The Wisconsin men's hockey team s incredibly deep up front this season and though it is not by choice, the Badgers will get a chance to showcase some of that depth during their first game against Northern Michigan Friday night.
Freshman forward Nic Kerdiles, was ruled ineligible by the NCAA earlier this week. Andy Baggot of the Wisconsin State Journal reported yesterday that his appeal case will not be heard until October 18.
Thursday, head coach Mike Eaves announced that freshman forward Morgan Zulinick will sit out Friday's game due to off-ice issues.
With that being said, the Badgers will suit up plenty of talented players come Friday night. The Cardinal and White return five forwards who played in every game a season ago and 11 forwards who skated in at least 30 games.
Nic Kerdiles- By all accounts, Kerdiles is an extremely gifted athlete who has a well-rounded skillset. The second round pick of the Anaheim Ducks clearly wants to be a Badger, but it appears as though that decision will be made by the NCAA.
Morgan Zulinick- The lefty simply knows how to score and he proved that during his time in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. In his final season with the Silverbacks last year, Zulinick racked up 68 points in 55 games and was named team MVP.
Joseph LaBate – He probably won't see top-line minutes for the entire season, but given the fact that neither Kerdiles, nor Zulinick will be playing in the opening game, LaBate will have the chance to showcase what he can do with a different set of line mates.
Mark Zengerle- Zengerle is the top returning scorer in the nation. He averaged 1.35 points per contest a season ago. He will anchor down the top line from the center position, just as he did a season ago.
Tyler Barnes- The only right-handed stick among forwards in the top two lines, Barnes can be an offensive threat in his own right. He notched 26 points in 37 games last season.
Matt Paape- Paape missed only one game a year ago and posted nine points. Though he is experienced, his role this season is up in the air. Certainly he takes a back seat to Kerdiles should he become eligible at some point. It's also likely that the addition of Zulinick will take away from his playing time as well.
Derek Lee- One of only two seniors up front for the Badgers this year, Lee played in just 17 games last season, recording 11 points. This will be his opportunity to show that he is worthy of quality minutes in a major role.
Michael Mersch- The junior saw action in all 37 games last season and was the second highest scoring forward on the roster (14-16-30). Many think that there is still room for improvement, he will get plenty of minutes to answer the bell.
Ryan Little- The other senior forward on the roster, Little has plenty of game experience. This will mark his third season as a full-time forward and his transition days should be well behind him. Little collected a career-high seven assists last year and tied his career record for points with 10.
Jefferson Dahl- Dahl notched nine points in 35 games last season. He will likely be the fourth line center and what could be one of the more dominant fourth lines in the country. He is an experienced player who won't break your back with mistakes and, at the end of the day, that's all he needs to be.
Brendan Woods- Probably one of the most surprising players from last season, Woods put together a solid freshman campaign. He played in 35 games and tallied 10 points. Coach Eaves' choice of line mates for Woods will be a good indication of how much he trusts his young center.
Brad Navin- Navin saw solid time as a freshman and now, with a year under his belt, will be expected to play a slightly larger role. Expect to see him on the wing in one of the bottom two lines.
Keegan Meuer- The junior saw his first full season of action last year and will be expected to provide a veteran presence when he takes to the ice. One of the more versatile forwards, Meuer racked up 11 points during the 2011-12 season.
Sean Little- Little skated in 33 games a season ago and collected three points. Though he should see some action early in the year, it is tough to envision him seeing that same amount of ice time in the latter portion of the season.
Spencer Bell- The freshman likely won't factor into the equation much during his first season on campus. Nothing against his playing abilities, but the Badgers are simply too deep at forward to be requiring Bell's services immediately.
My Opening night line projections:
LaBate-Zengerle-Barnes
Ryan Little-Lee-Mersch
Paape- Dahl-Sean Little
Navin-Woods-Meuer
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
