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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 4, 2016

Mike Eaves

Madison, Wisconsin

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

COACH EAVES: Late, but here. Do I look taller sitting here?

Q. Mike, Ohio State comes in here 5-11 but might be one of the most dangerous teams in the country, given its most recent experience. What stands out to you about what you've seen about them on tape and what makes them a team that you are going to have to be prepared for this weekend?
COACH EAVES: Very opportunistic team. If you play sloppy, if you give them chances, they have the skill and the wherewithal to put the puck in the net. We know their goaltender has come in here when we thought we've played well and stolen games. You look at the record and you go, hmmm, what's going on there? But we watched the Minnesota games. They could have won both those games. They went into overtime. They just beat two ranked teams, so they -- if you play sloppy against them they have the wherewithal to make you pay for that. We're going to have to play hard and take care of the puck.

Q. You have a rather lengthy health list. Where are you guys with regard to Cameron, with regards to --
COACH EAVES: Cameron is back in here this week, and Luke's back in here. We still are a little cautious here with Adam, but we're hoping as the week goes on we know a little bit more about that.

Q. (No microphone.)
COACH EAVES: Tischke is healthy, and him and "Bunner" are going to be battling it out for that sixth spot.

Q. What did you take out of Friday's exhibition game, Mike?
COACH EAVES: Very beneficial. If you take a look at what our options are, do we have a red and white scrimmage, do you -- but this game we had against Trinity Western was kind of that in between. We talked about this after the game, the fact that we're praying another opponent, we get to be in the Kohl Center, which is huge, get back to the "big" ice and having the referees and the pressure of the game.

I think it was the best medicine for us, and then we got the next day to go out and work on the things we didn't do well and work at things we needed to, so I think it was very beneficial.

Q. Do you view this stretch, the next six weeks as a pivotal portion of your season being at home as you are?
COACH EAVES: We have an opportunity to make hay here; you know, we're in our own barn, and this week here is huge because you get to practice in the Kohl Center all week. I think that will help us set ourselves up for playing at home a lot.

That's the goal. So, yeah, it's an opportunity for us to make some hay here, and we saw some things in the first half that we like, and now we've got to build on those things and being able to do it in our own rink and not travel as much is an opportunity so that's our push here.

Q. Mike, looking at the numbers, you can make a case that your offense was ahead of year defense in terms of development during the first half. Has the defense caught up or is there still a gap, and how big is that gap?
COACH EAVES: It's still a work in progress. I think the two areas that come to mind are our line rush against and our defense's own coverage. I think we're -- that part of the growth has been slower because I think it's implementing a little bit of a newer system, a different system than what we played here last year, with a lot of young guys, a young goaltender, so I think the growth is going to be naturally slower, but there is growth there.

It's interesting you bring this up. Today our total focus in practice is line rush against. Let's make sure we are getting together in terms of what our reads are and hammering down the details in that.

Q. Do you think with the improved play of your special teams and the offense at times showing its flare, shoring up the defense could possibly lead you to some special things in the Big 10 conference?
COACH EAVES: I think it will lead us to some more victories, for sure. The offense that you speak upon, we have a higher level of just ability, and that transitions itself into making better plays at those moments of truth with the puck, something that we didn't have the to the same level last year. When we have that it shows in our specialty teams.

So if we can continue to have that flare show itself and we hone up the other side of our play without the puck, I think that's going to come up in what we will see as more victories.

Q. A common theme for your team through the first half was just that inability to-- you have a lead and you can't hang on to it. Is that the number one lesson you want them to carry through to the second half, or is there another one that stands out?
COACH EAVES: We talked about that openly with our leadership core, and I think it's just -- we don't want them to think about it and double clutch and grab their stick harder; I think it's keep playing the same way. I think that's one of the lessons we hope we learned from the fist half, and that's part of our growth as a youthful team. If that growth can happen, I think it will benefit us and turn into more victories for us.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? All right, thanks, Mike.

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