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Cross: Alvarez’s comments bring issues of struggling hockey program to surface

With two losses to Michigan State, the Wisconsin men’s hockey team finalized its spot at the bottom of the Big Ten for the second straight season. The job security of head coach Mike Eaves is in question and the attendance in the Kohl Center has taken a noticeable spiral downward.

While those issues would normally be seen as the focus for such a storied program, recent comments by athletic director Barry Alvarez about the team are grabbing more of the headlines.

Alvarez said in a budget discussion two Fridays ago the hockey team “will not make or break us.