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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 12, 2015

Mike Eaves

Madison, Wisconsin

THE MODERATOR: Men's Hockey Head Coach, Mike Eaves is here, and we will take questions.

Q. You played two goalies over the weekend, each getting probably their first serious play. As you look back at each performance, what did you see? What did you like? What do you see that needs to be done?
COACH EAVES: The answer to that question will be similar for both. In the first period, both were nervous and you could tell, for different reasons. It looked like in the first period that Adam didn't want to get out and stop any pucks that were being rimmed around, and for Matt, he seemed to be playing deep in the net in that first period, and I think the first goal was as a result of that, but as the game went on, they both made excellent saves and Matt showed a really good ability to handle the puck and make good decisions with the puck once he went back and stopped it, so they both got comfortable the more they played.

Q. How tough is this Boston trip and how much can you learn about what you are from it?
COACH EAVES: Lots! We can learn lots! I think, you know, you're trying to grow together as a team, and we took a step in that direction this weekend by coming back in both back-to-back nights, that says a lot about a team coming together. Now we go on the road in somebody else's backyard and how we play, being up against it, all those type of things.

So we will be able to get right into where the fire is a little hotter, the teams there have a little bit more fire power, and we will find out how we handled that. It will be our first time playing in a small rink as well, which we will need to find out how this group plays in the small rink, so there will be lots to learn on this trip.

Q. After two games and a week of practice what do you see in Luke Kunin and what he brings to your program?
COACH EAVES: He can be a difference maker. He has natural ability. He has got a very unique and powerful shot and he likes to use it. He expects to score when he shoots it. He's got a shooter's mentality, a scorer's mentality, so I think he can be a difference maker; he was on Saturday night. He is an old soul for being a young man that could still be in high school.

The way he goes about his business is very mature, he comes in for extra work, in the weight room. When it comes to school, he's got his tasks to be done, and he gets them done. So I think that he brings a lot to our team, and, you know, you look at him as a freshman, but he carries himself way more older than that, and as a player he can be a difference maker for us.

Q. Do you like how your offense played particularly as far as generating chances? Were you encouraged by what you saw?
COACH EAVES: We can be better, I know that's something Friday night to Saturday night we were much improved, but our play in the offensive zone can improve, and we have not spent that much time about that just because we've only had five days of practice, but because it got better we are actually going to focus on it a little bit and see if we can shore that up and be more productive and more effective in that area of our game.

Q. Because we have a lot of time in the media, we can kinda go through things and what have you. Do you ever sit there and say, you know, if we get X number of goals from Grant Besse, X number of goals from Luke Kunin, blah, blah, blah -- do you do that type of thing?
COACH EAVES: Not at all. Never did that as a player. In terms of setting goals, there is always a great debate about whether you set those kinds of goals, because I think it depends on your personality. If you set goals and all of the sudden you fall behind, what happens? You press and things get worse. So there's expectations about players being point people and offensive production people, yes, but as far as putting numbers there, no.

Q. How about the overall play of your special teams?
COACH EAVES: Good start. Good start. In talking to Coach Luke this morning, he was also impressed, he watched the game yesterday, how composed our 5-on-3 group was. There is a natural tendency to get overramped, and when it doesn't work right away to go off page and try ad lib, and they stayed right on course, and as a result it was a major factor in us getting that tying goal.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? Thanks, Mike.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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