Wausau East, Merrill could merge hockey teams

WAUSAU - The Wausau East and Merrill boys hockey teams split a pair of games in the regular season this winter, each getting a win on the other's home ice.

Now the two Wisconsin Valley Conference programs could turn from foes to a cooperative program next season.

The Wausau School Board gave its approval to the proposal Monday, and the Merrill School Board gave the same endorsement in its regular meeting Wednesday.

The co-op proposal would then have to be passed by a vote among the seven WVC member schools before advanced to the WIAA for final approval. The request for a co-op program for next winter has to presented to the WIAA by April 1.

"Without conference approval, the WIAA is not going to enter our request," East athletic director Greg Harvey said. "With conference approval (the WIAA) has been very amenable to schools that are in that position (of seeking a co-op)."

The East and Merrill boys hockey teams combined for seven wins this season and together totaled 35 players on varsity rosters. Wisconsin Rapids, which finished third in the WVC, had 27 players on its varsity roster. Wausau West, the conference champions, had 24 players.

East estimates that it will have 13 players participating in boys hockey next season and the number won't rise about 15 individuals in the next four years.

"We're looking at a couple years here where we know that our numbers are going to be fairly low," East athletic director Greg Harvey said. "With that, we would like our kids to be brought along in an appropriate pace, relative to their maturity level, age and the competition they face on a game-by-game basis.It has presented itself to be quite a challenge for us."

Merrill has had the same issues. The Bluejays have not won more than two WVC games in season since joining the conference for the 2010-11 campaign. Merrill went winless in the conference the first three seasons.

"Numbers-wise we might in a little better shape than Wausau East right now, but (the program concerns) are very similar," Merrill activities director Rick Bonnell said. "Neither program had the numbers to run a secondary (junior varsity) level this year and with the co-op I think it's really going to give the hockey players the ability to play at the apporpriate level where their skills and physical make-up is going to fit."

Harvey and Bonnell both said if the proposal is rejected, it would not mean the end of boys hockey program at the two schools. .

"If we had to go at it alone for a period of time here, we would have to weather that storm," Harvey said. "And hopefully develop a program that kids would gravitate toward and want to be a part of and we would see a rebound in our numbers down the road. The nice thing about a cooperative program is that it is only a two-year agreement and we would have to revisit it. Our goal, as we stated to our constituents, is that the co-op wouldn't exist in the future and that we could stand on our own again. We just don't see that as in the best interest of our student-athletes currently

Both schools petitioned the WIAA in 2014 to leave the WVC for the Great Northern Conference, citing difficulties in remaining competitive in the larger-school conference due to declining enrollment. Merrill moved to the GNC for football after the 2010 season, and Wausau East requested a move from the Valley Football Association to the GNC after the 2015 season.

The requests are still being considered and have not been formally acted on by the WIAA yet.

Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @timmyjo11.