BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jedd Soleway, a journalism major, was asked how he would sit down and write a story about his time with Wisconsin men's hockey team.
"Long form?" he asked.
Of course.
"My journey is kind of funny," he began with a smile.
Soleway retraced his steps to his freshman season when he officially finished with one goal in 35 games, but had five others credited to him only to be later changed via video review.
Soleway was the second-leading goal scorer on the team as a sophomore, but those seven modest conversions came amid a horrific season in which UW finished a program-worst 4-26-5 overall.
Soleway was unable to improve on his goal-scoring totals last season — he ended up with six while pacing the team in penalties and minutes — which gave way to an 8-19-8 finish and a coaching change.
The next chapter from Soleway is still being written, but it's getting more interesting.
The latest installment came Thursday night when the Badgers opened a unique Big Ten Conference series by knocking off eighth-ranked Ohio State 3-1 at Value City Arena.
The second game will be staged Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Wisconsin (12-8-1 overall, 5-2 in the Big Ten) got a great 26-save effort from freshman goaltender Jack Berry and stellar work on the penalty kill, including a short-handed goal by sophomore right winger and captain Luke Kunin.
After a slow start complicated by an injury, Soleway played in consecutive games for the first time this season and now has a pair of top-10 wins under his belt.
Soleway was second on the team with three shots in the victory over the Buckeyes (12-5-6, 3-3-1) and his story is worth following.
He came into his senior season as one of the most tenured players on a young roster — 102 games played — but well aware that his fate was in the hands of new coaches that he'd never met.
Soleway knew, too, that a fistful of rookie forwards had arrived on the scene with an eye toward impressing the new staff — head coach Tony Granato and associate head coaches Don Granato and Mark Osiecki — and tapping into his on-ice minutes.
The last thing Soleway needed was to have the challenge heightened by a health issue, but that's what happened in October. He suffered a shoulder injury during a Thursday practice and was sidelined for the better part of a month.
"Set me back a little bit," Soleway said.
The resulting down time — Soleway missed seven straight games that carried into mid-November — enabled the likes of freshmen Trent Frederic, Dan Labosky and Max Zimmer to make an impression on the new coaches.
"We have a lot of good forwards this year, so getting back in the lineup took a lot of bearing down, took a lot of effort to find my way back in there," Soleway said.
His approach was simple.
"One day at a time," Soleway said.
"I've been through it all in my head before, but the underlying thing I took away is that to just try and enjoy myself as much as possible.
"Thinking too much can be your worst enemy. So I've tried to clear my head, make sure I'm ready to go whenever I'm on the ice, so when I do get a chance to play, take advantage of them hopefully."
Don Granato said Soleway, listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, made an early impression and it's lasted.
"He's a load of potential," Granato said. "He's a senior, so it's odd to say that, but when I came in and ran practices last April he caught my eye.
"He's very internally focused. He practices hard every day. There's no day off when he puts his skates on. There's only one way to go and that's hard."
Soleway, a seventh-round NHL draft pick of Phoenix in 2013, has the ideal frame and temperament for the physical side of the game, but he's had to make some adjustments to his approach.
Instead of trying to hit anything that moves, Soleway has been asked by the new staff to hunt pucks and contribute to a possession-oriented attack.
Don Granato said Soleway has done a quality job of adapting and making his presence felt.
"Lately he's impacting the game in different ways than he might have last year," Granato said.
Tony Granato said the line of Soleway on right wing, 6-6, 233-pound junior Matt Ustaski in the middle and 5-10, 200-pound senior Aidan Cavallini on the left side was a force during a 5-3 Big Ten win over Minnesota on Jan. 21.
The unit created a goal on the power play and Soleway brought so much energy overall that Tony Granato toyed with the idea of bumping him up in the lineup heading into the Ohio State series.
Soleway, from Vernon, British Columbia, speculated that the new coaches may have been concerned about his confidence level earlier this season.
"It's almost opposite the case," Soleway said. "I feel more confident now than ever.
"I feel like a much better player. I just need to play a little bit."
Don Granato said Soleway's confidence has been apparent right from the start.
"He's just got clarity now how to impact things within what opportunity we can give him," Granato said.
Soleway said it hurt worse to win only 12 of 70 outings the last two seasons than it was to sit out 15 of the first 20 games.
"I'm an optimistic guy," he said. "I really don't dwell — or really try not to dwell — on the negative side of things.
"At the same time, I'm enjoying myself still. I enjoy school. I enjoy being on the ice. I love the game of hockey.
"The confidence is coming from me just having a lot of fun."
Soleway isn't kidding about his love for school. He said he needed four credits this semester to finish his degree work — he's focused on strategic communication and advertising with an emphasis in broadcast — but took 12 "because I get a little bored" and might hold off on graduating in May "to take summer school if there's a certificate available."
What does Soleway want to do with his degree?
"Grow something and work towards something," he said. "I really haven't had my mind set on one particular thing."
Soleway smiled while outlining days that stretch from 8 a.m. to midnight. Class, workout, class, practice, class and a long visit to the library.
"I can't stand sitting around," he said. "I'm a little crazy that way."
Soleway said he's enjoyed a variety of classes at UW, mentioning a classics course that opened his eyes to art history, ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.
"Some guys don't find their niche in college and don't get enjoyment from what they're learning," he said. "I guess I've been lucky to find that."
