I'm a UW alum (BS'84) and I was at UW for Badger Bob's last year and Jeff
Sauer's first year (where Sauer took Badger Bob's last class to the NCAA
title).  Prior to UW, Sauer was head coach at Colorado College.
  I seem to remember some ramblings at the time (late '80) that Sauer wasn't
the kind of coach UW wanted after Badger Bob, citing the style of play he
coached at CC.  A lot of that was blown off as bashing the poor unfortunate
who follows Badger Bob, or as Sauer just doing what he had to with the limited
recruiting ability of CC (no local high school base, competing with big name
institutions for top Canadian-Minnesota-Wisconsin-Michigan-Massachusetts H.S.
talent).  Now I'm not so sure...  I've heard from various sources that to me
seem impartial that UW plays a dirty style of hockey; enticing penalties,
getting the "last hit"; stretching the rules.
  That seems to correspond with the posts about UW's "game plan" vs BU this
past weekend, and even with the other games, for example the NCAA title games
in 1991 (vs Colgate) where goalie Derksen "took dives" to draw penalties and
behaved in a manner reminiscent of Billy Smith of the Isles (chops to the
ankles, fist under the mask, etc) and in 1992 (vs LSSU) with the indimidating
the ref's after the game.
  I'd chalked 1992 up to the frustration of a bunch of seniors, and some bad
refereeing (the slash/misconduct against MacDonald *was* weak at best), but
now I'm seeing a pattern.
  Does the UW program have a bad reputation as a goon squad?  Is Sauer
supposedly teaching goon tactics? (at least more so than any other coach?)
 
Just curious.  As an alum I support UW, and earmark some of my contributions
for the hockey program.  I may want to rethink that decision.
 
Steve G