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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 14, 2016

Mark Johnson

Madison, Wisconsin

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

COACH JOHNSON: Thanks, Brian. Just feeding off a couple of my comments after our game the other night, I just want to thank our fans. It was a special season for a lot of reasons. Finishing undefeated at home, you know, give a lot of credit to our support and the people that are willing to come out and support our team and create an atmosphere the other night. That was certainly special and unique, and our players certainly appreciate it. It helps us win games. So a big thank you to all the people that came out throughout the season, especially Saturday to support their weekend.

As far as this week, everybody is excited. Right time to be excited in regards to we get to practice again today, that means we got another game at hand, and certainly the opponent has been there before. We've played each other five times now this season, so it's who is going to be able to come out, execute and do the little things necessary to give their team the best opportunities to win. So it should be a fun atmosphere, it should be a fun game to play in, and certainly our players are excited for the opportunity.

Q. Coach, you've got a big sheet of ice you're going to be playing on this weekend. How comfortable do you think your players can get with that in just one week of practice?
COACH JOHNSON: Both teams will be playing on it. It makes for a different game than the previous five games we've played against each other. We won a National Championship up in Minneapolis playing in Mariucci, which is a big sheet of ice, get an opportunity to practice here at the Kohl Center and make the adjustments necessary and, again it comes down to your good players have to be good, you have to do a lot of little things, and that won't be any type of excuse because both teams will be playing on it.

Again, history tells me that when we match up against Minnesota, generally they're pretty close games, they're overtime games, you know, they're end-to-end action, and for the people that show up, or get a chance to watch it on the stream line, similar to the previous five games this year, it will be entertaining.

Q. Can you define the importance of having the last change in a game like this, knowing the talent that Minnesota is going to throw out there at you?
COACH JOHNSON: It helps us. We played up there, the two away games that we played there that we ended up losing, they added a piece to their lineup that wasn't there in the previous part, and it just, you know, when the home team gets the last change it can make a difference, and certainly when we played up there in the playoff games, that little bit of knowing who we could match-up against, you know, it just puts me in a more comfortable position.

Q. How do you go about the week so that, you know, the pressure doesn't build on these young ladies instead just the excitement builds toward the event?
COACH JOHNSON: That's a good question. Having been there and having had players that have been in this game last season, other than our three freshmen, I think everybody will be somewhat comfortable under the circumstances, but getting a chance to practice at the Kohl Center and playing a familiar opponent, you know, there is nothing really new other than the magnitude of the game.

So we will go about our week similar to going about our week for playing Minnesota either here or up in their building and do the things that put us in this position and not try to do things outside of that, make them aware of some things, and then it's going to come down to when they drop the puck, who can execute.

Q. Playing Minnesota in the Frozen Four semifinals, is there any part of you that wishes you were playing somebody else?
COACH JOHNSON: Can't control that. That's just the way the numbers have fallen the last few years, and here we are again. The nice part is we're playing, and we're down to four teams and the season is going to be over for a couple teams Friday night, and then the two get to advance to Sunday's game.

Very worthy opponents. B.C. is undefeated; they're trying to do something is that only Minnesota has done in the past, and Clarkson, a few years ago, upset Minnesota, so they're in a position where they have some seniors that have been down this path, so it should make for a great tournament.

Q. Mark, to what degree does your team have a psychological advantage, just from the fact of a number of years coming up on the short end of the stick against Minnesota. You've swept them here, shut 'em out on their home ice, you landed the last blow, so to speak. How does that play into the psyche of your team?
COACH JOHNSON: I think for both teams, you know, as we prepare for the game Friday night, what are our strengths and how can we play to those strengths and I'm sure they're probably doing the same kind of things. So you look at the match-up, how the game might transpire, and you have to play to your strengths right now. And I think for both teams, you know, confidence is probably at a pretty high level right now and so, you know, the first six, eight minutes of the game, there is probably going to be a lot of energy, a lot of excitement on both parts.

You know, whether we had won the last game or lost the last game, you know, I'm not sure if that plays into either team's advantage or disadvantage. It comes down to 60 minutes, it comes down to three periods, and I get back to who can execute. You know, you need to stay out of the penalty box and do a list of maybe four or five things, and if you're able to check those off at the end of the game, you've probably given yourself a pretty good chance to win.

Q. How is Emily Clark playing right now? Clearly she has been one of your more consistent players all year, but has she found another plateau here? It would appear that's the case.
COACH JOHNSON: I think so. I think with our better players, and probably maybe a little bit plays into it, when they get those phone calls to go represent their countries in the World Championship, they come to practice the next day and they usually tell me they got the call, and the smile has gotten a little bit bigger. Emily is generally smiling and a happy person most of the time, but I think, especially with the tournament this year being held in Canada, for her to get that call, it just -- all of the sudden her feet are little bit lighter, she is skating a little bit quicker, and she is playing because she is excited about the opportunities that have been put in front of her.

Annie Pankowski is the same way, where she gets a call from Team USA, and she gets a chance to go to British Columbia after this tournament and play for her country and play for a gold medal. They get excited. You want your big players to be good right now, and certainly both Emily and Annie have elevated themselves here as we got into the playoffs and got ourselves into a position for the game Friday night.

Q. Obviously the stats back up what Ann-RenÃ©e has done all season. In your mind, why is she deserving of winning the Patty Kazmaier?
COACH JOHNSON: I think the numbers she has put up, the NCAA record, probably lot of people felt was one that may not be broken. She has gone beyond that, and she obviously has put our team in a position to play in the Frozen Four. We won our WCHA League Title, we won our playoff title. Her resume is pretty impressive, as well as the other two individuals that are part of the equation.

We're excited for her. We're excited for the opportunity to play this weekend, and certainly as she'll attest to, she is very proud of the players that have played in front of her, because they certainly played a part in her records.

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

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