MADISON, Wis. – Head coach Mike Eaves announced the signing of six student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday. The sextet will all be part of Wisconsin’s roster for the 2015-16 school year.
Included in the group are forwards Tanner Barnes (Eagan, Minnesota), Will Johnson (Santa Barbara, California), Zac Keryluk (Verona, Wisconsin) and Jarod Zirbel (Green Bay, Wisconsin); defenseman Patrick Sexton (Ottawa, Ontario) and goaltender Matt Jurusik (La Grange, Illinois).
“We are looking at having a different type of philosophy going into this year because of last year,” Eaves stated. “We are actually going to carry more guys on the roster, so that allows us, during the course of the week, to run a real high-tempo full scrimmage. We are going to have almost three lines on each team and four defenseman. That will make it very competitive. The message being sent is that unless you are willing to do the things that we need to do in terms of hard, smart and play as a team, then we are going to make changes in our lineup.
“If you walk into our locker room, we have 28 stalls. There’s 28 guys. That’s the most we’ve ever had. I think it is a subliminal message that things are a little different this year and that we need to be really ready every day.
“You want character people and you can never have too many.”
Barnes, a 6-1 and 180-pound forward, put up 11 goals, 20 assists and 31 points in 60 games for the NAHL’s Johnstown Tomahawks during 2014-15. Selected to play in the 2015 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament for the North Division Team, he split the 2013-14 season with the Coulee Region Chill, Wenatchee Wild and Johnstown, combining for nine goals, 13 assists and 22 points in 61 games. He also saw a five-game stint with the NAHL’s Brookings Blizzard during 2012-13.
Barnes is the younger brother of former Badger Tyler Barnes, who skated for UW from 2010 through 2014 and won WCHA and Big Ten tournament titles in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Tyler scored 45 goals and 101 points in 152 games at Wisconsin.
Eaves on Barnes: “The first thing you notice about Tanner is that he looks like his brother Tyler. He’s a late bloomer. In talking to his coach, he has a skill set that came to him along with the combination of playing hard his last year of juniors. In our attempt to look around to fill our need in getting more guys to get competitive every day, it seemed that he fit that need. He brings some skill to the table that he has inherited, but he has kind of learned how to work. His body grew quickly so it is kind of all coming together. It gives him an opportunity to work his way into our lineup.”
Johnson, a 5-9 forward, joins the Badgers from the USHL’s Madison Capitols. The Santa Barbara, California, native tallied nine goals, 27 assists and 36 points in 30 games during an injury-shortened season last year for the first-year program. He finished third on the team in scoring, just seven points off the team scoring lead, despite skating in just half the team’s games. Current UW assistant coach Luke Strand was the Capitols head coach last year.
Before his time in Madison, Johnson skated for the NAHL’s Minnesota Magicians during the 2013-14 campaign. Also a first-year program, he finished third on the team in scoring as the youngest skater with 19 goals, 16 assists and 35 points in 59 games played.
Eaves on Johnson: “For those who don’t know much about Will, he was leading the USHL in points after 30 games, but suffered an injury that kept him out the rest of the year. He’s a very dynamic player. He’s the kind of player who will bring you to the edge of your seat, because he plays with a high motor and he has some things he can do with the puck. When he makes a bad pass, somehow the puck finds its way back on his stick. He’s one of those offensive guys. He will give us real good depth in terms of skill and I think people will enjoy watching him play.”
Keryluk, a 6-2 and 215-pound forward, helped the Jersey Hitmen win the 2015 Dineen Cup awarded to the USPHL Premier Division Champions, scoring a goal and four points in five games during the team’s run to the title. He was a late-season acquisition for Jersey, after spending most of the year with the Rochester Jr. Americans. He had seven goals, seven assists and 14 points in 42 games with Rochester. He spent part of the 2013-14 season with the NAHL’s Janesville Jets, scoring two goals and five points in 11 games played.
Keryluk is the son of former Badger Ken Keryluk, who played for the UW from 1978 through 1982. Ken tallied 35 goals and 65 points in a 152-game career that included the 1981 NCAA championship.
Eaves on Keryluk: “Zac is kind of a similar story to Tanner. We were looking at someone to come in and fill our roster and give us depth, but Zac is a different player. If he is going to get playing time, he is going to have to play a certain way. He is big and can really skate and shoot a puck. If he will play with a physical presence, shoot the puck and go to the net, and do those things that a power forward needs to do, then he has got a chance to play for us.”
Zirbel, a 6-0 and 170-pound forward, is the second addition from the USHL’s Madison Capitols, the team UW associate head coach Luke Strand served as head coach and general manager of last season. In 51 games during the 2014-15 campaign, Zirbal accounted for seven goals and 13 points after making the team during summer tryouts.
The Green Bay native played his high school hockey at Notre Dame Academy, posting 11 goals and 32 points in 28 games as a senior. He served the team as a two-time captain.
Eaves on Zirbel: “He’s a young man who played for Luke [Strand] last year with the Madison Capitols. He’s kind of a glue guy. He does a lot of unsung things for a team. He blocks shots, he kills penalties, gets a big goal every now and then, hits people and gets under people’s skin. He’s a good piece of the puzzle. It will be interesting to see what his competitive level is, what he brings to our team in practice and how that translates to getting him in the lineup.”
Sexton, a 6-1 and 192-pound defenseman, joins the Badgers from the BCHL’s Penticton Vees, where he spent the last two years. He skated in 103 regular-season games and 33 more playoff contests over his Vees career, scoring four times and collecting 21 points in the process. Penticton is the same program that produced current Badger forward Jedd Soleway and former UW goaltender Joel Rumpel.
As team co-captain for the 2014-15 season, Sexton helped the squad to the BCHL Fred Page Cup and the Western Canada Cup championships, earning a berth in the RBC Cup National Jr. A Championship. Sexton is a two-time winner of Penticton’s Most Inspirational Award.
Prior to his time in Penticton, Sexton skated for the CCHL’s Gloucester Rangers and Smith Falls Bears.
Eaves on Sexton: “Patrick played last year for a Penticton Vees team that won the BCHL championship. They got knocked out of the semifinals of the Canadian championship in double overtime. He was their captain. One of those guys who has kind of been told his whole life that he wasn’t good enough to make it. Somehow he always did and rose to the top.
“We are very pleased that we were able to get Patrick into school here. He did a lot of leg work and it will be interesting to see how long it takes him to adapt to this level. He’s a tremendous presence as a leader. He goes about his job and does a pretty good job at it. We are excited to have him with us.”
Jurusik, a 6-1 and 195-pound goaltender, joins the Badgers after a spectacular season with the NAHL’s Janesville Jets. While playing for Janesville, the La Grange, Illinois native led the league with 33 wins, a 1.57 goals-against average, .939 save percentage and seven shutouts. At one point during the season, Jurusik posted four shutouts in seven games and produced a shutout streak of over 300 minutes that spanned seven games, including five consecutive appearances without allowing a goal.
He was named to the 2015 NAHL All-Rookie Team for his efforts, and also took part in the 2015 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament last February in Ann Arbor, Michigan. His play helped backstop the Jets to the league’s top regular-season record. The squad eventually lost in the league semifinals to the eventual playoff champions.
In the playoffs last year, Jurusik went 6-3-0 with a 1.89 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and one shutout.
Jurusik is also a two-time invitee to USA Hockey’s Warren Strelow National Team Goaltending Camp, which features the top goaltenders eligible for international play in select age groups. He competed for Team USA at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup Tournament, helping the squad win bronze.
Eaves on Jurusik: “When we talked to people when we needed to find a goaltender this summer, the name most people brought up was Matt Jurusik. At one point he won 29 consecutive games for Janesville in the North American Hockey League. You win 29 games in a row, you are doing something right as a goalie. You’ve got good people in front of you, obviously, but we brought him in on campus and he was a good match, and we feel very fortunate late in the game to find a young goalie of his quality. He is going to push for playing time.”
Wisconsin officially opens practice on Saturday, Oct. 3, with the season-opening game coming Friday, Oct. 9 against Northern Michigan at the Kohl Center.
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | S/C | Hometown | Last Team |
| Tanner Barnes | F | 6-1 | 180 | R | Eagan, Minn. | Johnstown Tomahawks (NAHL) |
| Will Johnson | F | 5-10 | 165 | R | Santa Barbara, Calif. | Madison Capitols (USHL) |
| Matt Jurusiik | G | 6-1 | 195 | L | La Grange, Ill. | Janesville Jets (NAHL) |
| Zac Keryluk | F | 6-2 | 215 | R | Verona, Wis. | Jersey Hitmen (USPHL) |
| Patrick Sexton | F | 6-1 | 192 | R | Ottawa, Ontario | Penticton Vees (BCHL) |
| Jarod Zirbel | F | 6-0 | 170 | R | Green Bay, Wis. | Madison Capitols (USHL) |
