Eaves Signs First Class In Early Signing Period
November 21, 2002 | Men's Hockey
Head Coach Mike Eaves announced the official signing today of part of his first recruiting class. Forward Andrew Joudrey (Bedford, Nova Scotia) and defensemen Jeff Likens (Barrington, Illinois) and Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis.) have signed tenders to play for the University of Wisconsin next year.
Joudrey is a 5-11, 190 pound center who is currently playing for the Notre Dame Hounds of Athol Murray College (Wilcox, Saskatchewan). For the second straight year, he is one of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's (SJHL) top point-getters. Last season he tallied 23-39=62 in 53 games and this year to date has 15-24=39 in 23 games. Joudrey is sixth in the SJHL in points (39), tied for fifth in assists (24) and tied for eighth in goals (15). The Hounds are currently in first place in the Sherwood Conference with a 17-4-2 record which is the best in the SJHL. Current Badgers Ryan MacMurchy (a teammate of Joudrey's last season) and sophomore Alex Leavitt are both alums of Athol Murray, as was standout goaltender Curtis Joseph, who played for the UW during the 1988-89 season.
'Andrew is a smooth skating left-handed center who has the ability to put his skating into an extra gear,' said UW head coach Mike Eaves. 'He sees the ice very well and along with being able to pass the puck has an excellent release on his shot. He has that ability to make the people around him better no matter what the situation.'
Likens played for Eaves last season with the National Team Development Program (NTDP) Under-17 Team. The 5-11, 165-pound defenseman was a member of the U-17 team which won the gold medal at the 2002 World Under-17 Challenge in Winnipeg a year ago. This season with the U-18 Team, Likens ranks fifth in team scoring with 2-6=8 in just 24 games. He is a teammate and defensive partner of fellow signee Ryan Suter. During 2000-01, Likens played for the Chicago Chill contributing 12-28=40 in 65 games. He also played on the 1999 USA In-Line Hockey National Championship team.
'Jeff has proven to be very competitive at every level he has participated,' said Eaves. 'He is a smooth skater with very good puck-handling skills and can read the ice well. He's a playmaker who is an excellent special teams player.'
Suter will be the fourth member of that family (all defensemen) to wear the Cardinal and White. The 6-1, 180-pound defenseman has also spent the last two seasons with the NTDP in Ann Arbor, Mich., and was coached by Eaves during the 2001-02 season. Suter won two gold medals last year, one with the U-17 team at the World Challenge and the other with the U-18 Team at the World Under-18 Championship. He assisted on the game-winning goal and was named one of the top defensemen at the world championships. He tallied 39 points in 70 games with the NTDP, including 16 points in 19 international contests. Prior to joining the NTDP, Suter was named the top defenseman at the Four Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic (2000-01) and scored 13-32=45 playing for Culver Academy (Carmel, Ind.). Suter's father Bob (1975-79) was a four-year letterwinner at Wisconsin and was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team which took the gold medal in Lake Placid. His uncles Gary (1983-85) and John (1973-78) also played at the UW. Gary just retired from an 18-year NHL career.
'Ryan has a great on-ice presence. He is a very mature player with good skating and passing skills. He creates scoring opportunities and because he is such a smart player who knows what the situation is on the ice and does the right thing. Ryan has a competitive edge and has proven his leadership abilities.'
