A Brief History of Brookfield High School Hockey

Courtesy of Tom Hawley

February, 1999

For most of a decade, the young hockey-playing population of Brookfield has been able to learn the sport in the Elmbrook Hockey Association while looking forward to competition with a highly successful Brookfield high school team. Now another generation is starting the process while enjoying the additional amenity of a local rink.

It wasn’t always so.

Reset the clock to 1990. There is no public high school hockey within 50 miles of Milwaukee in any direction. There are four sheets of ice in the metro area – Eble Park, State Fair Park, University School, and Wilson Park – and every available hour is grabbed up. There are three metro area youth hockey associations and four private-school high school teams; all but one of the high school teams has been formed within the last two years. Waukesha County Youth Hockey is the largest collection of youth hockey players in the state and 25 percent of its members are Brookfield residents.

A couple of dads of peewees watched practice at Eble Park one night and wondered about the competition that would be available to their kids when they reached high school. A few weeks later, Dr. David Cronin, superintendent of the Elmbrook school district, received a letter from the two families suggesting that hockey be considered as an interscholastic sport.

A supportive Dr. Cronin met with the hockey people late in the spring, and that fall the Elmbrook School Board established a committee headed by youth hockey parent Tom Hawley to investigate whether an interscholastic hockey program should be initiated at the Brookfield high schools. The reasons for not initiating a hockey program were obvious and quickly brought forward: There was no known base of hockey players in the current high school population. There was no money in the athletic department budget to accommodate a new sport that carried a high cost-per-player price tag. The nearest public school playing hockey was in Beaver Dam, and the private schools were not regular opponents in any sport.

That, and a little matter of no ice.

However, the committee moved forward through the fall and winter in generating a comprehensive report that reflected a number of positive factors, not the least of which was a real commitment on the part of the parents to make it happen. A number of options were available. Obviously one was to forget the whole thing. The others were based on various permutations of starting a program in November 1991 or in November 1992, and starting as a club (i.e., non-WIAA-regulated) team or as a JV team.

The final two activities of the committee were to conduct a public forum and present its report to the School Board. The public forum occurred on Feb. 18, 1991. In a transcendental moment for hockey in Brookfield -- and, truly, for hockey in southeast Wisconsin -- Dr. Rick Turcott, parent of two youth hockey-playing sons, stepped to his feet. Dr. Turcott spoke strongly in favor of starting a high school hockey program, and advocated the most aggressively positive alternative, initiation of a JV-level WIAA program in 1991. "My sons play on championship teams," he said. "They’re not looking for a club activity." Dr. Turcott then offered to personally pick up the tab for the first year’s ice. The offer of financial support by the doc turned what could have been a long story into one that was short, sweet, and had a happy ending.

On Mar. 26, 1991, the School Board approved the committee’s recommendation and the metro area’s first public school hockey team was born. The Milwaukee Journal, wrapping up extensive media coverage of the committee’s work, called the decision "as surprising for its swiftness as for its content."

One of the dads had a hockey-playing son and a daughter in the Wisconsin Figure Skating Club. The figure skaters were sole tenants of the ice at State Fair Park and, as it turned out, typically sublet much of the ice to other users. Through the friendly but nearly anonymous cooperation of Dean Herbst of the figure skating club, Brookfield’s ice problem quietly went away. A schedule was patched together. Fund-raising events were scheduled. Three players met during the summer and created the Brookfield jersey design that has been used ever since. (The Maple Leafs’ jersey concept was the other consideration.)

At 6 a.m. on the cold morning of Nov. 18, 1991, some two dozen teenage boys trudged into the old State Fair Park rink as coach Jeff Hiltz conducted the first practice of Brookfield’s newest high school sport. Mary McShane, parent of a youth player, set up coffee and pastries. Moms and dads watched as Hiltz put the team through its first paces. At least one player threw up. More had never played competitive hockey at any level. Eleven days later in a JV tournament at Eble Park, Russ Williams scored Brookfield’s first goal ever and the team went on to rout the Milwaukee Pius JVs, 10-0, in Brookfield’s first game. The squad played a schedule of JV teams, club teams, and youth hockey teams, and went 9-9-1.

There was no high school pre-season conditioning program at the time, meaning that the only program available to high school age players from September to November was youth hockey. This was the case prior to Brookfield’s first season, and negative pressures were applied to the players who eventually left their bantam team to join the new high school program. Resulting dissatisfaction on the part of Brookfield families was one of the factors behind a split from the existing youth hockey association, and in April 1992 Elmbrook Hockey was formed. The association took the ice for the first time in September and since then has been the proving ground for dozens of Brookfield high school players.

A Brookfield highlight film of the ‘90s could include memorable clips from every season.

1992-‘93 season

The program was expanded to include both varsity and junior varsity teams. Based on the model established by the Brookfield committee, Arrowhead upgraded its club team to WIAA status.

On Dec. 21, 1992, Brookfield played its first varsity game, losing to Pius, 8-5. On Jan. 2, 1993, the Pettit National Ice Center opened with Brookfield as host of the Pettit Center Inaugural Tournament. Joe Jenke scored the hat trick as Brookfield beat Pius, 6-3, in the first high school game played in the Pettit Center. Eventually the team went 15-6 with defenseman Paul Jaessing as captain and Jenke leading the team in scoring.

1993-‘94 season

Playing a vastly upgraded varsity schedule that included opponents such as Beloit, Madison Edgewood, and Monona Grove, Brookfield went 13-7. On Dec. 10, Joe Jenke and Rick Turcott scored goals 32 seconds apart in the third period as Brookfield beat University School, 4-3, in what had become the annual Pettit Center tournament. A week later, freshman Lee Jenke provided the assist to Joe Jenke in overtime as Brookfield shocked Milwaukee Marquette, 6-5, in the first meeting ever between the two varsities.

Brookfield finished 13-7. Turcott was team captain and Joe Jenke again led the team in scoring. Jenke went on to be named to the H.S. Hockey Report all-state third team after finishing third in the state in scoring.

1994-’95 season

The expansion of metro hockey continued, with Waukesha, Wauwatosa, and Whitefish Bay all fielding teams by this time. The arguments dealt with by the Brookfield committee were forgotten as the sport took hold on the metro high school athletic scene.

Brookfield remained far ahead of the other public school programs competitively. On Jan. 26, 1995 Brookfield knocked off No. 1-rated Madison Edgewood, 3-1, at the Pettit Center behind a 22-save performance by goalie Eric Woodin. Nick Glander, Andy McKeon, and Joe Jenke scored for Brookfield, which never trailed in the game. Later Brookfield won two straight in tournament play and advanced to its first sectional title game before losing to Fond du Lac, 6-3.

Brookfield went 15-6-1 during the 1994-’95 season as five seniors – Dominic Federighe, Andy Hoffman, Eric Kapke, Jeff O’Leary, and team captain Ryan Schmiege – completed their careers as the first four-year players in program history. Forward Joe Jenke was named to the H.S. Hockey Report all-state second team after finishing fifth in the state in scoring. He was selected to play with Team Wisconsin in the post-season Chicago Showcase tournament.

Subsequent to the season, Jeff Hiltz decided not to return as coach after having guided the young program to a position of solid respectability in Wisconsin hockey in his four-year tenure.

1995-’96 season

By the spring of 1995, hockey was being played at many schools in the western and northern suburbs. Metro area athletic directors met and the Suburban Classic Conference was formed, bringing together "established" teams such as Brookfield and Arrowhead with newcomers to high school hockey such as Kettle Moraine.

Leonard "Oakie" Brumm, a grizzled veteran of decades of coaching hockey in Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin, assumed the coaching position prior to the season.

In February 1996, Brookfield won the first Suburban Classic title with a 12-1 league record (12-10 overall); later the team record was changed to 13-0 due to a forfeit by Waukesha. Goalie Ben Hunt, forward Ryan Jacobson, forward Tim McShane, and forward Mike Turcott were cited on the all-conference team.

1996-’97 season

On Feb. 27, 1997, senior forward Lee Jenke provided the second of the program’s two most transcendental moments. In probably the most exciting game ever played by Brookfield, and in front of a full house at Eble Ice Arena, Jenke’s overtime goal ended a see-saw sectional battle as Brookfield shocked Catholic Memorial, 4-3. Two days later Brookfield easily won an anticlimactic sectional title game against Janesville to earn its first berth in the WIAA state tournament. On Mar. 6 at the Dane County Coliseum in Madison, Antigo beat Brookfield in the state quarter-finals, 4-0.

Brookfield ended the season 21-3-1 (14-0 in league play). Lee Jenke was named to the Wisconsin H.S. Hockey Coaches Assn. all-state fourth team after scoring 100 points (43 goals, 57 assists) to lead the state in scoring, setting a school one-season scoring record that probably will stand for years. Jenke, goalie Craig Peplinski, and Stierman were named first string all-Suburban Classic Conference. Kory Campbell, Mike Turcott, and Marine Yoo also were cited on the all-conference team.

1997-’98 season

On Feb. 13, Craig Peplinski made 17 saves to record his fourth shutout of the season as Brookfield defeated second-place Sheboygan, 7-0, to wrap up another perfect season in the Suburban Classic. Forward Mike Turcott had two shorthanded goals in the first period.

Brumm felt that his position as coach had become untenable due to some unhappiness within the program and he resigned after 17 games to be replaced with assistant coach Mike Sullivan.

Overall, Brookfield went 19-4 with Turcott as captain. Defenseman Tony Saverine and Turcott were named to the Wisconsin H.S. Hockey Coaches Assn. all-state third team and sophomore forward Dan Stierman, who led the state in scoring, received honorable mention. Peplinski, Saverine, Stierman, and Turcott all were named first string all-Suburban Classic Conference. Scott Hochmuth also was cited on the all-conference team. Turcott was selected to play with Team Wisconsin in the post-season Chicago Showcase tournament.

1998-’99 season 

In the summer of 1998, the Pond of Brookfield opened with the Brookfield high school team and Elmbrook Hockey as main tenants. This gave the city’s hockey community an infrastructure consisting of local rink plus local youth association plus local high school team, precisely modeling the system found throughout Minnesota and in other cities with the most successful hockey programs in the U.S. In the fall, the Center Ice Club was formed to logistically and financially support the high school hockey program. The Icemen suffered their first Suburban Classic Conference loss but still captured their fourth consecutive conference championship. The team finished the season at 15-7 and Dan Stierman became the leading scorer in Brookfield hockey history with 208 points surpassing Mike Turcott's 191. Steirman was named Honorable Mention all-state and first team all-conference. Goalkeeper Craig Peplinski is also named first string all-conference and Scott Hochmuth received recognition on the second team. These three players also served as team captains for the season. 

1999-’00 season

 The Suburban Classic Conference was expanded to thirteen teams with the addition of Milwaukee Marquette, Pius XI and Waukesha Memorial, and the hockey squad assumes a new nickname (The Stars). Playing perhaps the most difficult schedule in Brookfield hockey history, the team finished the season at 14-8-1 and in third place in the expanded conference. Goalie Jack Wolf led a strong defensive effort throughout the season that resulted in six shutouts. Junior Jake Metro led the team in scoring and was named first team all-conference. Colin Sedushak and Eric Lengell received Conference Scholar-Athlete awards.  Marc Kapke finished his high school career and, in the process, ended the nine year string of  Kapkes on the high school team. Kapke,  Sedushak and Bryan Padovano served as captains for the year. During the summer, the Suburban Conference was split into two leagues with Brookfield joining the Greater Metro Conference for the 2000-2001 season.

2000-'01 season

Despite having a full squad for only two periods all season due to injuries and suspensions, the Stars finished second in the Greater Metro Conference. The team's only conference loss came in overtime versus Marquette when a shot deflected into the net off the shaft of an opponent's stick. The Stars finished the season at 13-8-1 with  Jake Metro, Jack Wolf and freshman Leif Bergquist being named to the first team all-conference. Matt King and Metro finished their careers tied as the fifth leading scorer in Brookfield hockey history and Wolf garnered the record for the most career shutouts with 11. Ten seniors finished their hockey careers with Jeremy Baier, Jon Hiles and Adam Walsh achieving Conference Scholar-Athlete awards. Metro, Baier and Bryan Padovano served as captains for the season. 

* * *

In its first ten seasons, the Brookfield high school program generated an envious record of four conference titles and a state tournament appearance, and has seen four products move up to collegiate competition at the NCAA and NJCAA level. These players include goalie Tom Hawley (class of ’96, after his family moved to Edina MN in 1994) at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter MN, forwards Joe Jenke (’95) and Lee Jenke (’97) at Rainy River Junior College in International Falls MN where they were on a National Championship team, and forward Mike Turcott (’98) at Milwaukee School of Engineering. After Junior College Lee Jenke moved on to Milwaukee School of Engineering and Joe Jenke went to Sweden to play hockey. Others have moved on to junior hockey at various levels in pursuit of spots on collegiate varsity rosters. A number have played college hockey at the club level.

The support of superintendent Dr. David Cronin was a critical factor in the successful start-up of the program. Athletic director Jerry Keyes quietly helped maintain the program’s momentum and high standards as it grew. The list of parents whose good sportsmanship and hard work through most of the ‘90s contributed strongly to the program’s success would be a long one. In addition to some mentioned previously, it includes Dr. Carol Danninger, Tom Kapke, Paul McShane, and Bob Peplinski, among others.