How will it end?

With the regular season over and playoffs underway, it’s time to take stock. Eight teams will advance to Madison for the State Tournament, which means 84 teams will be disappointed. For most of the Seniors on those 84 teams, the end of this season will also be the end of your competitive hockey career.

Some of you may go on to play juniors, and some may even play college hockey, but most of you will be done. It has been a long journey, with long car and bus rides, and hours upon hours of practice. This is what winter has been for 12-14 years, practice hockey, play hockey, watch hockey. And it is about to end. It will most likely end at an away rink, far from home. The home team is seeded higher for a reason.

 

The question you should think about is “how” it will end. What will the final act be. That will be easy for close games or overtime games. You will be trying frantically to score right up till the final horn sounds. Giving it all you've got right up to the bitter end.

 

But what about the not-so-close games? The blow-outs? Your team is down by 4 goals and it's your last shift. I would like you to think about that now, before the game. Because in the heat of the moment, people don't always think things through. They sometimes let their emotions dictate their actions. How you handle these last moments will say a lot about your character and how you will be remembered.

 

Let's face it, when you know the game, the season, and your career are over, there are no hockey-related consequences for your actions. Penalty box? Been there. Game misconduct? There is no next game to miss. Discipline from your coach? Once that final horn sounds, he's not your coach any more. So hey, no worries.

 

But actions always have consequences. There are still your teammates, your school, and your parents to think about. What you do on the ice reflects on all of them, and can sully their reputations as well as yours. No matter how your high school hockey career has been to this point, if you take out an opponent with a cheap shot in your final game, that is what will come to define you. That is what you will be remembered for.

 

A few years back, we had a playoff game in Antigo against a team that we had some history with. It was a hard-fought, but relatively clean game. Antigo was clinging to a one-goal lead, and the other team pulled their goalie with about a minute left. Antigo scored on the empty net with thirty-some seconds to go to pretty much clinch the game. We had future Badger Joe Piskula on defense and All-State goalie Derek Waldvogel in the net, so we weren't going to give up two goals in the time left. The game was essentially over but we still had to finish out the time on the clock.

 

The other team put out their five seniors to finish the game. Now maybe their coach told them “This is your last shift seniors, make it one to remember”. Or maybe he didn't say anything to them, I wasn't within ear-shot of their bench, so I don't know. All I do know is that when the puck was dropped, they won the draw and dumped the puck into the Antigo end, and five guys took off at full speed to meet Piskula in the corner. I do not believe their intentions were honorable. Fortunately, one of them was in too big a hurry and was off-side, drawing a whistle and stopping play.

 

Antigo coach Bill Thoreson saw what was about to happen and replaced Piskula with Pete Wetzel on defense. Pete had two things going for him in that situation. First, he was about as tough as they come, he used to hang from the rafters at the rink and make his way across the ice. His goal for after high school was to become a Navy Seal, which he did. And second, he really wasn't much of a hockey player, so he was expendable. We still needed Piskula for the next game.

 

That game ended with the puck in the corner, five-on-Wetzel, and Pete still standing at the final horn. No harm, no foul. But what if they hadn't gone off-side? What if they had all five jumped Piskula in the corner. What if they had managed to do some serious harm? Would it have been worth it? Putting a premature end to the career of the only person on the ice who had the skills to continue playing hockey after high school? And for what? Revenge? How do you live with that?

 

Most teams play the way they have been taught, and live up to the expectations of their parents, coaches, and schools. But every year we hear about an incident or two where things got ugly because somebody thought "what have I got to lose?" Don't let that be you this year.

 

I am going to leave the comments open for anybody to post. I'd like to hear from any seniors who are about to or just finished their final game.

Home Ice:
Waupun Community Center
510 E. Spring St.
Waupun, WI 53963
(920) 324-5096
 

The “Cowan Cup” should be competed for by only two teams the Fond du Lac Cardinals boys’ varsity hockey team or the Waupun Warriors boys’ varsity hockey team.  Awarded to the winning team on an annual basis to start January 05, 2012 at 7:00pm at the Waupun Community Ice Rink, and continue forth into the future.

 At the request of the Schubert Family there are five preliminary regulations:

1.      The winners shall have the cup presented post game for ceremonies and pictures and return the cup in good order when required by the Trustees so that it may be engraved and prepared for the next year’s contest.

2.      Each winning team, at cost to the Trustees, may have the club name, year and score of the game engraved on a silver plate affixed to the base.

3.      The cup shall remain a challenge cup, and should not become the property of one team, even if won more than once.  It will be on display at the Fond du Lac Blue Line Ice Rink year round.

4.      The Schubert Family shall maintain absolute authority in all situations or disputes over the cup.

5.      If one of the existing Trustees resigns or steps down, the remaining Trustee shall nominate a substitute*.

*Trustees:

1) Jonathan Schubert

2) Nicole Schubert

3) Donald Schubert

4) Linda Schubert

5) Leah Schubert

6) Theodore Schubert

7) Joseph Schubert

8) Alex Morrell

To honor Mike Cowan for all his accomplishments in promoting and growing the sport of ice hockey statewide, that have changed the landscape of what ice hockey is for all who play prep hockey in Wisconsin.  This is the least that we can do to honor his accomplishments forever.

Brief bio on Mike Cowan:

A native of Superior, Mike Cowan played youth hockey for the Superior Amateur Hockey Association. After a high school career at Superior Cathedral where he played for Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame member Ray Liebaert, Cowan went on to play for the Wisconsin Badgers. He capped his playing career as a member of the championship Fond du Lac Bears.

Following his playing career, Cowan began in earnest to pay back to the sport of hockey what he had received from it. As an educator and a coach, Cowan has taught kids on and off the ice. He began his coaching career in the late 1970s as the bantam coach in Fond du Lac. From there he went on to coach the Waupun High School team for several years. After one year as an assistant coach in Blaine, Minn., Cowan returned to Wisconsin and took on the job of head coach at Lawrence University in Appleton. He then returned to the high school ranks where he continued as the coach at Fond du Lac Springs High School.   In the 1997-98 hockey season, along with Wes Bolin, Cowan helped organize the Fond du Lac girls’ hockey program.  Mike Cowan coached the Fond du Lac/Waupun girl’s high school team for 8 years. His team has been one of the top programs in the state, winning the state championship twice (2004 and 2006) and finishing second in the state three times (2003, 2008, 2009).  Cowan also organized the Marian University Women’s hockey program where he is currently in his second year as head coach.  Since the early 1990s, Cowan has coached and worked on the Wisconsin Selects AAA Summer Hockey Program as well.

 Cowan’s greatest contributions to the sport though may be in his desire and ability to organize hockey activities that have furthered the cause of ice hockey in the Badger State. To name a few of the projects that Cowan has spearheaded or participated in over the past 25 years: Cowan founded and funded the “Wisconsin Hockey Exchange”, a publication that would become the Wisconsin Section of “Let’s Play Hockey” magazine. Cowan worked on the building of the Waupun indoor rink, one of the few in the State in the late 1970s, and has taught coaching clinics since the late 1970s across the State.  

Cowan’s greatest single contribution to Wisconsin hockey is the Wisconsin Senior Class Tournament that he started in Waupun. The Senior Class Tournament provides exposure for Wisconsin high school seniors at this tournament, and also provides additional exposure for those seniors who are selected to go on and play for Team Wisconsin at the Minnesota NIT Showcase Tournament.  Mike’s success has been recognized in the state, as he has been honored as a member of both the University of Wisconsin Hockey Hall-of-Fame and the state of Wisconsin Hockey Hall-of-Fame.

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