UW welcomes Team USA for exhibition game Friday

Friday, October 21

Madison, WI

7 p.m.

Wisconsin Badgers

U.S. Under-18 Team

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Photo by: Greg Anderson

UW welcomes Team USA for exhibition game Friday

October 20, 2016 | Men's Hockey

Nation's best high-schoolers compete at the Kohl Center

UW PLAYS SECOND OCTOBER EXHIBITIONWisconsin (2-2-0) plays in its second and final exhibition game of the 2016–17 season when it plays host to the U.S. Under-18 Team on Friday at the Kohl Center. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

UW Associate Head Coach Don Granato coached the U.S. Under-17 Team last season, which boasted many of the same players UW will face on Friday.

The Badgers are 4-1-0 against the U.S. Under-18 Team all-time, with the lone loss coming two years ago with Granato at the helm.

Exhibition \| Wisconsin vs. U.S. Under-18 Team
Date	Friday, Oct. 21 \| 7 p.m. (CT)
Location	Madison, Wis. \| Kohl Center (15,359)
Watch	BTN Plus
Listen	Badger Sports Network \| Listen Live
Follow	Live Stats \| @BadgerMHockey
Game Notes	Wisconsin

SERIES NOTES
The Badgers are 4-1-0 all-time against the U.S. Under-18 Team, with the first meeting in the series coming Dec. 16, 2005.

All four meetings with the U.S. Under-18 Team have come at the Kohl Center.

WISCONSIN-BC CONNECTIONS
Former and future Badger coaches have directed the U.S. Under-18 Team over its existence with Mike Eaves, John Hynes and Don Granato each taking turns as coaches of the program over the years

Four current Badgers have played with the U.S. Under-18 Team, which is part of the U.S. National Team Development Program including sophomore captain Luke Kunin, junior forward Ryan Wagner, freshman defenseman JD Greenway and freshman forward Trent Frederic.

There have been numerous Badgers over the years who have played with the U.S. Under-18 Team. Some of them include Hobey Baker Memorial Award Winner Blake Geoffrion, Jake McCabe, Jamie McBain, Michael Mersch, John Ramage, Robbie Earl and Jake Dowell.

BADGERS FROM THE USNTDP

Player	USA Years	UW Years
Matt Auffrey	2002-04	2004-05
Brett Bennett	2004-06	2009-11
Matt Doman	1997-98	1998-2002
Jack Dougherty	2013-14	2014-15
Jake Dowell	2001-03	2003-07
Robbie Earl	2001-03	2003-06
John Eichelberger	1997-99	2000-04
Brian Fahey	1997-99	1999-03
Trent Frederic	2014-16	2016-
Blake Geoffrion	2004-06	2006-10
JD Greenway	2014-16	2016-
Nic Kerdiles	2010-12	2012-14
Luke Kunin	2013-15	2015-
Jeff Likens	2001-03	2003-07
Jamie McBain	2004-06	2006-09
Jake McCabe	2009-11	2011-14
Michael Mersch	2008-10	2010-14
John Ramage	2008-09	2009-13
Jason Reimers	1997-99	1999-00
Tom Sawatske	2000-02	2002-04
Frankie Simonelli	2008-10	2010-14
Jack Skille	2003-05	2005-06
Ryan Suter	2001-03	2003-04
David Tanabe	1997-98	1998-99
Ryan Wagner	2013-14	2014-
Nigel Williams	2005-06	2006
Brad Winchester	1997-99	1999-03

LAST MEETINGS
Wisconsin 1, USA 4
Dec. 12, 2014
With current UW Associate Head Coach Don Granato behind the bench for Team USA, the U.S. Under-18 Team knocked off the Badgers at the Kohl Center.

Future Badger captain Luke Kunin scored a goal for Team USA, while eventual NHL No. 1 overall selection Auston Matthews scored two goals, including the game-winning goal and an empty-net tally for the Americans.

UW opened the scoring on an unassisted goal by Matt Paape at 2:48 of the first period, but a four-goal third period for Team USA was the difference.

UW was outshot 34-18 in the game.

BEHIND THE BENCH
WISCONSIN BADGERS
Head Coach: Tony Granato
Record at WIS: 2-2-0 (1st Year)
Overall: 2-2-0 (1st Year)

U.S. Under-18 Team
Head Coach: John Wroblewski
Record at USA: 2-7-0-1 (1st Year)
Overall: 2-7-0-1 (1st Year)

BC SERIES REVIEW
The Badgers posted a split last weekend against No. 6/9 Boston College at the Kohl Center, winning 3-1 on Friday, before dropping an 8-5 contest on Sunday.

The victory last Friday snapped a six-game losing streak to Boston College and ended a three-game stretch during which UW was outscored 20-2.

KEY NOTES TO CONSIDER
UW kept its power play going with three goals on 14 chances last weekend against Boston College. UW's power play is 8-for-30 on the season (26.7 percent), good for second in the Big Ten and eighth in the country.

The Badgers were perfect on the penalty kill last weekend against BC, killing off all 12 penalties. UW shares 13th in the nation with a 91.3 percent kill rate (21-for-23).

Freshman forward Trent Frederic record four points on Sunday against Boston College with a goal and three primary assists. The four-point game marked the first for the Badgers since Luke Kunin had a goal and three assists on Jan. 9, 2016 against Ohio State.

Junior forward Cameron Hughes scored a goal last Sunday through his own legs in highlight-reel fashion that could be considered an early goal of the year candidate. The play was so good it was the top play on ESPN's SportsCenter.

Freshman defenseman JD Greenway scored the first goal of his career last Sunday in his fourth game. The goal came on his first career shot.

Junior forward Cameron Hughes is the only Badger with points in each of the team's first four games. Hughes boasts a goal and three assists for four points.

Junior defenseman Tim Davison posted a pair of multi-point games last weekend with two assists in each game against Boston College. Davison, along with Grant Besse, Seamus Malone and Trent Frederic, shares the team lead with two multi-point games this year.

Sophomore goaltender Matt Jurusik stopped 29 of 30 shots last Friday to backstop the Badgers to a 3-1 victory over Boston College. He allowed six goals on 25 shots on Sunday, getting pulled after 34 minutes, 59 seconds of action.

Freshman goaltender Jack Berry made his collegiate debut on Sunday, playing 23:49 in relief of Jurusik. Berry stopped all six shots he faced.

TOP LINE
Wisconsin's top forward line for the last year has been junior Cameron Hughes, sophomore Luke Kunin and Grant Besse. Last weekend, the line contributed three goals, two assists and five points, with a goal and an assist on the power play. The line also was a minus-10 last Sunday and minus-3 last Friday night, and are a combined minus-25 for the season.

The line has combined for four goals, seven assists and 11 points on the season.

CAPTAINS
Sophomore forward Luke Kunin was named team captain, the second sophomore captain in school history. Mike Eaves was a sophomore captain for the 1975–76 season.

Joining sophomore forward Luke Kunin as alternate captains are senior forward Grant Besse and junior forward Cameron Hughes. Besse served as alternate captain last season, while Hughes filled in at that capacity for a handful of games last year.

BESSE TO 100
Should senior forward Grant Besse match his point total of 33 from last season, he would become the 74th skater in UW history to reach 100 career points, and would become the first since Tyler Barnes (2010–14) reached the mark with 101 points for his career. He actually needs 31 to reach 100.

Besse now boasts 32 goals, 42 assists and 73 points in 107 games played.

Besse's 107 games played makes him one of just two Badgers who have played 100 career college games, joining fellow senior forward Jedd Soleway, who has played 103 games.

CAPTAIN KUNIN
Luke Kunin ended the 2015–16 season with points in a career-best seven straight games, tallying six goals and nine points during the active streak. He has points in the first two games of this season with a goal and an assist. That give Kunin a nine-game point streak dating back to last year. He has seven goals and 11 points in that stretch.

Kunin scored the first goal of the game last Saturday to give UW a 1-0 lead against Northern Michigan. The goal was his team-leading fourth game-opening goal of his career.

Luke Kunin finished the 2015–16 season as the Badgers leading goal scorer with 19 goals, the first UW rookie since Dany Heatley scored 28 goals in 1999–2000 to lead the Badgers in goals. The 19 goals are also the most for a UW freshman since Heatley's 28.

Kunin's 32 points made him the first UW rookie to reach 30 points since Nic Kerdiles tallied 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 32 games during the 2012–13 season. The 32 points were good for second among Big Ten freshmen, while his 0.94 points per game ranked seventh nationally among freshmen.

Kunin finished one back of UW's point lead, narrowly missing becoming the first UW rookie to pace the Badgers in scoring since Kyle Turris, who had 35 points during the 2007–08 season.

He scored four goals in the last minute of a period last season to rank second in the country, while his seven points in the last minute were also second. He had nine goals and 14 points in the first and last minute of periods, which both led the country.

Kunin finished conference play as UW's leader with 13 goals and 21 points in Big Ten play. His 13 goals ranked fourth among all Big Ten skaters, while his 21 points shared eighth. Both ranked second among Big Ten freshmen.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Wisconsin returns 96.8 percent of its goals (90 of 93 goals), 80.4 percent of its assists (135 of 168 assists) and 86.2 percent of its points (225 of 261 points). The Badgers also return 100 percent of their power-play goals (22) from last season.

NEW COACHING STAFF
Tony Granato returns to Wisconsin after 13 years as a head and assistant coach in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. That followed a 13-year NHL playing career that included stops with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.

Don Granato arrives in Madison after nearly five seasons as head coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP) helping develop the nation's best young hockey players. He also spent one season as an assistant coach with the NHL's St. Louis Blues, in addition to over 10 years as a head coach in junior and minor-league hockey.

Osiecki returns to Madison, where he previously spent six seasons (2004–10) as an assistant coach. While at UW, he helped the Badgers win the 2006 NCAA Championship, as well as a runner-up spot in the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four. Since his time at UW, Osiecki spent time as the head coach at Ohio State, as well as an assistant coach with the AHL's Rockford Ice Hogs, the minor league affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.

All three coaches went to school and played hockey for Wisconsin.

20/20 VISION
Wisconsin welcomes five skaters back from last year who had 20 points, including Grant Besse (33), Luke Kunin (32), Seamus Malone (26), Cameron Hughes (22) and Ryan Wagner (22). This marks the first time UW returns five 20-point scores since the 2013–14 team welcomed six 20-point scorers back. That year, Michael Mersch (36), Nic Kerdiles (33), Mark Zengerle (32), Tyler Barnes (30), Joseph LaBate (23) and Jake McCabe (21) each returned to the Badgers. Prior to 2013–14, UW had last returned at least five 20-point scorers for a season when seven began the 2009–10 campaign.

FEELING A DRAFT
Wisconsin begins the season with eight NHL draft picks on its roster, including two first-round picks in Luke Kunin and Trent Frederic, third-round pick JD Greenway, fourth-round pick Max Zimmer, fifth-round selection Grant Besse, sixth-round choice Cameron Hughes and seventh-round picks Jedd Soleway and Matt Ustaski.

UW's top four picks were all chosen in the 2016 draft.

This year marks the first time since the 2010–11 season that UW boasts a first-round draft pick on its roster (Jake Gardiner), and the first team since the 2009–10 squad to boast more than one first-round pick (Gardiner, Ryan McDonagh, Brendan Smith).

Forwards Kunin and Frederic give UW its first first-round draft picks at the forward position since Kyle Turris played for UW during the 2007–08 season.
Kunin and Frederic give Wisconsin two first-round draft picks on the same team at forward for the first time in school history.

CURRENT UW DRAFT PICKS

NAME	TEAM	YEAR	RD/PICK
Luke Kunin	Minnesota	2016	1/15
Trent Frederic	Boston	2016	1/29
JD Greenway	Toronto	2016	3/72
Max Zimmer	Carolina	2016	4/104
Grant Besse	Anaheim	2013	5/147
Cameron Hughes	Boston	2015	6/165
Jedd Soleway	Arizona	2013	7/193
Matt Ustaski	Winnipeg	2014	7/192

LINHART AND SOUL
Junior defenseman Jake Linhart's led UW rear guards and ranked fourth on the team last season with eight goals. Linhart's goal total was tied for second among Big Ten defensemen behind Michigan's early-departure Zach Werenski, who finished with 11. That means Linhart shares the title the "Big Ten's top goal-scoring defenseman returning."
Linhart also led UW defensemen with 18 points, which was tied for ninth among Big Ten blue liners.

GOOD TO HAVE GOAL(IES)
Sophomore Matt Jurusik returns to the Badgers as their only experienced netminder after playing in 33 games last season as a freshmen. Jurusik went 8-16-7 with a 3.46 goals-against average, .892 save percentage and one shutout.

Jurusik will be pushed this season by a pair of freshmen in Jack Berry and Johan Blomquist. who played last season in New Jersey and Connecticut, respectively.

GETTING YOUNGER
While Wisconsin boasted one of the youngest rosters in the country last season with regards to age, they get even younger this year. The team average 20 years, 10 months at the start of October last season. This year, the team averages 20 years, 5 months.

WHERE'S HOME?
Wisconsin's two new goaltenders, Jack Berry and Johan Blomquist, hail from places that have been rare at Wisconsin of late.

Berry comes from Holly, Michigan, The Badgers first player from Michigan since Jon Krall (2000–04), who came from Temperence, Michigan.

Blomquist, from Stockholm, Sweden, arrives as just the second Swede to play for Wisconsin. He joins Jan-Ake Danielson (1981–84), who came from Insjon, Sweden.

SEASONS STREAK
In the modern era of Wisconsin hockey (since 1963), the Badgers have never posted three consecutive losing seasons. UW had losing seasons the last two years, marking the third time that has happened in the modern era.

UP NEXT
Wisconsin takes a trip to upstate New York and faces St. Lawrence on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. CT, and Clarkson on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m.