Baggot: Davison in elite company
December 10, 2015 | Men's Hockey, Andy Baggot
Sophomore defenseman showing offensive flair, working on defensive end
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. -- Tim Davison, a sophomore defenseman for the Wisconsin men's hockey team, is on pace to do something extraordinary.
He has five goals in his first 14 games and shares the club lead in that category with sophomore center Ryan Wagner and freshman left winger Luke Kunin.
In the modern era of the program, which dates back to 1963, only one defenseman has led the Badgers in goals for a season. That was Justin Schultz, a two-time first-team All-American who had 16 conversions in 2011-12.
Wisconsin has a long, distinguished line of offensive-minded defensemen – from Craig Norwich and John Taft of the 1970s to Theran Welsh and Paul Stanton of the '80s to Sean Hill and Brian Rafalski of the '90s to Jamie McBain and Brendan Smith in the 2000s – but the standard in this particular category is Schultz.
From 2009 to '12, Schultz amassed 40 goals, 73 assists and 113 points in 121 career games before bypassing his senior season with the Badgers to sign with Edmonton of the NHL.
In addition to leading Wisconsin in goals as a junior, Schultz paced the team in scoring as a sophomore in 2010-11. The only others with that on their resume are McBain (2008-09), Hill (1990-91), Welsh ('79-80), Norwich ('76-77) and Don Addison (1966-67).
Schultz is also the last defenseman to score goals in three straight games for the Badgers, a feat that Davison has matched heading into a Big Ten Conference series with Michigan State Friday and Saturday in East Lansing, Michigan.
Davison said he reads the weekly pregame notes compiled by Paul Capobianco of the Wisconsin Athletic Communications office. So what was Davison's reaction to seeing his name in the same sentence with Schultz?
"To be even thought of in the same sentence or same thought as him is a pretty big honor," Davison said.
As Davison made his way to Madison – playing at Green Bay Notre Dame Academy and Chicago of the U.S. Hockey League – he made numerous trips to the Kohl Center and focused on the way Schultz played.
"He's a special player," Davison said. "It's fun to watch players like that and take little pieces of their game and try to add it to your game."
Upon joining the Badgers and redshirting in 2013-14, Davison heard the reverence veteran playmakers like winger Michael Mersch and center Mark Zengerle had for Schultz and his ability to shoot the puck with accuracy.
"I just remember how he was able to get his shot through from the point, especially on the power play," Davison said.
"We just get the puck to Justin," Mersch and Zengerle would say to Davison, "and he'd walk the line and he'd put it in the net."
Davison, listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, isn't at the level of Schultz in a lot of areas, but his offensive game is coming around and he looks right at home on a power play unit that currently ranks 10th in the nation in conversion ratio (23.6 percent).
"What Timmy has done with the puck has always been his strength," Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves said.
Davison said he honed his instincts at the offensive end growing up in DePere. His father, Marc, built an outdoor rink in the backyard and his son took up temporary residence in it.
"I was out there till the wee hours of the morning," Tim said. "Our neighbors were upset because we were banging pucks off the boards, but I lived out there."
When Davison got to Notre Dame Academy, he moved from forward to defense as a freshman in order to secure more ice time. His new position demands that he have a two-way game, but that's still very much a work in progress.
While Davison shares the team lead in goals and has eight points overall, he also has the worst plus-minus rating on the club at minus-12.
Eaves said Davison has some bad habits that accumulated over time.
"He knows about it. He's seen video," Eaves said. "The thing is we're trying to create new habits over bad habits he's had his whole life.
"We're going in the right direction. It's a slow process, but I can tell you he's aware of it and we're making strides."
Eaves said Davison's biggest sin is he drops his eyes and becomes focused on the puck as he engages an onrushing opponent. Instead of having his toes pointed up ice, playing through the man and using his stick as a deterrent, he gets lost.
"It's a mindset," Davison said of playing good, fundamental defense. "At times I have that and at times I get away from it.
"I think the biggest thing is just trusting the process and trusting the coaches. They've been on my since day one about playing defense. It's definitely something I need to work on."
Davison routinely watches video with Eaves and associate head coach Luke Strand, who oversees the defensemen.
"His gift is his offensive side," Strand said of Davison. "His workmanship has got to come from his defending side and learning that defense is going to get him the puck back quicker.
"I think his recognition of when things aren't going the correct way defensively has increased. I wouldn't say it's gone away, but he's at least recognizing now where he didn't before."
Like Schultz, Davison isn't known for being a physical defender. Schultz, he said, relied on his instincts.
"He's always a step ahead," Davison noted. "He always knew what the player was going to do."
Davison has a simple game plan in that regard.
"I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing, trying to get better defensively," he said. "The more practice, repetitions and games I get, the more I'll improve."
The Badgers (3-6-5 overall, 0-1-1 in the Big Ten) will try and close out the first half on a high note against Michigan State (4-9-2, 0-2) at Munn Arena.
The first 14 games have been an exercise in irritation for Wisconsin players and coaches. They believe they're a better product than their record shows.
"We're doing a lot of good things," Davison said.
But there's a hump to get over. The Badgers have had the lead or been tied in the third period of 11 games, but only three wins to show for it so far.
"We're getting more goals – we have a lot more offense than last year – and at times we're playing good defensively," Davison said. "When we're all on the same page and working together that's when we're at our best."
But there aren't enough of those moments in crunch time. Davison said it seems like he and his teammates sometimes drift into the notion of playing it safe, especially when they have the lead, instead of continuing to be aggressive.
"It's been pretty frustrating not being able to win those games," he said, "but it's only going to make us a better team."
