHERE, so you probably already know that UND's Matt Frattin was arrested for DUI early Wednesday morning and was subsequently dismissed from the team. If he hadn't been dismissed, he would've already faced a minimum 2-game suspension, reduced scholarship money, and mandatory counseling due to some lawnmower-throwing shenanigans with Joe Finley. Hakstol is leaving the door open for Frattin to return to the team after this season.
  
  UND is expected to quickly add another forward to the team, and Schlossman thinks it will be Corban Knight.

• Kevin Pates has a bit on the DUMP expansion.

• I posted this before, but it was tacked onto the end of the Badger Women's Outlook Video post, so you may have missed it: The Duluth Foreign Legion has extended Shannon Miller's contract through the 2012-13 season.

• USCHO's Paula Weston reports on the CCHA's denial of UAH's application and then gives her take. I don't know though -- I'm not buying the whole "the CCHA needs to maintain the strongest possible CCHA to keep the Big Ten wolf at bay" argument. Because you can't tell me that, if the BTHC came calling, the CCHA-sans-UAH would be any more successful than the CCHA+UAH at stopping the creation of the BTHC. I mean, come on, REALLY?
  
  By the way, you might be interested in this article about UAH's fate from the front page of Sunday's Huntsville Times. The same edition also has an article about the importance of UAH Hockey in the community and an article that refutes the CCHA's reasons for denial.
  

• For what it's worth, I like Team Canada's new Olympic jerseys. At the same link, you can also take a look at Team Canada jerseys over the years, going all the way back to the 1920's.

• Well, this is probably the most impressive location for an outdoor hockey game. Dean Millard of Coming Down the Pipe tells us that the Norfolk Admirals are planning on playing a game on the deck of the USS Eisenhower.
  

Alev Kelter named ADN Female Athlete of the Year again

Because she "dominated statewide in all three of her sports and achieved national-class status in two of them", incoming Badger freshman Alev Kelter was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Anchorage Daily News last week. Kelter played boys hockey, girls soccer, and girls flag football for Chugiak High. She also represented the US internationally in hockey and soccer. You may remember that in January she captained the US U18 team that won gold at the IIHF WW U18 Championship. While winning gold, Kelter led all defensemen in scoring, led all skaters in +/-, and was named top defenseman of the tourney.

Kelter also was also named ADN Female Athlete of the Year last year.

Photo by Dan Shepard, ADN (12/11/08): Chugiak senior defender Alev Kelter spreads a South Anchorage opponent along the dasher boards of the McDonald Center. It was the Wolverines, however, with the last word, winning 3-0 Saturday.

Women's Hockey News

Hockey in Wisconsin has had a sister site (literally) for some time, Del Scanlon covers girl's/women's hockey in Wiscosnin. I hadn't taken a look at this site before, but today I strolled over there, take a look.

Del had a few links that I hadn't seen before about the Badger Women. Edit: Dplaya also contributes to the Women's hockey blog; I missed that and don't want to leave him out of proper credit.

Hilary Knight (aka da bomb, aka the best female forward in the nation) was interviewed by the USA Today about making the Olympic team. Definately a good read; she's a lock to wear the Red, White and Blue next February.

Also, I'd been wondering if the Kelter Twins were still going to be joining the Women's Hockey team. Well, Alev and Derya are both on scholarship to play for the Badger Women's Soccer team. Apparently Alev is all world at both soccer and hockey, and her sister isn't far behind. They will both take to the ice when the soccer season ends, which ends in early November. The twins will miss a good chunk of the 1st half of the season. W/ the likely loss of Knight and Duggan to the Olympics, I wonder if the Badgers won't be a little shorthanded until the Kelter's can join the team. Maybe the Women's team can borrow a few forwards from the Men's team (sarcasm).

Lastly, Beyond the Dashers has begun to compile the Women's schedule as other teams release their's. The Badgers are on the last page.

WW U18: Johnson leads USA to Gold

(Left photo courtesy of Hux on the uscho fan forum. Right photo by Mika Kylmaniemi, IIHF/HHof Images.)

Team USA, led by the Badger Women's head coach Mark Johnson, has defeated Team Canada 3-2 in overtime to win gold at the World Women's U18 Championship in Fussen, Germany. Captain Alev Kelter, alternate captain Madison Packer, and Brianna Decker have verballed to the Badgers, and I'd imagine that Brittany Ammerman might commit to the Badgers as well. Future Badgers Breann Frykas and Saige Pacholok won silver with Team Canada.

Alev Kelter also received the Directorate Award for Best Defenseman.

Mark Johnson on the game:

"It's an exciting day for USA Hockey," said Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson, who is also the head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin. "Anytime you get to play for a championship, it's special, but when it's a world championship, it's that much better. The players, support staff and everyone involved with the team played their role and did things very well and the end result is bringing home the trophy."

Box
Recaps: iihf, usahockey, hockeycanada
Photos: iihf, usahockey (game), usahockey (celebration)

Kelter 0-0-0, 1 SOG, -1
Packer 0-0-0, 3 SOG, E
Decker 0-0-0, 5 SOG, +1
Ammerman 1-0-1, 4 SOG, E

Frykas 0-0-0, 0 SOG, E
Pacholok 0-0-0, 2 SOG, E

Tournament stats (5 GP)
Kelter 5-3-8, 20 SOG, +16
Packer 6-5-11, 27 SOG, +13
Decker 8-1-9, 26 SOG, +15
Ammerman 5-5-10, 20 SOG, +16

Frykas 1-2-3, 12 SOG, +7
Pacholok 0-8-8, 2 SOG, +13

WW U18s: USA, CAN win final prelim games

(Alev Kelter scores! Photo from usahockey.com)

Team USA and Team Canada have both won their final preliminary games, going undefeated in the preliminary round. In Friday's semifinals, CAN will face SWE at 9:30 AM CST and USA will face CZE at 1 PM CST. (How on earth did CZE make the semifinals after winning just 1 of their 3 prelim games?)

USA 9 - SWE 2
Box, Recap, Photos
Brianna Decker 2-0-2, 5 SOG, +1
Alev Kelter 1-0-1, 1 SOG, +4
Brittany Ammerman 0-1-1, 3 SOG, +1
Madison Packer 1-0-1, 3 SOG, -1

"We're extremely happy with the outcome of tonight's game," said Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson, who is also the head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin. "Sweden has a very strong team and I certainly give our players credit for coming out with energy. It was a very good way to finish the prelims - now we have a day to recoup and get ready for the next round."

By the way, Gandalf tells me that the folks on the uscho women's fan forum have indicated that Packer has verballed to the Badgers, so I've added her stats above. (Ammerman has not yet verballed as far as I'm aware; I'm just hopeful.)

Also, I neglected to mention that Kelter is serving as captain of Team USA and Packer is an alternate captain. Furthermore, it seems that both girls are contributing to a diary of the WW U18s.

CAN 13 - CZE 0
Box, Recap
Breann Frykas 0-1-1, 4 SOG, +3
Saige Pacholok 0-4-4, 0 SOG, +6

WW U18s: USA, CAN clinch semifinal spots

By defeating Germany 11-0 yesterday, Team USA has clinched a spot in Friday's semifinals of the World Women's U18 Championship.

Box, Recap
Brianna Decker - 1-0-1, 5 SOG, +4
Alev Kelter - 0-0-0, 5 SOG, +4
Brittany Ammerman - 2-0-2, 5 SOG, +4

The preliminary round isn't over yet. At 12:30 pm today, the US will play Sweden, the other team in Group A who has also already clinched a semifinal spot. Sweden defeated Germany 8-1 and Russia 6-1 in their previous prelim games.

“The competition will get tougher starting tomorrow against Sweden – we've played two good games, but now we'll have the opportunity to really make some strides,” U.S. head coach Mark Johnson said.

By defeating Finland 6-0 yesterday, Team Canada has also clinched a spot in Friday's semifinals. They'll play the Czech Republic in their final prelim game today. The Czechs lost to Finland 2-1 and defeated Switzerland 7-3 in their previous prelim games

Box, Recap
Breann Frykas 0-0-0, 2 SOG, E
Saige Pacholok 1-0-1, 3 SOG, +1

More on recent Badger Women recruits

Well, 60 asked for Dplaya's thoughts over on HIW, and he has answered.

"I've seen Decker play quite a few times and she has been nothing less than dominant every time I have seen her. Unlike her Shattuck teammate and fellow Wisconsinite Amanda Kessel who has blistering speed, Decker excels in puck control even with opposing players draped all over her.

Decker stepped out of the shadows of the Lamoureux twins (both of whom will play for Minnesota this season) last year at Shattuck St. Mary's scoring 79 goals and 45 assists for 124 points in just 55 games. Decker was fantastic this off-season as well at not only the National Select 17 Girls festival where she had five goals and five assists for ten points, four more points than any other player but also at the US U-18 series against Canada where she notched four goals and two assists for six points, three more than any other player."

Sounds like Mark Johnson and company landed themselves a great one here! And they might not be too far off w/ the Kelter twins from Eagle River, Alaska. I couldn't find any readily available information on the older twin Derya, but I did found a few things on Alev.

It appears that Alev is not only a talented hockey player (she helped the US U18 Women's team to the gold in December), but she is also a great soccer player. For her efforts in various sports in Alaska, she was named Female Athelete of the Year in Alaska (I'm assuming that is just HS). Also, she was named Rise Magazine Alaska Girl's Soccer POY.

In the article from the Anchorage Daily News, I guess she played w/ the boys hockey team last year as well.

'A week later she suited up in hockey gear to play defense on the boys varsity hockey team. It's not uncommon to have girls playing boys hockey around the state, but this season Kelter was the only girl to play in the Cook Inlet Conference, arguably the toughest high school hockey league in Alaska.

Kelter had the option to play in the all-girls league, but her style of play is more suited to skate with the boys.

"She likes to play a physical hockey game," said Chugiak coach Rod Wild.'

More..

'"She brings more than just skill to the team," Chugiak soccer coach Dan Pinkerton said. "She brings team leadership."

Several Chugiak hockey players graduated this year, so Wild said she'll have big shoes to fill on the blueline. Wild isn't the least concerned with her work ethic -- or gender.

"She always has the goal of getting better," he said. "She spends a lot of time comparing today to yesterday."

Asked whether she has the skills to play Division I girls hockey, Wild replied, "She can go wherever she wants."'

Again, nice work to Mark Johnson and staff on picking up some great recruits!

Thursday Evening Odds & Ends

• Hockey Canada has announced its September Evaluation Camp roster and schedule. The camp will take place Sept 17-21 in Calgary, AB. In February, 22 players will be selected to play for Team Canada in the 2009 IIHF World Women's Championships. In the summer of 2009, up to 30 players will move to Calgary as part of centralization to train and work toward the 2010 Winter Olympics.
  

Badgers at the September camp include defensemen Carla MacLeod (2001-05, Calgary, AB), Meaghan Mikkelson (2003-07, St. Albert, AB), and Bobbie Jo Slusar (2003-07, Swift Current, SK).

• Caitlyn Cahow posted a blog entry yesterday with a brief blurb about the beginning of the Blaine Residency. Badgers currently at the residency include Molly Engstrom and Kerry Weiland. Jinelle Zaugg will join the residency later this year.

• USA Hockey has a nice article about recent Badger commit Alev Kelter. Sounds like a great pick-up for the Badgers!!

• The Ottawa Citizen has a nice article about Brian Elliott.

• Todd Milewski has a bit of information regarding the Badger Men's TV schedule.
  

Badger Women get 3 more recruits for '09-'10

Looks like the Badgers have picked up 3 more recruits for the '09-'10 season -- forward Brianna Decker (Dousman, WI), defenseman Alev Kelter (Eagle River, AK), and forward Derya Kelter (Eagle River, AK). Already committed for the '09-'10 season is goaltender Rebecca Ruegsegger (Lakewood, CO).

Right now, I don't know much about these players, but I know that DPlaya on HIW has always been quite high on Decker and had indicated that she's a must-get for the Badgers. Keep an eye on his blog, as I imagine he'll have something to say about this!

I'm a bit swamped right now, but I promise at some point to do a little bit of research and post some more information on these fine young players for you.