CONTENTS AUGUST 28, 2014 ■ VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2

COVER STORY GARY ANDERSEN: YEAR 2 After a successful debut season at Wisconsin, head coach Gary Andersen feels right at home as the new-look Badgers prepare to take on LSU in front of a national audience.

FEATURES FEATURE IN [FOCUS] DYNAMIC DUO The week's best photos BEHIND THE DESK Kinley McNicoll and Rose Lavelle LSU provides early test return to the Badgers following THE VOICE a successful World Cup run. New faces on a big stage BY THE NUMBERS UW stats and figures WHAT TO WATCH LUCAS AT LARGE Volleyball back in action ASK THE BADGERS THEIR TIME IS NOW Back to school BADGERING... Redshirt freshmen Chikwe Drew Conner (MSOC) Obasih and Alec James are ready INSIDE FOOTBALL to contribute on UW’s d-line. Youth movement INSIDE-SCROLL VOLLEYBALL FOR MORE- Opening weekend on tap INSIDE MEN'S SOCCER Trio of captains named Wisconsin Athletic Communications Kellner Hall, 1440 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711

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Brian Lucas Director of Athletic Communications

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© 2014 Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. All rights reserved worldwide. LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS » UWBADGERS.COM

A year later, time is now for Obasih and James n the eve of Wisconsin’s Strickland. We put him on also hails from Brookfield Cen- 2013 season opener, speaker phone and we thought tral. He was definitely ready OChikwe Obasih and Alec we were in trouble.” when injuries created a void in James met friends at the Me- That was not the case at all. the secondary and he had to morial Union Terrace, one of the Ben Strickland is the UW corner- take over as a starter. most idyllic spots on the Madi- backs coach and chief in-state “Every kid, whether they red- son campus in late summer. recruiter. And he just wanted shirt as a freshman or not, is Neither had a care in the them to know that they were important to this program,” he world. Obasih, a defensive end technically already on the clock said of the strong developmen- from Brookfield Central, and for 2014. tal component that exists here. James, then an outside line- “When you know you’re be- “I just wanted to remind them of backer from Brookfield East, ing redshirted,” Strickland said, that, too. were redshirting as true fresh- “sometimes there’s a little bit “Especially with in-state kids, I men. of the attitude, ‘Well, I’ve got a believe they’re the heartbeat of Since they weren’t on the trav- year to get ready, I’m still a year this program. How they go, the el roster, they weren’t obligated away, this year is not important.’ rest of the team goes. They have to stay at the team hotel the “I was just reminding them to to continue to push themselves night before the Badgers faced make sure they took advantage and take on a leadership role.” UMass on Aug. 31 at Camp Ran- of every day so they’re ready for Strickland definitely got their dall Stadium. the (playing) opportunity when attention. In Obasih’s words, “We were at the Terrace just it comes. I remember what it “He told us to be ready because hanging out,” Obasih said. “It was like being in their shoes.” a year from now, they’ll be de- was 8:30 on Friday night when Strickland, a former walk-on pending on us. We were thinking we got the call from Coach cornerback and team captain, about it all last year on the scout

-PAGE 1 OF 2- LUCAS AT LARGE BY MIKE LUCAS » UWBADGERS.COM

team.” “It’s finally here now,” said taking on blocks better and I’m Here’s what James heard, “He Obasih, slowly measuring his more stout on the line.” (Strickland) just said, ‘There are words to allow them to sink in. Speed over size is being going to be a lot of expectations “It’s a nervous feeling. It’s an stressed because they still don’t on you guys next year. Don’t anxious feeling. It’s an exciting have much of the latter. Not by take the scout team stuff lightly. feeling. It’s everything.” comparison to LSU’s offensive Take those reps and be ready.’” On Monday, Wisconsin coach left tackle La’el Collins (6-5, 321) One year later, ready or not, Gary Andersen estimated that and guard Vadal Alexander (6-6, it’s time to show what they’ve as many as 14 freshmen — first- 340). got. Obasih, No. 34, a starting year or redshirted freshmen — “At 265, there’s enough weight defensive tackle, and James, would travel to Houston for the where you can stand your No. 6, his backup, will make AdvoCare Texas Kickoff at NRG ground and get in your gap,” their collegiate debuts Saturday Stadium. Obasih said. “We want to be fast against LSU. on this D-line, we all want to get STRICKLAND ON OBASIH & JAMES: out of our stance and have good YOU CAN SEE BOTH OF steps.” Fifth-year senior Warren Her- THESE GUYS GETTING ring, one of the leaders on the BETTER. NOW, IT’S TIME UW defense, cited Obasih’s and TO SEE IF THEY CAN James’ daily jousts in practice PLAY ON GAME DAYS. with tackles Rob Havenstein (6- “ 8, 333) and Tyler Marz (6-5, 325). “They’ve been able to stick Any nervousness their nose in there with some of or anxiety would the bigger guys on our O-line,” be completely Herring said. “And they’ve understandable,” espe- shown tons of improvement cially for Obasih and James since the spring, especially who will be giving up consid- against the run.” erable weight and experience But can they hold up physical- to LSU’s offensive line. ly against LSU and everybody A year ago, Obasih was list- else on the schedule? As friends ed at 6-3, 235, James was 6-4, and roommates, Obasih and 220. They added much-need- James will have plenty to talk ed bulk over the winter and about during their college foot- summer conditioning periods. ball orientation. Obasih is up to 265, James is “That’s what they came here hovering around 260. for — to play (against these “They’ve been putting good types of opponents),” Strickland weight on me, not just pizza said. “You can see both of those and burgers,” James said. guys getting better. Now, it’s “It’s not like I feel a lot slower time to see if they can play on or I’ve lost step. I feel like I’m game days.” ■

-PAGE 2 OF 2- BEHIND THE DESK BY BARRY ALVAREZ » UW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Opportunity awaits in early season clash hen you open the sea- coverage and they couldn’t cov- The important thing is, I want son against a quality er Lee DeRamus. to see us get better as the sea- Wopponent like LSU, Even though we lost (27-10) it son goes on. I’ve been asked it motivates the players more showed us that we could com- about Melvin Gordon and how during the offseason than if you pete on the road against a very much better he can get. Some have an FCS school or someone good team. They had to play have questioned whether he can who doesn’t have the same rep- hard because our kids got after catch the ball. utation. them and they weren’t intimi- He hasn’t caught many, but he And, quite frankly, in this day dated. hasn’t had many thrown to him. and age with the advent of the In ‘97, we opened with Syra- He has run between the tackles, Playoff, you’re cuse and lost big (34-0) but it he has shown his speed, he has going to upgrade your noncon- was one of the better teams that run with power. To be a com- ference schedule. Everybody they had with Donovan McNabb plete back, he has to catch some has to do it, and you’re seeing and a number of other players passes. that. that would go on to the NFL. From what I’ve seen of Corey The other day, someone said It was Ron Dayne’s sophomore Clement, he has really practiced to me, “If you lose to LSU, your year and we had a very young well. He’s a strong runner, he season is over.’’ offensive line. Most of them really runs through things and it I said, “Are you kidding me? were starting their first game. looks like he’s thicker. He could You still have at least 11 to play But that team still went on to be a punishing back. and you haven’t played a con- win eight games and played in a This should be an exciting ference game yet, so you’ve got January 1 bowl. college football season. I know everything laid out in front of Syracuse showed us how being involved on the inaugural you, whether you win or lose.’’ far we had to go, it gave us a playoff selection committee is What’s going to happen Sat- measuring stick, it showed us very special to me. It seems like urday night is that you’re going where we were. You don’t go we’ve been prepping for this for to find out where you are when into games like that wondering, a long time. this game is over. When I was “What if we lose? What are we I want to do a good job with it coaching, I thought some of the going to do now?’’ and I plan on being well-versed early season games helped us That has nothing to do with it. and prepared for our weekly grow. You never go into a game think- meetings in Dallas. I will leave In ’92, we played at Washing- ing that way. You go in and try to on Monday mornings and return ton and they were the defending play well and you see how your to Madison on Tuesday after- national champions. We went young guys respond to whatever noon. out there with a really young happens. It’s going to be busy with the group, a group that took us to I think we’ll be a good team meetings, our games and get- the Rose Bowl the next year. this year and very competitive ting all of our other teams going Looking back on that game, with a lot of freshmen and soph- with the start of the school year. if had started at omores on the roster. Yet we But I’m ready for it. I’ve always , we would have also have a group of juniors and felt this was the best time of the had a chance to beat them be- seniors that have won a lot of year. ■ cause they were playing man games. THE VOICE BY MATT LEPAY » VOICE OF THE BADGERS

Fresh faces on a big stage for UW and LSU or Wisconsin and LSU to will increase dramatically from could help the Tigers sooner play in this Saturday’s 2013, or they will count on play- than later include receivers Av- Fmade-for-TV matchup in ers seeing the field for the first ery Peterson, D.J. Clark and Trey Houston speaks well to what time. Quinn. Speed appears to be a the Badgers have accomplished It is not beyond the realm of common theme with this fresh- in the last two-plus decades. possibility that we could see man class. Perhaps in a perfect world, this close to two dozen freshmen. On defense, LSU returns sev- would be a true home-and- Some will be on special teams, en starters, but it will be young home series, but there should while several others likely will at the defensive tackle spots. be no shortage of atmosphere at play prominent roles on offense Talented, but young. The best NRG Stadium this weekend. and defense. news for the Tigers is that they When these two programs For the Badgers, some of the expect 290-pound tackle Quen- meet again at Lambeau Field in new faces will include defensive tin Thomas to play. This after he 2016, it should be plenty loud at linemen Chikwe Obasih and Alec suffered a biceps injury early in the home of the Packers. James as well as safety Lubern camp that had some wondering Saturday’s game is neutral is Figaro. On offense, expect to see whether he would miss the en- name only. This will be a road rookie receivers George Rushing tire season. game, just not in a stadium nick- and Natrell Jamerson work into With so much youth on the named Death Valley. It will be the rotation. The same goes for field, it could make for some quite the test, especially with Troy Fumagalli at tight end. interesting moments. “Youth is all the young players who will Rafael Gaglianone, a freshman awesome,” said Gary Andersen, making their collegiate football from Sao Paulo, Brazil is in line who adds “and something is debuts. to handle field goals and extra going to happen.” Both the Badgers and the points. Is it a big game? Sure, but Tigers will be introducing a The kicking matchup alone Andersen is careful not to make number of new players. While is intriguing. LSU sophomore it more than just that — a game. Wisconsin is moving on without Colby Delahoussaye was nearly With months to prepare, it is im- Jared Abbrederis, James White perfect last fall, making 13 of his portant not to put too much on and Jacob Pedersen, LSU is 14 field goal attempts. On PATs, your plate. That means coaches trying to replace an offense that he was 56-of-57. as well as players. “You can start featured a 3,000-yard passer That makes him a seasoned chasing ghosts if you allow your- (Zach Mettenberger), a pair of veteran. self,” Andersen said. 1,000-yard receivers (Odell Beck- Rookies to watch for the Tigers True to his keep-it-simple ham Jr. and Jarvis Landry) and a include a running back named philosophy, Andersen’s mes- 1,000-yard rusher (Jeremy Hill). Leonard Fournette. Many in the sage is concise — “You have to That collection of LSU talent recruiting world considered the block. You have to be efficient. became the first in SEC history 6’1”, 224-pounder the nation’s You have to stay ahead of the to post those lofty numbers in top prospect coming out of high chains.” the same year. school. There are some who On Saturday night, the Bad- But they are gone. Like the compare him to Adrian Peter- gers will get their first opportu- Badgers, the Tigers will be son. nity of the season to accomplish counting on those whose roles Some other freshmen who those goals. ■ ASK THE BADGERS

WHAT IS YOUR 'FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL' TRADITION?? WALT MIDDLETON DAVID STLUKA JOHN FISHER

EMMA-LISA MURPHY COREY CLEMENT MICHAEL VAN VOORHIS MARISSA MERSCH Junior ■ Women's XC Sophomore ■ Football Senior ■ Men's XC Senior ■ Softball

Ever since The night I like to go on I actually have kindergarten before school a run to Picnic a funny sto- I have had my pic- starts I always have Point and then grab ry from freshman ture taken with ei- to have a family breakfast at Mick- year here at UW. It ther my siblings or talk. My mom and ey’s Dairy Bar.” was the first day friends the morning I always sit down and I got to my 8:50 of the first day of and think of long- a.m. class in social school. So this year, term goals for the science and I got I’ll be taking the year and if I can my notebook out annual first day of complete them, all ready for my school portrait with then I had a suc- first college class. my roommates.” cessful year. For After 20 minutes, I college, I just try to realized I was in the be prepared and it’s wrong class and worked out for the there were only 30 best for me. I still kids in the class. So, had a great (grade- I had to awkwardly point) average, over get up during the a 3.30.” lecture and leave.” BADGERING

DREW CONNER MEN’S SOCCER

Midfielder Drew Conner played an integral role in the Badgers reaching ALL ABOUT DREW their first NCAA tournament in nearly two decades last season, starting Class: Junior all 21 games and finishing second on the team in assists (7). A team cap- Hometown: Cary, Illinois tain this season, the junior from Cary, Illinois, looks to share his advice Height: 5-11 and experience with a young UW team that features 12 newcomers. Position: Midfielder Honors You were part of a memorable ride last year that culminat- 2013 ed in an NCAA tournament berth. What was one of your fa- ■ Second team All-Big Ten vorite memories or matches from last season? ■ Started all 21 games “It has to be between the Indiana and the DePaul games. Our ■ Recorded nine points (one goal, seven assists) game against the Hoosiers was a comeback win in front of a ■ Ranked second on team in assists great home crowd. Not to mention they were defending na- ■ Ranked third on team for minutes played tional champions at the time. The DePaul game was unique, ■ Two game-winning assists too, because we tied the game at the very last second and ■ One game-winning goal ended up winning in overtime. I’ve never been part of a game 2012 that came down to the actual last second.” ■ Big Ten All-Freshman Team ■ Started 18 games What were you up to this offseason? By all accounts, you ■ Recorded five points had a busy and successful summer. Prep “This summer I was playing with the Chicago Fire PDL team. ■ No. 1 player in the Midwest The team is made up of a lot of the best college soccer play- ■ No. 30 player in U.S. by Top Drawer Soccer ers across the country. Towards the end of the summer I got ■ 2011-12 Illinois Gatorade Player of the opportunity to train with the professional team, which the Year was a great experience.” ■ 2012 Northwest Herald Player of the Year You were elected a team-SCROLL captain FOR MORE- this season, what does that role and responsibility mean to you? “It means a lot. I love being in a position where I can en- courage and instill confidence in my teammates. Thankfully I have had some great captains during my time here at UW who have set the standard and really showed me what it means to lead.” There are a lot of new faces on the team this season. What’s some advice you give to the new guys? “The advice I give them on the field is just to play their game. They just need to use their instincts and pay attention to the details. Sometimes young players doubt their abilities when they make the jump from the high school and academy level to the college game. I remind them that they’re here for a reason.” What is one of your favorite things to do in Madison when you’re not studying or playing soccer? “I like to post up in the corner of Steep & Brew Coffee shop on State Street and dive into a really good novel.” ■ With his family firmly entrenched in Madison, year two of the Gary Andersen era is marked by familiarity

BY MIKE LUCAS ■ UWBADGERS.COM ESPN IMAGES EHIND GARY ANDERSEN'S OFFICE DESK, now, too. there’s a framed picture of Andersen hug- Chasen Andersen is a freshman linebacker at b ging wife Stacey after his 2010 Utah State Wisconsin, while Hagen Andersen is planning team upset BYU, 31-16, snapping a 10-game los- on taking on-line classes. He recently left Weber ing streak in the series that dated back to 1993. State after transferring there from Utah State. “That’s the one picture,” said Andersen, the “He went through two-a-days at Weber,” Gary second-year Wisconsin coach, “that completely Andersen said of Hagen, a . “And keeps me grounded.” to make a long story short, it was the third time A week earlier, San Diego State had complete- that his knee has gone out on him. ly dismantled Utah State, 41-7. “I’m glad that he has made the decision (to The Aggies’ record fell to 1-3 in Andersen’s sec- quit football), much like Vontae (Jackson, a ond season in Logan, Utah. sophomore tailback who made the same deci- The pressure was taking a toll; Andersen was sion after suffering another knee injury with the pushing himself to the limit, and beyond. Badgers). That following Monday morning, Anders- en blacked out and fell in the bathroom of his home. Stacey heard the loud noise, found him on the floor and was petrified. He was lucky. He cracked two vertebrae in his neck. It could have been much worse. “You realize that it,” he said of his all-consum- ing job, “is not that important sometimes.” It was a hard lesson to learn for Andersen, who was forced to wear a neck brace for a month. “I missed most of the week of practice and the kids came out and played their tails off (against BYU),” he said, still marveling at the memory of that home win on Merlin Olsen Field. “That picture,” he said, pointing to a shelf be- hind his desk, “reminds me, ‘Don’t push your- self too hard … nor the kids … nor the assistant coaches.”’ There are framed pictures of the kids throughout Andersen’s eighth floor office in Camp Randall. Oldest son Keegan played tight end at Utah State, got married this summer and moved to Madison to be a graduate assis- tant on defense for the Badgers. He’s coach- ing linebackers with his dad. The Andersen twins are both living at home

Gary Andersen was one of just five first-year DAVID STLUKA head coaches to win at least nine games at his new school last year. “He (Hagen) is going to get started in school • • • • again and find a direction in his life where he he candy jar on Gary Andersen’s desk is wants to head. It’s football season now, he might full. The one on the other side of the room hang around here (Madison) for a little bit.” T is empty. Keegan and wife Jennifer live less than 15 min- “That’s not good,” he said. utes from Gary and Stacey and the twins. There are two doors to Andersen’s office, the “It been awesome,” Gary An- “back door” leads to the assis- dersen said of the entire fam- “THERE’S A POINT WHERE tant’s offices. ily relocating to Madison. “It’s YOU FEEL THE KIDS BELIEVE The back door is always open something that I never guessed IN YOU AND I SUPPOSE PART and the players pop in and take would have happened. OF THAT IS BEING ACCEPTED candy on their way to meet- “When we accepted the op- BY THEM. YOU HAVE TO LET ings. portunity to come to Wiscon- THEM UNDERSTAND THAT “I would hate this office if sin and be a Badger, we just YOU REALLY ARE WHAT that door wasn’t right there,” thought it was going to be Sta- he said, motioning to the back cey and me. Now, we’ve got YOU SAY YOU ARE.” door, “because I couldn’t leave our three kids with us and a it open and I couldn’t see the daughter-in-law. kid’s faces. That would bother me.” “That’s a pretty good deal,” he said, breaking There used to be a “curse cup” or jar on Ander- into a big smile. sen’s desk.

Coach Andersen is pictured here with his wife, Stacey, and his sons (from left) Hagen, Chasen and Keegan.

-PAGE 3 OF 9- “We don’t have it any- The most important thing to money (for the locker room) more,” he said. “We’ve im- me is the relationships that could walk in there at any proved in that area.” you can build and the things time and be proud. If not, The more he thought that you talk about. it’s an issue. And it was un- about it … “We probably acceptable to our standards still should have it,” he add- “ of what we want. ed, laughing. “It helps you stay orga- Any coach who swore was FAMILY. nized,” he said of the lesson obligated to throw a buck that he was teaching. “It into the curse cup. gives you responsibility. It’s “When we made bad de- kind of who you are. I’m not cisions with our language,” TRUST. saying you have to be the Andersen confirmed, “we’d neatest person in America. put it in there.” “But they’re borrowing Whatever money was col- that locker for a short peri- lected was earmarked for BELIEF. od of time and it’s their re- the group and lunch at the sponsibility to take care of end of the season. THAT TAKES it. Almost every locker in “Kids are far from perfect, there has a name plate of a just like our coaches,” Ander- former player. sen said. “But it does matter (the “It’s the same way I feel about my type of language that is used) especially office. It’s our house, right? So it should be when we have little faces and little ears around clean.” us (at practices).” Andersen” is feeling much more comfortable in Sometimes it’s unavoidable; especially be- his eighth-floor office. cause it’s such an emotional sport. “A year does amazing things,” he said. “The “That’s part of the drill,” Andersen agreed. most important thing to me is the relationships “But it still doesn’t make it right, either.” that you can build and the things that you talk After a recent practice, the players were “pe- about. Family. Trust. Belief. That takes time. nalized” because of a sloppy locker room. “You just don’t make that stuff up. I think our The penalty was a series of crunches. kids believe that now. So, in turn, we can push “Coach Simon,” he said of the UW’s strength them harder in life, we can push them harder coordinator Evan Simon, “assured me that his academically, we can push them harder in foot- little workout would remind them to throw their ball … cups in the garbage can or straighten up a chair. “And we can also hug them harder,” he em- “I would hope the people who donated the phasized. NEIL AMENT NEIL AMENT

-PAGE 4 OF 9- WE'RE ALSO INVESTED IN CHANGING KIDS' LIVES. AND, ULTIMATELY, IF WE DO THAT THEN WE'LL BE “ SUCCESSFUL COACHES. ”

• • • • were starting to sink in as a staff, a team, a fam- ndersen’s office has many framed pic- ily. tures of his kids. “There’s a point where you feel the kids be- A There are pictures of Jared Abbrederis, lieve in you and I suppose part of that is being Chris Borland and James White, among others. accepted by them. You have to let them under- “It just reminds me of that first senior class stand that you really are what you say you are. that was here that helped us get through the ad- “I think there’s a process that goes into that justment,” Andersen said. “They were loyal kids with the fans, too,” Andersen continued. “You and those pictures are going to stay up there.” just don’t come in and make yourself a Badger When did Andersen feel like he “turned the in one day to a fan that is a true Badger fan. corner” in his first season at Wisconsin? “There’s going to be a wait and see. Are you “About halfway through the year,” he said. going to win games? Are you going to take care “We had been through some good days; we had of our kids? Are you going to do things right? been through some bad days. But I felt I could “We’re invested to make the fans happy with go to the seniors on the leadership committee. what the kids do. We’re also invested in chang- “I could go to Chris Borland and communicate ing kids' lives. And, ultimately, if we do that then with him. I could do likewise with Ethan Arm- we’ll be successful coaches.” strong, Beau Allen and Ethan Hemer. I could re- So how successful are the Badgers going to be ally go up to Ryan Groy and communicate. in 2014? Does Andersen know what he has? “I could ask him, ‘How are you feeling, Ryan?’ “We know a lot about them,” he said of the and he would really tell me instead of just, ‘I’m players, “but to say, ‘This is who we’re going to good coach.’ There was a point where I felt we be’ or to say ‘This is how many games we think

-PAGE 5 OF 9- that we can win’ … I don’t think we can say so You will hold up physically against the run if … (right now). “We have six defensive linemen that can be “How we are going to handle adversity with technically and fundamentally sound snap after the senior leaders and our youth will be a defin- snap.” ing moment. How athletic are we? We’re pret- You will be better defensively because … ty athletic against ourselves. But how are we “We’ll make more big plays … more TFLs, against others? sacks, fumbles. We’ll not necessarily be more “Overall, I would say we have better team aggressive. But we’ll have more big plays.” speed, which we need because we don’t have Tanner McEvoy and will give you an a linebacker who plays like Borland or a wide opportunity to … receiver who plays like Abbrederis and can re- “That’s a good one. We have two place them.” who can play and they will give us an opportu- What do they have? Andersen was asked to fill nity (to have success) so we won’t have to ad- in the blanks or complete the thoughts. just the offense during the season for a youthful Your strongest position group is … quarterback who’s not prepared for the mo- “Offensive line. Hands down. Some may say ment.” the running backs. I would say the O-Line.” The thing that you really like about this team You will be balanced on offense if … is … “We can throw the ball on third down consis- “Is the way they care for each other. I would tently.” say right now that’s the No. 1 thing.”

▶ TAP HERE to watch video • • • • who returned for his junior year because he ndersen, like most coaches, is married to wanted to be “great.” He has shared that goal certain phrases or sayings. with everyone. A “These are all things that I always try to Gordon has a higher profile today than he had hit the kids with as we go forward,” he said. at the end of last season and interviewers have You will find some of his favorites on his office walked off impressed, including one national wall. writer who was blown away by Gordon’s pres- One reads, “The chief cause for failure (and ence in comparison to all of the other top play- unhappiness) is trading what you want most for ers in college football that he had interviewed. what you want at the moment.” “Melvin has handled it all — I hate to use the Said Andersen, “I’ve had that one forever.” word professional — but he has handled it all In other words, his own words, he said, “Set a like a professional,” Andersen said of the grow- goal and don’t lose sight of those goals.” ing media attention for the Kenosha native. “He There’s more handwriting on the wall, such as, has put this team first. He doesn’t have an agen- “Don’t follow your passion, follow your effort.” da. Noted Andersen, “These sayings are all some- “A few nights ago, Melvin texted me out of the thing that I’ve asked the kids to understand.” blue. He just wanted to communicate what his Nobody, according to Andersen, has been giv- expectations were for himself and what he liked ing greater effort than tailback Melvin Gordon, or didn’t like about that day’s practice as far as his own performance. He pushes “(Gordon) has put this team first. He doesn't have an agenda.” himself now, and it matters. “My response to Melvin was, ‘I know how hard you’re working. I know what you’re doing out there. You’re a great team leader. Just keep going on through the process.’ He has been awesome. “It’s fun to be around a kid who will communicate that to you,” Anders- en went on. “The care factor is there and that goes back to the whole thing with the kids. I hope they feel like they all can communicate with us as coaches. We want to help them be the best that they can be.” Andersen served up one final thought on Gordon, whose name has surfaced on many preseason Heisman Trophy lists. “Melvin has been great with these young kids,” he said. “They look up to him in a good way, and that’s a good guy to look up to.” Andersen had one of those guys in his life — his dad, Phil Andersen; a

-PAGE 8 OF 9- JOHN FISHER

good guy and mentor. Southeastern Louisiana campus. Andersen, one The most meaningful keepsakes in Gary An- of two assistants, began making contacts and dersen’s office are the American flag that draped recruiting players for the start-up the following his dad’s casket and Phil Andersen’s dog tags; he season. was a World War II vet, the Battle of the Bulge. “We tried to bring back the program, but it There’s also a football on the shelf that the didn’t happen,” Andersen recalled. “They pulled Utah players signed after Andersen’s father the carpet out from underneath us before we passed away (Gary Andersen was then a Ute as- really got started and canceled the program. We sistant). got the word maybe two or three days before “That means a lot to me,” said Andersen. Thanksgiving. “Those things are important.” “That was my first taste of coaching. I’ll never Phil Andersen surely wondered what his son forget it. Stacey and I loaded up the car, grabbed was thinking in 1988 when he took a job with a U-Haul and drove straight back to Utah from Wally English at Southeastern Louisiana Univer- Hammond (a 28-hour drive). A couple of days sity in Hammond, Louisiana. later, I told my dad that I was going to keep Gary Andersen had just left the University of coaching and he was like, ‘You’re crazy.”’ Utah and was working as a grad assistant/vol- Gary Andersen thinks about his dad just about unteer coach at Ricks College, where he had every day. been a JUCO All-American. “He just taught me to be who I am,” he has re- Ricks (now BYU-Idaho) was in Rexburg, Ida- peatedly said. ho; a world away (1,818 miles) from Hammond, He may also think about that saying on the which is about 50 minutes from Baton Rouge wall: Don’t follow your passion, follow your ef- and the campus of Wisconsin’s first opponent, fort. LSU. After all, it has led Gary Andersen, now 50, to But when English called with an offer — that eighth-floor office in Camp Randall Stadi- $10,000 — Gary Andersen couldn’t refuse. um. “Yeah, I’m ready to go,” he told English. “I feel comfortable,” he was saying now. “I feel English was trying to revive football on the like we’re in a very good spot.”

-PAGE 9 OF 9- McNicoll, Lavelle hope experience on the world stage translates into success for the Badgers BY MIKE LUCAS ■ UWBADGERS.COM rmed with the results of the Big Ten’s pre- picked No. 2” behind conference favorite Penn season poll, Wisconsin women’s soccer State. a coach Paula Wilkins tested her players on The general response was what she hoped it how they might handle the expectations before would be. revealing them. “They all said, ‘It doesn’t mean a thing,’” “How much do the preseason rankings mat- Wilkins related. “It doesn’t mean anything be- ter?” she asked. cause last year all those rankings were wrong. The general response was “nothing at all.” We just need to take care of the things we need That was good, Wilkins thought to herself, es- to take care of. I really liked the fact that it pecially in light of what happened last season. doesn’t really mean anything to them. Nebraska was picked ninth in the 2013 presea- “The biggest thing we talked about is that it son coaches’ poll and ended up besting Iowa, (the high preseason rankings) means that we’ll 1-0, in the Big Ten championship game. The probably get some people’s best games because Hawkeyes had been tabbed for sixth place. they have respect for us. So we’re not going to “So we’re good with it?” posed Wilkins, giving sneak up on anyone and we have to be better the impression she wanted to let her players than expected.” down softly with the results, maybe even hint- The Badgers, who return 10 starters, enjoyed ing at a second-division projection for the Bad- a strong opening weekend at the McClimon gers. Soccer Complex. Goalkeeper Genevieve Rich- The general response was “Yeah, no problem. ard blanked Oregon 1-0 in the season opener — So how bad was it? How low?” it was her eighth career shutout — and Kodee Wilkins summarily informed them “We’re Williams got the game-winner in a 2-1 overtime

-PAGE 2 OF 5- Lavelle and McNicoll have practiced only a handful of times with their teammates since getting back to Madi- son after participating in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada. Sixteen teams from six qualifying tourna- ments competed at venues in Edmonton, Moncton, Montreal and Toronto. “It was an awesome expe- rience doing what I love for the country that I love,” said Lavelle, who scored her first in- ternational goal in Team USA’s 3-0 win over China. The Amer- icans advanced to the August 16 quarterfinals where they were beaten by North Korea in penalty kicks. “When you play at an inter- ▲ KINLEY MCNICOLL PHOTOS: Swipe to change ■ Tap to pause/play national level, you can always decision over Tennessee. take that experience and apply it elsewhere,” “Getting two wins at home definitely boosts said McNicoll, who was the captain of Team our confidence,” said Rose Lavelle, a sopho- Canada which also advanced to the quarterfi- more midfielder from Cincinnati, Ohio. “We all nals. The Canadians were eliminated by Germa- feel like we have such great potential, especial- ny, the eventual World Cup champion. ly after coming up short last year. We’re com- How different is the international game from ing back with a new focus and motivation to do what is played in the Big Ten? even better this year.” “It’s a much faster pace,” Lavelle said. “It’s For the fifth straight season, the Badgers more of a puzzle at that level.” reached 10 victories in 2013. But they lost five of She also singled out the “organization and their last seven matches, including a 2-0 defeat tactical awareness” of the elite teams. to Penn State in the Big Ten tournament. “The North Koreans were very technical, very “We were all disappointed with our season,” good on the ball,” McNicoll chimed in. “The Ger- admitted Kinley McNicoll, a junior midfielder mans were just so strong and direct. Different from Oakville, Ontario. countries played different types of football.” Along with Richard and Williams and Cara In turn, McNicoll and Lavelle brought a differ- Walls — three of the five returning senior start- ent tempo to the Oregon and Tennessee match- ers — Lavelle and McNicoll will have a loud say es. on how this season turns out. Not that they’re “Sometimes they were just at a different pace,” loud. “They’re both very humble and unselfish Wilkins acknowledged. “The game slows down kids,” Wilkins said. “They complement everyone for them a little bit more. At the international here pretty well.” level, they’re put under a little more pressure

-PAGE 3 OF 5- from other teams, so they have to make quicker of embraced that role as a midfielder. It’s what decisions and their movement is a little differ- I’ve been known for: the work ethic to get on the ent.” ball and distribute.” Citing all of their months of preparation for McNicoll assisted on Williams’ overtime goal the World Cup, Wilkins is focused now on keep- against Tennessee. ing McNicoll and Lavelle as fresh as possible. “It’s something I’ve done ever since I was lit- “We have to manage their bodies and a little of tle,” she said of her playmaking abilities. “I’ve their minds,” she said. “It can be very fatiguing, never been that striker to just take on three or so we’re going to keep it light for them.” four players and shoot and score. I’d definitely In January, Lavelle was the MVP (the Gold Ball say I’m more of a distributor than goal scorer.” winner) of the qualifying tournament, the CON- Lavelle, who opened the scoring in the Tennes- CACAF Championships in the Cayman Islands. see win, has seemingly never struggled to score “Anytime you put on the U.S. shirt, it’s a great goals. At Mt. Notre Dame High School (Reading, honor,” she said, “It definitely gives us more Ohio), she was the all-time leading goal scorer confidence knowing that we can compete at with 57. In her freshman season with the Bad- that level.” gers, she accounted for the second-most goals McNicoll can relate, and yet she was over- (6) on the team. whelmed when selected Team Canada’s cap- “I’m not at all surprised. She’s a great player,” tain. McNicoll said. “Going into this tournament (the World Cup), Lavelle stands only 5-4. How does she do it? and it started a long 19 months ago, preparing How does she manage to score so much at ev- for it, we just took it one month ▼ ROSE LAVELLE PHOTOS: Swipe to change ■ Tap to pause/play at a time and I had no expecta- tions,” McNicoll said. “It’s a huge honor to be named captain … (pause) … it’s not even some- thing I can put into words.” Wilkins expected her to react that way. “She’s just so humble and she doesn’t know why everyone makes such a big deal out of it,” she said. “To represent your country and be a leader is pret- ty cool — just that experience of dealing with teammates and understanding that you can lead people and make them be- lieve.” Last season, McNicoll led the Badgers in scoring (25) while also leading the Big Ten in as- sists (13). She enjoys being a distributor, too. “That’s fair to NEIL AMENT NEIL AMENT say,” she confirmed. “I’ve kind

-PAGE 4 OF 5- ery level of competition? “I don’t know,” McNi- tions about her height? coll said. “Probably because she’s so fast and “I don’t really worry about it too much,” she very technical. To play soccer you don’t need to said. “I don’t have much growing left.” be big and huge and strong. Sometimes being It certainly hasn’t impacted her effectiveness. little helps.” “Consistency is the biggest thing with Rose,” Beyond that, Lavelle didn’t know how to han- Wilkins said. “We talked about her ability to dle it when she was called a goal-scorer. communicate and direct people in the Tennes- “Oh, wow, thanks,” she said see game. Last year, she was a politely. “I really don’t consid- bit passive about that. With the er myself one.” “ANYTIME YOU GET WINS, national team, she got that vo- Lavelle was not only first- I THINK YOU GENERATE (MO- cal part down a little bit more.” team All-Big Ten, she was the MENTUM) BECAUSE PEOPLE While it would be easy to Freshman of the Year in the GET IN A DIFFERENT FRAME cast Lavelle as the goal-scorer conference. OF MIND,” WILKINS SAID. and McNicoll as the distribu- It was the first time a Wiscon- “BUT I THINK THE BEST tor, Wilkins refused to go there. sin player had been so hon- IS STILL YET TO COME “They can do both,” she insist- ored. FROM THIS GROUP.” ed. “I won’t label them one way Nonetheless, Lavelle went or the other because they’re into the season with modest going to need to do both for us aspirations. to be successful.” “I didn’t really feel like I had to prove anything,” Based on what she saw out of her team last she said. “I just played because I loved it.” weekend, Wilkins is encouraged by the mo- But there was the suggestion that she would mentum that was generated. “Anytime you get have trouble with the physicality of the Big Ten. wins, I think you generate it (momentum) be- “I did hear that,” Lavelle said. “Obviously, I cause people get in a different frame of mind,” wanted to prove that my size is not an issue.” she said. “But I think the best is still yet to come How does she generally deal with the ques- from this group.”

-PAGE 5 OF 5- INSIDE FOOTBALL BY BRIAN MASON

True freshman Lubern Figaro is expected to be the Badgers’ starting strong safety vs. LSU Freshmen figure to be a factor in opener Badgers will utilize several newcomers vs. LSU SCHEDULE youth movement was inevitable with the departure of Home games in bold. All times CT. 26 seniors from last year’s team, but the group of Bad- Aug. 30 vs. LSU 8 p.m. gers that take the field Saturday in Houston will certain- Sept. 6 Western Illinois 11 a.m. lyA have a different look than the one that left the field in Orlan- Sept. 20 Bowling Green TBA do on Jan. 1. Sept. 27 South Florida TBA Between the offense and defense, a total of 23 freshmen and Oct. 4 at Northwestern TBA sophomores fill the Badgers’ first depth chart of the season and a pair of true freshmen — SS Lubern Figaro and K Rafael Gagli- Oct. 11 Illinois TBA anone — are slated for their first career starts vs. No. 13 LSU in Oct. 25 Maryland 11 a.m. the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff. Nov. 1 at Rutgers 11 a.m. “This is abnormal for what I’m used to, as far as this number Nov. 8 at Purdue TBA of kids playing,” UW head coach Gary Andersen said. Nov. 15 Nebraska TBA Wisconsin lists just 10 seniors in its initial two-deep, with only Nov. 22 at Iowa TBA nine teams in the country having fewer seniors among their top Nov. 29 Minnesota TBA two units. That means opportunity will be there for the newest Badgers. > Complete Schedule | Buy Tickets “We’ll have probably 11 (freshmen) that will have a very good opportunity getting into the first game; about 14 of them that FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: will travel with us,” Andersen said. “Those aren’t all true fresh- men, but they’re freshmen. They’ve been here a year at most. So that’s a large number-SCROLL to me.” FOR MORE-

NEW RECEIVERS CATCH ON Andersen expects to take eight wide receivers to Houston as part of a position group that has seen its depth bolstered in a big way by some newcomers. Senior Kenzel Doe is the most experienced of UW’s projected starters at wideout, with sophomores Alex Erickson and Reggie Love — who was the surprise of fall camp to many with his im- proved play — also on the top line. Behind them are junior Jor- dan Fredrick and a pair of true freshmen, Natrell Jamerson and George Rushing. A third freshman, Krenwick Sanders, could also see playing time. “How much playing time goes to the younger kids is going to really be, we’ll see how they react in the moment, much like any position,” Andersen said. “Our numbers are much better there, as far as a group, than it was a year ago.”

THEY’LL BE READY Old or new, working through the emotions that go along with a season-opening game on a prime time stage will be some- thing the Badgers must work through in advance of kickoff. “You’ve got to handle your emotions,” Andersen said. “When- ever we go on the road in a hostile environment, the key is to do what we do. Don’t let other people affect you.” Still, beyond the challenges that come along with facing off against a top-15 opponent, Andersen sees great benefit in opening the season with a marquee matchup. “I think it’s a great time to play this game,” he said. “You’ll see a bunch of young kids competing, and we’ll have a lot better idea of where we sit in the big picture, as far as not just the Big Ten, but in college football in general on the biggest stage.” INSIDE VOLLEYBALL BY DIANE NORDSTROM

Badgers not buying into preseason hype UW ranked No. 6 heading into opening weekend SCHEDULE lot of talk about the Badger volleyball program this sea- Home events in bold. All times CT. son has been about its incredible run to the NCAA cham- Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Minneapolis, MN: pionship match in 2013. But that talk hasn’t hit the pro- Aug. 29 vs. Louisville 4:30 p.m. gramA itself. Aug. 30 vs. Notre Dame 4 p.m. “I’ll be honest with you, we literally have not talked (presea- Northern Colorado/Colorado St. Classic: son rankings) one time,” second-year head coach Kelly Shef- Sept. 5 at N. Colorado 8 p.m. field said. “We haven’t mentioned it in a meeting, a practice, Sept. 6 vs. Florida A&M 12:30 p.m. one on one. There’s been zero mention of a ranking, a poll. at Colorado State 8 p.m. “We haven’t even talked about our goals this year because I HotelRED Invitational: Sept. 12 Miami 7 p.m. think everybody just knows what they are.” Sept. 13 12 p.m. What those goals are is to win a Big Ten and NCAA champion- Missouri State Ball State 7:30 p.m. ship, something the Badgers came just a few points short of in Pac-12/Big Ten Showcase, Seattle, WA: 2013. Sept. 18 vs. USC 7:30 p.m. “Well, ultimately, we didn’t accomplish our goals,” Sheffield Sept. 19 at Washington 10 p.m. said of 2013. “You’re trying to win championships Big Ten | Championships, national championships — and you’re just em- > Complete Schedule Buy Tickets bracing the new season. That’s the beauty of the new season.” FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Wisconsin enters the 2014 season ranked sixth in the Ameri- can Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national preseason poll and is picked to finish third in a preseason vote of Big Ten coaches. -SCROLL FOR MORE- The Badgers open a tough non-conference schedule this weekend, traveling to Minneapolis for the Big Ten/ACC Chal- lenge. Wisconsin and Minnesota will represent the Big Ten while Louisville and Notre Dame represent the ACC.

RECORD SEASON TICKETS SOLD Coming off an NCAA runner-up finish, the Badgers have set a record for the most season tickets sold in program history. Nearly 1,500 season tickets have been sold so far this season, an increase of nearly 600 tickets from the 2013 total. “We’re excited to hear that Badger fans have set a record for most season tickets sold in program history,” head coach Kelly Sheffield said. “I’d like to encourage fans, if you haven’t already, to get your season tickets now. It looks like a few matches will be sold out this year, so don’t be left standing on Monroe Street at match time. Order your season tickets today!” Fans are urged to get their tickets in advance as sell-out sce- narios are likely for several matches during the 2014 season, including the NCAA title game rematch vs. Penn State on Sept. 24. Reserved season tickets are $45 and include the best seats that the UW Field House has to offer. General Admission season tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for youth/senior citizens and allow you to sit anywhere outside the reserved seating section. And, the Family Season Ticket package includes four general admission season tickets for just $75! Season tickets are sale from now through Sept. 14 when Wis- consin opens its home season with the HotelRED Invitational. INSIDE MEN’S SOCCER BY BRANDON HARRISON

Badgers look to captains for leadership With 12 new faces, experience at a premium SCHEDULE he Wisconsin men’s soccer team certainly looks a lot dif- Home games in bold. All times CT. ferent than it did this time last season. The dynamics and RECENTLY personnel have certainly changed dramatically for the Aug. 17 UIC W, 1-0 TBadgers. (Exhibition) Aug. 22 at Creighton L, 2-4 There’s the departure of 14 from a team that earned the fifth- (Exhibition) most wins in program history (14) last season. A large recruiting Aug. 25 at Notre Dame L, 1-5 class of 12 joins the fold in Madison. Two new, formidable op- (Exhibition) ponents in Maryland and Rutgers are on the schedule. COMING UP More than ever, Wisconsin head coach John Trask is relying Aug. 29 San Francisco 7:30 p.m. on his upperclassmen to set the tone. Aug. 31 Xavier 7 p.m. Fortunately for Trask, he can place that trust this season in Sept. 5 at George Mason 6 p.m. team captains Jacob Brindle, Drew Conner and Adam Lauko. Sept. 7 at Georgetown Noon “The three of them are learning the ropes concerning what it Sept. 12 7 p.m. takes to be a captain here at Wisconsin,” Trask said. “All three Rutgers have tremendous leadership qualities. To see them mature and Sept. 19 St. John’s 7 p.m. accept the responsibility has been exciting for the coaching > View complete schedule staff.” The three make up a veteran core that returns with the expe- FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: rience of winning big games and guiding the Badgers to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 18 years last season. A second-team All-Big Ten-SCROLL honoree FOR MORE- last season, Conner start- ed in all 21 matches for UW and recorded nine points on one goal and seven assists. Ranked second on the team in assists, the junior from Cary, Illinois, was also third on the team in min- utes played (1,740). Conner also showcased a knack for stepping up when the team needed him most, notching the game-tying and game-winning assists to fuel a remarkable home comeback against Indiana last season, while also scoring the game-winning goal against Western Michigan. Brindle appeared in all 20 games last season, including starts in three. One of the key point producers for the Badgers, the se- nior from Naperville, Illinois, recorded 17 points on eight goals and one assist. A junior from Baldwinsville, New York, Lauko appeared in five games and started two last season. An All-Big Ten Freshman team member in 2012, Lauko looks to take another jump in his collegiate career as both a leader and key performer for Wis- consin. The three captains aim to lead the Badgers to a strong start this weekend when the team kicks off its regular season at home against the University of San Francisco on Friday and Xavier on Sunday. INSIDE WOMEN’S SOCCER BY BRANDON HARRISON

Confidence high as Badgers open season 2-0 UW hosts two more games this weekend SCHEDULE (2-0) on’t let recent history fool you. While the Wisconsin wom- Home games in bold. All times CT. en’s soccer team began its season 2-0 for a third-straight RECENTLY year, it’s not something so easily earned. In fact, it’s hap- Aug. 14 at Marquette W, 1-0 (Exhibition) Dpened just six times over the past 16 seasons. This season, it’s the product of a veteran-laden group of Bad- Aug. 22 Oregon W, 1-0 gers that were all smiles last weekend after earning a pair of Aug. 24 Tennessee W, 2-1 (OT) wins over Oregon and Tennessee at the McClimon Soccer Com- COMING UP plex in Madison. Aug. 29 S. Dakota St. 5 p.m. Kicking things off with a 1-0 shutout of Oregon Friday night, Aug. 31 Northern Iowa 1 p.m. UW followed up with a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over Ten- Sept. 5 at Washington 8 p.m. nessee on Sunday. Senior Kodee Williams stepped up and de- Sept. 7 vs. Portland Noon livered the knockout punch by netting the golden goal just over Sept. 12 at Mich. St. 2:30 p.m. a minute into the first overtime period. Sept. 14 at Michigan 1 p.m. A dramatic win, it came as less of a surprise to head coach Paula Wilkins, who sees something in this group special: confi- Sept. 20 Nebraska 7 p.m. dence. > View complete schedule The Badgers have their mind set on how the story of this sea- FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: son will be written, and they’re ready to do whatever it takes to make that happen. “I always say that big players do big things in big games,” Wilkins said. “It’s shown by-SCROLL Kodee FOR scoring MORE- a goal as a fifth-year senior who wants her career to go a certain way. I think that’s a huge part. We have to keep talking about that.” Something else worth talking about is what a strong start can mean for teams coached by Wilkins. This season marked the fourth time a Wilkins-led group has started 2-0. In two of those three previous instances, the team went on to an NCAA tour- nament appearance. In one of those cases, it bore a Big Ten championship. INSIDE MEN’S BASKETBALL BY PATRICK HERB

Excitement grows as schedule is announced Home slate includes Duke, Michigan State, Iowa SCHEDULE he Kohl Center will host one of the hottest tickets in town Home games in bold. All times CT. this season. Oct. 26 Red/White 1 p.m. With the Wisconsin men’s basketball team coming off Scrimmage Tits first Final Four since 2000, the team was already figured to Nov. 5 UW-Parkside TBA (Exhibition) be one of the main attractions in Madison heading into the Nov. 14 Northern Kentucky TBA 2014-15 season. Now, mix in plenty of preseason hype, four-of-five starters re- Nov. 16 Chattanooga TBA turning and a home schedule that includes matchups against Nov. 19 Green Bay TBA the likes of Duke, Michigan State, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Ne- Nov. 22 Boise State TBA braska and Purdue. Battle 4 Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas: That’s one exciting recipe for hoops. Nov. 26 vs. UAB 6 p.m. It’s easy to see why the season ticket renewal rate for 2014- Nov. 27 vs. Florida TBA 15 was the highest it’s been since 2010-11, with 97.5 percent or Georgetown re-upped and ready for more and 824 new requests for season Nov. 28 vs. TBA TBA tickets fulfilled. > View Complete Schedule Those lucky enough to claim a ticket learned a little more about the games they’ll be seeing this weekend when the Big FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Ten Conference announced its complete 2014-15 league sched- ule last week. Included was the 18 conference dates for the Badgers this season. Already slated to play a-SCROLL prominent FOR MORE- role in ESPN’s annual Su- per Tuesday schedule, fans learned that two of UW’s four prime- time appearances will take place in Madison. The Badgers will host both Iowa (Jan. 20, 8 p.m. CT) and Indiana (Feb. 3, 6 p.m. CT) at home this season under the national spotlight. Conference play will officially get underway on New Year’s Eve when Wisconsin hosts Penn State. The Nittany Lions are one of five league teams that the Badgers will have a home-and-home series with this season. Matchups with Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue become amplified, however, as they’ll only take place once and that will be inside the Kohl Center. One of the nation’s toughest venues in college basketball, the Kohl Center will be packed to the nose bleeds yet again this season — and rightfully so. The Badgers have won 10 or more conference games in 12 of the last 13 seasons, including a mark of 12-6 last season. Since Bo Ryan took over 13 seasons ago, Wisconsin has fin- ished no worse than the top four in the final Big Ten standings. The streak could become the longest in Big Ten history if it holds up again this season, as UW is currently tied with another run of 13-consecutive top-four finishes by Purdue from 1920-32. We know “House of Pain” is more commonly associated with Camp Randall Stadium and Wisconsin football, but with mar- quee matchups and plenty of talent back in the fold this sea- son, the Kohl Center will settle for a “House of Horrors” that should give fans plenty to jump around about this season. INSIDE WOMEN’S HOCKEY BY A.J. HARRISON

U.S.-Canada marked by Cardinal and White Seven Badgers suit up on international stage SCHEDULE lot of people spent last week cooling off with the ALS Ice Home games in bold. All times CT. Bucket Challenge, but seven Wisconsin women’s hock- Sept. 26 at Lindenwood 7 p.m. ey players took to the actual ice as the U.S. and Canada Sept. 27 at Lindenwood 3 p.m. U-22A teams met for a three-game series after almost two weeks Oct. 3 at MN-Duluth 6 p.m.

of training. The U.S. swept the series, defeating Canada 2-1 on Oct. 4 at MN-Duluth 6 p.m. Thursday, 6-0 on Friday and 3-2 on Sunday, but several Badgers Oct. 10 Ohio State 7 p.m. on both teams shined on the international stage. Former UW netminder Alex Rigsby played a big role in the Oct. 12 Ohio State 1 p.m. United States’ sweep, as she had a goals-against average of Oct. 17 Minnesota 7 p.m. 0.50, a save percentage of .971 and had a shutout in Team USA’s Oct. 18 Minnesota 3 p.m. 6-0 win on Saturday night. Oct. 24 at Bemidji State 7 p.m. The lone goal that Rigsby gave up in the series came thanks Oct. 25 at Bemidji State 4 p.m. to Canada’s Blayre Turnbull, as the Badgers’ captain beat her Oct. 31 at North Dakota 7 p.m. former teammate on a 2-on-1 rush to score her first goal as a Nov. 1 at North Dakota 3 p.m. member of the national team. > View complete schedule “It was great to get my first goal but it would have been better to get a win during the series,” Turnbull said. FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Incoming freshman Annie Pankowski recorded two assists and played on Team USA’s top line. A member of the U.S. na- tional team a year ago, she was one of two UW freshmen to ap- pear in the series, as Emily-SCROLL Clark FOR suited MORE- up for Team Canada. Despite giving up four goals to the U.S. in Game 2, Quebec native Ann-Renee Desbiens bounced back in the final game, as the UW sophomore had a shut out until the final few minutes and made several acrobatic saves to keep the explosive U.S. of- fense at bay. Fellow sophomores Sarah Nurse and Mellissa Channell also suited up for Canada, as both made solid contributions to the national team. “They all played pretty well,” Wisconsin head coach Mark Johnson said. “To me, one of the positives is the exposure to the training camp and the things that they take away that can help them in their development. The biggest thing is the confi- dence factor, as they made it through camp, through the cuts, and were able to play in a highly-competitive series. “It should be a big confidence booster for the kids as they make their way back to Madison and get ready for our season.” As a player who has yet to suit up for the Cardinal and White, Pankowski relished the opportunity to play with and against some of her future teammates. “It was definitely a big motivator to keep getting better and keep pushing forward,” Pankowski said. “I think it was truly awesome seeing how great Blayre, Sarah, Emily, Ann and Mel- lissa played and knowing that they are the caliber of players I get to play with at Wisconsin. “I got a small taste of the competitive games out here and it makes me that much more excited to get to Madison and play.” THIS WEEK IN BADGER HISTORY

OPENING ACT AUGUST 31, 2000: Walk-on Josh Hunt returned a punt 89 yards for a touchdown, the second-longest punt return in school history. The Badgers defeated Western Michigan 19-7 in their season opener. -MORE THIS WEEK-

NEW CARPET EN GARDE! EIGHT IS GREAT AUGUST 26, 1969: A new syn- AUGUST 31, 1972: Anthony AUGUST 31, 2007: Now in her thetic playing surface called Gillham was named the men’s eighth season, the Paula Wilkins Tartan Turf was installed in fencing coach at Wisconsin. He era in women’s soccer officially Camp Randall Stadium. The would also become the wom- began as she coached her first previous playing surface had en’s coach in 1974. Gillham had game in the Cardinal and White. turned black in spots when the an 18-year record of 246-100 The Badgers played Vanderbilt old green fiber tips broke off. in men’s fencing and a 225-61 to a 0-0 double-overtime draw The turf was installed by 3M mark in 16 years of coaching in the opening round of the and sprayed green. the Badger women. Georgia Invitational.