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2007-08 Hockey East Season Preview

By Dave Hendrickson and Scott Weighart
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Will The Goalies Decide?

Goaltending could be the deciding factor in this season’s Hockey East race. A year ago, only Massachusetts-Lowell had lost its number-one goalie. New Hampshire and Massachusetts were moving from a tandem to lead roles for Kevin Regan and Jon Quick, respectively, but transitions in that most critical of positions wouldn’t be deciding league races or postseason fates.

Not so this season. Player of the Year and First Team All-Hockey East selection John Curry (BU) graduated while second-teamer Jon Quick (UMass) and honorable mention Cory Schneider (BC) turned pro.

Ben Bishop and his 6-foot-7 frame return to stop pucks for the Black Bears this season (photo: Melissa Wade).

Ben Bishop and his 6-foot-7 frame return to stop pucks for the Black Bears this season (photo: Melissa Wade).

That has left UNH, Maine and Vermont in position to make up for otherwise considerable losses with the league’s top returning netminders. Kevin Regan (UNH), himself an honorable mention selection, Ben Bishop (Maine) and Joe Fallon (UVM) will have the opportunity to be difference-makers for their teams in a season in which few teams can be counted out in the race for home ice.

On the other hand, every other team has other strengths to boast of, most notably BC’s returning scorers and BU’s incoming freshmen.

Here, then, are thumbnail views of each team’s outlook. Click on the links for more details.

1. New Hampshire

With sophomore Trevor Smith signing with the New York Islanders and two seniors departing, UNH lost three of its top five scorers. The fact that this didn’t keep the Hockey East coaches from picking the Wildcats to finish tied for first with Boston College should tell you something. This program hasn’t finished less than five games above .500 since 1995-96 — quite a feat in a tough league. Senior goaltender Kevin Regan, several talented returning scorers, and prize recruit James vanRiemsdyk should give Wildcat fans reason for optimism.

Coaches’ pick: T-1st
Dave’s pick: 2nd
Scott’s pick: 1st

2. Boston College

All the rest of the pieces to the puzzle are there so if freshman goaltender John Muse is up to the challenge, BC could very well make a third straight appearance in the national championship game. That, however, is a very big if.

Coaches’ pick: T-1st
Dave’s pick: 1st
Scott’s pick: 3rd

3. Boston University

Pete MacArthur is Boston University's number-one returning scorer (photo: Melissa Wade).

Pete MacArthur is Boston University’s number-one returning scorer (photo: Melissa Wade).

Despite losing a Hobey Baker contender in goaltender John Curry as well as its third-leading scorer in Kenny Roche and two top blueliners, BU doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses. With two plausible starting goalies returning in Karson Gillespie and Brett Bennett as well as some highly touted defensive recruits, BU will be a good team. Whether the Terriers will be a great team will depend on whether their scoring punch can increase as well as just how good the goaltending turns out to be.

Coaches’ pick: 3rd
Dave’s pick: 3rd
Scott’s pick: 2nd

4. Maine

The Black Bears may need to play a more defensive style what with all the holes up front. Goaltender Ben Bishop and the defense must cover for a paucity of goal-scoring experience. Last year’s powder keg of a power play isn’t coming back. Still, you can’t count Maine out come the NCAA tournament.

Coaches’ pick: 4th
Dave’s pick: 4th
Scott’s pick: 4th

5. Vermont

Can the Catamounts remain a top defensive club while breaking in four freshman blueliners? If so, watch out because the combination of goaltender Joe Fallon and a strong cast of forwards cover the other bases nicely.

Coaches’ pick: 5th
Dave’s pick: 5th
Scott’s pick: 5th

T-6. Massachusetts

A strong group of defensemen and a lot of quickness up front will try to make the transition from goaltender Jon Quick to his replacement as smooth as possible. Those, however, are very big shoes to fill.

Coaches’ pick: T-5th
Dave’s pick: 6th
Scott’s pick: 7th

T-6. Northeastern

Northeastern took a significant step in the right direction, raising some eyebrows with some impressive road and home victories against ranked teams. The best news was that freshmen and sophomores led the way in scoring and in the net, boding well for the future.

The question now is whether the Huskies will settle in to a middling position in Hockey East’s second division or whether they can take a significant step closer to a .500 record and home ice in the playoffs. If they do, they will need a cluster of players to raise the bar in terms of scoring while also getting some immediate help from their rookies. The two biggest indicators for Northeastern this year will be power-play production and how quickly the defensemen can step in or up. NU may close in on .500, but home ice may be out of reach just yet.

Coaches’ pick: 7th
Dave’s pick: 7th
Scott’s pick: 6th

8. Providence

After getting off to a great start and finishing above .500 in his first season behind the bench two years ago, coach Tim Army saw the program’s won-loss record dip dramatically last season. This has not deterred him from his plan to continue emphasizing fast-paced, offensive-minded hockey, and the Friars have many returning players along with a recruiting class that should fit Army’s philosophy nicely. But will it translate to a more attractive outcome with wins and losses?

Coaches’ pick: 8th
Dave’s pick: 8th
Scott’s pick: 8th

9. Massachusetts-Lowell

The River Hawks will be a very young team without a lot of depth. They must stay healthy, but if they do it won’t take many things going right for them to make the playoffs. Lowell fans won’t want to hear it, but this group may be a year away.

Coaches’ pick: 9th
Dave’s pick: 9th
Scott’s pick: 9th

10. Merrimack

Merrimack will attempt to bounce back from its worst record since joining Hockey East, a 3-27-4 mark. The Warriors generally got strong goaltending but scored a woeful 1.09 goals per game last season. The return of Rob Ricci should help. After leading the team in scoring as a freshman, he was ruled academically ineligible for last season. His 26 points two years ago were more than double Kimball’s team-leading total of 11 last season. So there is some reason for optimism but a long way to go.

Coaches’ pick: 10th
Dave’s pick: 10th
Scott’s pick: 10th

2007-08 Union Season Preview

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Offense: Despite losing T.J. Fox to Worcester of the AHL — and good for him — the Dutchmen look pretty solid up front. Five skaters who had 20 points last season are back for another round, including defenseman Lane Caffaro, who had seven goals and 18 assists in 2006-07.

Coyle is literally the senior leader among the forwards, and has improved with each season under head coach Nate Leaman. Matt Cook and Mario Valery-Trabucco each scored a dozen goals last winter, and freshman Jason Walters was close, with eight.

Despite being picked 12th by both the coaches and general media, Leaman says “it’s not a horrible spot to be in,” allowing his team to potentially sneak up on unsuspecting victims.

Six of Union’s eight recruits are forwards, improving the program’s immediate prospects even more. Justin Pallos distributed the puck nicely for the traditionally strong Jr. Bruins of the EJHL, with 14 goals and 32 assists in 45 games last season. Winger Andrew Buote impressed Leaman & Co. with 61 points in 60 games out in the Alberta Jr. League, and the staff is optimistic that either Adam Presizniuk (92 points, 58 games) or Luke Cain (85 points, 59 games) from the British Columbia league will produce at anything remotely resembling last year’s pace.

Inflated stats aside, both BCers could be successfully reprogrammed, if necessary, by virtue of their frames: Presizniuk is 6-foot, 180, while Cain is an intimidating 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds.

The curious thing about last year’s Dutchmen is that they were second-worst in the ECACHL with 54 goals scored, but put pucks by everyone else at a torrid pace overall, scoring 103 goals in 36 games.

“ECAC games are naturally a bit tighter,” theorized Leaman, but he also pointed out that league games dominate the second half of the schedule. “My top three centers were sophomore, freshman, freshman,” he said, “and they maybe hit a wall in the second half of the year.”

Bad luck? Bad matchups? Hard to say, but I don’t think it’s a phenomenon that is likely to repeat itself.

Defense: Sean Streich is the only departing defenseman, leaving a cohesive group of players who have-to be honest-seen a lot of lows in the last year. Four of the returning blueliners played better than 30 games, and the fifth and sixth rear-guards — Mike Harr and Mike Wakita — played 24 and 20 games last season, respectively. This is a corps who has seen a lot of game action.

Sophomores Jonathon Lareau and Dustin DeGagne saw limited action last year as well, and will scrap with recruit Brock Matheson as well for playing time.

LEAMAN

LEAMAN

The Dutch D was porous last winter, surrendering nearly three and a half goals a game in league play, and roughly three and a third overall. True, the goaltending was spotty at times as well, but a dependable defense would’ve saved the ‘keepers the misery more often than they did. Barring injuries or a mind-boggling corps-wide plateauing of skill, the Union defense should be significantly improved over last season’s version.

Goaltending: Senior Justin Mrazek played the lion’s share of games last time, seeing pucks in 34 tilts and keeping a respectable 3.01 goals-against average and .904 save percentage. Sophomore Rich Sillery backed him up with six games of work, but only started two of those games.

It was Mrazek’s first time as the number-one guy, and he was shaky, allowing four or more goals nine times and getting himself yanked early three times by December 1. (To be fair, he finished every game he started after that.) However, Mrazek demonstrated the ability to handle massive workloads, as evidenced by the season-opening 41-shot shutout of Ferris State or the one-goal, 37-shot win over Dartmouth in early January … but he was not a convincing load-bearer on the whole. Hopefully the added year of playing time has helped both Mrazek and his defense, and in combination they ought to bury last season’s results.

“Mrazek had a great summer; he worked his tail off,” said Leaman, noting Mrazek’s attendance at the Washington Capitals’ rookie camp, by whom Mrazek was drafted.

Pushing Mrazek will be newcomer Cory Milan, the Goaltender of the Year in the goal-happy BCHL last season. Leaman is convinced that either of the two have the stuff it takes to be elite goalies in this league, but as always, stressed that consistency is crucial.

Outlook: Union looks like it’s being dismissed already, by both the coaches and the media, in one way or another. No one will ever say that you can overlook a team in this league, and that’s not just good sportsmanship: everyone knows how high the parity is in the ECAC Hockey League.

But Union, I feel, is getting the short end of the stick … passively at least, if not actively. The program that has never won a league playoff series is evolving, and while they’re not up to the level of Clarkson, or Cornell, or Colgate just yet, they will probably steal some points from those teams this season. The defense can’t reasonably get worse than it was last year, and the extreme scoring differential between the league and non-conference games was almost assuredly a fluke … Union will not be at the bottom of the charts come March. This is not that team. Mark it down.

2007-08 St. Lawrence Season Preview

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Offense: In what seems to be a bit of a league-wide pattern, the Saints graduated three of their top six scorers from last season in Kyle Rank, Max Taylor and Drew Bagnall. As a team, SLU was third in the league with 73 goals scored, nearly three and a third per game. The drop in non-conference games was minimal, to about 3.12 GPG — more than enough to go around.

As though the Saints need any consolation, the other half of the top-six list is composed of two juniors and a sophomore. Kevin DeVergilio had 23 assists and nine goals as a soph, classmate Brock McBride had 16 helpers with nine goals, and frosh (now sophomore) Mike McKenzie finished nicely balanced with a dozen goals and a bakers’ dozen assists.

Behind those top producers was a bit of a dropoff. While not a precipitous one, only current senior Charlie Giffin and sophomore Sean Flanagan averaged better than a point every two games. (I doubt anyone else around the league will shed any tears over SLU’s hardships.)

In a freshman class of only three, there is not a defender or goalie among them. The aged 21-year-old Jared Keller is an average-sized center with reliable vision and hockey sense, and Cedar Rapids veteran Aaron Bogosian will be looked upon to play some hard minutes down in the corners.

Defense: It’s tough to replace a Hobey Baker candidate like Bagnall, and it doesn’t appear likely to happen this year. Which is to say, good luck finding a blueliner with that blend of defensive ability and offensive acumen.

Alex Petizian looks to build on an outstanding freshman year.

Alex Petizian looks to build on an outstanding freshman year.

Last year, the Saints were fortunate enough to skate six regulars consistently, with only a half-dozen appearances in the back from players not among those top six. Bagnall is the only departure, and the remaining skaters have a championship-caliber year of experience in their back pockets. This is a solid, solid group of players who will only improve on a 2.5 team goals-against average.

There are four players vying for what is likely the final spot on the blue line, including two freshmen who deferred admission to this year: Bobby Torney from the Taft School, and Matt Raley from the Foxboro Stars of the junior ranks.

Goaltending: Alex Petizian’s freshman year was excellent. A steel-plated defense in front of him and a full year under his belt will only make him that much better. Can he beat his .916 save percentage and 2.30 GAA, which — all things considered — were perhaps less than they could have been?

Outlook: The Saints lost some true leaders to graduation, which is what happens in college sports. The only question mark appears to be merely that — a solitary niggling punctuation in the middle of an extensive ironclad thesis: can the Saints replicate the outstanding work ethic, character and chemistry that won them the league title last season? Are the offense and Petizian potent enough to surpass previous high-water marks? It’s the niggling nature of the thing that puts them where they are in these projections.

2007-08 Harvard Season Preview

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Offense: The Crimson found themselves in the opposite situation from that suffered by Union last season: Harvard scored over three goals a game in league contests, but the production fell off significantly to only 2.67 GPG overall. The team’s 67 ECACHL goals were good for sixth, same as their final spot in the standings. Worked out nicely, really.

Kevin Du, Ryan Maki and Dylan Reese were all top-six scorers in their senior seasons, but only Maki was among the top three goal-scorers. The other two were Alex Meintel (14, led the team) and Mike Taylor (10, behind Maki’s 12). Meintel was a genius at catching net-bound pucks off his skates, his stick, his lower back … wherever, so long as the goalie couldn’t catch up with the deflection. His hard work in front of the net will make him a strategic centerpiece in his senior season, only his second campaign as a regular in Ted Donato’s lineup.

Du’s 25 points led the team, but he will be missed not for his shot, but for his vision and awareness from the pivot position. His 20 assists came on the heels of a 23-assist junior year and an 11-assist sophomore season. He was quick, agile, and smart, and those attributes will have to be accounted for this year for Harvard to match or improve on last season’s results.

Offensive defenseman Alex Biega will be joined by his brother Michael this season, as the Salisbury Prep product laces ’em up for a shot at a starting winger position. He’s joined by fellow prep-prepared forwards Matt McCollem of Belmont Hill and Joe Smith of Phillips Andover, both of whom are over six feet and 185 pounds. McCollem was a mid- to late-round pick in the 2006 draft, at number 154 overall.

Defense: Biega and Brian McCafferty will jostle for the title of top scoring defenseman on this team, and the blue line looks solid as the leaves start to turn in Cambridge. Six skaters return to patrol the Crimson zone, each of whom saw more than two dozen games’ worth of action last year.

Ted Donato's Crimson could be on the way back up (photo: Melissa Wade).

Ted Donato’s Crimson could be on the way back up (photo: Melissa Wade).

That said, no job is safe with the addition of blue-chip recruit Chris Huxley. The six-foot, 190-pound 20-year-old played for Sioux Falls of the USHL last year, and caused quite a stir when he rescinded his verbal commitment to Rensselaer in favor of skating for Harvard. He didn’t light up the scoreboard in the U’, but he didn’t burn out any refs’ whistles, either … he just did his job, and did it well. He’ll be in the mix for a regular shift, for sure.

Goaltending: Justin Tobe and Kyle Richter faced the rubber in 18 games apiece, sporting comparable save percentages, though Tobe held the edge in goals-against (2.26 to 2.84 overall). Richter looked sharp as often as not, and there is no reason to doubt that he’ll be a perfectly competent netminder in this league.

Just to make life interesting, however, along comes Ryan Carroll out of Tabor Academy. Of a similar tallish, average build as Richter, Carroll is prepared to be more than an emergency backup. Richter will not have as long a leash as some of the more seasoned, more proven goalies in the ECACHL.

Outlook: The foundation is laid for a strong season out of the Cantabs. There are question marks up front and in net, but they are more along the lines of skepticisms than true doubts.

Last year, Harvard played a handful of matches in which it looked like it could’ve beaten anybody. The Crimson have that kind of talent. They probably won’t ascend to the top of the heap this year, but the opportunities will be there for the once-again-rising program.

2007-08 ECACHL Season Preview

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Colgate head coach Don Vaughan may have put it best when he described his experiences last season:

“It was a crazy year.”

And as succinctly as that, you have the 2006-07 ECACHL season in a nutshell.

George Roll's Golden Knights are the pick in the ECACHL -- but nothing is certain in this topsy-turvy league.

George Roll’s Golden Knights are the pick in the ECACHL — but nothing is certain in this topsy-turvy league.

Last season was one of the most competitive ECAC Hockey League campaigns in recent memory … in fact, 1994-95 was the last time the bottom squad was fewer than 18 points behind the regular-season champion in the standings, which is where Union fell compared to St. Lawrence last March.

Furthermore, you may recall that Union was a scant two points short of home-ice at the final buzzer. Seventh-place Princeton fell a win shy of a first-round bye, while Cornell wrapped up that coveted privilege by virtue of winning the tiebreaker with Quinnipiac. And let’s not forget Yale winning the last change in the first round by beating out Colgate and Rensselaer in a three-way tiebreaker, each team holding 17 points as the river card hit the table.

Thus, it feels practically impossible to project where programs will end up come the spring thaw after such a tumultuous previous season. But they tell me I gotta, so I gotta.

12. Brown

Nickname: Bears
Head Coach: Roger Grillo (109-161-43, 10 years at Brown)
2006-2007 Record: 11-15-6 (6-12-4 ECACHL, 11th)
Departed: Sean Dersch, Antonin Roux, Brian Ihnacak, Brian McNary (Jr)
Back For More: Jeff Prough, Sean Hurley, Matt Vokes, Dan Rosen
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 11
2007-2008 Media Poll: 11
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 12
Why: It’s a shame, but given the parity of the league, it just looks as though Bruno is in for a long and uphill battle.

11. Rensselaer

Nickname: Engineers
Head Coach: Seth Appert (10-18-8, one year)
2006-2007 Record: 10-18-8 (6-11-5 ECACHL, t-8th)
Departed: Jake Luthi, Kirk MacDonald, Oren Eizenman, Kevin Broad
Back For More: Seth Klerer, Andrei Uryadov, Matt Angers-Gourlet, Mathias Lange, Jordan Alford
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 10
2007-2008 Media Poll: 9
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 11
Why: If it weren’t for losing such productive players, RPI might keep rising. If only, if only …

10. Yale

Nickname: Bulldogs
Head Coach: Keith Allain (11-17-3, one year)
2006-2007 Record: 11-17-3 (8-13-1 ECACHL, t-8th)
Departed: Bill LeClerc, Matt Cohen
Back For More: Sean Backman, Mark Arcobello, Alec Richards
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 9
2007-2008 Media Poll: 10
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 10
Why: The Eli are on the right track, no doubt about it, but three hotshot players aren’t enough to carry a season.

9. Dartmouth

Nickname: Big Green
Head Coach: Bob Gaudet (151-135-37, 10 years at Dartmouth; 244-277-68, 19 years overall)
2006-2007 Record: 18-12-3 (12-7-3 ECACHL, 3rd)
Departed: Tanner Glass, Ben Lovejoy, Grant Lewis, David Jones (Jr), T.J. Galiardi (Fr), Kevin Swallow (Soph)
Back For More: Nick Johnson, J.T. Wyman, Mike Devine
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 7
2007-2008 Media Poll: 6
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 9
Why: The Big Green were decimated by graduation and early departures alike. Mike Devine might be the difference between home ice and dead last.

8. Union

Nickname: Dutchmen
Head Coach: Nate Leaman (57-74-16, four years at Union)
2006-2007 Record: 14-19-3 (7-14-1 ECACHL, 12th)
Departed: Olivier Bouchard, Sean Streich, T.J. Fox (Soph)
Back For More: Josh Coyle, Jason Walters, Matt Cook, Lane Caffaro, Mario Valery-Trabucco, Mike Schreiber, Justin Mrazek
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 12
2007-2008 Media Poll: 12
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 8
Why: Last year be damned; just look at the studs returning to their Union sweaters this fall.

7. Princeton

Nickname: Tigers
Head Coach: Guy Gadowsky (33-54-9, three years at Princeton; 101-143-31, eight years overall
2006-2007 Record: 15-16-3 (10-10-2 ECACHL, t-6th)
Departed: Darroll Powe, Grant Goeckner-Zoeller, Kevin Westgarth, B.J. Slapsky
Back For More: Lee Jubinville, Mark Magnowski, Brett Wilson, Mike Moore, Zane Kalemba
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 8
2007-2008 Media Poll: 8
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 7
Why: The Tigers probably won’t garner much national attention just yet, but Princeton is slowly but surely on the rise.

Mark Dekanich and Colgate look to move up the ECACHL ladder this season.

Mark Dekanich and Colgate look to move up the ECACHL ladder this season.

6. Colgate

Nickname: Raiders
Head Coach: Don Vaughan (239-217-46, 15 years at Colgate)
2006-2007 Record: 15-21-4 (7-12-3 ECACHL, t-8th)
Departed: Marc Fulton, Mike Campaner
Back For More: Tyler Burton, Jesse Winchester, Tom Riley, David McIntyre, Mark Dekanich
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 6
2007-2008 Media Poll: 5
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 6
Why: The Raiders are still a hard-working team with a skilled and experienced core of players … not to mention with a chip on its shoulder from a lackluster finish last time out.

5. Cornell

Nickname: Big Red
Head Coach: Mike Schafer (235-125-42, 12 years at Cornell)
2006-2007 Record: 14-13-4 (10-8-4 ECACHL, t-4th)
Departed: Byron Bitz, Mark McCutcheon, Tony Romano (Fr)
Back For More: Topher Scott, Raymond Sawada, Colin Greening, Troy Davenport, Ben Scrivens
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 4
2007-2008 Media Poll: 4
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 5
Why: The Big Red might have this one year left to rebuild and reorganize before reclaiming their traditional spot among the nation’s elite.

4. Harvard

Nickname: Crimson
Head Coach: Ted Donato (56-39-7, three years at Harvard)
2006-2007 Record: 14-17-2 (10-10-2 ECACHL, t-6th)
Departed: Kevin Du, Ryan Maki, Dylan Reese, Justin Tobe
Back For More: Doug Rogers, Mike Taylor, Alex Meintel, Jon Pelle, Alex Biega, Kyle Richter
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 5
2007-2008 Media Poll: 7
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 4
Why: The Crimson have great speed and great shots, and under the proper conditions could return to glory this year.

3. St. Lawrence

Nickname: Saints
Head Coach: Joe Marsh (403-329-51, 22 years at St. Lawrence)
2006-2007 Record: 23-14-2 (16-5-1 ECACHL, 1st)
Departed: Kyle Rank, Max Taylor, Drew Bagnall
Back For More: Kevin DeVergilio, Mike McKenzie, Brock McBride, Alex Petizian
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 3
2007-2008 Media Poll: 3
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 3
Why: Marsh knows how to get every last drop of skill and effort out of his players. Good for him; he has some legit talent — with experience now — to squeeze again this year.

2. Quinnipiac

Nickname: Bobcats
Head Coach: Rand Pecknold (243-150-38, 13 years at Quinnipiac)
2006-2007 Record: 21-14-5 (10-8-4 ECACHL, t-4th)
Departed: Reid Cashman, Michael Bordieri
Back For More: Dan Travis (Redshirt Sr), Brandon Wong, Jamie Bates, Ben Nelson, Bryan Leitch, David Marshall, Bud Fisher
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 2
2007-2008 Media Poll: 2
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 2
Why: The only reason Quinnipiac isn’t all lined up to take the top spot in this projection is the George Roll’s big Ice Hockey Jackpot up at Clarkson.

1. Clarkson

Nickname: Golden Knights
Head Coach: George Roll (74-68-16, four years at Clarkson; 180-130-30, 10 years overall)
2006-2007 Record: 25-9-5 (13-5-4 ECACHL, 2nd)
Departed: Mike Sullivan, Michael Grenzy, Brodie Rutherglen, Matt Curley, Shawn Weller (Jr)
Back For More: Nick Dodge, David Cayer, Steve Zalewski, Shea Guthrie, Matt Beca, Chris D’Alvise, Grant Clitsome, David Leggio
2007-2008 Coaches’ Poll: 1
2007-2008 Media Poll: 1
2007-2008 Predicted Finish: 1
Why: Even the short list of returning players reads like a complete first- and second-team roster of All-Americans.

2007-08 New Hampshire Season Preview

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The University of New Hampshire had a terrific year in many ways last season, though they ultimately failed to silence the USCHO.com message-board denizens who rib Wildcat fans about being the University of No Hardware. The Wildcats won the regular-season league title, only to fall to Boston College in the Hockey East tournament championship. The NCAA tournament was an especially bitter disappointment, as UNH — the top seed in the Northeast Regional, playing in its home state — was upset by Miami.

The summer brought along another blow when sophomore Trevor Smith — the team’s leading scorer last year with 21-22–43 in 39 games — signed with the New York Islanders. Given that the team was already slated to lose offensive standouts Jacob Micflikier, Brett Hemingway, and d-man Chris Murray to graduation, one might worry about the season to come. But the Wildcats should be very good regardless and could turn out to be excellent.

“Obviously, I’m excited about the team,” coach Dick Umile said. “I think we’ve got a great senior class, good leadership. The strength of our team will be defense, starting with the goal out along with our defensemen. I think with Kevin Regan coming back as a senior and Brian Foster as a sophomore we’ll be real strong in net, and defensively we’ve got five or six guys coming back led by two seniors, Brad Flaishans and Craig Switzer.

The offensive is admittedly more of a work in transition, though UNH always seems to have a few sophomores who develop and a freshman or two who finds a prominent place on the scoresheet in a hurry.

“Hopefully we can continue to be an offensive team,” Umile said. “We’ve lost some scoring there with Trevor Smith going as a sophomore, but we have a good nucleus coming back: Matt Fornatoro and Mike Radja are two seniors for us who have had good careers so far at UNH, and we expect they’ll continue. Then it’s always who’s going to step up from the sophomore and junior classes, whether it’s Jerry Pollastrone, Pete LeBlanc, or Bobby Butler.”

Matt Fornataro is New Hampshire's top returning scorer (photo: Melissa Wade).

Matt Fornataro is New Hampshire’s top returning scorer (photo: Melissa Wade).

Umile has ample reason to feel really good about recruiting this season. Any time you have one of the top picks in the NHL Draft, your class by definition is a good one. Forward James vanRiemsdyk was selected second overall by the Philadelphia Flyers, ensuring that many eyes will be on him this season. But he’s not the only player who may have a quick impact.

“We’re really excited about our freshman class — a big class with seven forwards in it,” Umile said. “James vanRiemsdyk is going to be a great college hockey player. He’s got it all: he’s a hard worker; he’s a good kid. He along with a couple of other freshmen — Phil DeSimone, who played in the USHL, and Mike Sislo — those three will make a definite impact as freshmen. Who knows? Maybe a couple of other guys as well.” DeSimone was the USHL Player of the Year, in fact, with a 26-47-73 scoring total in 60 games.

How does Umile feel about vanRiemsdyk possibly going pro after a year or two? “If we have him for two years … I don’t expect him to be here for four, but you never know. Hopefully he’ll be here for a couple of years.”

So UNH shouldn’t give up too many goals. And don’t bet on enough guys emerging on the other end of the ice to make sure they score more than their fair share as well.

2007-08 Merrimack Season Preview

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Given that Merrimack’s win total has declined each of the last five seasons — 12, 10, eight, six, and three successively — as well as the level of competition in Hockey East, you might excuse coach Mark Dennehy for believing that the light at the end of the tunnel could be an oncoming train. Yet Dennehy is sincerely very hopeful about his team’s chances of improvement.

“It’s funny actually because last year you had teams like BC with Brian Boyle and Maine with Michel Léveillé and even Northeastern with Mike Morris: they all got their best players back,” Dennehy said. “And some would argue that it was somewhat surprising that those juniors would come back for their senior years. Meanwhile, we lost our best player, Rob Ricci,” due to Ricci being ruled academically ineligible for last season after leading the team in scoring his freshman year.

“The shoe’s on the other foot now. Whether it’s [Cory] Schneider or Boyle or Léveillé or [Brett] Hemingway or Jon Quick: Go right down the line, and everybody’s lost their best player. We got ours back.”

Still, a substantial turnaround is down the road a ways. Although three of the team’s top seven scorers were freshmen last season, Dennehy is quick to point out that a youth movement is still very much in progress at Merrimack.

“We’re still going to have over 20 players who are sophomores or freshmen. Which bodes well for the future, but you’ve been around Hockey East long enough to know that even though you’ll have a Teddy Purcell who had a great freshman year [for Maine] last year, he didn’t lead that team. It’s an upperclassman-driven league, so, as excited as I am about our team, it’s a matter of getting our younger players acclimated and allowing them to mature.”

When it comes to considering breakout players who can help the team break out of its offensive doldrums, all conversations must start with Ricci. “I think people forget that it wasn’t Benn Ferriero or Brandon Yip or Nathan Gerbe that led all Hockey East in scoring, it was Rob Ricci,” Dennehy said. “So I would expect Rob to be able to pick up where he left off and really give our offense a boost. I think you’ll also see our sophomore class — who were really thrown in the deep end last year — improve. A guy like Matt Jones comes to mind, a kid like Pat Kimball or J.C. Robitaille. I think you’ll see them pick up from last year and maybe double their output.”

Dennehy also believes that this year’s freshmen will adjust easier to the big stage given the aforementioned up-and-coming forwards. The new faces will include two transfers — Grant Farrell, a defenseman who started with UMass-Lowell and Joe Cucci, a forward who began college at Northeastern — as well as the horde of freshmen.

After missing last season for academic reasons, Rob Ricci brings his offense back to the Warriors (photo: Melissa Wade).

After missing last season for academic reasons, Rob Ricci brings his offense back to the Warriors (photo: Melissa Wade).

“Grant Farrell is someone who played two years at Lowell, has more of an offensive streak from the point. I think he’ll be able to help us out on the power play quite a bit. … From the freshman class, I think Francois Oimet, who led the Tier II Junior Triple A of Quebec in scoring last year, will be able to hit the ground running as maybe Chris Barton who played for Camrose in Alberta or Tommy DeRosa who led the Atlantic Junior League in scoring by a wide margin.”

Oimet is a speedy forward who put up gaudy numbers in the LHJAQ ostensibly was overlooked because of his size. “He really does a little bit of everything: He skates well; he can make a play; he’s not afraid to shoot it; he’s got a good sense around the net.

“The biggest issue I had when I got here was just a prerequisite of skill,” Dennehy said. Some of the newcomers should help the program make strides in that area, though Dennehy concedes that his team’s M.O. still will be to attempt to outwork opponents in every aspect of the game.

He also realizes that there is skepticism about his program’s potential for improvement this season, but there is a possible bright side of that as well.

“We know we’re better,” Dennehy said. “I’m not sure if the rest of the league does, and that’s fine with us.”

2007-08 Cornell Season Preview

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Offense: The Big Red are without three of their top six scorers from last season, a campaign in which they averaged just shy of three goals a game in league and overall. Cornell’s 64 league goals were only eighth-best, and the top sniper-freshman Greening-only totaled 11 goals in the full 31 games.

On the flip side, what coach Mike Schafer lacked in a superstar forward, he could count on in depth. A dozen players registered double-digit points in 2006-07, and nine had five of more goals. Five of those nine are back, including Colin Greening and Raymond Sawada, who scored 10.

It was an odd season for the Big Red, who — despite taking fourth in the regular season — were frequently perplexing in their play, inexperienced and inconsistent. The Red were shocked by Quinnipiac on Lynah ice in the second round of the playoffs, and now hope that the new season will bring the calming reliability and familiarity that comes with a year of playing together as a unit.

“Last year was a little bit of a transition year,” Schafer said. “Sawada probably had an opportunity to leave, but he was one of the few who wanted to stay and finish his education.”

Five of the seven incoming freshmen are forwards, and 21st overall pick Riley Nash is the biggest star among them. Edmonton’s first-round selection in this summer’s draft put up 38 goals and 45 assists for Salmon Arm in the British Columbia Hockey League; we all certainly hope that, at only 18, Edmonton will encourage him to play for more than just one or two seasons in our cozy little league.

Six-foot-three Patrick Kennedy was also on the Central Scouting List before the draft, but wasn’t tabbed by the pros this time around. The St. Thomas alumnus put up 41, 35, and 47 points in his last three seasons in the Western Ontario league.

Defense: The D returns five of eight skaters who saw ice time last season, and ironically, it was the three departing seniors who played the fewest games. Each of the five current Big Red played at least 23 games, and should be led by 6-foot-3 senior Doug Krantz.

Raymond Sawada is among a balanced group of Cornell forwards back for the new season (photo: Melissa Wade).

Raymond Sawada is among a balanced group of Cornell forwards back for the new season (photo: Melissa Wade).

Unlike Cornell defenses of the past, only four of the eight rostered rear-guards are listed at six feet or taller. In adjusting to the times, Schafer has recruited smaller, quicker, more agile defenders who are more likely to defend with speed, awareness and skill than with brute strength, as in previous years. That said, the head coach also stressed the importance of playing a more confident, physical game than the Red did last season.

Incoming BCHLers Jordan Berk and Mike Devin each demonstrated keen vision and first-pass ability, racking up considerable assists in an admittedly offense-heavy league.

Goaltending: Now-sophomore Ben Scrivens only played half the number of games of junior Troy Davenport last season, but had a goals against average 11 points better, and a save percentage 12 points above his elder counterpart. The duo platooned through most of the second half before Schafer handed the reins over to Davenport in February.

“The question mark again will be goaltending, and who will rise,” the coach said.

The Cornell crease will be an interesting place this season, as each netminder will have a shot to earn the starting job. The Big Red haven’t had anything close to resembling a true goaltending platoon since 2001-02 when Matt Underhill played 21 games, and David LeNeveu played 14 … and 1999-2000 was the last real split, when Underhill and Ian Burt saw 17 and 15 games of action, respectively.

Is Cornell due for another crease controversy? Hard to pick a winner at this juncture, that much is certain.

Outlook: Schafer is a pretty sharp guy, so it would be foolish to think that his players won’t get any better than what they were a year ago. However, how much better, is the pertinent question.

The offense looks reasonably well-stocked, but hasn’t proven any specific strength yet. The defense allowed about two and a half goals a game, and won’t fare any worse this year, though the ceiling on potential improvement is probably limited.

The keys to Cornell success this year are pretty clear: significantly more productive and reliable scoring than last season, and a dependable — if not exceptional — man between the pipes every night.

2007-08 Yale Season Preview

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Offense: When your scoring chart is led by a pair of freshman, you’re probably sitting pretty for the following year. Sean Backman and Mark Arcobello would’ve earned a lot more attention if not for that Brandon Wong fella across town, and Bill LeClerc is the only double-digit scorer lost from the 2006-07 Bulldogs.

“I think we’ll be a better team than we were last year,” said coach Keith Allain. “We’re going to have improved balance on the scoring attack” with a strong freshman class and experienced returning players, he said.

The Eli barely beat two and a half goals a game last year, both in league and overall, so there is still some work to be done. However, Allain must be awfully pleased with the forwards at his disposal, given that after the tandem at the top, it’s sophomores Chris Cahill and Thomas Dignard returning with 17 and 14 first-year points, respectively. Senior Jean-Francois Boucher hopes to improve on a pedestrian three goals and nine assists in 30 games in 2006-07, after registering 23 points as a sophomore.

Allain imports four forwards among his eight recruits, including power-winger Jeff Anderson from Cowichan Valley of the BCHL. Despite an unimpressive 41 points in 60 games in an offense-heavy league, Anderson threw his wiry 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame around with aplomb, to the tune of 148 penalty minutes.

Six-foot-one center Dennis Kearney scored 21 goals with 54 assists in 44 games for the Eastern Junior league champion New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs. While his accomplishments shouldn’t be diminished in and of themselves, it should be noted that he was playing with the likes of UNH’s Paul Thompson (83 points) and Providence’s Matt Germain (64 points).

Sean Backman scores the game winner over UMass' Jon Anderson last November (photo: Melissa Wade).

Sean Backman scores the game winner over UMass’ Jon Anderson last November (photo: Melissa Wade).

Defense: The Bulldogs will have some youth on the blueline this fall, as Matt Cohen, LeClerc and the occasionally used Shawn Mole all depart campus for the real world. Junior David Inman hopes to enjoy a healthy 2007 and 2008 after an injury-hampered 2006-07 in which he only played in 13 contests; besides him, the four other returning defensemen saw action in 25 games or more.

“We’re certainly going to miss some quality minutes [from the departed seniors],” said the coach.

The Yale defense has some offensively gifted athletes, including Dignard and 13-point senior Robert Page, and overlooking them when they have the puck will hurt a number of teams on the scoreboard, and the standings.

But can they keep up with the bigger, stronger, rougher forwards that are as numerous in the ECACHL as honors recipients at a Harvard graduation? Only four of the eight blueliners are listed as topping six feet, and only three tilt the scales at 200-plus.

Goaltending: Alec Richards is the man, until he — or someone else — proves otherwise. (Of course, all starting positions are still “up for grabs,” according to Allain. “Alec will be challenged for ice time,” he stated simply.)

The towering 6-foot-4 goalkeep saw a 10-point fall on his goals-against in his sophomore campaign (3.12) from that of his frosh, and more than a 20-point decline in save percentage (.891/.912). But remaining goalie Billy Blase only saw 85 minutes of action in his first year, and incoming freshman Ryan Rondeau (Waterloo, USHL) will have to state a pretty firm case before Richards is knocked from his post.

Outlook: Yale bolted out of the blocks last season, winning six of its first seven and commencing the season with a 3-1-0 league record. But then the wheels fell off, and in a hurry. The ‘Dogs went 0-5-2 between the Thanksgiving break and New Year’s, mostly due to an offense gone dry. The Eli can not afford to suffer the same offensively-challenged episodes endured by last year’s edition of the Big Blue, because the defense just doesn’t look solid enough to handle a majority load.

2007-08 Atlantic Hockey Season Preview

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The new kids on the block ruled in Atlantic Hockey last year, with RIT claiming the regular-season title and Air Force winning the playoff crown and representing the league well in a 4-3 loss to Minnesota in the NCAAs.

“We weren’t fortunate enough to make it to Rochester last season,” said Holy Cross coach Paul Pearl, whose Crusaders reached the NCAA quarterfinals in 2005. “But the quality of this league is so strong that any of the 10 teams has a legitimate shot at making it back here and representing the league in the NCAA tournament.”

With RIT now eligible for the postseason, the league will be using its fifth different playoff format in its five years of existence.

“We have 10 members eligible for the league championship,” said commissioner Bob DeGregorio. “We’re going to have five first-round best-of-three series at the sites of the top five seeds, with the five winners moving on to Rochester. They’ll be a play-game on Friday (March 7), with semifinals on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday.”

Goaltender Louis Menard returns to the AHA regular-season champion Tigers.

Goaltender Louis Menard returns to the AHA regular-season champion Tigers.

Sunday’s championship game time is yet to be determined as the league is trying to get the game on national television.

“We’re in negotiations to carry the game,” said DeGregorio. “We’re looking for more exposure for the league, to show the kind of hockey that we’re playing, the competitive, exciting brand of hockey that we’re playing.”

The league will have three of its games on national TV this season. CSTV will carry Army at Holy Cross on November 4 and Air Force at Army on January 25. ESPNU will televise Air Force at Army on January 27.

Some additional exposure this season will come in via the B2 network, which has signed an agreement with the league to carry every game via the Internet. All 10 AHA rinks are being wired for high-speed Internet which will carry a video signal as well as audio from broadcasters on site, mostly from existing radio stations carrying the games.

Based on the preseason poll, the coaches expect more of the same in terms of who they expect to finish near the top, but several were quick to say that the league is up for grabs. Last year’s poll had Mercyhurst at the top and RIT in the eighth position. The Lakers finished tied for seventh, while RIT wound up at the top of the standings.

“It’s nice to receive the honor (or being picked first), but our league is so balanced that any team can beat the other on any given night,” said RIT coach Wayne Wilson. “We exceeded expectations last year, but now the target is on our back.”

Click on any team name at the top of a section below to view its individual season preview.

RIT
2006-07 overall record: 21-11-2
2006-07 AHA record: 20-7-1 (First)
2007-08 predicted finish: First
Outlook: The question going into last season was whether the Tigers, two seasons removed from Division III, could compete. That one was answered with certainty. Now the question is: can they repeat? RIT lost two key players but returns relatively intact. But the Tigers won’t be sneaking up on anyone this time around.

Air Force
2006-07 overall record: 19-16-5
2006-07 AHA record: 13-10-5 (Fifth)
2007-08 predicted finish: Second
Outlook: The Falcons, led by Hobey Baker finalist Eric Ehn, got hot at the right time and came within a goal of the NCAA quarterfinals. Ehn will be back, along with a good nucleus that should keep Air Force near the top of the standings all season.

Mercyhurst
2006-07 overall record: 9-20-6
2006-07 Atlantic Hockey record: 9-15-4 (Tied for Seventh)
2007-08 predicted finish: Third
Outlook: The Lakers went from 22 wins in 2005-2006 to just nine last season, losing a boatload of close games. A highly-touted goaltender and a more seasoned defense should supplement the always-potent Mercyhurst offense and return the Lakers to their accustomed place near the top of the standings.

Josh Kassel starred after replacing the departed Brad Roberts last season (photo: Angelo Lisuzzo).

Josh Kassel starred after replacing the departed Brad Roberts last season (photo: Angelo Lisuzzo).

Army
2006-07 overall record: 17-12-5
2006-07 Atlantic Hockey record: 15-8-5 (Third)
2007-08 predicted finish: Fourth
Outlook: The Black Knights had a breakthrough season in 2006-07. Traditionally tough at home, they learned to win on the road and came within a game of the NCAA tournament. If Josh Kassel has another season like last year, Army will challenge for the title again.

Sacred Heart
2006-07 overall record: 21-11-4
2006-07 Atlantic Hockey record: 17-7-4 (Second)
2007-08 predicted finish: Fifth
Outlook: Last season was supposed to belong to the Pioneers, but a pair of newcomers crashed the party and spoiled things. The loss of Pierre-Luc O’Brien and Jason Smith will hurt; how much is yet to be determined.

Holy Cross
2006-07 overall record: 10-20-5
2006-07 Atlantic Hockey record: 9-14-5 (Sixth)
2007-08 predicted finish: Sixth
Outlook: The Crusaders came crashing down to earth last season after a storybook campaign in 2005-06. Going from 27 wins to 10 showed how much the previous senior class was missed, and Holy Cross lost a couple more key cogs last season in John Landry and James Sixsmith. Coach Paul Pearl won’t use the word “rebuilding,” but some construction is definitely underway.

Connecticut
2006-07 overall record: 16-18-2
2006-07 Atlantic Hockey record: 15-11-2 (Fourth)
2007-08 predicted finish: Seventh
Outlook: Speaking of rebuilding, coach Bruce Marshall has 15 freshmen on his roster. How long it takes them to come up to speed will go a long way in determining the Huskies’ fate — that and the play of goaltender Beau Erickson, who came into his own last season.

Bentley
2006-07 overall record: 12-22-1
2006-07 Atlantic Hockey record: 11-17-0 (Tied for Seventh)
2007-08 predicted finish: Eighth
Outlook: Bentley took a step backwards last season after making the league title game two years ago. Picked to finish ninth by the coaches, I think they’ll do at least one better with almost the entire team returning. The key will be to shore up a defense that was the worst in the league in terms of goals allowed, and improve a power play that only converted 12% of the time.

Canisius
2006-07 overall record: 9-23-3
2006-07 Atlantic Hockey record: 9-16-3 (Ninth)
2007-08 predicted finish: Ninth
Outlook: The youth movement continues at Canisius, with another 10 players brought in to supplement a huge sophomore class. Coach Dave Smith is going with speed over size, continuing to move away from the traditional Canisius style. If they can outrun and outgun and Andrew Loewen can improve on an excellent freshman campaign, Canisius will finish higher than I’m projecting.

American International
2006-07 overall record: 8-25-1
2006-07 Atlantic Hockey record: 7-20-1 (Tenth)
2007-08 predicted finish: Tenth
Outlook: The good news is that AIC will be better than last season. The bad news is that the teams ahead of the Yellow Jackets probably will be too. Look for Jereme Tendler to have a big senior season, but how much help he gets is yet to be determined.

2007-08 Canisius Season Preview

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The bad news for the Golden Griffins last season was that they won only nine games and lost in the play-in game in the Atlantic Hockey playoffs. The good news is that the freshman-dominated lineup played a lot of minutes, which will only make them better coming into this season.

Coach Dave Smith is continuing his emphasis on youth, bringing in 10 freshmen this season. And when I say “youth,” I really mean it. Two of his freshmen are 17, a rarity in this league.

“Vince Scarsella and Cory Conacher are special kids,” Smith said. “They’re very young. They’re 5-foot-7. But they have what we were looking for in all of our freshmen. All 10 had to have three things: speed, skill, and toughness. We didn’t care about age or size. We wanted players with those characteristics and I think we have an impressive group.”

The super sophomore class includes Josh Heidinger (34 points), an all-league rookie last season, Jason Weeks (26 points), defenseman Carl Hudson (26 points) and goaltender Andrew Loewen (9.12 save percentage). Smith says senior Dave Kasch is also expected to make major contributions.

Loewen is projected to be the starter, but Smith says senior Bryce Luker will challenge. “He came in this year in terrific shape and ready to play,” he said.

SMITH

SMITH

Five of Smith’s players hail from the Buffalo area, and he says there’s a reason for that.

“I really like the character of the Western New York player,” he said. “They have what we’re looking for — competitiveness and toughness with the skills to back it up.”

Smith will find out right away how his young squad performs under pressure when they open the season at St. Cloud State, followed by a trip to the Maverick Stampede tournament, hosted by Nebraska-Omaha.

“Those games will help us get ready for our league games, which will be tougher than ever,” said Smith, “Our league continues to get better and better.”

2007-08 Sacred Heart Season Preview

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Sacred Heart won 21 games for the second straight season, and the result was the same as well — coming up short in the postseason.

Still, you have to be pleased with a season like the Pioneers had. Coach Shaun Hannah has mixed feelings.

“We played as hard and as well as we could,” he said. “But you gotta win the games and in the end we didn’t. We fought and came back against Air Force in the semifinals (scoring three goals in a 6:42 span in the third period to take the lead), but then gave up the tying goal with a minute to play (eventually losing in overtime).”

The Pioneers lost some big name players in Pierre-Luc O’Brien, the all-time school scoring leader with 158 points, and all-star goalie Jason Smith. But Hannah says his team still has what it takes.

“We learned a lot through last year’s experiences but we’re not last year’s team. We’re a totally new group. We have a group of players coming back with plenty of experience and a strong freshman class.”

HANNAH

HANNAH

Back are junior Bear Trapp (17 goals last season) and senior Alexandre Parent (38 points) as well as all-star defenseman Scott Marchesi (18 points).

“We expect them all to pick up where they left off,” said Hannah. “And we expect big contributions from guys like (Dave) Jarman and (Dave) Grimson and (Cory) Laurysen, who will continue to develop.”

In net, Stefan Drew will compete for time with newcomer Oliver St. Onge. They’ll be tested as the Pioneers play a tough non-league schedule, including games at Colgate, Rensselaer and a trip to the Denver Cup where they’ll face the other Pioneers in the first round.

“We’ll get good experience in those games, and we’ll need it coming back to league play,” said Hannah. “This league has come a long way. Every game we have will be competitive.”

2007-08 Connecticut Season Preview

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Last year, the preseason coaches’ poll put the Huskies in fourth, surprising some people. But lo and behold, that’s where UConn did indeed finish, earning home ice in the playoffs and a trip to Rochester.

“We’d had a tough season (in 2005-06) and lost 12 games in a row at the end,” said coach Bruce Marshall. “But the coaches in the league knew we were better than that. We weren’t the Bad News Bears.”

This season, with the departure of Matt Scherer, Cole Koidahl and 10 other seniors, it’s going to be a challenge to build on last year’s success. Is it a rebuilding year in Storrs?

“If we’re rebuilding, my assistants haven’t done their jobs,” laughed Marshall, in his 20th season behind the bench at UConn. “Seriously, they’ve done a great job of bringing in a great group of kids.”

A total of 15 freshmen are on the roster, and Marshall hopes they can get up to speed quickly.

“Talent-wise we know they can play at this level,” he said. “We like what we’ve seen in practice, but we’ll really see what they can do in game situations. They’ll need to adjust quickly.”

MARSHALL

MARSHALL

A key to the Huskies’ success last year was the emergence of goaltender Beau Erickson (2.92 GAA).

“He really established himself last season,” said Marshall. “We were really pleased with the way he took over the starting job.”

The Huskies’ captains this season will be senior forward Charles Solberg and junior defenseman Sean Erickson.

“They lead by example,” said Marshall. “They’ll be key in bringing the freshmen along. Showing them how to work hard and doing the little things. Showing them what UConn hockey is all about.”

The Huskies will again hold an in-season tournament, playing Army in a league game in the first semifinal, with Brown and Ferris State playing in the other.

“We’re excited to get these teams in,” said Marshall. “It’s good for Atlantic Hockey to bring teams into our barns. We’re seeing more and more of that and it shows the growth of the league.”

2007-08 Mercyhurst Season Preview

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Mercyhurst coach Rick Gotkin was surprised when his team was picked to finish first in the 2006-07 preseason poll. But while he didn’t necessarily think he had the best team in Atlantic Hockey, he didn’t foresee a team that had won 22 games the year before chalk up just nine victories last season.

“I’m not surprised by (the success of) Air Force and RIT,” he said. “It’s not like they started their programs yesterday. But for us, it was our inability to win one-goal games. We lost 13 one-goal games if you count the ones where we pulled the goalie.

“And in a lot of those games, we thought we played pretty good. It was just the kind of year we had. We’d come out of those games feeling good about the way we played, but we just couldn’t win.

“The league is that tight now. We played AIC when they were 0-12 and playing their first home game, and they beat us. And I thought we played pretty well that night. We give up a (losing) goal at RIT with four seconds to play. We played a game where a fourth-line kid throws a puck from the Zamboni door and it goes off our goalie’s skate and in the net and we lose. And this is after our goalie makes three or four amazing saves.”

With Tyler Small leaving the team midway though last season and Mike Ella and Jordan Wakefield graduating, Mercyhurst needed to find goaltending, and Gotkin thinks he’s hit the jackpot in junior transfer Matt Lundin, who spent two years at Maine where he went 8-4 with a GAA less than two. But Lundin was behind Jimmy Howard and then Ben Bishop, so he went back to juniors before settling on Mercyhurst.

GOTKIN

GOTKIN

“The kid just wants to play,” said Gotkin. “We’ve only had three transfers in my tenure here, and this one is special. Matt was at Sioux Falls last year and led them to the (USHL) title and was the MVP of the series. He’s the man.”

Returning is leading scorer Ben Cottreau, who tallied 35 points despite missing seven games to injury. Also back are six defensemen who were young last season and still developing, according to Gotkin.

“We’re still young,” he said. “We need those guys to be strong defensively. Keep it simple, move the puck.”

A daunting schedule will test his team early. Mercyhurst opens with the Lefty McFadden tournament (Ohio State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin) and also plays at Maine and at Michigan State.

“We want to play the best,” said Gotkin. “And then going back into league play there’s no letting up. We need to get back to where we want to be, which is to win games.”

2007-08 Army Season Preview

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Expectations were low for Army coming into last season. All-star goaltender Brad Roberts was gone and the Black Knights, never known as an offensive powerhouse, were expected to finish ninth in a 10-team league.

Instead, Army found a more-than capable replacement between the pipes in Josh Kassel (2.38 GAA) and some firepower from Luke Flicek (37 points), Tim Manthey (29 points) Owen Meyer and Bryce Hollweg (27 points each), culminating in a third-place finish and a trip to the Atlantic Hockey championship game.

Like a couple of other surprise teams from last season, Army won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year. Coach Brian Riley says his team is ready for the challenge.

“The perception has definitely changed with the coaches picking us third,” he said. “Now we’re not going to have that luxury that maybe we had last season. The guys understand that we won’t be sneaking up on anybody. You can’t ever take a night off in this league.”

Army has always been a tough team to beat at home (9-2-4 last season), but the difference last season was its ability to get points on the road, where it played .500 hockey.

“That was key for us,” said Riley. “We hadn’t always had a lot of success on the road and if you want to finish in the top part of the league, everybody knows you need to take points on the road.”

The Black Knights’ biggest loss in the offseason was the early departure of Tim Manthey, one of the league’s top defensemen. Manthey transferred to Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

“It wasn’t a shock to us,” said Riley. “We had had some discussions. You have the option to leave (the U.S. Military Academy) until you take your first class of your junior year. We talked about it and he consulted with a lot of people. We’ll obviously miss him. He’s a great kid. I have to respect his decision.”

Back in net will be Kassel, who played very little as a freshman but then earned second-team all-league honors, backstopping the stingiest defense in the league. Unfortunately, he picked the worst time to have an off game in the AHA title game, where he surrendered six goals on 27 shots.

RILEY

RILEY

“We didn’t help take the pressure off him by only scoring one goal in that game,” said Riley. “But there’s no damage to repair. He’s a confident kid.”

Riley expects big things again from Flicek, who enters his senior campaign coming off his best season ever.

“‘Flea’ loves to play the game,” said Riley. “He’s a great kid and will produce for us again. And we expect [Owen] Meyer to be a difference-maker. He’s that kind of player.”

Army’s reputation and facility allow it more exposure than many AHA teams get, and that will include being a part of all three nationally televised league games this season, as well as visits by Rensselaer and Union.

“[The televised games] are great for the league and for us,” said Riley. “It’s going be an exciting atmosphere.”

The Black Knights open their season at Bemidji before entertaining RPI at home.

“We need to get off to a good start,” said Riley. “You look at the teams that do well in this league and they win early and build confidence. You need to understand what it takes to win.”

2007-08 Niagara Season Preview

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Niagara has won the College Hockey America regular-season championship the past two years, but faltered in the league tournament. The Purple Eagles want to change their fortunes this season.

“We don’t want to downplay the regular season,” NU head coach Dave Burkholder said. “We haven’t played our best come playoff time lately and we obviously want that to change this season. We need to get this senior class to the NCAA tournament, as this is the only class that hasn’t gone to the tournament, so I would say there is some added pressure on this team.”

The Purple Eagles graduated senior captain Sean Bentivoglio not only from school, but to the National Hockey League as Bentivoglio signed a free-agent deal with the New York Islanders this past summer. Bentivoglio’s linemates, Ted Cook and Les Reaney, are back for their junior seasons, but Burkholder isn’t anticipating that scenario one year from now.

“If Teddy Cook puts up the numbers he has the past two seasons (his 32 goals and 21 power-play goals last year led the nation), I don’t think he’s back here for his senior season — I think he’ll sign a pro contract someplace,” admitted Burkholder. “Les has come in here in better shape and the sky’s the limit for him, too.”

Reaney tallied 16 goals and 44 points last season. Last year’s CHA rookie of the year, Chris Moran, who posted nine goals and 40 points last year, is also back for his second season.

Niagara went 18-13-6 (9-5-6 CHA) last year, but went out in the CHA semifinal to Alabama-Huntsville. Advancing farther in the postseason is a goal the Purple Eagles don’t take lightly.

“Every year we come in here and know we need to get to the [NCAA] tournament,” said senior Matt Caruana, a co-captain with junior forward Vince Rocco. “When we don’t get there, we just say ‘Maybe next year.’ Well, now it’s here. We’re excited to host the CHA tournament and we can’t wait. By far, this is the closest group of guys I’ve played with. There are no groups or anything like that and no one is excluded.”

“Matt Caruana has quietly had a fantastic career at Niagara,” Burkholder said. “Last year, Cook, Reaney and ‘Benti’ got all the press, but Matt scored 14 goals for us and will graduate here as one of our all-time leading scorers.”

Being a captain is something Caruana knows comes with the territory.

“It’s a challenge I’m ready for,” Caruana said. “It’s good to think the other players look up to you. I just need to keep improving as a player and a leader and I think we have a good senior group that can help me along the way.”

This year, NU is again one of the favorites in the CHA. Though Bentivoglio and steady defenseman Pat Oliveto are gone, the returning core to Monteagle Ridge looks deep as 21 letterwinners are back.

Junior goalie Juliano Pagliero should assume the No. 1 role in net, but he’ll be pushed by senior Scott Mollison and freshman Adam Avramenko.

“Our goalie situation will be very competitive and as a coach, you like to see that,” noted Burkholder. “During our 14-2-2 run last year, a lot of that had to do with ‘Pags.'”

Dan Sullivan will lead the blueline and has improved since his freshman season two years ago. He’ll now be counted on, as an upperclassman, to provide leadership and stability.

“I’ve played with guys like ‘Willy’ [former NU captain Jason Williamson] and Andrew Lackner and Oliveto and I’ve seen how they treat the younger guys and that’s how I want to be,” said Sullivan. “We need to have a certain attitude for games and know we can’t let up. This is our year and we want to do it for the seniors.”

Matt Caruana brings his 38 points back to Niagara for the new season (photo: Matt Mackinder).

Matt Caruana brings his 38 points back to Niagara for the new season (photo: Matt Mackinder).

Sullivan will have juniors Travis Anderson and Armando Scarlato with him on the back end along with senior Scott Langdon, sophomores Ryan Annesley, Jim Burichin and Tyler Gotto and freshmen Derek Foam and Brian Molloy from the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League.

“I’ve been in [the freshmen’s] position before as one of the younger guys,” Sullivan said. “I just want to be a stand-up guy and show these guys what it’s like. But from what I’ve seen, all the freshmen seem to have good heads on their shoulders.”

Up front, Paul Zanette, Mike Sand, David Ross and Bryan Haczyk all come in as freshmen. Burkholder said Haczyk and Ross have “been terrific so far in practice and dry land.”

Forwards Nate Bostic, Trevor Foster, Cliff Ketchen, Egor Mironov, Ryan Olidis, Kyle Rogers and Tayler Simpson round out the roster for NU.

“We have a very physical team,” said Sullivan. “We can forecheck and we have guys that can put the puck in the net. We also have guys that can clear the front of the net. Everybody knows their role. We just know that we need to take every game seriously and not take it for granted or it can come back to bite us in the butt.

“There is not one flaw in our game.”

Burkholder noted that when Sullivan came to camp this year, he really caught his eye as a player who has taken offseason conditioning seriously as well as improving his on-ice play.

“The way Sullivan carries himself, you can tell he wants to develop,” said Burkholder. “He finished in the top four in our fitness testing and that carries a lot of clout.”

“At the end of last year, I had shoulder surgery,” Sullivan said. “But I still ran and worked out as much as the doctor would let me. I didn’t want to come into this season out of shape.”

So how do the Purple Eagles take that next step and get to hoist some hardware next March on their home ice? It all comes down to simplicity.

“This team is a lot more mature and a lot more focused,” Burkholder said. “They’re also a self-motivated team.

“This is a team on a mission.”

2007-08 RIT Season Preview

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The Tigers surprised everyone last year, possibly including themselves.

“We knew we could compete; we didn’t know if we could win right away, and I guess that was answered,” said coach Wayne Wilson. “Not just Atlantic Hockey. We knew we could compete with anybody.”

After a 6-22-2 season as an independent when they lost ten one-goal games, the Tigers played their first Atlantic Hockey schedule and finished at the top of the heap at 20-7-1. RIT took at least one point in every season series.

“That was the biggest thing,” said Wilson. “Being able to rebound. All of our league losses except the last two were on Fridays and after each one we came back and won on Saturday.” And the two games the Tigers did lose on Saturday, they had won the night before.

Ineligible for the postseason in their final year of NCAA provisional status, it had to hurt to sit in the stands at Rochester’s Blue Cross Arena, less than seven miles from RIT’s campus, and watch the league championships contested without them. That should provide all the motivation the Tigers need to defend their regular-season crown.

RIT got rings as a result of finishing first — after all, it went as far as it could. But this season brings new opportunities and new challenges as the Tigers can’t just focus on a single objective.

“There are new goals,” said Wilson, who now has to think postseason. “Obviously it starts with getting home ice for the playoffs. You want those games at home and we’ll be working for that all season. Then there’s the next round — single-elimination where anything can happen. I know this sounds cliché, but there are no real upsets anymore once you get to that level. Anyone can beat anyone else.”

RIT will need to offset the loss of two players who left for the pro ranks (goaltender Jocelyn Guimond and forward Steve Pinizzotto) as well as senior leadership that provided lots of intangibles. Wilson can console himself knowing he returns eight of his top 10 scorers, his entire defensive corps, and netminder Louis Menard, the all-league rookie goaltender who was 11-0 in conference play last season.

WILSON

WILSON

A senior class that started as Division III players includes Simon Lambert (43 points and all-league last season), Matt Smith (17 goals) and Brent Patry (all-league last season). RIT will start arguably the best all-around defensive corps (including Patry and rookie of the year Al Mazur) in front of Menard, who will face competition from fellow sophomore Jared DeMichiel and freshman Jan Ropponen.

Wilson says he likes his recruits, but will bring them along slowly.

“We don’t need them right away, which is a nice situation to have,” he said. “You may only see two in the lineup on any given night. They’re a very talented group who are going to compete for spots and fit in very well.”

If teams are going to stop the Tigers, they’re going to have to do a better job shutting down a power play that converted 24.5% of the time last season, contributing to an offense that was second in all of Division I.

“Special teams are so important because of the way the game is played today.” said Wilson. “We’ve only lost one guy off each unit from last season so we hope we can continue having success.”

2007-08 Wayne State Season Preview

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This isn’t a rebuilding year or a transition year or even a year Wayne State is favored to win the College Hockey America championship.

It is, however, the Warriors’ final year as the university announced in late September that financing the team is a losing effort and the team will fold effective the end of the season.

Wayne State is using that as motivation to make one last run at the CHA title and hopefully go out on a high note.

That may be difficult with 15 freshmen this year and just a handful of returning players, but the Warriors see the infusion of youth as a positive.

“From what I’ve seen so far, a lot of the freshmen bring a lot to the table,” senior captain Mike Forgie said. “Youthful enthusiasm is good. They’re all chomping at the bit and want to go the full 60 minutes and not let up. Being one of the older guys, I need to put up some numbers and hopefully have the young guys follow my lead. I know we’ll have our growing pains, but still, expectations are high.”

Forgie is technically in his fifth year at WSU as injuries have hampered him since his freshman year back in 2003, when he redshirted. He was a co-captain last season, but this season Forgie feels he has nothing to lose.

“I’ve never felt better,” added Forgie.

Since WSU’s inaugural senior class graduated in 2003, nothing but sub-.500 seasons have followed, including a six-win season in 2005-2006.

At the tail end of last season, the Warriors showed signs of competing and showing a willingness to win, but fell in the CHA tournament to eventual champion Alabama-Huntsville after a 12-21-2 regular season (8-10-2 CHA).

“We started to show some consistency at the end of last year and we really started to come together,” added Forgie. “We had that enthusiasm and knew we could play with anyone in our division. The bounces started to go our way.”

Eleven players graduated last spring, including five of the team’s top 10 scorers. Three players — forwards Jason Bloomingburg and Mark Nebus and defenseman Dan Iliakis — signed pro deals. Nate Higgins, last year’s top scorer, is also gone after popping 13 goals a year ago. Bloomingburg tallied 11 after a school-record 20 in 2004-2005. Forward Jason Baclig and big defenseman Taylor Donohoe are also now alumni.

Sophomore defenseman Jeff Caister was stellar on the blue line a year ago as a freshman and is one of three returnees on the back end with classmate Ryan Bernardi and junior Matt Krug. Four defenders graduated and as many as seven new skaters will seek playing time on the back end for the Warriors.

A championship would be a bittersweet ending to this year, but Caister noted that before a championship comes something else. Caister said that playing for a non-powerhouse school, and in a league many don’t take seriously, is something that is discussed among the players.

“It’s easy to get motivated when you’re in our situation,” said Caister, named an assistant captain this year along with junior forward Derek Punches. “We know the CHA isn’t on the map and that’s motivation in itself. I know we don’t get the respect we deserve even though last year we beat teams like Cornell and Brown, and in their buildings.”

The Warriors will play 14 home games this season, opening with Lake Superior State Nov. 9-10 at the chilly confines of the Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum, their original home in 1999-2000. A game in January against Niagara will be played at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Derek Punches will help lead Wayne State in this, its last season of varsity play (photo: Wayne State University).

Derek Punches will help lead Wayne State in this, its last season of varsity play (photo: Wayne State University).

Still, even with the bombshell that was the team folding comes a season chock-full of hockey. WSU head coach Bill Wilkinson, the school’s only head coach in its nine years as a program, wants to keep his team focused on the present and not what lies ahead next spring.

“I’m approaching this season with guarded optimism,” Wilkinson said. “We’re very young and kids tend to make mistakes. But they have hustle and desire and can only get experience by playing. The older guys need to set an example early and we have a good crew of the older guys that are willing to do that.”

Wayne State has just four seniors on the roster in forwards Stavros Paskaris (a former CHA rookie of the year), Tylor Michel, Derek Bachynski and Forgie. The junior class is just as big with forwards Jon Grabarek, Bryan Olds and Punches along with Krug on the blueline.

Sophomore goaltender Brett Bothwell earned the No. 1 job from senior Will Hooper the second half of the season and was in net for eight of WSU’s 12 wins. He’ll be pushed for time by freshmen Kyle Funkenhauser and Mike Devoney, brother of former Air Force skater Billy Devoney.

Sophomore forward Jared Katz, all 5-foot-6 and 142 pounds of him, was a surprise walk-on who scored 11 goals and 23 points while making the CHA All-Rookie Team and being named WSU’s top rookie as its third-leading scorer. He led CHA rookies in goals and was second in points to Niagara’s Chris Moran.

Freshman-wise, WSU brought in forwards Tyler Ruel (30 goals and 84 points in the British Columbia Hockey League last year), Jeremy Tejchma (10th in Eastern Junior Hockey League scoring in ’06-07) and Jordan Inglis (21 goals in the BCHL) and defensemen Phil Partyka, a Michigan native who played juniors with the North American Hockey League’s Traverse City North Stars, and Eric Roman, a local player who also played in the NAHL, but with Traverse City’s rival Alpena IceDiggers.

The fact there will be no Warriors men’s program in 2008-09 gives the team a philosophy of “nothing to lose and everything to gain.” A tournament win next March on the Niagara campus would be a Cinderella ending, one for which Wilkinson is holding out hope. But he is being cautious and realistic.

“[WSU folding] is a bitter pill for sure,” Wilkinson said. “We’ve been nipped in the bud the past few tournaments, so maybe what goes around, comes around. Maybe this year we complete the circle.”

In any event, in this space next year, Wayne State will be notably absent.

And that’s a shame.

2007-08 Holy Cross Season Preview

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The Crusaders came crashing back to earth after a storybook 20005-06 season, dropping from 27 wins and an epic NCAA victory over Minnesota to just 10 victories and an early playoff exit last season.

Picked to finish sixth this season, after a sixth-place season last year, on paper the Crusaders may be hard-pressed to finish that high with the loss of all-stars Jon Landry and James Sixsmith.

“I have no idea where we’ll finish,” said coach Paul Pearl. “I said the same thing the years we were picked to finish first. We’ve got a good senior group and we’ve brought in some really good players. The way this league is, anyone can step up and win it.”

Pearl says last year was a frustrating one for his team.

“We did some good things,” he said. “But our weaknesses were exposed. It’s no secret when you look at what our save percentage was two years ago and what it was last year. We need to be somewhere in between those two this season. Ian Dams and Charlie Lockwood played some good games for us and got better as the season went on. We expect that to continue. Plus we like [freshman] Adam Roy.”

PEARL

PEARL

A season-ending injury to Landry in January didn’t help matters either. Pearl says the silver lining on that was that his other blueliners had to step up.

“They logged a lot of ice time with Landry injured,” he said. “Guys like Marty Dams and Matt Burke are going to have big seasons for us.”

A tough non-conference schedule for the Crusaders includes Providence, Vermont and Quinnipiac, the latter at home. Holy Cross will also host Army in a game to be televised by ESPNU.

“We’re excited about that and about getting Quinnipiac to come in,” said Pearl. “It’ll be a great environment for our players and fans.”

2007-08 Air Force Season Preview

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The Falcons had a wild ride last season, their first in Atlantic Hockey. Coach Frank Serratore’s squad was never able to string together more than two wins in a row until February, playing musical goaltenders to try to the shore up a defense to support the high flying line of Mike Phillipich, Andrew Ramsey and Hobey Baker Finalist Eric Ehn.

But then walk-on goalie Ben Worker put together a nice string of wins late in the season and the Falcons, after a fifth-place regular-season finish, got hot in the postseason, rallying to beat Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals and then dominating rival Army to win the league title. The dream ended with a hard-fought 4-3 loss to Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“Playing the way we did in that game with Minnesota was good for our confidence, but it wasn’t good enough to win,” said Serratore. “We have to find a way to win those games. We’ve played plenty of good opponents close but haven’t been able to get the win. That’s the next step.”

Last season, the Falcons had one-goal losses to Colorado College and Denver, and a two-goal loss against Notre Dame.

This season, Air Force will host Quinnipiac and Denver, as well as travel to the Dodge Holiday Classic, where the Falcons will play Boston College in the first round and then either league rival RIT or the host Minnesota Gophers. Serratore says he was hoping to draw the Gophers in the tournament’s first round.

“I’m very disappointed,” he said. “I set this up three years ago and was told it would work that way, I wanted the kids on my roster from Minnesota to play the Gophers at Mariucci. Every kid growing up playing hockey in Minnesota wants that chance.”

Air Force might still get its shot depending on the way things fall out. Good things can always happen when you have one of the best players in college hockey on your roster. Senior Eric Ehn exploded onto the national scene last year, tallying 64 points. He was not only a Hobey Baker finalist; he was one of the “Hobey Hat Trick” and a dark-horse candidate to win the award.

SERRATORE

SERRATORE

Two-thirds of Ehn’s line stays intact with the return of junior Phillipich (44 points), but Ramsey (48 points) has graduated. Last season, Jeff Hajner spent some time on that line, but Serratore says sophomore Matt Fairchild will step into Ramsey’s spot.

Sophomore Andrew Volkening has won the starting role in net, hoping to alleviate Serratore’s biggest headache last season — inconsistency in goal.

“He’s our guy,” he said. “He’s ready and we have all confidence in the world in him.”

When asked to highlight a couple of his newcomers, Serratore declined.

“We’ll see who rises to the top,” he said. “We’re not expecting a lot from the new players right off the bat. No freshman is going to be higher than the third line or the third set of defensemen. We want to give them time to develop.”

With the many skilled upperclassmen that Serratore has, that sounds like a good plan.

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