UWSP Hockey Overcomes Demons in Third Straight National Championship Appearance
Photo Courtesy of UWSP Athletics.

UWSP Hockey Overcomes Demons in Third Straight National Championship Appearance

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Men’s Hockey team exercised it’s national championship game demons in historic Lake Placid, New York, to capture the NCAA Division III Men’s National Championship.

UWSP defeated St. Norbert 5-1 in the championship game, as well as defeating Suny Geneseo 5-1 in the national semifinal.

After knocking on the door the previous two seasons and coming up short, the Pointers had one goal the entire season.

“The feeling that we felt those past two years losing in the last game was something we never wanted to feel again, and we had our focus all year on being on the other of it this time,” said Junior Forward Kyle Sharkey.

The season wasn’t all smiles for the Pointers, as they went through a four game losing streak in late November where the team’s playoff life was on the ropes.

“I don’t normally adapt my style, but I looked at our strengths and weaknesses and decided we needed to switch a few things up, and we just took off after that,” said Head Coach Chris Brooks .

This loosing streak rewarded an automatic bid through their conference, which put the Pointers in a spot with very little room for error.

“Having that kind of pressure has worked out pretty well for us the last three years,” Brooks said. “It is hard though to know that every night you have to have your best, and it limits what we can do with some guys development-wise because we can’t lose more than a few games.”

For the group of seniors on the team, the chance to right wrongs was an opportunity they were going to take full advantage of.

“We had a businesslike approach all year, and when we got down there we were going to make sure that we were there to take care of what we came up short for the last couple years and nothing else,” said Senior Forward Evan Dixon.

The Pointers took in some of the scenes of the Olympic Village in Lake Placid, which was the home of the infamous “Miracle on Ice” game in which the U.S.A defeated the powerhouse U.S.S.R team.

“Everything was in walking distance so this kind of felt different than the last couple years, much more cohesiveness with everybody, we got to check out the village, we did some curling, it was all really cool to have it there,” Sharkey said.

Although the Pointers had two blowout-wins in the semifinal and final, the inevitability of a championship wasn’t acknowledged until the final few minutes of the title game.

“When we got up three in the third period of the title game I felt good, then we got up four and I kind of knew then, but had to keep my focus still,” Dixon said. “When those last couple minutes came around though I smiled and tried to enjoy the moment.”

For a program that has lost a total of 18 games in the past three seasons, the final piece to the puzzle being put in place capped off an historic run.

“I give a lot of credit to the seniors in the last couple of classes as they were essential to us in this run,” Dixon said. “For me to leave my mark like this though after coming up just short is something I’ll always remember.”

To the victors go the spoils, as Coach Brooks has had little time to enjoy all his program has accomplished.

“With all the interviews and banquets and whatnot I haven’t really been able to grasp just yet how great this is, but I know for these kids in my career I would give up any individual accolade to achieve something as a team like this,” Brooks said.

With a target now on the Pointers’ back going into next season, the ability to enjoy this moment may end sooner rather than later.

“I’m just excited we got to win one for these seniors, but I know personally and for the other guys coming back we’re going to need to be even better to repeat,” Sharkey said.

As for Coach Brooks, the process into next season has already begun.

“We’re already out on recruiting trips and trying to figure out how we’re going to replace some of the talent we’re losing this year,” Brooks said. “The effort we gave this year won’t be enough to get it done next year, and my guys know that.”

 

Charles Klumb

Reporter

cklum166@uwsp.edu

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