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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCEMarch 17, 2015Mike EavesTHE MODERATOR: We have Men's Hockey Head Coach Mike Eaves here, and he will take questions. Q. (No microphone.) COACH EAVES: It's a brand new start. It's a beginning, and I think it raises that thought of hope for us. We have in the second half talked about playing our best hockey coming into Marchand we have done that. We want to carry that in there and the best thing about sports, you can say there are the top teams and the bottom teams but on any given day I think teams can defeat each other and we go in there with that hope and see what we can come up with. Q. Mike, two years ago you faced the task of having to win three times in three days to win the title and get into the tournament. What lessons do you think this team can derive from that that might best serve them? COACH EAVES: First of all that it can be done. Secondly, we have the goaltending that can help us achieve that goal. The third thing you do is you take every game one at a time and shift by shift to build on what you can get done. Again, athletics, especially college athletics, is the best reality show because there is no script, kids make mistakes and you can be in the game up to the last second. Q. Coach, does the hockey program, does the basketball program, do you guys feed off each other when it is March? COACH EAVES: Big‑time! The boys and the coaches‑‑ I just ran into Bo in the hallway outside of his office, and the hockey teams, men's and women's, we eat together and they encourage each other, wish them luck, they're in classes together. When you know somebody on a personal level you want to watch them. It's what draws you to the TV to stay in touch with them because you know them from class, you know them from eating and you're able to have a personal relationship with them on some level. You hope the best for them. It's exciting. I know our guys are jazzed for these young basketball players and they're wishing us luck, and it's a good thing, it's a good thing. Q. Do you think all hands will be on deck for this weekend? COACH EAVES: In terms of our health? Aren't I intuitive! We will find out more today. I think that as the week goes on our guys are going to be healthier and healthier and if there is any way possible they can play, they will, but all guys will be on deck today. It will be a questions of how much they can do. Q. Mike, you've referenced in the past your experiencing Calgary and the challenges of a season that wound up being pretty special. COACH EAVES: Yep. Q. Have you had any other experiences that you will draw on to talk to the players about that may measure up to that? COACH EAVES: I think experiences or, you know, what we as a coaching staff do all the time is that we log movies and look for scenes to inspire, to tell a story. We will delve into that movie genre and see what we can find and pull out as an emotional energizer. Hope is a great thing. This time of year, how many Cinderella stories have been written in Marchthrough basketball or hockey. We will find out together if we can write one of those stories again. Q. You have the experience come conference tournament time playing up in Saint Paul against the Gophers. This is the first time they will play in Michigan in the Wolverines' backyard. What do you expect out of an atmosphere like this? COACH EAVES: It's the first time we've been there. I'm curious, as well, to see what the fan base will be. I think it will be a real neat experience for the kids to play at the Joe Lewis Arena. The next time the Tournament comes up to go to Detroit, that arena won't be there. They are building a new arena for the Detroit Red Wings, and this arena, excuse the pun, but it wreaks of history, like spilled beer, and cigarettes, and championships gone by. We want our kids to walk the concourse and see the bronze trophy of Alex Delvecchio and Gordie Howe and just feel the history. I think it's a neat venue for us to go to. Heck, I remember when I was a little kid growing up in Windsor, Ontario, we would come across the river and play in the old Detroit Olympia where we ended up winning the '77 Championship. And those places, our guys have watched games on there and seen championships won. To have the opportunity to skate there, will be another emotional energizer for our kids. Q. What makes Michigan tough to play against? Is your team better equipped for you to handle the way they play? COACH EAVES: They lead the country in offense, and we saw that firsthand here. We played them much tighter in their building. Even Red complimented our team how the second series was closer. We have seen them, we've felt their offense. We have some tendencies. Because of all these things we have gone through, we probably are better prepared to play them. In a one‑game situation, anything can happen. Q. Mike, with a couple days to think about it, could you put the regular season in perspective from your standpoint? COACH EAVES: I started to think about it Andy when I came into the office to get ready for Michigan, I spent about a minute on it and next thing you know I had the Michigan tape on. I thought you might come back to that question, because I said I hadn't thought about it, but frankly I got wrapped up in Michigan and the next level I haven't put it in perspective yet. Once the season is done we can have that chat in more detail. THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Mike. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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