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Big Shoes, Filled

By webjr, 11/28/10, 3:20PM CST

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Player of the Week: Alex Witz, G, Madison Edgewood


Player of the Week: Alex Witz

Brad Jerzewski was a three-year starter in net for the Madison Edgewood Crusaders and had a fantastic high school career. Before the season started Wisconsin Prep Hockey identified incoming starter Alex Witz as a possible question mark for the Crusaders.

 
If the results of Edgewood's first two games of the 2010-2010 high school hockey season are any indication, that question has been answered as Alex Witz is our Wisconsin Prep Hockey Player of the Week for November 21-27.
 
Witz opened the season with a pair of one-goal-against performances. First on Tuesday he wracked up an impressive 35 saves against Reedsburg/Wisconsin Dells, and he followed that on Saturday with 29 more against the #9 Fond du Lac Cardinals.
 
Witz has been the back-up for Edgewood for the past two seasons, but he didn't get the opportunity to pad his stats against weaker competition.  Last year he plays spectacularly in a 2-2 tie with For Frances, Ontario in the Duluth Marhsall holiday tournament, and picked up a 3-2 overtime win over Middleton to secure the top seed in the section. Witz also played well in a 3-1 loss to eventual state champion University School of Milwaukee.
 
“The thing about Alex,” said coach Pete Rothering, “is that he works so hard in practice, and has been working on his own in the summer, that he didn't miss the opportunity to continue to improve and prepare for his chance.”
 
What' more impressive than stepping in for a three-year starter is the fact that Witz has only been playing hockey since the sixth grade.  In a sport where many players start at ages five or 6, Witz started late.
 
“Alex started playing ice hockey in the 6th grade after his grandfather took him to a UW game,” said Craig Witz, Alex's father. “And for reasons we've never completely figured out, has only ever been interested in playing goalie.”
 
Both Witz's coach and father pointed out that Alex was eager and excited for the opportunity to take over as the team's starter.
 
“As you know, confidence in your goalie is huge,” said Rothering. “It allows the rest of the team to play on their toes and be aggressive. So being able to transition from a three-year starter in Brad Jerzewski to a new starter and maintain that confidence in the position is great for our team.”
 
When he's not on the ice Witz is a well-rounded kid.  Witz earns high honors at Edgewood academically and has maintained his position in the National Honors Society.  He also participates in an improvosational comedy troupe at the school, is a member of the current events club, and is a section leaded in concert band.
 
Witz himself is a coach, having spent the last three years coaching a youth basketball team, and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Nominees

Our other nominees for this week were:

  • Zach Woodman, G, Beloit Memorial