Last Updated on Thursday, 04 February 2016 11:14
For the WSFLG Blizzard boys’ varsity team, the 2015-16 season has been one to talk about.
By Andrew Vitalis
Sure, Andy Richardson has had teams in the past that may have been more talented, but when it comes to a squad truly playing as a “team” – gelling on and off the ice – this year’s squad just might be one of his best. In the land of co-ops, while records are important, coming together as a unit can define a successful season. For the WSFLG (Grantsburg, Webster, Siren, Frederic, Luck) Blizzard, the 2015-16 season has definitely been one to talk about.
“Probably the biggest challenge (with a co-op program) is getting the school feeling, getting everyone involved,” Richardson said. “For example, one night we might get one school’s pep band to play at our game, but it’s hard because it’s one of the school’s bands but not everyone there is represented, so it’s just kind of hard to develop that one community, one team atmosphere at times. Really focusing that there are not separate schools, it doesn’t matter where you’re from. When you are on the team, you have to wear your Blizzard gear. This is only my third year, but it seems better even from the first year I was here. There was much more of a divide I think between schools when it came to old rivalries that people were holding onto.
“The first year I was here was definitely the most talented team, but the problem was we didn’t get along very well as a team, guys were kind of separated. Even though we had the talent, there wasn’t really a great team feel. Last year was a little better. This year, even though we are young, our team has done a much better job in terms or getting along, competing and working together as a team. That’s been good to see.”
Youth is certainly a part of the Blizzard’s make-up this season with 13 of their 23 players either sophomores or freshmen. In addition, one of the Blizzard’s five seniors is playing for the first time. Still, Richardson and company have begun to see the hard work pay off. Currently 7-11-1 overall, five of their seven wins have come since Jan. 5. Running three lines strong, the Blizzard seem to be doing exactly whatever coach wants their team to do at this point in the season – play their best hockey.
“I’ve noticed it the last couple weeks we’ve started to come together,” Richardson said. “We’ve been able to put together three lines, whereas earlier in the year that third line probably wasn’t ready to play consistently at the varsity level. We have played pretty smart this year, working our systems and keeping our heads by staying out of the penalty box a lot more than year’s past, so that’s been huge. These last couple weeks, being able to play three lines and guys getting the feel of what varsity hockey is like, I think we are definitely playing our best hockey right now. Hopefully we can use these last two weeks to get a few more wins and feel pretty good about ourselves and finish on a high note.”
When you break down any team sport, it primarily comes down to two simple things – offense and defense. Offensively, if you look at the recent statistics, the Blizzard have shown the ability to score early and often. During a recent stretch of four wins over Moose Lake, Northwest, Ashland and Amery, WSFLG scored 23 goals. The Blizzard’s first line of Bryce Roufs, Austin Bowman and Max Norman, while good all season, flourished during that time period.
In the Blizzard’s three wins over Moose Lake, Northwest and Ashland, Roufs accounted for four goals and three assists, while Bowman notched three goals and six assists and Norman was responsible for four goals and five assists. On the season, Bowman has led the way with 21 points. Norman (senior) and Roufs (freshman) are right behind him with 18 points and 14 points, respectively. Through the first 15 games, the talented line had accounted for 27 goals while the rest of the team had lit the lamp 20 times. Despite a late-season injury to Bowman, Richardson hopes the junior sniper will be back for the playoffs and anticipates the scoring trend to continue.
Offense … check.
If the Blizzard are starting to hit on all cylinders offensively, on defense, the engine has been running high performance all season. WSFLG sports one of the best goalies in the area in netminder Taron Wols. The senior has been a three-year starter for the program and is arguably making his senior campaign his finest. The team captain posts close to a .900 save percentage despite facing on average almost 38 shots per game. Wols has already had three games this season with 40-plus saves, and on Dec. 19, the senior stopped 58 shots against New Richmond.
“That’s been huge for us to know that we have him back there,” Richardson said. “Right now we are playing more of an aggressive style where our defense will step up and our forwards will step up, take those challenges and force the other team to make the perfect play. There have been multiple times when he’s had 50 to 60 saves in a game. He just makes it look natural back there.”
Helping Wols organize the blue line has been a host of talented defensemen, including junior Andrew Ruiz who leads the team with a plus/minus of +11. However, the ice hasn’t been all shine recently for the Blizzard on defense, thanks to an injury to one of Richardson’s top D-men, Jase Quimby. Like Bowman, Blizzard fans hope to see the sophomore back in uniform come playoff time.
WSFLG will play three of their final four games on the road. The road will be tough. Of their remaining four opponents, three currently have a winning record.
Andrew Vitalis writes columns in LPH geared towards Wisconsin hockey. He can be reached at lphprep@yahoo.com.
