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To be honest, Tim Ebner has no idea what’s going to happen. And that doesn’t scare him one bit.
Maybe nothing will change for the Onalaska High School boys hockey team. Ebner, Onalaska’s coach, would be OK with that. Last season the Hilltoppers earned their first WIAA state tournament berth in 14 years. Their record over the past two seasons is 37-8-1.
Maybe the Hilltoppers will be a work in progress. Ebner sees the gaping hole left by the graduation of Jordan Tredinnick, Jordan Guth and Brice Wizner and wonders who will spark Onalaska’s offense. It’s no wonder. The trio combined to score 79 goals last season.
The only thing Ebner knows is he can’t to see what unfolds. He’ll get his first chance a week from today when the Hilltoppers open their season against Beaver Dam at the OmniCenter.
“(Dealing with the unknown) is the exciting part of a new year,” Ebner said. “When you lose a large amount of seniors every year, which we have, the exciting part is asking, ‘OK, who’s going to step up, and how is your team going to mesh together?’
“That’s the exciting and fun part of coaching.”
Twenty-four years of coaching have done nothing to put a damper on Ebner’s enthusiasm for his job. He’d like to believe that won’t change as he enters his sixth season leading the Hilltoppers.
It goes without saying Ebner will miss the scoring punch Tredinnick, Guth and Wizner provided. But Ebner expects great things from his returning players.
Sophomore forward Jesse Tredinnick had 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists) last season. Senior defenseman Mason Sedlacek had 18 points (3 goals, 15 assists). Senior forward Nathan Groshek (7 goals, 8 assists) and junior forward Randy Burkhardt (6 goals, 5 assists) added 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Ebner also has no qualms about rotating sophomores Scott Sibik (2-0, 2 shutouts last season) and Noah White at goalkeeper. Ebner also is excited by the return of senior forward Nathan Trannel. Trannel missed all of last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
“We had excellent participation in the weight room this summer, and that helps a tremendous amount,” Ebner said. “Now it’s just a matter of who’s going to step up.”
Will the Hilltoppers’ past success motivate this year’s team to set their sights high?
“There are two ways of looking at that,” Ebner said. “One, the next group wants to keep the tradition going or two, they’re going to sit back and think (success) will automatically come to them. I have not seen that with this team.
“They’ve all worked extra hard so far. I can see how focused they are at practice. Our dry-land practices were more focused. That tells me this group wants to do something special this year.”
Hilltoppers at a glanceCOACH: Tim Ebner, sixth season
2008-09 RECORD: 16-7-1 (won WHSHL, reached WIAA Division 1 state quarterfinals)
KEY RETURNERS: Randy Burkhardt, Nathan Groshek, Jake Hanson, Mason Sedlacek, Scott Sibik, Jesse Tredinnick, Nate Trannel
KEY LOSSES: Jordan Tredinnick, Jordan Guth, Brice Wizner, Mark Wittchow
FUN FACT: Ebner could earn his 100th career win with Onalaska this season. He has an 83-29-1 mark with the Hilltoppers.
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