	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCE

February 1, 2016

Mark Johnson

Madison, Wisconsin

THE MODERATOR: The Women's Hockey Head Coach Mark Johnson is here. We will have opening and take questions.

COACH JOHNSON: I presume everybody will be there Sunday morning with their skates. Make sure you get your skates sharpened, because the outdoor ice is a little bit harder than what we skate on indoors. It should be a great morning. I will bring the bagels, somebody can bring the coffee, and we will go out and do some skating.

I thought our weekend obviously was good. I thought some of the things that happened within our game Saturday with a 1-0 lead and some of the mistakes and some of the things that happened within that game we talked about Saturday after it, and then some video a little bit before Sunday's game, and we were in the same position Sunday with a 1-0 lead for a large part of the game, and some of the things that we learned and talked about from Saturday, we did a much better job on Sunday.

So I certainly am impressed with the learning process there, and as you get to the last part and chunk of your season things become tighter, and it becomes more challenging to score goals, and St. Cloud's goaltender both nights played very well, had 40 plus saves in each game, but we did a lot of things that are going to certainly help us as we prepare for our last six games here.

Q. Mark, this isn't as easy as it looks just by looking at the scores of your games?
COACH JOHNSON: No, Dan, my assistant coach and I were talking yesterday after the first period, it's never easy. Sarah scores a short-handed goal yesterday in the second period, and I think everyone on the bench, especially the players, relax a little bit and then went on the ice feeling a little bit at ease and not about maybe the nerves that come into playing a tight game, but, again, the things we learned from Saturday and carried over into Sunday really helped out.

And I think everybody can attest, whether it's in hockey or some of the other sports, you can get into the second half of your season, you start playing the opponent the second time, the third time, and the fourth time, things get more challenging, and you have to be on your "A" game if you're going to get an opportunity to be successful.

So we learned some good things, and hopefully we continue to learn as we get going down the stretch, here.

Q. Ann-RenÃ©e gets a lot of attention, rightfully so, but the whole defense seems to be playing well. We watched the opponent get on that side of the ice and get swallowed up. Is this as good of a defense as you've had?
COACH JOHNSON: I would think the numbers probably indicate that, but as you mentioned, too, it's a combination of a lot of things but, you know, the puck stops with Ann-RenÃ©e and certainly last couple weekends, she has elevated her game, and if you watched her play Saturday the breakdowns that we did have resulted in break-aways for the other team and you don't want to put your goalie in that situation.

But, you know, she was up to the task and certainly gave us an opportunity to win and give a lot of credit to her but as she'll attest to, too, the people in front of her are helping her, also.

Q. Mark Sam Cogan's game seems to be evolving in a pretty impressive direction. What has been the key to her moving along, getting acclimated and turning into somebody who seems to have a good eye for being productive?
COACH JOHNSON: Good observation. I think the first adjustment with our kids -- especially the Canadian kids who come down late in the summer, a week before school starts and try to get acclimated and do all their testing and whatnot, assessment tests for classes, and then get to know their teammates for the first time, it can be trying that first month, and I know for her, you know, the first three or four weeks was challenging and difficult.

She has a boyfriend back home, first time away from home, and I think a lot of athletes go through that, especially, as I mentioned, our Canadian kids that aren't able to come down here during the summer like a lot of other freshmen are, and so for her it was an adjustment and I think getting through the first semester, doing well in school, having some success on the ice. She came back after winter break and just seemed to be more relaxed and comfortable.

The second part of the question, if you watch her play, she understands the game very well, so yesterday we made an adjustment after the second period, and I put her up with "Clarky" and Pankowski, she fit in very well. She set up Emily for two goals and just seemed to be comfortable, and I attributed that to she understands how to play the game.

I don't know if you noticed in the third period where the puck was wrapped around, their goaltender was coming up to her on her left side, and she had the wherewithal to let the puck go by her knowing that her defenseman was going to pick up the puck.

So her hockey sense is high, and I think that has certainly helped her move along, and the other part of it is being more comfortable being a Badger.

Q. Coach you're going to Ohio State, smaller rink than the players are used to playing on. I know you can do practice and do some pre-game skates, but how long does it take in a game to get used to playing on that small of a sheet of ice?
COACH JOHNSON: We can practice and do some playing, but it's going to take the first 6 to 8 minutes, a couple shifts with each line, in that setting in the game Friday night to get them to understand what we're talking about and what we have practiced. So things are going to happen quicker, there is not a lot of time or space; it's more like watching Ping-Pong, where the puck goes back and forth and there is not a lot of connected paths.

It's a different type of game. It reminds me when we used to go into Boston and play the Bruins on a very small sheet; it was just a different game and you had to prepare yourself for that.

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

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297