Eaves Adds Five to 2003-04 Recruiting Class
June 17, 2003 | Men's Hockey
Head men's hockey coach Mike Eaves has officially announced the signing of five student-athletes, bringing his 2003'04 recruiting class to eight. Andy Brandt (Wausau, Wis.), Michael Brodeur (Calgary, Alberta), Robbie Earl (Los Angeles), Matt Olinger (Madison, Wis.) and Ken Rowe (Fairbault, Minn.) make up the Badgers' spring signees and are expected to join the program for the 2003'04 season.
Brandt, a 6-1, 175-pound forward, skated for the Pittsburgh Forge of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) the past two years. The team captain in 2002 '03, Brandt was Pittsburgh's second-leading scorer during 2001 '02 with 49 points. He led the team with 27 goals and seven game-winning goals and was also named to the league's all-rookie team. Last year he posted 46 points to rank third on the Forge in scoring, and helped the team to the NAHL regular-season and post-season championships. Prior to playing with the Forge, Brandt spent 2000'01 with Team Wisconsin and 1999'00 with Wausau West High School.
'Andy Brandt is a rangy winger who shoots the puck very well,' said Eaves. 'He will be a very tenacious young man along the board and in the corners. He will be very solid defensively.'
Brodeur , 6-3 and a 175-pounder, joins the Badgers as the only goaltender signed. A member of the Camrose Kodiaks Junior A, he backstoppped the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) champions to the Doyle Cup, awarded to the winner of the Alberta-British Columbia junior A hockey championship, and to the silver medal at the national junior A hockey championship. During the run, Broduer posted a 28-16-2 record, 2.64 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in 48 games played. He is ranked 23rd among North American goaltenders in the final NHL Central Scouting ranking.
'Michael Brodeur is a 6-3 goaltender who is very athletic and has the ability to make the big save,' Eaves said. 'I think his time with us here at Wisconsin can take his game to the next level.'
The 5-11, 175-pound Earl played the last two seasons as a forward with USA Hockey National Development Under-18 and Under-17 Programs. Earl ranked third on the under-18 team in 2002'03 with 33 points and 20 goals in 53 games. The game-winning goal scorer in the championship game of the 2002 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Stonewell, Manitoba, Earl was fourth in scoring for the NTDP Under-17 Team with 22 goals and 16 assists in 58 games during 2001'02.
'Robbie Earl is a winger who has potential to be a very offensively productive young man,' Eaves said. 'He has tremendous skating ability, quickness with his skating, a quick stick and natural goal-scoring ability. Hopefully Robbie will be able to provide that for us.'
Olinger, a 6-1 defenseman, spent the last three years with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders in the United States Hockey League after playing for the Madison Capitols Midget AAA during the 1999'00 season. The 200-pounder collected 31 points in 156 regular-season games during three years with the Rough Riders. He also added eight points in 18 playoff games. While with the Capitols, Olinger recorded 11 goals and 19 points in 68 games.
'Matt Olinger is a big, rangy, stay-at-home type of defenseman,' commented Eaves. 'He'll give us good solid defensive zone coverage and be the kind of defenseman that will move the puck up quickly. '
Rowe, a 6-0 forward, was fourth in scoring for Shattuck-St. Mary 's during the 2002'03 campaign with 68 points on 28 goals and 40 assists 58 games. The 190-pound Rowe helped Shattuck-St. Mary's to the 2003 USA Hockey Tier I 17 & Under National Championship and an overall record of 47-10-1 that included a 17-game winning streak.
'Kenny Rowe is a very good-skating, energy-giving type of forward. We look for Kenny to come in, compete hard and create energy every time that he is on the ice,' said Eaves.
The five signees join forward Andrew Joudrey (Bedford, Nova Scotia) and defensemen Jeff Likens (Barrington, Illinois) and Ryan Suter (Madison, Wis.) who signed during the early signing period.
The incoming student-athletes gave Red Line Report, a monthly independent scouting report, reason enough to recently rank Wisconsin's recruiting class the top group in the country.
