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Fondy, Waupun compete in 9th Cowan Cup game

By Michael Trzinski, WiPH Staff & Submitted, 12/03/19, 1:45PM CST

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Series tied at 4 games each

Tonight the Fond du Lac Cardinals and Waupun Warriors battle it out in the 9th annual Cowan Cup game, held this year at the Fond du Lac Blue Line. The pucks drops at 8:00pm.

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.

cowan cup results

year result
1st - Jan 2012 FDL 6, Waupun 1
2nd- Jan 2013 FDL 9, Waupun 5
3rd - Jan 2014 Waupun 6, FDL 5 (ot)
4th - Dec 2014 FDL 3, Waupun 2
5th - Dec 2015 Waupun 5, FDL 4
6th - Jan 2017 Waupun 4, FDL 3 (ot)
7th - Jan 2018 Waupun 6, FDL 0
8th - Dec 2018 FDL 3, Waupun 2

mike cowan bio

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 1970.  Over a twenty year period from 1970-1990, his Warrior teams made four state tournament appearances.  He also coached the 1980 Fond du Lac Bantams to a state title.

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 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.

Cowan and his wife Evelyn reside in Fond du Lac.