The night before Ohio State defeated the Wisconsin men's hockey team in the opening game of the Big Ten quarterfinals, sophomore Cruz Lucius found himself in a unique position.
Lucius was traded.
“It was pretty fun,” admitted Lucius, Wisconsin's leading scorer.
On March 7, the Pittsburgh Penguins sent forward Jake Guentzel, one of their most productive and popular players, to the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League.
Guentzel, 29, played in 503 games and scored 466 points (219 points) in eight years with Pittsburgh, although he mostly skated alongside perennial All-Star Sidney Crosby.
In addition to Guentzel, the Penguins traded defenseman Ty Smith to Carolina for a conditional draft pick and four players: Michael Bunting, Vir Koivnen, Vasily Ponomarev, and Lucius.
“Obviously, I wasn't really expecting it,” said Lucius, who was selected by the Hurricanes in the fourth round (124th overall) in the 2022 draft. “Both teams called and we talked about it.
“It's been a pretty crazy process. Everything is as you would expect. But I'm so excited to be a part of the Penguins.”
Lucius is even more excited to play with his college teammates today in the NCAA Hockey Tournament regional semifinals at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island.
The Badgers (26-11-2) will take on the Quinnipiac Bobcats (26-9-2), who are the defending national champions and won the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title. (The game will be broadcast on ESPNNews today at 4:30 p.m. and streamed live on ESPN+).
“They're going to come in with a little attitude,” Wisconsin coach Mike Hastings said of the Bobcats. “The last time they stepped up to the plate, it didn’t go the way they wanted it to.”
On March 22, St. Lawrence defeated Quinnipiac 3-0 in the ECAC tournament semifinals. In fact, the Badgers also whiffed in their final at-bat.
On March 10th, Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 3-1 in a best-of-three Big Ten series deciding game held at the Kohl Center. The Buckeyes were the worst team in the league.
“I'm telling you,” Hastings confessed. “I was stung for a while.”
There was a lesson to be learned from the disappointment. “I think the most important thing is to be ready to play every game, no matter who the opponent is,” Lucius said.
Although the Badgers had to wait two weeks for the NCAA berths to be announced, they were still confident of making the cut based on the Pair Wise Rankings, a statistical evaluation tool.
Until his decision was made official at the March 24 selection meeting, Lucius “had to focus on practice. … We had to focus on ourselves as a team to be ready.”
Hastings credited the leadership group with reorganizing the roster and refocusing it. “I asked the guys to get back on the horse and try to get better, and they did that,” Hastings said.
“The sun is stronger than the rain”
Friday's showdown can't come soon enough for a team looking for redemption. short term and long term. The Badgers haven't won an NCAA Tournament game in his last 14 years (win in the national semifinals on April 8, 2010).
“The guys are just looking forward to playing. It's been a while,” said Hastings, who was aware that it's been 18 days since the Badgers and Buckeyes played.
“Our (conference) playoffs didn't go the way we wanted them to. Now we have in front of us what we've been planning all the way through late June and July…
“It's difficult to play in this tournament. There are some heartbroken teams who didn't get the chance we had and are stuck (at home). It's more sunny than rainy here.
“I'm usually a pessimist, not an optimist. I think that's how coaches are made. The players were really good coming to the rink.
“They knew there was a long way to go from where the last game was played to what was going to happen on Friday, and they didn't care at all…
“The players were really excited. How could you not be? When you're one of 16 teams playing at this time of year, that becomes a goal back in the summer.”
Wisconsin goalie Kyle McClellan was named Wednesday as one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, which will be presented April 12 at the Frozen Four in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Given the defensive posture and efficiency of both teams (Quinnipiac ranks second in the nation in defense and Wisconsin ranks third), scoring teams will have a hard time finding space.
The Badgers are anchored by goaltender Kyle McClellan, who leads college hockey with a .931 save percentage and seven shutouts. He ranks second in points per game (1.92).
“I'm really happy to see him getting the recognition he deserves,” Lucius said of McClellan, a Hobey Baker Top 10 finalist. “He worked very hard and was a great part of our team.”
Badger Balanced Attack
Their offensive balance is also a feature and is a strength of the team. The Badgers have six players with 10 or more goals. This is the first time he has played more than five games since the 2010 season.
In addition, 15 different players scored the winning goals, led by Simon Tassey's four goals.
“On any given night, a lot of guys on our team can score and make a big difference on the score sheet,” said Lucius, who has 13 goals, one shy of Blue League leader Carson Bantle. Ta.
“I feel like I had a really good season thanks to my linemates Matty (De Saint Phalle) and David Cilliers. We worked really well together. Being consistent has been a big part of my success. ”
Lucius, a native of Grant, Minn., scored 34 points, the same number he recorded as a freshman last season after arriving in Madison from the U.S. National Team Development Program.
“I'm an offensive forward,” said the 6-foot, 178-pound Lucius, who also takes pride in his playmaking. “I can find my teammates and help them get better on the ice.
“Every time I go out to play, I try to be an offensive presence. …Obviously, if you're going to be successful, you have to have confidence in yourself and your ability to make plays.
“It comes down to believing in yourself and your abilities. Confidence is a big part of that.”
His mentor throughout has been his brother Chazz Lucius, a former Minnesota Gopher and first-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets. He withdrew from the American Hockey League due to injury.
“I grew up with him,” said Cruz, who wears No. 51 in honor of Chaz. I learned a lot from him throughout this process. ”
Most of all, he knew the Badgers were given a second chance to finish this season on the right foot. “As a team, we're really excited,” Lucius said.
Providence is no neutral ground for the University of Wisconsin, the nation's sixth-youngest team.
The Quinnipiac campus in Hamden, CT is just 133 miles away.
“We have to get that rust out as soon as possible,” Hastings said. “One of the things Quinnipiac has always done is they're quick starters.”
In this context, the Badgers are 20-2-2 when they score first and 6-9 when their opponents score. Also, when they are leading after one period they are 16-0-1, and when they are behind they are 4-8. meaningful numbers.
Hastings knows what to expect from his players. “We're going to go all out and compete in an environment that we're excited to be a part of.”
When you hear that sound, taking another swing at bat is not a given.
Let the sun shine.
