WIAA hockey: Coaches see good, bad in state tournament format changes
WAUSAU – Changes are coming to the WIAA state boys hockey tournament, but it’s the one that goes into effect two years from now that has some coaches upset.
Currently, eight teams earn state berths in the one-division format. The change, a two-year experiment starting with the 2020 state tournament, would split the state’s 87 programs into two divisions with the smallest 32 programs by enrollment assigned to Division 2.
That state tournament format would have two four-team divisions, essentially keeping the state finalists at eight total teams. Some coaches prefer an expanded state tournament, giving more programs the chance to compete in Madison, where this year’s state tournament takes place Thursday through Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Wisconsin Hockey Coaches Association had supported a 12-team state tournament format in which eight schools would be placed in the large division and four in the small.
“My feelings are really simple here — I don’t like the change one bit,” University School of Milwaukee coach Jason Woods said. “It simply will not have the effect the WIAA is looking for.
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“If we were able to have, as (the coaches association) requested, an eight- and four-team scenario, I may be able to get behind it. At the very least, it allows four more teams to experience the state tournament each year. With the current structure proposed, what does it do? It certainly doesn’t allow more teams a chance.”
Woods pointed to the formats of the state baseball, softball and volleyball tournaments, which all have an eight-team field for Division 1 and four teams for the smaller divisions.
“There is precedent from the WIAA,” Woods said. “Let’s find a smart scenario where more teams can get to state, not one that just changes what already works.”
The system was approved by the WIAA Board of Control last June, and will run on a two-year trial basis. The format for the four-team girls hockey tournament, held in Madison the same weekend, will remain unchanged.
The change was made in part with the thought that more teams would have the opportunity to advance to Madison.
“As a large school, you look at the percentage of getting to a final four (tournament),” Wausau West coach Brian Brandt Jr. said. “It’s certainly less than what you would have than the bottom 32 schools.
“It is going to be an interesting model to see how it goes. The hardest part might be how the (larger) sectionals look like and what will be the travel within them, too.”
Saint Mary’s Springs coach Tim Ahern has an issue with the format as well, especially because of the large number of cooperative programs in the state. Currently, about half of the boys programs are made up of more than one school.
“I think opening (the tournament) to two classes makes sense. I think how the WIAA has done it makes no sense,” Ahern said. “The size of school (enrollment) means nothing for hockey, it is more about where is each program getting their players from.
“I think if we look at (the WIAA plan) closely, virtually the same teams are going to be down (at state).”
Ahern said he thinks there is a better option than enrollment to determine to which division a hockey program should be assigned.
“In my opinion, (the WIAA plan) doesn’t open it up to new teams,” Ahern said. “What the state has done a nice job with is in regard to the power rankings of teams (based on a team’s record and strength of schedule). It is really, really accurate and looked at for seeding in sectionals.
“I think you take those rankings and where you fall each year is your class system. Now you get the lower-end teams in terms of talent having a legitimate shot at getting to Madison.”
Planting seeds
Another, less controversial change happens this season. State finalists for the boys tournament were seeded for the first time.
Defending champion Hudson not only was the No. 1 team in the final regular-season state poll, but also enters state as the top-seeded team.
The WIAA conducted a conference call with coaches of the state-qualifying teams Sunday to determine the top four seeds for the tournament.
Eau Claire Memorial is seeded second, followed by Waukesha North third and Green Bay Notre Dame fourth. The remaining teams, which include D.C. Everest and St. Mary’s Springs, were part of a random draw to round out Thursday’s quarterfinal matchups.
Minnesota has seeded the top five teams for Class AA and Class A in its high school boys hockey tournament since 2007 and it is based upon input from the qualifying coaches as well.
The first-round games had previously been based on predetermined sectional pairings, which had, at times, made one side of the state tournament bracket a more imposing challenge.
“I think this was a long time coming,” said Dan VanSlyke, coach of a D.C. Everest program that is making its first-ever state appearance. “You obviously want to see the best teams play in the state championship game and not in the quarterfinals or semifinals.
“I think it’s good for Wisconsin high school hockey and a move in the right direction.”
Notre Dame coach Cory McCracken also supports the move. He points to the Tritons' tournament run in 2012 that included a quarterfinal matchup with a Superior team that was ranked third in the final state poll of the regular season. The Tritons, who were the top-ranked team in the state poll, followed that win with a semifinal game against No. 4 Verona and an ultimate championship matchup with No. 2 Wausau West.
“We definitely earned that state championship,” McCracken said. “That was about as hard as it gets.”
Boys hockey is not the only winter state tournament that will be seeded this season.
The top four Division 1 teams and top two in Divisions 2 and 3 are seeded for this weekend’s state team wrestling tournament at the University of Wisconsin Fieldhouse. The top four teams in each of the five divisions will be seeded for the boys and girls state basketball tournament as well.
“There’s always going to be that Cinderella story and you want those because it’s all a part of this time of the year,” said Michael Elkin, co-coach of the Neenah//Hortonville/Menasha hockey team that lost to Notre Dame in a sectional title game Friday. “At the same time, you want to go to Madison and watch good hockey matchups. You look at who is in the tournament and they all are really good hockey teams.
“With the seedings, it’s going to be interesting. I think that No. 4 and No. 5 matchup (Notre Dame and Verona) could especially bring out a lot of people to watch that (quarterfinal) game.”
WIAA state hockey tournament
At Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison
THURSDAY
BOYS
Game 1: No. 1 Hudson (25-1-1) vs. Fond du Lac Springs co-op (21-4-2), 10 a.m.
Game 2: No. 4 Green Bay Notre Dame (18-7-2) vs. Verona (20-3-3), 1:15 p.m.
Game 3: No. 2 Eau Claire Memorial (23-2-2) vs. West Salem/Bangor (20-7), 4 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 Waukesha North Co-op (20-4-3) vs. D.C. Everest (19-6-2), 6:15 p.m.
FRIDAY
GIRLS
Game 1: Eau Claire North co-op (24-3) vs. D.C. Everest co-op (19-8), 10 a.m.
Game 2: Sun Prairie co-op (20-6-1) vs. Fond du Lac co-op (19-8), 12:15 p.m.
BOYS
Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 6:15 p.m.
SATURDAY
GIRLS
Championship, 12:10 p.m.
BOYS
Championship, 2:15 p.m.