MONROE - Three Monroe alumni will return to SLICE where their hockey careers began to play a game as members of the Madison Blues.
Gottlieb Brandli III, a 2010 Monroe graduate; Drew Nafzger, a 2011 graduate and Matt Bush, a 2012 graduate, will be back in Monroe with the Madison Blues to play a semi-pro hockey game against Eagle River at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at SLICE. The Monroe Blueline Club and the Monroe Youth Hockey Association are bringing the semi-pro game to Monroe.
Bush, who played AAA hockey with the Madison Capitols while in high school, looks forward to a return to Monroe and a matchup against Eagle River.
"It's a little more laid-back hockey," Bush said. "It's a lot like Home Talent League baseball in the summer. I haven't skated there since my junior year. It should be a lot of fun to get back in front of the home crowd and see some old faces."
Bush, who plays wing for the Blues, received offers to play junior hockey after high school. Instead, Bush opted to attend Edgewood College and he is majoring in criminal justice.
"If I would have played junior hockey I would have probably have had to take two years off of school," Bush said. "I always wanted to be a hockey player when I was little. It was a tough decision, but I had to go to school. I thought it would be more beneficial to go to school. It's more of a hobby for me."
Crae Riese, a 2008 Monroe grad, is a member of the Eagle River Falcons. The Madison Blues (0-4) are looking to pick up their first win against the Falcons.
"We are waiting for that one game to jump-start our season and get a streak going," Nafzger said. "There would be no better place to do that than Monroe."
Nafzger is in his second year of playing in the Great Lakes Hockey League. As a freshman at Madison College in 2011, Nafzger played with the Oregon Outlaws. After the Outlaws disbanded, Nafzger took a year off before he and his roommate Brandli joined the Blues this year.
The Great Lakes Hockey League is made up of many former college hockey players and some who have made a run at playing professionally. The league has 10 teams split in to North and South divisions with teams based in Wisconsin, Illinois, and the upper peninsula of Michigan. Nafzger, who is a defensemen, is excited that he still gets the chance to play full-contact hockey.
"It means a lot," Nafzger said. "I don't take it for granted. There are not many full-contact hockey leagues out there. That is the style of hockey I like to play. It should be a high tempo and hitting game."
Nafzger is a junior at Madison College and he already has graduated twice earning welding and carpentry certificates. He is now working towards a machine tool degree. He's looking forward to a homecoming Saturday.
"To get back in that rink in front of the fans and have that support will be nice," Nafzger said.
Brandli plays at center for the Blues. He's enjoying his first year on the team. The Blues play a 22-game schedule and play all of their home games at the Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton. The hockey players are not paid.
"It's fun to play with a team again and be in a fast-paced atmosphere again," Brandli said. "It's fun to play in a full-contact league. It's cheap to play the game and fun for college kids to go and play if they couldn't play college hockey."
Bush is eager to play against Riese and Eagle River. He's hoping to get a win against another former Cheesemaker.
"We have always been buddies," Bush said of Riese. "I'm really good friends with his cousin. I'm sure we will have a couple of words for each other on the ice just messing around."
Gottlieb Brandli III, a 2010 Monroe graduate; Drew Nafzger, a 2011 graduate and Matt Bush, a 2012 graduate, will be back in Monroe with the Madison Blues to play a semi-pro hockey game against Eagle River at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at SLICE. The Monroe Blueline Club and the Monroe Youth Hockey Association are bringing the semi-pro game to Monroe.
Bush, who played AAA hockey with the Madison Capitols while in high school, looks forward to a return to Monroe and a matchup against Eagle River.
"It's a little more laid-back hockey," Bush said. "It's a lot like Home Talent League baseball in the summer. I haven't skated there since my junior year. It should be a lot of fun to get back in front of the home crowd and see some old faces."
Bush, who plays wing for the Blues, received offers to play junior hockey after high school. Instead, Bush opted to attend Edgewood College and he is majoring in criminal justice.
"If I would have played junior hockey I would have probably have had to take two years off of school," Bush said. "I always wanted to be a hockey player when I was little. It was a tough decision, but I had to go to school. I thought it would be more beneficial to go to school. It's more of a hobby for me."
Crae Riese, a 2008 Monroe grad, is a member of the Eagle River Falcons. The Madison Blues (0-4) are looking to pick up their first win against the Falcons.
"We are waiting for that one game to jump-start our season and get a streak going," Nafzger said. "There would be no better place to do that than Monroe."
Nafzger is in his second year of playing in the Great Lakes Hockey League. As a freshman at Madison College in 2011, Nafzger played with the Oregon Outlaws. After the Outlaws disbanded, Nafzger took a year off before he and his roommate Brandli joined the Blues this year.
The Great Lakes Hockey League is made up of many former college hockey players and some who have made a run at playing professionally. The league has 10 teams split in to North and South divisions with teams based in Wisconsin, Illinois, and the upper peninsula of Michigan. Nafzger, who is a defensemen, is excited that he still gets the chance to play full-contact hockey.
"It means a lot," Nafzger said. "I don't take it for granted. There are not many full-contact hockey leagues out there. That is the style of hockey I like to play. It should be a high tempo and hitting game."
Nafzger is a junior at Madison College and he already has graduated twice earning welding and carpentry certificates. He is now working towards a machine tool degree. He's looking forward to a homecoming Saturday.
"To get back in that rink in front of the fans and have that support will be nice," Nafzger said.
Brandli plays at center for the Blues. He's enjoying his first year on the team. The Blues play a 22-game schedule and play all of their home games at the Capitol Ice Arena in Middleton. The hockey players are not paid.
"It's fun to play with a team again and be in a fast-paced atmosphere again," Brandli said. "It's fun to play in a full-contact league. It's cheap to play the game and fun for college kids to go and play if they couldn't play college hockey."
Bush is eager to play against Riese and Eagle River. He's hoping to get a win against another former Cheesemaker.
"We have always been buddies," Bush said of Riese. "I'm really good friends with his cousin. I'm sure we will have a couple of words for each other on the ice just messing around."
