Madison Memorial head coach Jon Spencer was elected as the new president of the Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association at the annual meeting held during the state tournament. Spencer replaces Ryan Sarazin of Fond du Lac who completed his three year term.
Spencer replaced legendary Memorial coach Vic Levine in 2006 and has been behind the Spartan’s bench since then. Memorial finished 17-8-1 this past season. Spencer began his hockey coaching in 1989 with the Southwest Eagles Youth Hockey organization. He coached for the Madison Capitals girls program and was the inaugural coach of the Metro Lynx Girls High School program. He has a long standing relationship with the WIAA as a state tournament official.
The possible expansion to a two tier boy’s state tournament will be one of Spencer’s first priorities. Discussions have already been taking place with the WHCA promoting 8 and 4 team formats while the WIAA is offering two 4 team tournaments. Most coaches feel the 8 and 4 arrangements would result in the splitting of some large co-op teams, in turn growing boy’s hockey.
Spencer will join Sarazin, Pat McDonald (Wisconsin Rapids) and Steve Rothering (Madison Edgewood) as members of the hockey advisory committee.
New board members elected to the WHCA Board are Rothering, Rusty Mitch (Stevens Point Pacelli) and Keith Bartholomaus (Sheboygan).
The WHCA announced its annual award winners during the weekend. First-year Antigo head coach Matt Borneman, who led the Red Robins to a 23-2-2 season and a sectional final, was named as the Bob Johnson Memorial Coach of the Year.
The Chequamegon-Phillips co-op was crowned Academic State Champions, with an impressive 3.74 cumulative team GPA. Team Seal’s head coach is Shayne Roberts.
Assistant Coaches of the Year for each sectional are as follows:
Former Spooner & Wausau East head coach Dan Bauer was tabbed as the George Baumann Friends of Hockey Award winner. Bauer, who served two terms as WHCA president has been a board member for over fifteen years.
He has also been an active instructor for USA Hockey over the past 18 years. Bauer resigned from Wausau East last spring and moved over to the girls side as an assistant coach for the Central Wisconsin Storm where his twin daughters were sophomores this year.