While the weather outside suggested otherwise, the winter high school sports season would begin Monday night, as hockey teams in Wisconsin would hold their first practices on the ice.

Coming off a third-straight Big Rivers Conference championship and an appearance in the sectional finals, the expectations are again high for Eau Claire Memorial. After a 3-2, overtime loss to Rice Lake in last year's sectional final, the Old Abes are determined to erase the bad memories of 2009 this season with another trip to the state tournament.

Eau Claire Memorial head coach Mike Schwengler said he hopes last year's final game does not sit well with his players, but he also knows it's time to stop focusing on the past.

"Obviously as a coach, you tend to dwell on the losses more than you enjoy the wins, like anybody will tell you," Schwengler said. "We kind of knew going down the stretch run that if the kids didn't perform defensively the way we needed them to, we were going to have some problems. It worked out that way. Rice Lake beat us, nice story for them, but it's a new year, [and] time for us to get back to work."

The Eau Claire North Huskies were also back on the ice Monday afternoon, as they work toward gaining contender status in the BRC. Instead of pinpointing specific benchmarks early on, Huskies head coach Guy Brown is just hoping to bring out the best in each of his players this season.

"Overall, what I look for is intensity, each kid trying to reach their potential, more than judging our wins or losses," Brown said. "I look for each kid to put that goal or reaching their individual potential as long as kids are reaching for that."