The Wisconsin Badgers will have 12 Wisconsin prep players on its roster this year, including four newcomers.

Jefferson Dahl (Eau Claire Memorial), Chase Drake (Mosinee), Gavin Hartzog (Marquette), and Sean Little (Fond du Lac) will all make their collegiate debuts when Wisconsin travels to St. Louis to participate in the Ice Breaker Tournament on October 8 against Boston University.

Coach Mike Eaves says, "(Picking up Wisconsin products) is a priority for us. We make sure we do our due diligence and that includes looking at young players from Wisconsin."

The Badgers have had homegrown talent on their roster for many years, most notably during the last national championship season of 2005-06 when 13 players from the state populated the roster.

Players such as Adam Burish, Jake Dowell, Davis Drewiske, and Joe Pavelski played key roles during the title run that year.  

This season, seniors Craig Johnson (Waupaca), Patrick Johnson (Madison Memorial), and Podge Turnbull (Hayward) will all see the ice on a regular basis and help to lead a young group of Badgers through their rookie seasons.

Dahl--who scored 211 points in 98 games at ECM--is pleased to be where he is at and just wants to contribute.

"I'm just honored and hope that I can do my best during my time here and hopefully win a national championship."

Dahl honed his game in the USHL, playing at Green Bay and Youngstown during his two-year stint.

"I learned how to keep my body in shape and go through the wear and tear of a long season. The competition is the best by far in North America and it helped me develop my career and make me stronger and quicker." 

Blueliner Drake played two years at Sioux City of the USHL and is more of a defensive stopper than a offensive threat.

Hartzog, a power forward, spent two years in the juniors, splitting time between Fargo (USHL) and Bismarck (NAHL).

Little played for Green Bay for two years before joining brother Ryan on the Cardinal-and-White, becoming the 14th pair of brothers to play in Madison for the UW.

Other Wisconsin products include junior Eric Springer (Wrightstown); sophomores Ryan Little (FDL), Keegan Meuer (Madison Memorial), Craig Smith (Madison LaFollette), and Mitch Thompson (Onalaska).

There might be some growing pains this season, but look for the group to catch on fast and be successful sooner rather than later.

Eaves warns, "This year is going to be about our growth and how quickly we can grow as a team."

Don't be surprised if this bunch of Badgers master the learning curve soon.