BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Jedd Soleway has had some terrible luck during his 100-game-old career with the Wisconsin men's hockey team, but the junior right winger remains an unflinching optimist.
"Absolutely," he said.
Soleway has amassed 272 shots on goal over three seasons and has but 13 conversions to show for it. That .048 success rate is not what you'd expect from a guy who gets prime minutes on the power play, is generally used on one of the top two forward lines and has one of the best releases on the team.
The fact many of Soleway's chances have come in close proximity to the opposing net – he's adept at using his sturdy 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame to create time and space – only adds to the wonder.
But Soleway soldiers on expecting that a torrent of goals is about to be unleashed.
"I know I've got the talent and the ability to produce, to get those pucks in the net past the goalie," he said. "I'm just going to keep believing."
Now would be as good a time as any for Soleway to kick his production into gear. He's fresh from ending an 18-game goal-less streak and the final Big Ten Conference regular-season series is Friday and Saturday at first-place Minnesota.
Beyond that, the Big Ten tournament and its one-and-done format offers the sixth-place Badgers (7-17-8 overall, 2-12-4 with 12 points in league play) their only avenue to the NCAA tournament.
UW has to prevail three times in three days at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, starting March 17 to win the conference playoff title and secure the automatic NCAA berth.
For Soleway, a journalism major from Vernon, British Columbia, the optimism he has for his stat line extends to the UW dressing room.
"We have proved this year at times that we can beat anybody and we have the talent on then team to do that," he said. "When everyone's going we can outscore teams. We've shown we can scored five, six goals a game.
"Hopefully in these next two weekends coming up, this is just putting everything together."
So many forces can affect a shot once it leaves one's stick blade. The puck can clank off pipes or crossbars. It can ricochet off bodies or skates and out of harm's way. It can flutter on end and wobble off course. A nudge or a tug by an opponent can alter the trajectory. There's also the possibility that a faulty stick can break in mid-swing and the shot will go awry.
To some degree, all have happened to Soleway during his UW career.
"I don't know why (goal-less) streaks like that happen or why pucks don't go in sometimes, but it's something I hope to figure out in the future, that's for sure," he said.
In the meantime, Soleway is doing his best to combat the forces of frustration.
"It's one thing to get those chances. That's all fine," he said. "But at some point you have to look at yourself and realize that producing is the ultimate goal. When that's not happening, it's very frustrating."
Soleway is one of the top face-off artists in the nation with a winning percentage of .585 (197-140), but is bothered by the fact he has 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists) on 94 shots this season while compiling a team-worst minus-21 rating.
"I don't think I've produced enough for the team this year," he said.
Soleway's roommate and classmate, right winger Grant Besse, can relate. Besse is on pace to lead the Badgers in scoring for the second straight season – he has 94 shots as well while showing 8-22-30 – but he had 11 conversions as a sophomore and still hasn't registered a goal on the power play this season.
"Kind of like myself, Jedd probably hasn't put the puck in the net as much as he would have liked this year," Besse said.
According to Besse, Soleway has nevertheless maintained an upbeat posture away from the rink.
"Obviously when you're not scoring there's doubt, but you try not to let it get to you and he's done a good job with that," Besse said. "I'm sure he is frustrated, but he's done a good job persevering through it."
Soleway is at his best in a physical environment, but he's learned that he must be fully engaged mentally for it all to work.
"The physical part honestly comes easy for me when the mental part is all in a line," he said. "When my head's not in the game I find myself not being as physical, not staying on my feet as well, not shooting as well.
"It definitely starts with mental preparation, clearing your head and stuff like that. Once you step on the ice if you've got all that in alignment, the physical stuff come easy."
Soleway, a seventh-round NHL draft pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2013, sometimes has early-morning skill drills with UW associate head coach Luke Strand. A focus is on getting shots off quickly from a variety of locations. Soleway said the biggest benefit to the extra work is confidence.
"Knowing that I've practiced certain plays and certain shots, knowing that I can get them off quicker and place them in certain spots," he said.
Getting them to locate the back of the net has been tricky, though.
"He's got one of the best releases on our team and he's been getting opportunities," Besse said. "He's obviously finding space out there to get his shot off. Hopefully down the road those will go in for him."
UW coach Mike Eaves had multiple conversations with Soleway last week prior to Soleway getting a first-period power-play goal that gave way to a 4-3 victory over Penn State. It was his first conversion since Nov. 20.
"He wants to help his team," Eaves said of Soleway. "His single goal – I have no doubt about this – is he wants to help this team win and he still feels that he can."
That's true.
"I'm just focused on being a part of this team and doing whatever I can to help," Soleway said.
Maybe a long, fulfilling hot streak is on deck for Soleway and the Badgers.
"Every day's a new day," Besse said. "Something good can happen. Hopefully we can get on a roll and finish it with a Big Ten tournament championship."
