Badger Women split to open season

Friday night the 2009 Championship Banner was added to the rafters at the Kohl Center, unfortunately the celebration was on the wrong end of the ice when the final buzzer went off. North Dakota Lady Sioux gained their 1st ever victory against the Cardinal and White in a 2-0 shocker (to some).

The Sioux goalie was outstanding (giving credit where it was due) and the officiating was horrible (same on saturday night), but the Badgers didn't capitalize on several chances. The Badgers dominated most of the game, especially the 2nd period, but couldn't sneak anything by. In the 3rd period, several Badgers tried to win the game by themselves, and the team game evaporated, and then the frustration started and penalties basically ended the game w/ 4 minutes to go, as the Badgers PKed it til there was 7 seconds left.

I wasn't completely shocked by the outcome and here is why. The Badgers graduated the most successful class in school history including the best goalie in NCAA history. Hilary Knight and Meghan Duggan are off preparing for the Olympics, and would have been the top two returning scorers. Alannah McCready, who started friday night, had little experience since Jessie played so often. Filling the gaps on offense will take time and the blue line saw three new faces. Team Chemistry is not instantaneous. North Dakota already played two games last weekend; the Badgers were definitely rusty on friday night.

The rust was gone on saturday night. The Badgers dominated almost the entire game, the Sioux did make a push late in the 3rd period. Becca Ruegsegger played her first game in the goal, and pitched a shutout as the Badgers won 3-0. Freshman were key in the victory. Besides Ruegsegger, Brianna Decker was phenomenal scoring 2 goals (both assisted by Jasmine Giles), while walk-on Lauren Unser notched her first goal assisted by Stepanie McKeough and Junior Maria Evans. Decker is going to be something special, but she did leave the game after her second goal, after schooling several Sioux players, she flew into the net shortly after the puck and hit the crossbar. She did not return following the 2nd period.

It will take some time for the team to come together, by the time they return later in the month for a 4 weekend home stand, they should be fine.

Line combos for those interested.

Giles-Decker-Ammerman
Prevost-Deluce-Sanders
Kranz-Nash-Frykas
Evans-Prough-Unser

The defenders were rotated on friday as 7 played, though on saturday I remember the following combos:

Haverstock-Dronen
Windmeier-Jakiel
Pacholok-McKeough

Geena Prough played D on friday and forward on saturday. She was great in either role and a great addition to the team.

It will be an interesting season for the Badger Women, there could be some ups and downs, but the only thing that really matters is how the finish in the end. One poor game doesn't make a season.

09/10 Women's Previews: #30 Rebecca Ruegsegger

Vitals:

Position: Goalie
Year in School: Freshman
Catches Left
Height: 5-8
Hometown: Lakewood, CO
Major: undecided
Previous Team: Shattuck St. Mary’s last season

08/09 Stats: 31-6-2, 2.22 GAA, .913 save %

09/10 Role: Fighting for the starting spot

08/09 Recap: Becca had a dominating season leading Shattuck St. Mary’s to the 2009 National Championship, along w/ teammate Brianna Decker. In 2008, she played for Team USA in the first Women’s U18 Championship as they won gold.

09/10 Thoughts: A lot of goalies at the end of these previews. Having never seen Becca or Nikki Kaasa play, its hard to judge how they stand against Alannah McCready, who played well when she did see some PT last season. Becca did have a dominate season last year though, and everything I’ve read leads me to believe she’ll be ready to step in right away and compete for the netminding duties. The Badger Women will need someone to step up regardless and take the reins.

Her brother Tyler is a senior at Denver this season.

Prediction: 12 games, 2.00 GAA, .908 save %*
*All predictions for regular season only

Photo from uwbadgers.com

3 Badger Women invited to National Team Goaltender Camp

1 current Badger and 2 future Badgers are among 36 goaltenders invited to the 2009 Warren Strelow National Team Goaltending Camp, May 28-31, in Ann Arbor, MI. The goaltenders chosen represent the top goaltenders eligible for international play in select age groups.

Jessie Vetter, 2009 recruit Becca Ruegsegger, and 2010 recruit Alex Rigsby have been invited to attend.

Badger Women add recruits too

Similar to the Men's team, Mark Johnson and the Lady Badgers received several signed National Letters of Intent this week as well. Returning letters and joining the Badgers next Fall are Brianna Decker (F) of Dousman, WI; Saige Pacholok (D) of Edmonton, Alberta; Breann Frykas (F) of East St. Paul, Manitoba and Becca Ruegsegger (G).

Coach Johnson had the following to say about each young woman:

About Decker, “Brianna is very competitive and has unbelievable potential that will fit right into our program very nicely,” said Coach Johnson. “She was one of the leaders for the team last year that won a gold medal and she is just coming off playing with our national senior team at the Four Nations which also won a gold medal. She is very gifted as a scorer.”

About Pacholok, “Saige is gifted in a lot of areas with skating and skill parts of the game,” Coach Johnson said. “She brings a lot of energy with her game and we are real excited for her growth as a player.”

About Ruegsegger, “We are excited with Rebecca coming into Madison and playing for us,” said Coach Johnson. “She has been at Shattuck throughout her career and had an opportunity to play for the Under-18 team last year. She has great work habits and is a wonderful person who is very academically sound.”

About Frykas, “Breann is a very intelligent player with great hockey sense,” said Coach Johnson. “She is also very gifted in the offensive part of the game.”

Until reading this article, I did not know that Saige Pacholok was coming to Madison. This is looking like another great class. Brianna Decker should be one of the top freshman in the country next year. In addition to these four players, it is expected that three other players will join the Badger Women in 2009: Lauren Unser, Alev Kelter and Derya Kelter.

Reminder, the #1 Badger Women are in Fort Myers, FL this weekend taking on #3 New Hampshire. Go Badgers!

Future Badger: Rebecca Ruegsegger

Our friends at Beyond the Dashers have confirmed that goaltender Rebecca Ruegsegger (Lakewood, CO) has committed to the Badgers for the 2009-10 season. (Thanks, BTD!) She's the 1st commitment that the Badgers have received for that season. The Badgers are slated to have 3 goaltenders in 09-10 -- Alannah McCready will be a senior and incoming Badger Nikki Kaasa will be a sophomore -- so I would not necessarily expect to see much of her during her freshman year (although I wouldn't count her out, either). However, I have great expectations for her career as a Badger, and I'm pretty excited about this commitment. I'm not qualified to assess Ruegsegger's play or rank her among other recruits, but I would think that she would be one of the top goaltender recruits in the country.

Rebecca will be a senior this year at Shattuck-St. Mary's, where it appears she also plays lacrosse. In 30 games as a junior, she had a 27-1-1 record, with a 1.53 GAA, a .93 SV%, and 4 SO. As a sophomore, she played in 20 games for SSM's U-16 Team and had a 9-8-3 record, with a 1.55 GAA, .94 SV%, and 7 SO.

She played on the 2008 US U-18 team that competed in January at the IIHF U-18 World Championships in Calgary, although her playing time was limited by injury. Between the 1st 2 games of the tourney, she played 59:43 and had 4 saves on 4SOG. The Rocky Mountain News did a little Q&A with Rebecca following the tourney. Rebecca was also a member of the 2007 US U-18 Team that played in the U-18 series v. Canada. (You might remember that incoming Badger Brooke Ammerman also played on both US U-18 teams, and incoming Badgers Carolyne Prévost and Brittany Haverstock played on both CAN U-18 Teams.)

Rebecca is also the sister of Denver Pioneer Tyler Ruegsegger.

And for what it's worth, I wonder if, as a kid, she wrote this book?

Welcome to the Badgers, Rebecca. We look forward to seeing you in the Cardinal & White!