Johnson Speaks at Press Conference
November 20, 2006 | Women's Hockey
Wisconsin head women's hockey coach Mark Johnson spoke to the media Monday afternoon to discuss the team's upcoming series with Minnesota Duluth. The No. 1 Badgers, 13-0-1 overall and atop the WCHA stanings with a record of 11-0-1 in conference play, host the Bulldogs Nov. 24-25 at the Kohl Center.
A complete transcription of the news conference follows below. A video archive of the news conference can be found by clicking on the red "Audio/Video" link on the left side of the page.
QUESTION #1: When you go through a stretch where you're successful a lot of weekends in a row, does there come a time where it's difficult to get your team to prepare with the same mindset that you need to focus on each weekend and take it for what it is' Maybe it's a little easier this weekend with Duluth coming in, but how have you gone through this stretch so successfully'
MARK JOHNSON: Well, I think what you do on a daily basis with your team and what things we talk about with this group is no different than we've done in the past. And my challenge to them is try to become better every day, what can you do as an individual to become a better player, and then collectively as a team, what we need to do to become better than we were the previous weekend.
And that's the challenge I put before them, and that's what I try to look at. I'm not digging to look at numbers or looking at streaks. It's more the bigger picture and how we play on a particular weekend and what we need to do to become better the following weekend. And so as you prepare for Duluth, we look at the little things that can help us become better Friday afternoon compared to where we were yesterday afternoon up in Bemidji.
QUESTION #2: What does Tia Hanson's return to the lineup mean to this team '
JOHNSON: Well, it adds some more depth. Obviously Tia had a very good season last year, especially the second half. She had her knee operated on and has obviously been cleared to play, and so we sort of broke her back into the lineup with both games this weekend. So for the first time we have a healthy team. We've added more depth to our forward position.
And obviously as she continues to get stronger and gets more playing time, it's going to be a situation where we're deeper than we were two weeks ago or last week when we played. So it's a good situation to be in. The challenge becomes now where do I put her in the mix, and so that's what we have to look at this week as we get ourselves ready and our line combinations ready for Duluth.
QUESTION #3: While you say you don't focus on numbers or streaks, many coaches say they remember the losses far more than they remember the wins. So can you remember when your last loss was'
JOHNSON: No. I'm still turning about our tie against Minnesota here a month or so ago, trying to figure out why we did that and how we did that. But I don't look at it. I got back from Bemidji and got a chance to spend some time with my family last night over dinner, and one of my sons asked me what's the streak at, are you at this number or that number. And I was like, I don't know.
And he's like, yeah, come on, Dad, you're kidding me, what is it. And I said, I don't know. I said, I really don't look at it. Like I say, I try to look at the bigger picture on how we're playing as a group, what we need to work on to try to become better and focus on that, because I think if you start looking at, whether individual numbers or team numbers, it sets you up for disaster, I think, because people start thinking they're maybe a little bit better than they are and they may not respect an opponent as much as they should.
And so your preparation needs to be one that is consistent over the season, and that 's what I try to do with my team. And if you ask them, we don't talk about those things, so it's not an issue. It's about how we're going to get ready for Duluth, how we're going to prepare for the weekend and become better through the next three days of practice.
QUESTION #4: The rivalry with Minnesota is natural, but with Duluth, your teams seem to have a pretty good one going too. And obviously because you're both pretty good teams, that'll continue this weekend, I would imagine.
JOHNSON: Yeah. In the four-plus years I've been coaching, the games against Duluth, even my first year, when they had several Olympic players and a very good team and defending national champions, they're always competitive games. They're fun. It brings both teams' level of play up.
And when you compete against one of the top clubs in the country, it's a fun week of preparation because the players get excited about competing against Duluth or Minnesota, maybe just a little bit more than some of the other teams. And obviously some of the games we've had over the last three or four years helps the intensity of the rivalry.
QUESTION #5: Mark, what's your team doing well right now' And I know coaches say you can get better in every area, but is there something in particular that you really believe you need to shore up'
JOHNSON: Well, from where we were two months ago, our puck movement and our speed have gotten a lot better. The players have gotten comfortable playing with the lines that they 've played with the last four or five weeks. And, through the repetitions in practice and in some of the skill things that we try to work with the players, they 've shown improvement.
And so if you would have watched us play the first period yesterday, I think some of the things you would have taken away was, boy, they skate well, they handle the puck well, they pass the puck well, and so those are all good signs, especially coming into this weekend. We'll be playing on the bigger ice sheet.
DOHERTY: Anything else for Mark'
JOHNSON: Aren't you going to ask what I'm thankful for'
QUESTION #6: What are you thankful for'
JOHNSON: Like I told my players, we did this last year. I made them get a list. My first one was my garage door opener, because in the wintertime, I remember when I was a young little lad and we'd come home, my dad would always push me out the door and made me go open the garage door. Now I can push a button, it goes up. And when I leave, I push it, it goes down. It's awesome to have, especially in the winter.
