Eaves Addresses Media Monday
November 25, 2002 | Men's Hockey
Wisconsin men's hockey coach Mike Eaves spoke to the media on Monday during UW 's weekly news conference. Eaves addressed various issues about the team.
A transcript of the news conference follows. The news conference video is available by clicking on `multimedia' on the red menu bar.
What did you think of Saturday's game once you had time to look back' 'It was interesting to go back and read, actually, the newspaper articles, because that is the way I found out where our players were. I said, `You know, let's put the onus on them a little bit and see how they feel'. The comments they had in the paper indicate that they recognize what needs to be done and we just need to get back to doing those things in a consistent effort. We don't have a really mature team right now. It's funny, going into Saturday's game I said to the kids, my greatest concern right now is that Friday night, we made that a point of emphasis to play well. Their focus and everything was right there. We came back Saturday and we weren't mature enough to repeat that again without the coaching staff getting up in their face, being there every second and challenging them. At some point we have to mature, we have to grow as a team and get those things done. And so you heard Bo say it, and I am going to use the same words, it 's just a work in progress still. We're still a young group together. '
Did you expect to have that problem of inspiring the team on a game-by-game basis' 'No I didn't, and every group is different. But right from the very first three shifts of that Saturday night, guys blowing right by our people down the wall, it was like uh-oh. We were not ready from the drop of the puck and obviously with 20-1 (shots) solidifies that thought.
How does this situation of inheriting a team compare with your past experiences' 'Well you come in to a mix. My very first job was at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and we inherited a team there, but there were a lot of changes that year. There aren't so many changes here. Because a school like that (UW-EC), there aren't kids on scholarship, so whoever is going to work hard and performs the best is going to play. Here we inherited a group of kids, the environment here was different. We've talked about trying to create a new environment, a new culture, and part of this right now is that you're seeing that - the up and down. We have to play the hand we have and make the most of it and that 's what we are trying to do and it's hard.'
Do you worry about not having instinctively offensive players ' 'We have a few. We don't have a lot and when those guys shut down or are in a little lull, it's going to be hard. Friday night, it 's 1-0 for 59 minutes and 54 seconds and Saturday night, as bad as we were, it 's 3-2 with a couple of minutes to go. It is what it is right now. We've got to work through it.'
Is there any consolation in that' Playing so poorly and being so close' 'Not at all. That's just a total afterthought because by that time, they shut down. Their coaches, I can tell you this, that they were upset that we even were in the game. Because I'm sure they felt in the third period that kids backed off at 3-0, and the next thing you know, our kids got their backs up finally and started to play. We get a couple of goals and they call timeout, `Like fellas'' and I've been on that side of the fence as well. There 's no consolation. Not even a moral consolation that we made it close. The game was far out of reach and that was never brought up.
What is the biggest factor: the work aspect or the teaching aspect' 'It's everything, I think, Andy. I think it's the accountability, it's the work, it's the teaching that still continues, and we'll just keeping pressing forward here and try and get this thing going on a more consistent basis. You've been with us, and you saw the second game at Minnesota-Duluth. You saw the way we're capable of playing that first night. We were in that game. Then just to fall off the cliff like that, just is an indication that it's not who we are naturally. We have to work so dang hard to get them there with the coaching staff and then that's a sign once again it's a young team. It's not a mature team that understands, you know, every night that we play we have to get to this level, internally, emotionally, when you play. We're not there yet. '
Is everybody on the same page, and if not, is everybody in the same book yet' 'Same book, but that chapter on consistency and work, they're not all in that chapter yet. Again, we're trying to change habits, and that's hard work, and it's a difficult thing. Some guys are more adaptable to that, some guys understand that's who they are naturally. We've got some kids who that's not naturally who they are, and we're demanding that of them, and we have to find out if they have it. If they don't have it, then we're going to have some issues.'
Can the players change' 'I think so. They're still young men. I've seen ' I think if guys truly want to get to the highest level, and you could show them this is the path, you can show them people that have changed and have gotten on that path and been successful, then it 's a matter of them buying in and getting it done, but for some it's harder than others because it's who they are growing up.'
You have a larger number of players coming in than are leaving, than eligibility expiring. Would you say that that's accurate ' 'You know, we have a couple of young men that walked on with us, so it's pretty close, it's pretty close. We're well aware of that, and you know to be quite frank, it's going to be, for some of those bubble guys, they're going to have to work their fannies off this summer. The truth, let it be known, is that you have to improve. You have to come back stronger and you will be fighting for a job. We're well aware of those numbers and that's what's going to happen at the end of the year.'
Is it possible that you know more about Michigan's personnel than you know about your own in some cases' 'No, not really. I mean, being in the backyard, we got to play them a couple times, but you know, we know some of the kids personally because they're in our program, but not that much. '
On Michigan's goalkeeper, Al Montoya: 'He's a young, athletic goaltender. He's still -- I don't know what his numbers are, I haven't seen them yet, but they're good. That's an indication of people in front of him too, but he's really athletic and if he can mature as a goaltender, he'll be a dandy. '
Do you know any more about Adam Burish and other injuries on the team' 'Well, Adam's going to get x-rays here right away. He's probably there right now, and the trainer's optimistic that he may be ready by the weekend, and hopefully Woz (Andy Wozniewski) will too. He's been out a little bit longer. He came on the trip you know we thought maybe there might be a chance, outside chance that he could play, but his motion and strength are coming back.
On Dan Boeser: 'Danny can do all the drills this week, so that's good news for him and it will be dependant on how much his hand can take. Optimistically, I don't know about this weekend, but it will probably be the Minnesota series.'
Do you think the captain situation is effective ' 'Well, we looked at that in the very beginning, and I don't know if it would benefit to name one guy because if that's not who that person is, than that wouldn't have been effective anyway. By doing this, yes, it's a longer process, but in the end we'll probably have a better person.'
Have certain guys jumped out in you in this rotation ' 'You know, each guy that's had the `C' has really made an effort to step up and it's like `his' team, and that's what we wanted to see. Now, how have they done' We've kept record of that and in the end, we will sit down and we have a criterion that we'll give the guys. This is a criterion for which quote, unquote captains have to live to and be to. Now, who in your judgment are the guys that have had it (the `C') on this first half of the season that fit those bills'
Who do you attribute blame to for goalkeeper Scott Kabotoff 's struggles early in games: the team or him' Do you see any problems with his approach' 'No, it's probably a combination. It never is one thing. In the experiences that we have as coaches, there are always a couple things: the team not being ready, he being caught up in that. But he gave us a chance to hang in that game on Saturday night. I'm sure for him, it was a real good confidence builder.'
Is there extra pressure on the goalies because of the lack of scoring' 'Well, we haven't addressed that and if they 're aware of that, it's on their own time. I think that perhaps Scotty had a little bit more pressure, because he's a senior, he had good numbers. You know, it's like `Okay, this is my team' and that might have been, you know, that's a new position for him. Last year he came in, he showed great numbers, it wasn't expected. Now it's a different mindset going into games, so it's part of the maturation process for him as a young goaltender.'
Would you say that the team is at a crossroads of some sorts ' 'No, not at all. Again, to go back to the comment that we talked about earlier, Andy, and the fact that we said up until Christmas time, we're going to be on this roller coaster ride, and we're still on that ride. We're still on that ride definitely, and so we're probably right where we should be.'
