WQOW Sports Blog

A Great Day For Hockey

The former Wisconsin Badgers coach, the late Bob Johnson, thought every day was "a great day for hockey."   I'm going to guess this past Wednesday was a great day for most everyone involved in the sports at the youth and high school levels in Eau Claire.

Wednesday was the day Memorial H.S. seniors Jefferson Dahl and David Donnellan found out their post-high school destinations.  Both will be playing in the United States Hockey League next season, but as opponents, not as teammates (as they've done for almost their entire careers).  Dahl's USHL rights were traded to the Green Bay Gamblers, while Donnellan was a first-round draft pick of the Sioux Falls Stampede.  It was amusing to watch their reactions and listen to their answers when I asked them what it would be like to compete against each other at the next level:

BRADO: Say you're going after the puck, and you see number 14 in a Green Bay uniform getting there first, are you going to try to plaster him into the boards?

DAVID: (laughing) I'm going to be playing hockey, and if he's there, I'm gonna have to play the body on him.

BRADO: You've got the puck, you're coming in one-on-one against a Sioux Falls defenseman, and it's your old buddy David Donnellan...do you break out a new move on him, or do you go with one of your old favorites?

JEFFERSON: (laughing) I'll just use my speed to get around him.

Wednesday was also a day former Memorial standout Seth Soley stopped in for an interview.   Soley bypassed his senior season with the Old Abes to join the USHL's Omaha Lancers.   Soley admits it was a tough decision to leave Eau Claire, but now he can see just how much he grew as a player and as a person over the past year.   He was thrilled when his former Memorial teammates won the WIAA state title last March, but he also got to celebrate a USHL championship with the Lancers.  Unfortunately for Soley, a high ankle sprain suffered in late April kept him out of the latter part of the playoffs, but Soley says the injury won't affect his training this summer as he gets ready for his freshman season at Michigan Tech University.

Also on Wednesday, I spoke on the phone with Eau Claire native Jake Dowell.  His first full season in professional hockey came to an end the previous night, when Dowell's Rockford Ice Hogs lost their AHL West Division final series to the Chicago Wolves.   Dowell suffered a mid-season broken bone in his foot, which was a factor in his being sent from the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks back to Rockford.   Now that he's gotten a taste of the NHL, he says his goal is to do everything he can to earn a more permanent spot on the Blackhawks' roster.

One person I did not speak with on Wednesday was former Eau Claire North H.S. standout Derrick LaPoint, now a freshman at the University of North Dakota.  Knowing Derrick, I imagine at least part of his day consisted of going to class, studying, and working out.  LaPoint saw a lot of ice time with the Fighting Sioux, and is the type of player who'll only get better with experience.

It's easy to root for all of these guys...not just because they're from Eau Claire, but because they're all quality individuals who handle their respective levels of success and fame with a lot of humility and class.

There are, of course,  other hockey players from Eau Claire working very hard to achieve their ice dreams.   However, those dreams would not even be possible were it not for all those involved in youth hockey and high school hockey in Eau Claire.   Jake Dowell, Derrick LaPoint, Seth Soley, Jefferson Dahl, and David Donnellan each have a very unique hockey skill set...but they all recognize that it took a lot of work by others to help get them to where they are in their hockey careers.

I will echo their thoughts.   To all the parents and coaches who put in long hours over the years, I say thank you.   It was well worth the effort.      

-BOB BRADOVICH

Congratulations Evan Anderson

Making a decision on which college to attend is a difficult one for just about any high school student.  Imagine the pressure on a 7th grader and his folks when Division 1 college programs start sending letters and phoning the house.  That's right...the recruiting of Evan Anderson by college programs started in the 7th grade.   Not coincidentally, the media attention followed soon afterward.   Beyond the stories on TV and in the newspaper, the life of Evan was a hot topic on internet message boards.  Just how tall is he?  How good is he?   Is he transferring from Stanley-Boyd?  To which school?   More recently, which colleges are recruiting him?  Will he be an impact player?   Which school has the inside track?   

I don't know Evan all that well, since he's still a high school sophomore, but everything I've seen and heard is that he's a fairly grounded 16-year old, a hard worker, very coachable, and an excellent student.  His approach on the court is very businesslike; he's not the kind to draw attention to himself with gestures or trash-talking.  Evan is the kind of kid who'll battle hard inside but will be the first to extend a hand when an opponent lands on the floor.   Talking to him Sunday night about his decision, it sounds like he went about the process in the right way--getting a lot of input from wide range of sources, and then going with his gut.   That's what led him to the Wisconsin Badgers program.

Evan seemed more relieved than elated about his decision, which probably had more to do with the fact that he'd just driven back from an AAU basketball tournament in Fort Wayne, Indiana.   I'll always remember the looks on his mom & dad's faces...another mix of pride, relief, and amazement...I can only imagine what they were thinking watching their son being interviewed by members of the Eau Claire media...my guess is that they both thought back to that day when they brought a son into the world, and how that son has grown over 16 years.

With this decision made, Evan may get a bit of a reprieve from all the attention...until next season starts, and the internet message boards can start heating up again with people debating his progress on the basketball court.  I support every person's right to express their opinion on a topic, but let's remember he's a 16-year old kid.   I would certainly hope he has a successful finish to his high school basketball career, then becomes a Big Ten standout with a shot to play professionally.   If that never happens, that's okay, too.   It's far more important to society that he gets a college education and continues to grow as a person, a teammate, and a citizen.

I think that would make his parents extremely proud.

-BOB BRADOVICH