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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 9, 2015Mark JohnsonMadison, Wisconsin THE MODERATOR: Women's Hockey Head Coach, Mark Johnson is here. We will have some opening comments and take questions. COACH JOHNSON: Last few mornings we have hockey weather, right? Frosty and chilly out there, so prior to that it was still like summer. We're coming off an off-weekend which for the group is real good. Ten games in, five weekends of hockey. Took this past weekend off, and gives an opportunity as players to reflect and coaches to reflect on where we are at this particular point, and as we move forward five more weekends before we hit Christmas break, so it came at a good time. The players are in a good place. Kids that were banged up or nicked up, got a couple of days off and a chance to recover, and obviously going up to Duluth, my 14 years, it's -- one thing I know for sure, the games have been very good. So whether they're down here in Madison or up in Duluth, all of our games have been competitive. We have probably had more overtime games against Duluth than anybody else that we've played, so this weekend won't be any different. They've been off a couple of weekends, so we will prepare the next couple of days and get on the bus Thursday to head up for 3:00 Friday and 3:00 Saturday games. Q. This shutout streak is a pretty remarkable thing to have happen. What's the secret to it? What's the key to it? You have had a week off to reflect on it. What hits you about it? COACH JOHNSON: Personally, I really don't look at it a lot. People like yourself will ask me questions, or I'll get reporters asking me questions, or -- I just -- as coaches we look at what's next and what do we have to do to try to become better, and I think collectively whether you're -- the coaches or the players or trainers, the people within our group, if we're able to do that and be honest with ourselves, that's the most important task: What do we do next. So for us, at 1:30 we're going to practice today and what can we do collectively as a group. We've got a couple of players that have been gone the last ten days. We're hoping they get back tonight, but there seems to be airline issues with strikes up in Canada, so I don't know what's going on, but hopefully they get back tonight, and get 'em back tomorrow. They won't skate tomorrow. We will get 'em back on the ice on Wednesday, and then we're on the bus Thursday. So streaks, the shutouts, those type of things, you know, it means we're doing well. It's not going to help us with what we need to do Friday, unless we do what we have to do in preparation for our games, so it is what it is. Q. Going back to that, Ann-Renée is, like, eight minutes shy of Jessie's all-time shut-out minutes record, like 440 minutes in a row not giving up a goal. Is Ann-Renée on that level? Jessie's resume speaks for itself. Is Ann-Renée on that level? COACH JOHNSON: I think she is on a path to maybe accomplish some of the goals she wants to accomplish. Ann got a chance to play for Canada last year in the World Championships, actually got in the championship game and was playing against Jessie. Unfortunately, both of them didn't play very well the first part of the game, and they both got pulled, and they stuck in other goaltenders, but, again, it's a position that takes time. It takes a lot of work, it takes a lot of effort, and certainly Ann has put herself in position, if she continues to work hard and prepare herself, she has a chance to maybe accomplish some of the goals individually that she wants and certainly get another shake with Team Canada, something that I know she is striving for. It's a position that Jessie has gotten better at. Even when she graduated from here, you know, the last two or three years, she is much more mature, she's certainly more patient in the position and just came off another Four Nations victory in overtime a couple of days ago. So she is playing very well, and as these young ladies become 25, '6, '7, '8 years old, I think they probably are playing the best hockey they are capable of, especially in the goaltending position. So Ann is on a good path, and hopefully she will continue to go down that path. Q. Mark, is Duluth any different with the new head coach? COACH JOHNSON: I think they're different, their style of play is going to be certainly different from what I've seen the last couple of days watching video, so the atmosphere is probably going to be somewhat different. I think anytime you bring a new coach if they're going to bring in things that they want to do and put identity on the program on some of the things that they think are important. So up to this point, you know, they've played pretty well, new players trying to create more ice time maybe individually to impress the new coach and a new staff, but as I mentioned earlier, the one thing I know, when Wisconsin plays Duluth, generally the games are pretty tight and very competitive. THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? Thanks, Mark. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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