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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCEMarch 2, 2015Mark JohnsonTHE MODERATOR: Head Coach Mark Johnson is here and we will have an opening statement, then take questions. COACH JOHNSON: Thanks. Certainly happy and pleased with our team's effort both Friday and Saturday night, especially Friday night we came out in the first period, we talked about all week coming out with energy and enthusiasm and trying to get a quick start and we were able to score four goals Friday night and certainly helped us with our victory. We came back with a similar effort, came out again with energy on Saturday night and able to get a couple of goals in the first period and certainly played six good periods. Time of year where you're looking for little things to maybe add confidence to your players and some of the players have scored this past weekend feel better about themselves and feel great with regards to preparation for getting ready for North Dakota Saturday afternoon at 5, so we will leave Friday for an opportunity to skate and if you win, you get to play for a championship on Sunday afternoon and if you lose you come home. A lot is at stake, a lot on the line and I think the players are excited for the opportunity. Q. Mark, you have four young ladies that rank in the top‑30 in scoring but it's nice to get those others to contribute a little bit every once in a while isn't it? COACH JOHNSON: It really is, especially at this time of the year where, you know, Katie Joseph scores Saturday a goal and that little bit of extra confidence coming into this weekend can help her out. You're looking for those things. Certainly Blayre has played well the last four or five weekends and been consistent for us and you get contributions from other players, it helps you as we've always talked about, if you're deep in that area of scoring goals or creating opportunities, it just makes it more challenging for other teams to defend against you. Q. Mark, you talk about this time of year finding the little things in your game that you can enhance. What can Ann‑Renée do to‑‑ where can she tighten things up a bit, get better going into the next round of playoffs? COACH JOHNSON: Well, I think you create habits over the course of the winter and within yourself, how you prepare for games. Obviously the meaning of this game is a lot different than it was maybe in early December. But I think, you know, whether their game is more meaningful on paper or a playoff game I think your preparation has to be consistent. With Ann, what she has done up to this point her body of work has been great and as she prepares for Saturday often's game, come to practice, do the things you need to do to prepare yourself and if she can do that she can step into the ice in grand forks and be confident and comfortable that she is going to have a good game. Q. It's one thing to be ranked in the top‑4 I say another to be in the top‑4 at the end of the season. Is this team a Frozen Four‑type team? You've coached a lot of them over the years. COACH JOHNSON: You find out about your team, to me, over this two‑week period in the WHC playoffs and if they're worthy of taking that next step ‑‑ we took the first step by beating St. Cloud in back‑to‑back games and now it's an opportunity to go up and play in a semi‑final game knowing that if you lose you're going to come home. So it really sets the stage for that playoff atmosphere where if you're not successful that part of the season is going to be over. Obviously our body of work is going to give us an opportunity to play another game after this weekend, but anytime you get a chance to compete for a championship, it's a good thing. So this two‑week period, the opportunity to move on, hopefully get to Sunday afternoon to play for that championship prepares your team mentally and, I think, physically for the next step if you're invited to the national tournament. Q. What were the four games against North Dakota like this season? Were they all similar in some respects? COACH JOHNSON: I think the first two were very similar. In years' past, in history, the two games we've seen up in Grand Forks were a little bit different because the personnel on both sides were different. We were missing a couple of kids in Friday's name that were up at the four nations and four of our top six on Saturday weren't participating in the game and one of their defenseman was up in Vancouver at the four nations, so it was a different type of game, Saturday was to me, a character builder in that we were able to come home with a strong win in an adverse atmosphere not having those players dress for us. But this time of year, the last four or five weekends, North Dakota has played well, certainly played well at home, beat Minnesota in their own barn so the task we have in front of us is going to be challenging and certainly we're going to have to play a quality game to come away with a victory Saturday afternoon. Q. Mark, do you think if someone were to ask your players if you're different as a coach from the regular season to the playoffs‑‑ they all talked last week about it's a different time, you can feel in the dressing room things have changed. Do you think they would see a change in you? If so what would that be? COACH JOHNSON: I would probably say they might see a little bit of difference, just getting pointed out little details that are important at this time of year. So in Saturday's game, some of the things that as coaches we always look at things and how we can improve. So some of the things in our Saturday game against St. Cloud as a coaching staff that you don't like you are going to point those out on a regular basis a little more. So it comes down to the details. There are probably four, five, six things that we have to make sure they understand as we prepare 'em for Saturday's game. But as far as my mannerisms on the ice or off the ice, they would probably say I'm not going to change much. Q. Since you're on the economy, where does North Dakota stand as far as a national tournament is concerned? COACH JOHNSON: They're in a position that they need to do well this weekend. The tough part about the season if it ends today whoever is in that eighth spot is going to get eliminated because the CHA gets an automatic qualifier this year. As we sit here today and look at the rankings, their group, their teams at this point don't have that so whoever qualifies this weekend is going to get that eighth spot. So you don't want to be in that spot and realistically you don't want to be in the seventh spot either because something might happen out east that somebody might get in as an automatic qualifier and push that other team out. Q. So what degree does North Dakota have psychological advantages this weekend? Not only are they home, but maybe a little more desperate than you guys are? COACH JOHNSON: To me it's a desperate time of year. You look at us, you want to play in a championship game Sunday afternoon. There is a lot at stake for our personnel and certainly you look at North Dakota playing in their home arena, in their surroundings, knowing that they have to win. It's going to be desperation on their side, too. Again, that's what makes for a great game. That's what makes the entertaining part and that's why I think coaches and players enjoy this part fortunate season is everything is on the line. Even with St. Cloud this past Saturday, when you make it 3‑1 and then 4‑1, they're still competing. They don't want the game to end, they want to figure out how to win the game. For their seniors, they don't want this to happen, where you end up losing and your season is over and you wake up the next morning and you're no longer a college hockey player. It's a fun time of year and certainly we're going to run into a little bit of a hornet's nest Saturday as we start the game because of the scenario. THE MODERATOR: Anything else? Thanks, Mark. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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