April 8, 2006
2006 NCAA Frozen Four Championship Game
State Champions
Perhaps no one appreciated the Badgers' win more than the team's 13 Wisconsin natives

By Joe Gladziszewski

Nikki (left) and Adam Burish, Madison natives, both claimed NCAA hockey titles this season. (Photo by Larry Radloff)

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Exactly half of the players in the lineup for Wisconsin on Saturday night are natives of the state of Wisconsin. Three of them were born and raised in Madison and they have special appreciation for what Wisconsin’s title means to the city and the state.

As kids they dreamed of playing for the Badgers and representing the state that still holds football and basketball ahead of hockey in its list of sports priorities.

Adam Burish, the team captain and a lifelong Badger fan, had shared his lifelong experiences with his teammates during his career.

“These guys got sick of me the last four years telling them, ‘This city erupts for a champion.’ It’s been football and basketball dominated, when you bring a championship back the city supports it,” Burish said. “We saw it all last week, the support we got for making it here, now I can’t imagine, I can’t wait to get back to town and get back to State Street to see what that town looks like.”

He also speculated that a few alcoholic beverages will be enjoyed by Badger fans and fondly recalls the team’s April 1, 1990 championship win over Colgate in Detroit. Burish was seven years old at the time.

Related Coverage

Game Story: Red State A late goal and later post delivered Wisconsin's sixth national title and first since 1990. Comprehensive Notebook The keys to the win, the good and the bad, plus much more. All-Tournament Team Complete with former Badger coach Jeff Sauer's commentary.

“We had season tickets and I went to every game that was going on and you just remember the celebration, remember looking at those guys out on the ice. I always wanted to do it. I always wanted to play for the Badgers and I wanted to be the captain and win the national championship and I accomplished all three of those,” he said.

Another Madison native, junior defenseman Matt Olinger, was also seven when the Badgers last won it and remembers watching the game on TV and running around his house in celebration of the Badgers championship.

“It couldn’t mean more to Madison. It’s been about 15 years and it couldn’t be better,” Olinger said. “This is my childhood dream right here, winning the national championship right here in Wisconsin it couldn’t be any better.”

One Madison native that doesn’t remember the last hockey title is Jack Skille. He was only three at the time and admits that he was probably asleep in bed. As one of the most coveted recruits in the nation he had his choice of what program he could play for, but decided to stay in the town and state where he grew up. Saturday’s championship validated his decision.

“This shows kids all over the state that they can be here and they can make it here. It says a lot for the Wisconsin program and the women’s hockey team and our team,” Skille said. “People say that Minnesota is a hockey state but Wisconsin is up for the running too. We’ve got a lot of hockey going on in the state and a lot of good players coming on. Half of our team is from Wisconsin.”

It may not take 16 years for Wisconsin to win another title, but when that title happens it may be achieved with players that were able to take pride in hockey statewide from this championship season.