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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN HOCKEY MEDIA CONFERENCENovember 25, 2013Mike EavesTHE MODERATOR: The men's hockey team opens up Big Ten play this weekend, traveling to Minneapolis to take on No.1 Minnesota. Friday's game starts at 4:00 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU, while Saturday's game will start at 5:00 p.m. on FS Wisconsin. Head coach Mike Eaves is here and will take questions. Q. If you guys beat Minnesota, are you going to keep that mustache? COACH EAVES: No, sir. It's funny. The whole mustache thing is‑‑ you know, once again, our captains came to us and asked about if they can do it, and we said absolutely, then we jumped on board as a staff. It's been a good topic of conversation because I actually learned‑‑ I thought it was for prostate cancer. It's for all cancers for men. It's funny, you talk to people, My dad had this problem ormy ‑‑ so it really has done its job of making people talk about it and becoming more aware of it. But it's coming off. Q. When you go into a game against the No.1 team in the country on the road‑‑ or is it here? COACH EAVES: On the road. Q. On the road. What's the message to the team? COACH EAVES: First of all, we're excited to get back playing. The fact that we're going into Minnesota and they're ranked where they are, you know, our kids will be excited. It's an opportunity to bang the drum a little bit and make some noise by going in there and playing well, see what we can do. So the boys had a tremendous week last week. We kind of threw the carrot out there, if they had a good week of practice and did the things we needed to do, that they would get the weekend off, and they did that in spades. They had Saturday, Sunday off, come back to work today and have three good days of practice and go in there, and like I said, hopefully bang the drum a little bit and make some noise. Q. Mike, how much of a challenge is it for you to keep these bye weeks fresh and productive for your team? COACH EAVES: It is a challenge. It's been kind of a fun one. I think, what it does, it gets us outside of our normal box. We've been creative. We've done some things, tried some things that we haven't done recently with Coach Snider in terms of training effects on the ice, in terms of off the ice with some things that we've done. It's been fun. It's been a fun process. And I think the guys, when they come in and look at practice, what the heck is this? What's this? You can do that when you have these bye weeks. I think we've learned some new techniques and training things and drills that have kept our guys' interest piqued, but at the same time, trying to keep them as close to game ready as we can. Q. Having so many byes, especially this early, one would think that with a veteran team that could be a recipe for staleness, for getting sick of it‑‑ COACH EAVES: I would agree with you. I wouldn't argue that point at all. That's why I think some of the goofy things we've done, they've raised some eyebrows: Really? You want to try this? We had a drill on Friday called a Russian transitional short‑term training games, and they'd never done that before. And they're looking at this, What the heck is this? But it was something new, and it was done. We had the heart rate monitors on. Jim said we got the training effect that we were looking for, and they kind of enjoyed it. But it was new. So having these bye weeks forced us into doing that, and the name we made up just to give it a little extra oomph. Q. Mike, did you sense that the win over Miami a couple weeks back provided a little extra juice for your club too? COACH EAVES: It would be more juice if we had played right away. I think that's in the past now. We're going to have to kind of rekindle that fire again in that first period in Minnesota on Friday afternoon. I think we're going to have to play a really intelligent game and take care of the puck, do those kinds of things, and get our feet back wet again in game situations. We did a pretty good job in Miami in that we survived that first 20 minutes on that Friday after bye week in pretty good style. I think we're going to have to have that same kind of recipe on Friday night up in Minny. Q. Just on the marquee you could say that this is their youth versus your experience, but is it really that simple? COACH EAVES: No, I don't think it's ever that simple. Obviously we've been watching them and talking to people about them, and they say they can get up and go. Their skating ability and their quickness and the ability is certainly there. Got off to a great start. We're really excited to have some good momentum. Now they're getting into the grind a little bit. They've been playing here, and they got spanked here yesterday afternoon. I'm sure Donny has their attention and will have them ready. They're in a little bit of a grind with a young team. We're coming in with an older team that hasn't played. What's the matchup going to be? It will be an interesting weekend, for sure. Q. You mentioned the bye took a little of the juice away from the victory over Miami. What about your kids in terms of confidence, just winning that game, that maybe doesn't go away? COACH EAVES: Again, had we played right away, that confidence would be lingering in a stronger effect. I still think it's there. I think they have a belief now. Again, as a staff, you can't overemphasize that first 20 minutes on Friday. That will set the tone for the weekend, I believe, and if we can have that same type of period that we had in Miami, that will speak volumes for us and carry us. Q. Last year, winning a WCHA playoff title, the last one with all of you guys in it. When the football team was in the Big Ten Championship game a couple years ago, they talked about making history, the first team ever and nobody would be able to take it away. This is the first year of the Big Ten Hockey Conference. Is there anything to that as a carrot for the guys or something to say as a goal that we'll be the first one ever that can hang that up? COACH EAVES: As we said as a group at the beginning of the year, obviously, we talked about our long‑term goals, our short‑term goals. One of the short‑term goals was to win the Big Ten Championship. The fact that it is the first in a long time, that will definitely be a carrot. As things start to evolve now, because they're starting the Big Ten schedule, that will be something I think the boys will talk about more. Q. Is the new conference a great unknown or the greatest thing since sliced bread? COACH EAVES: I think it's a little bit of both. That may sound like a political correct answer, but the fact is it's been in existence before. So it's been partially sliced before. But there are some unknowns there. Just how will‑‑ it's going to be interesting to see how the teams react to having‑‑ playing a team four times now instead of just twice and see if that raises the level of intensity. We're going to go there, we're going to play twice, and then we're going to come back here and play. Will that raise the level of intensity as we start getting into the Big Ten schedule? I think that's a little bit of the unknown. So it's a little of both. Q. Mike, what is the routine for Thanksgiving, as far as your schedule this week? And do you like the fact that you guys kind of‑‑ that these two teams, you're taking off your Big Ten season, and especially at the times of day that they are? COACH EAVES: Well, first of all, what we're doing, we're going to get into Minneapolis here on Thursday, and our guys are going to go over to one of the guys' house in Minneapolis and have Thanksgiving dinner there. So that's always nice to be around friends and family. I know the other coaches have said that same thing. The time of day of the game has been an interesting battle to see what we can do. Our ice is so early in the day, and then when we feed the kids. So it's been a little bit of a project trying to figure that out, but I think we've got that done. And I think the fact that we're opening the Big Ten against a team that we play four times during the year anyways is very apropos for us. I think the kids are looking forward to it. Q. For better or for worse, how do you think the competition level in the Big Ten Conference compares to WCHA's in the past? COACH EAVES: Well, there's a little bit of the unknown there. We played Penn State last year, and we beat them one game, and they were very competitive the second. They'll be better this year because they've had a year recruiting. I just think with the Big Ten rivalry and the fact that they're part of that, that it's going to be very, very competitive. I would say it's going to be as competitive, if not‑‑ we use the word "parity" every year. I don't think this year is going to be any exception with that word being used a lot. Q. Obviously, the rivalry at Minnesota has a long, great tradition and great moments in it. How does the dynamic of the rivalry change with moving conferences since you two are the two teams coming from the WCHA, so they're your partners in crime in a way? COACH EAVES: I don't think it changes it at all. Again, maybe once we get through it and we start going, there will be something that we notice. I don't anticipate anything in terms of those things you just asked. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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