One of the most talented hockey players in the state is
Notre Dame defenseman Tim Davison. The soon-to-be junior played extensive
minutes as a freshman and became an important cog on last season's 27-2 State Tournament
team. His star will continue to shine on the international stage as he takes the
ice with the elite US Under-17 Team, the only hockey player currently on a
Wisconsin high school roster to do so. After a busy off-season, his biggest
test may be stepping into the top spot for Notre Dame next winter without all
of the top-end talent the Tritons skated onto the ice in the 2009-2010.
The rise of Notre Dame's hockey program was rapid. The program
was shut down in the 1990s due to falling numbers, but four years ago, the
program was reformed. Head coach Cory McCracken was hired to start the program.
The school had been completing at the club level and had a nice group of young
players to build on. They took their lumps for a couple of years, but last year
things really started to come together.
"We were a very well balanced team," says McCracken. "We had
the Player of the Year Max McCormick, but we had depth that I don't think a lot
of high school teams — except for the top two or three in the state - could
match. There were not a lot of schools that could match the nine forwards we
had. Plus, we were giving up less than two goals a game."
Up until his freshman year Davison had played forward, but
when he talked to the coaches, together
they decided to make the transition to defenseman and help a team deep at
forward. The switch worked, and because of his offensive background, made him
an even more effective offensive defenseman. His ability to pick up play on the
blue line was a key in his and the Tritons' success.
"He was an offensive
defenseman," says McCracken. "We gave him the green light to do pretty much
what he needed to do when he saw an opportunity. He missed a few games with
some injuries, and it just showed how much of an offensive presence he was with
his puck movement Timmy was when he wasn't in our line-up."
On a team with so many veterans already, Davison's success
and recognizable presence could not have happened without the hard work he put
in during the offseason.
"He is well beyond
his years. He handles the puck like an older player. Some of the things he can
do with the puck, you can't teach. It is time on the pond, it is time in his
garage, it's time stick-handling with a golf ball that made him into the
athlete he is today. You combine that with a natural sense for the game, he has
that extra sense about him to know how much time and space he has in certain
situations. He knows where to put pucks in the areas of the ice where guys can
skate into it. He can pass the puck with a lot of authority and yet they can
still handle the puck.
"He is not arrogant
or a cocky guy, he is very confident in his abilities," says McCracken. "He
worked with the coaching staff, and once the guys around him saw he could play
at a high level--which happened his freshman year--the transition into his
sophomore year was very easy. In our upper classmen's eyes Timmy played well
beyond his sophomore status."
With the loss of a number of high-end talents, Davison is
faced with the challenge of being able to step into a leadership role and be relied
upon on a game-to-game basis for his next couple of seasons.
"I think he is ready for it," said McCracken. "Inside
himself, I think he wants to prove to himself that he is at that same level
without the type of supporting cast he had last year. We've got a real nice
supporting cast returning this year, but that is going to be the biggest
question. Can he do the same things without those top guys? The answer is yes,
but it will become obvious once our season gets going."
Davison will continue to build upon his hard work and experience, and improve as well as he matures physically.
"He needs to develop the strength to go into the areas of
the ice that are required when you play at the next level," said McCracken. "It
is defending in front of your own net; it is going into the corners and against
the wall. That is what we are stressing with Timmy. We know the offense is
going to be there, he just needs to improve on his defense and that will come
as he develops his strength."
As Davison continues to develop physically and with his
overall game, the sky is the limit for this 16-year-old. His coach believes Division
I hockey and beyond is well within reach. With the international experience he
is going to get this offseason and his natural talent that goes beyond his age,
he's on the fast track to success.
Prep News and Notes
Fourth-ranked Beaver Dam advanced to the Class AA Legion
Regional title. They rolled to a 14-0 win to clinch a spot at the state
tournament.
Andrew Buss threw a no-hitter in Waupun's 8-0 victory over
Berlin.
Pending school board approval, Randy Groth will be the new
coach for Sparta/West Salem/Bangor's hockey program. Groth last coached for La
Crescent.
John Olson was hired as the new head coach of the Sun
Prairie girls' basketball team.
Nineteen high school girls from Wisconsin were selected to
take part in the USA Hockey girls' development camp.
The WIAA set new guidelines that will make it harder for an
athlete who has a concussion to come back and play. The athlete will have to
pass a series of specific challenges before being allowed back into
competition.
Wisconsin Hoops Select 15 and Under girls' basketball team
finished second at the AAU Division I championships that took place in Orlando,
Florida.
Menasha hired Nick Carlson as their new baseball coach. He
was an assistant in the program the previous five seasons.
Molly Mauer resigned as Kaukauna's girls' basketball coach. Mauer
led them to a section finals appearance.
| 
