By Vern Cahak

It is highly unusual for three former Antigo High School hockey standouts to become coaches at their alma mater in the sport that they excelled in.

But that is exactly the situation for Red Robin hockey. Head Coach Matt Borneman, who has guided Antigo to three successive Great Northern Conference championships and a 65-8-5 record, played Antigo hockey in the early 2000s and graduated from AHS in 2004. He played 11 years of hockey and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering technologies.

Borneman has coached at many levels in the Antigo Area Youth Hockey Association program, along with coaching an AAA summer team based out of Wisconsin Rapids. He coached three teams that qualified for the WAHA state tournament.

Borneman’s two assistants, Eric Schroeder and Brett Zelazoski, also have Antigo hockey roots. Both were members of Antigo’s 2005 state qualifying team.

Schroeder, now in his seventh year as varsity assistant, was nominated for All-Conference in the Wisconsin Valley Conference in 2005. He graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a Bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Zelazoski was team captain of the 2005 state qualifying team and received All-Conference honorable mention. He graduated from UW-Stevens Point. He is in his second year on the coaching staff and coaches the junior varsity squad.

All three coaches are employed in Antigo.