09/10 Women's Previews: #16 Saige Pacholok

Vitals:

Position: Defense
Year in School: Freshman
Shoots Right
Height: 5-5
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
Major: Undeclared
Previous Team: Edmonton Chimos & Canada’s U18 Team last season

08/09 Stats: 0-8-8 @ Women’s WJC

09/10 Role: 2nd or 3rd pairing

08/09 Recap: Saige had a wealth of international experience from last season w/ Team Canada including a silver medal at the Women’s U18 Championships. She was joined on that team by current teammates Breann Frykas and Stepanie McKeough and faced the Mark Johnson coached Team USA which included Brianna Decker and Alev Kelter. Beyond Team Canada, she played the last three years w/ the Edmonton Chimos and I have to wonder living in Edmonton if she is a huge Tom Gilbert fan. It would only be logical.

09/10 Thoughts: Similar to Stepanie McKeough, I would expect Saige to step right into some significant PT on the blue line for the Badger Women. Both young women showed off some offensive talent during the U18’s last season, and that will be needed from the back end to keep the powerful Badger offense going this season. I’m excited to see Saige play, hoping for another Brittany Haverstock.

Prediction: 28 games, 2-12-14*
*All predictions for regular season only

Photo from www.quantumspeed.ca

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

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!