From Palmer blueliner to Badger cover girl Kerry Weiland enjoying life on ice in Wisconsin

When youngsters look at the posters hanging on their walls, they often dream of being the pictured player. Now, they are staring Kerry Weiland right in the face.

Weiland, who graduated from Palmer High last year, joins five other University of Wisconsin womens hockey players on posters, programs and other related material. She is literally popping up everywhere in Madison, Wis., home of the Badgers.

Yeah, its still really weird to see a poster with your face on it, Weiland said with a chuckle. Thats definitely a new experience.

A more familiar experience is taking shape on the ice of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association womens hockey teams. Weiland played four years with Palmers boys hockey team and stood out. Now, on the womens team, she is dominating from the blueline.

Playing with the guys in high school definitely helped me here because it is about the same speed, Weiland said. I didnt know what to expect when I first got here, but its been exciting.

The mens game is a little more physical, Weiland said, and that recently landed her in the penalty box for an extended period of time. She was nailed for eight penalties in a recent game, something that never happened in high school.

The referee had my number and I guess I took the body a little too hard, Weiland said while laughing. Thats another thing from playing on the guys team in high school.

The Badgers are in their first year of existence, and Weiland wanted to be part of the programs foundation and building experience. Weiland, along with the other five Badgers pictured on the posters, Kendra Anthony, Jackie MacMillan, Sis Paulsen, Chanda Gunn and Kelly Kegley, is shaping the way Badger hockey is perceived.

They really support the womens hockey team here in Madison, Weiland said. We had like 4,000 people show up for our first games, and the whole community is really behind us.

Thats one reason why I wanted to come to Wisconsin. I knew we were going to be a real young team, and sometimes its difficult working through the kinks, but its been a lot of fun for the most part, Weiland said. For a young team, we have a lot of composure and weve played well.

The Badgers were ranked as high as 10th in the nation in the U. S. College Hockey Online poll, which is one of two polls most recognized in the college hockey world. The Badgers dropped a 3-1 tilt to Harvard, the top-ranked womens hockey team in the nation, and then fell 4-2 to Brown, which is ranked fourth.

Weve been playing the best teams in the country and hanging with them, Weiland said. Were making strides.

The Badgers sport a 8-6-2 record following a Thanksgiving weekend tournament in Princeton, and one reason why the Badgers have been so successful in their first year of existence is the way Weiland has been playing.

Even though she is still playing defense, Weiland has become a scoring threat for the Badgers. She has scored five goals and assisted on eight others, through Nov. 28. Her 13 points are fourth on her team, and second in the entire WCHA among blueliners.

She is eighth in the league in scoring, including forwards.

Being successful is the result of a lot of hard work, Weiland said, and it is a much different environment than high school. The team travels to road games by flying, rather than long bus rides. If a player needs a new stick, one is provided immediately. Its a far cry from the world of high school hockey.

In high school, sharp skates were a luxury, Weiland said. Thats why I dont take things for granted here. If you need anything, they provide it. Its a lot different than in high school hockey.

Hard work on the ice is nothing new to Weiland, but that isnt the only task awaiting college athletes. Finding time to study and concentrate on school work is one of the toughest things to adapt to.

You have to bust out the books whenever you can get the time, Weiland said. We travel a lot and the level of work academically can be a strain.

We put in about five hours a day with hockey-related stuff, and that doesnt give you a lot of free time, Weiland said. You have to make studying and practice both priorities.

Even though she is a freshman, Weiland is excited about her future with the Badgers. While she would like to play for the United States in the Olympics, Weiland also is excited about the Badgers squad in the coming years.

Weve already got three good high school players signed for next year, and we are building the program fast, Weiland said. I think we will be up there in the standings. We can contend soon if we keep getting good recruits and work together.