FDL grad Wilson finds hockey home in Omaha
Michael Wilson, a former Fond du Lac High School player now performing for Omaha in the United States Hockey League.
Michael Wilson is simply enjoying the ride. After wrapping up an illustrious prep hockey career at Fond du Lac High School last year, Wilson took his talents to the United States Hockey League where he plays for the Omaha Lancers. The Lancers are part of a junior hockey league that is essentially a stepping stone to play at the next level. The Nebraska team is in the same league as the Green Bay Gamblers. Once Wilson’s prep career ended, Wilson became part of the team despite still being in high school. The USHL allows anyone from age 16 up to play until they are 21. It was difficult for Wilson to consistently play last year because of classes, so he only appeared in one game. After graduating last spring, he has become a full-time member of the Lancers. So far this season, Wilson has appeared in 16 games for the Lancers.
Big step up
Wilson currently lives in Omaha with an assigned family. Since moving there last summer he has loved every minute of it. “It’s good, I can’t complain,” Wilson said. “It’s a different city than Fond du Lac; it’s well over 500,000 people so it’s a little different. Being the only sports team in Omaha, it’s pretty cool.” Because he only played in one game last season, Wilson is considered a rookie. After this season — which runs from September to April — Wilson will have one more year left to play. Between playing hockey in high school — Wilson is the all-time points leader at Fondy — and traveling leagues, Wilson said the competition level doesn’t even compare to what it’s like in the USHL. “It’s ridiculous how much more the competing level is, the smarts, the hockey IQ, everything,” Wilson said. “It’s at a level where if you don’t have the tools to be successful and you don’t want to work for the playing time and being in situations, you are going to struggle. “I think for me, it was a little bit of a transition playing at a level like this compared to high school. It is a night-and-day difference. In high school you had 100 fans at a rink and an average night here you are in front of 5,000 people.”
Wilson hasn’t scored yet this season but has been a contributor to a team that started off slow (1-6) before finding its groove. “We started out slow, we had some gaps that we couldn’t’ fill with finding some wins,” he said. “We started out as a 1-6 team, we lost at home, which is unacceptable. We sell out every game at the Ralston Arena and the fans want us to win games. “We finally turned a corner and started winning games after we made a trade. Things got easier now that we are in our roles.”
Far from home
Wilson said it’s been tough not being able to go home as often as he’d like, but he knows that this is a job and if he wants to achieve his dreams of playing at higher levels that he needs to continue to work hard. It’s been more than four months since Wilson has been back in Fond du Lac, but he said his family has been very supportive. “I haven’t been home since Aug. 19, but I will be coming home for a short break for Christmas,” he said. “We don’t have many opportunities to come home since it’s so business-like. My family has come in four or five times now. They stick pretty close to me and support me really well.”
The Lancers have a road trip to Wisconsin just after the start of the new year that includes games in Green Bay and Madison. “We actually go to (Green Bay) for a weekend, I can’t remember when,” Wilson said. “We also go to Madison as well. I have already talked to my friends, I know a lot of people at UW-Madison so they want to come and see me play. That’s always special because I haven’t seen them in so long.”
Next step
After his time is up in Omaha, Wilson said the next step for him will be a Division I college. He said the USHL is a stepping stone to play at a top-notch college. “What the league is, is a development league,” Wilson said. “It’s a 99 percent completion rate with finding a scholarship for playing at the D1 level. There is not a question if I’m going to continue to play, because that is already answered. Right now it comes down to finding the right fit and going to a place where you are wanted just as much as you want to go.” Wilson said his dream would be to play at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but knows if that isn’t a possibility there will be other fits for him. “I’ve visited a lot of schools, it’s all just a decision-making process,” Wilson said. “It would be cool to play at Wisconsin — it’s a hometown dream. But there are plenty of other schools on the map.”