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Elmira, RIT Favorites in ECAC West Preseason Poll

USCHO Staff Report
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The battle for the 2000-01 ECAC West regular-season title will once again be an Elmira-RIT affair, at least according to league coaches. Elmira and RIT share the role as regular-season league favorite in the 2000-01 preseason coaches’ poll.

Elmira and RIT both received eight points, including two first-place votes. The Soaring Eagles and Tigers shared the 1999-2000 regular-season crown with 5-1 records. RIT, which posted a 21-7-1 overall record a year ago, claimed the tournament title by defeating Elmira in the championship game. Elmira finished the season at 21-6.

Hobart (6-19-1 overall) and Manhattanville (8-17-1) shared the third slot in the poll with each team garnering four points. Both teams posted conference marks of 1-5 in 1999-00.

The poll was based on a three-point system (i.e., three for first, two for second and one for third). Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team.

2000-01 West Coaches’ Poll

1. Elmira (2)      8
   RIT (2)         8
3. Hobart          4
   Manhattanville  4

Change Brewing in Women’s Hockey

USCHO Staff Report
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Women’s hockey is about to get a major facelift, thanks to the announcement that the ECAC, at both the Division I and III level, will split and form two leagues for each division beginning in 2001-02.

Furthermore, a new Division III league, to be named later, will also begin with the addition of six schools from Western New York and Pennsylvania.

The Division I league, currently comprised of 13 teams, will split into two yet-unnamed conferences clearly delineated similar to their male counterparts. Meanwhile, Colgate will move from the ECAC Division III level to Division I, joining Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, St. Lawrence and Yale in a group of eight. The remaining group of six will contain Boston College, Maine, New Hampshire, Niagara, Northeastern and Providence.

Six new ECAC Division III schools from western New York and Pennsylvania — Buffalo State, Cortland State, Elmira, Neumann, Plattsburgh State and Utica — will come together to form a new league. They will play a 20-game league conference schedule with a two-game home and away series for the first year only.

The 19 current ECAC Division III teams will add Salve Regina and St. Michael’s to the mix in 2001-02, while losing Colgate, to make 20 teams. They will then split into two separate leagues.

One will be known as the NESCAC, and consist of nine teams, including Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Middlebury, Trinity, Wesleyan and Williams.

The other league is yet to be named, and will consist of the two new additions, plus Holy Cross, Manhattanville, MIT, Rensselaer, RIT, Sacred Heart, Southern Maine, Union and Vermont for 11 total teams.

The leagues will maintain separate standings and will have separate championships, but will retain a scheduling agreement. Each member will play all members of both the NESCAC and the group of 11.

Merrimack Rink Work Delayed, but Still on Track

USCHO Staff Report
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Merrimack‘s Volpe Center renovation, though slightly behind schedule and expected to cost more than initial estimates, is still on track, according to school officials.

The three phase project, originally announced in August, 1999, was slated to enter phase two this past summer, but construction elsewhere on campus and changes in plans forced the work to be delayed until the fall.

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“We hoped to have the project begin on October 1st, but we have the bids out there and we are confident that the project will begin soon,” Merrimack athletic director Bob DeGregorio told The Eagle Tribune.

The Volpe Center is widely considered to be among the most outdated Division I facilities in the nation.

Phase two, which involves the construction of a 7,500 square foot addition to contain new locker rooms, a player’s lounge and training room, is now slated for completion in March, 2001, according to college President Richard J. Santagati.

“We are still on target, we just made some changes,” Santagati told the paper. “In phase two, we are adding some of the features that were going to wait until phase three. This has caused some delays as we had to revise the ‘Request for Proposal’ that was put out to the contractors who are bidding on the project.”

An upper level walkway, which will allow for the construction of an alumni club room known as the “Warrior Box,” has been added to the second phase of work, along with an elevator leading to the second level, according to Santagati.

Santagati also said that the third phase, originally scheduled to begin at the conclusion of the 1999-2000 season and conclude on Dec. 1, 2001, will now begin in the fall of 2001 and be completed in December, 2001 or January, 2002. Phase three involves the conversion of the current bleacher style rink to a wraparound bowl with 3,000 individual seats, an upper level concourse, a VIP lounge, eight private boxes and three press boxes.

The entire renovation, originally announced to cost $7 million, is now expected to reach into the $8-9 million range, according to Santagati, who noted that the school will fund one third of the cost from its operating budget. The other two thirds, or nearly $6 million, is expected to be met through support from alumni and the community.

Merrimack plans to play the majority of its early season Hockey East and non-conference games in 2001-02 on the road or in alternate home rinks while phase three is under way. However, the phase two work this season at the 28-year old Volpe Center will not have an effect on the team’s ability to use the rink for practice and games.

Season Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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Last year, the Irish advanced to The Joe for the first time since head coach Dave Poulin was a senior (1981-82).

After struggling early on, Notre Dame finished up strong-ish, going 7-5-5 after the mid-season break and beating Ferris State in three games in South Bend to advance to the CCHA Semifinals. Poulin thinks that the team that’s been on the verge of arriving for years has finally, well, arrived.

“There are always stumbling blocks, but I think we are now one of the elite programs in the country. For the past two years, we’ve been one of the top four teams in the CCHA.”

Poulin is fond of saying that success is a series of small steps, and this season will certainly provide a challenge for a Notre Dame squad that lost a chunk of the heart and soul that started that pointed the team in the direction of “elite.”

Star Search

There are five NHL draft picks on the Notre Dame squad. Five. Count ’em.

Ryan Clark (NY Islanders, 9th round, 1997), Jay Kopischke (Los Angeles Kings, 8th round, 1997), Brett Henning (NY Islanders, 9th round, 1999), David Inman (NY Rangers, 2nd round, 1999), and Evan Nielsen (Atlanta Thrashers, 8th round, 2000) are the five much-publicized drafted Irish players.

It’s no surprise that the highest pick, Inman (13-7–20) is one of Notre Dame’s top returning scorers, and one of just five players last season who ended the year on the good side of plus/minus (+5).

DAVID INMAN

DAVID INMAN

Dan Carlson (17-18–35, +2) is Notre Dame’s top returning scorer, followed by Ryan Dolder (10-14–24), and then Inman.

The next-highest scoring draftee is Nielsen, who had a good rookie season with four goals, 10 assists, and a plus/minus of +4.

“Up front, it’s really going come down to four guys, the bulk of it,” says Poulin. That’s the most depth we’ve had–sophomore Connor Dunlop, junior David Inman, and seniors Dan Carlson and Ryan Dolder.” Dunlop (3-13–16) is the fourth returning scorer.

Perhaps this less a team of stars than of talent waiting to maximize its potential.

Defending the Tribe

“Defense is going to be the key for us early,” says Poulin. “We had four senior starters last year all of whom are playing pro hockey right now and so we’re going to have to address the defensive situation right out of the gate.”

Those four players were Nathan Borega, Tyson Fraser, Sean Molina, and Sean Seyferth, the very rock upon which Notre Dame’s current success was built. No, these guys weren’t household names, necessarily, nor did they light the lamp repeatedly, but these four persevered through down years, disappointments, and injuries. Not only will be they missed on the blueline, but you can bet real American dollars that the Irish will feel the loss of their leadership.

“We’ll have three freshmen who will see a lot of time immediately–Neil Komadoski, Brett Lebda from the National Development program, and Tommy Galvin from the USHL,” says Poulin, who reminds us that Evan Nielsen, “a sophomore drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers, will have to be a horse back there for us on all special teams.”

Tony Zasowski (2.30 GAA, .909 SV% CCHA) returns to start for Notre Dame after a solid rookies season.

"We had four senior starters last year all of whom are playing pro hockey right now and so we’re going to have to address the defensive situation right out of the gate."

— Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin

“From a coaching standpoint, you had what you wanted to happen last year, and that’s the goalies decided it,” says Poulin. “Zasowski came in and basically took over the position, and that was very, very pleasing from our standpoint. I can tell you that Jeremiah Kimento, who was probably the incumbent coming in, has come back in the best shape of his career and wants to challenge right back.”

Kimento played seven league games, posting a .867 save percentage and 3.83 goals against average last season.

Team defense can only get better for the Irish, who ended the season 65 in the hole in league play, -91 overall.

I’ll Take That Lifeline Near the Goal Line, Please

If the Irish are going to emerge as one of the truly elite programs in college hockey, they’ve got to score some goals.

Period. End of discussion.

Last year, Notre Dame finished next-to-last in conference offense, tied with Alaska Fairbanks with a goal production of 2.32 per game; the Irish power play, oddly enough, was 6th in the league (.172).

Only three returning Irish players had goals totaling 10 or more last season–Carlson, Dolder, and Inman. Nine of Carlson’s goals came on the power play.

Is That Your Final Answer?

The Irish are the most polite boys on the ice, averaging just 17.00 minutes in the box per game– which is neither here nor there, really.

This team remains enigmatic, a bundle of raw talent with a coach to whom players are fiercely loyal, yet unable to really crack the big time. For all their talent, they were just one game above .500 in league play last year–which, sadly, was enough for 5th place out of 12 teams.

Season Preview: Lake Superior State Lakers

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Lakers head coach Scott Borek may be one of the wittiest guys around. “At Lake Superior, I’m happy to say, this summer was the first quiet one we’ve had in a while. I don’t know if that will lead to a quiet winter or not, but we hope so.”

After beginning the 2000-01 season with suspended players, after beginning the CCHA playoffs without a contract extension, Borek would love to settle into a low-key season.

Well, not too low key.

“We return a group of hungry players who have actually tasted a bit of success against some of the teams that we hadn’t had success prior to last season against.. We had some modest success at certain points of the season last year, but at the most important part of the season we did not.”

The Lakers beat the Wolverines in back-to-back games in Yost last November, and defeated the Spartans in Joe Louis Arena in February. Of course, Lake State also lost twice to Michigan Tech, and suffered a mind-numbing end to a great season: two straight losses at home to Bowling Green in the first round of the CCHA playoffs.

Fortunately for the Lakers, nearly every key component to last year’s squad returns to make a legitimate run for the league title.

JAYME PLATT

JAYME PLATT

Starring…

Jayme Platt (2.16 GAA, .934 SV% CCHA) stole the show last season–and stole the thunder from several league opponents.

“The strength of our team as everyone knows is going to be our defense, our goaltender, Jayme Platt, and our team defense more than anything else. We want to make sure that Jayme faces as few weak-side shots…as possible. If we’re successful in doing that, we’ll be successful as a team.”

Weak-side shots? How about all shots? Platt led the league in saves, in both conference play (840) and overall stats (1020). Team defense may be more positive than negative for the Lakers, but a team that finishes +57 in conference play (compared with Michigan’s +166 or Northern Michigan’s +175) hasn’t earned bragging rights–yet.

The two Ryans–Vince and Knox–return as Lake Superior’s top scorers. Ryan Vince (6- 17–23) led forwards in points, while Ryan Knox (4-17–21) led defenders.

The top returning goal-scorer for the Lakers is Jeremy Bachusz (10-9–19). In fact, other than Bachusz, only the now-graduated Ben Keup (13-5–18) totaled 10 or more goals for Lake last season.

Defending the Tribe

As with scoring, the Lakers are a team that defend by committee. Other than Knox and Platt, there are no real standouts on the Laker defense. Matt Frick (1-1–2, +1) missed 16 games with iritis but is expected to help Knox lead the experienced defensive corps.

Tyson Turgeon (1-7–8, -6), Klemen Kelgar (0-1–1, +1), and Will Magnuson (0-2–2, -4) are among committee members who hope to become better acquainted with the puck in their own zone this season.

Who Needs a Lifeline?

“We did lose a senior class that I think will have a large impact on our club…most definitely Ben Keup who was our captain for two years, who was a very strong power forward for us but who was also a very strong person,” says Borek.

“Ben’s strength was measured strictly by the fact that he was able during his career to be on a club that was dead-last about a year and a half ago to a team that finished in third place, and he was a major reason for that–not necessarily for his goals but surely for his leadership.”

"Obviously, this cluster we’re in is very, very challenging. This cluster is really an opportunity, because…if we have success within that cluster then obviously we’ll have a tremendous season."

— Lake State head coach Scott Borek on the ‘Supercluster’ of LSSU, NMU, Michigan and MSU

Borek says he feels “very good” about Lake’s senior class, and why not? The class includes Platt, Vince, and Knox, and the whole team has obviously kept its collective head together during some very stormy times in the college hockey fishbowl known as The Soo.

With a largely veteran team that posted a 10-4-2 record in the second half of regular-season play last year, the Lakers have proven that, while they may not be flashy, they know what it takes to band together to win.

And good goaltending, a couple of goal-scorers, and team unity may be all anyone needs in this league this season to finish as high as second place.

Is That Your Final Answer?

Much has been made about the “supercluster” of Michigan, Michigan State, Northern Michigan, and Lake Superior. In this grouping, there’s no doubt that Lake can hold its own, having finished 6-3-0 last season against the Wolverines, Spartans, and Wildcats.

“Obviously, this cluster we’re in is very, very challenging. This cluster is really an opportunity, because…if we have success within that cluster then obviously we’ll have a tremendous season.

“Last year, our goaltender kept us in a lot of games and gave us a chance in every game and that meant for us having a successful finish.”

Well, knock wood and protect Jayme Platt, and look for tremendous things to happen.

Season Preview: Ferris State Bulldogs

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Bob Daniels is a nice guy. The Ferris State Bulldogs are a nice team.

Nice guys don’t always have to finish last–or even close to last.

“Going into this year and probably every year, I’m always optimistic, maybe a little bit more so this year than in the past,” says Daniels. “Two players that we do lose that will hurt our team this season are Gary Ricciardi–probably our best defensive player and our captain last year– and Brian McCullough, who scored 25 goals for us last year. It’s been a while since we’ve had those kind of numbers from a player, and we’ll have a tough time replacing him.”

If he’s losing his top defender and leading scorer, why is Daniels so optimistic? Because he returns one of the most sneakily talented teams in the league in front of a really good goaltender, Phil Osaer (2.21 GAA, .909 SV% CCHA).

You should see Osaer’s picture in the CCHA Media Guide. That boy is smiling. At the end of the season, perhaps every Bulldog will be wearing the same grin.

Starring…

What Osaer and the rest of the Bulldogs know that you and the rest of the league may not is that Ferris State knows how to win games. Just ask Frozen Four participant St. Lawrence, or Clarkson, or Colgate, or BU.

Last year, Ferris State beat them all.

Osaer is definitely part of the reason for that, but the team in front of him deserves a lot of credit. While -7 in overall play, the Bulldogs finished positively in conference play at +16. And Ferris State was 4th in the league in offense, both in conference and overall play.

Kevin Swider is the Bulldogs’ top returning scorer. With 14 goals and 13 assists, he tied for 9th in league scoring last season, keeping company with Adam Edinger and J.F. Dufour, two players with greater name recognition.

Also returning up front for Ferris State is Rob Collins (8-14–22), whose offensive production had him tied for 22nd in conference play. Just 22nd, you scoff? Well, Collins was keeping company with Josh Langfeld and Greg Zanon, two guys who got much more ink.

“Over the last three or four years, we’ve really changed the dynamics of our team,” says Daniels. “We’re really a skating team…and I think we’ve got a number of good offensive players on our roster returning that will help ease the impact of the loss of Brian McCullough.”

JIM DUBE

JIM DUBE

One more guy that will help ease that pain is Chris Kunitz, who tallied 20 goals and 9 assists in overall play last year. “We expect big things from him in the coming year,” says Daniels.

Defending the Tribe–and the Realm!

“On defense, we return five of our top six defensemen. We feel really comfortable in that area,” says Daniels. “We have a number of players on defense who can contribute offensively. We’re going to be led there by our captain Jim Dube.”

Dube (4-16–20, +3), a two-time Academic All-American, had five multi-point games and four game-winning assists.

He’ll be joined in the blue line’s valiant efforts by Scott Lewis (4-8–12, +5), Christian Schroeder (3-6–9, +13), and Chad McIver (1-5–6, +5).

A Lifeline? How About a Few More League Wins?

While the Bulldog coaching staff did a great job of impressing upon the Ferris State players how important it is to win nonconference games, Daniels said more than once last season he would’ve liked to have dazzled a few more league opponents.

Finishing at an even .500 in league play doesn’t win a whole lot of respect around the home rinks, but that may work to Ferris State’s advantage. There is no reason at all that–given the nature of this rookie-heavy league and providing that Osaer holds up in net–the Bulldogs shouldn’t contend for home ice.

"Over the last three or four years, we’ve really changed the dynamics of our team. We’re really a skating team."

— Ferris State head coach Bob Daniels

Last year, Ferris State was 4th in league offense, 6th in league defense, 4th on the power play, 7th on the PK, and averaged just 19.21 penalty minutes per game. All stats were better in overall play, when the Bulldogs beat up on lightweights like St. Lawrence.

Is That Your Final Answer?

The one area that Bob Daniels thinks can be improved this season is, believe it or not, in net. Osaer finished 6th in the league in conference stats–behind Ryan Miller, Joe Blackburn, Dan Ragusett, Josh Blackburn, and Jayme Platt–but Daniels says, “I do feel that last year our goaltending didn’t play up to its capabilities.”

Lest you think he’s being less than optimistic, Daniels adds, “I have a ton of confidence in both of these kids.” The other kid in net is Vince Owen (2.95 GAA, .883 SV%).

“We have two very talented goalies…and I think they did play well last year. But one of the problems in the CCHA is that there are so many great goaltenders on so many teams that there’s a lot of pressure on that position.

“We feel very comfortable there, but we’d like to see some improvement over a year ago.”

If Osaer puts up better numbers than he did a year ago, nice guys will finish far, far away from last.

2000-01 CCHA Season Preview

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“We brought in nine freshmen this year, so there’s going to be a lot of competition for jobs. Our goal is to be an honest, hard-working club.”

This reality was defined by:

a) Rick Comley b) Bob Daniels c) Guy Gadowsky d) John Markell e) Buddy Powers?

If you chose “e,” you are one sharp CCHA fan. If, however, you said, “Geez, any one of these guys could have said that,” then you may move to the head of the class.

As the Central Collegiate Hockey Association celebrates its 30th anniversary this season, 95 of the 300 players on the league’s 12 rosters are newcomers–in other words, five shy of one-third.

"Like it or not, the CCHA schedule is so intense and so in depth…that there has to be some sort of looking at the other games as a tiny bit of a breather from the CCHA schedule, and I think that can cost you."

— Notre Dame head coach Dave Poulin

Alaska-Fairbanks (13), Ohio State (11), and Northern Michigan (10) lead the league in rookies. Bowling Green, Ferris State, and Miami each have eight; Michigan State, Nebraska-Omaha and Notre Dame have seven freshmen apiece. Lake Superior State and Western Michigan welcome six new players, while Michigan has the fewest with just four.

What, exactly, does this mean for a league coming off a season that can only be described as unspectacular?

A lot of competition for jobs. A lot of hard work.

Last year, the CCHA–a league that prides itself on the strength of its intraconference play, on its ability to match up well in nonconference competition–lacked representation in the Frozen Four for the first time since 1991. And while the rest of Division I men’s college hockey saw that as an appropriate indictment of a league fond of parroting parity, the CCHA coaches see their conference as anything but the weak sister.

“I think the teams in our league have been very competitive from year to year with nonconference opponents,” offers the always-understated Red Berenson.

Sure, Berenson’s Wolverines had a pretty good record against nonconference opponents and were distinguished by becoming the sole CCHA team to advance beyond one game in the NCAA tourney. But how did the league do as a whole?

Excluding games against Wayne State, Mercyhurst, Bemidji State, and Alabama-Huntsville (and we could exclude Michigan Tech, too, if the Huskies hadn’t earned two wins against a neighbor from the Yoop), the league went 33-38-3 out of conference last season.

This is Dave Poulin‘s spin situation.

“Like it or not, the CCHA schedule is so intense and so in depth, and you know so much about everybody and their teams, that there has to be some sort of looking at the other games as a tiny bit of a breather from the CCHA schedule, and I think that can cost you.

“You know [nonconference games] are in the national picture, and yet there’s no way…you prepare for those teams the way you do league opponents.”

Ron Mason says it’s the number of teams in the CCHA that undermines the way individual programs measure up in that national picture.

“If you look how our teams perform in the tournaments with other teams we do very well. I think the RPI will never be a true rating of our league because our lower division teams–whoever they might be–don’t have a chance to play enough games outside the league to become .500, and say Hockey East in comparison, their lower division teams don’t play as many league games so they’re able to play enough games outside the league to get up to .500, which really improves their RPI.

“In our league, because there are 12 teams, it’s going to be very difficult, with the exception of maybe a team or two, to have a really high RPI. That’s a credit in certain respects to our league being so strong, and yet the outside games don’t affect us nearly as much as our league games because we play so many.”

SCOTT MATZKA

SCOTT MATZKA

And so many with specific opponents. This year, the league’s cluster system pits Lake Superior, Michigan, Michigan State, and Northern Michigan against each other four times. Playing any of those teams four times in one season might be enough to hurt any team’s PWR, in any league.

Alaska Fairbanks, Bowling Green, Ferris State, and Nebraska Omaha make up another cluster, while Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Western Michigan form the third.

Rookies, parity, clusters…it’s enough to make a girl want to pick team names from a hat to determine who will finish where. Fortunately, though, the league itself has a mechanism in place to help sort out this mess.

Capitalizing on the current “reality-based” craze in television programming, the league has created “Who Wants to Be a Big Real World Survivor?” A spin-off of the conference’s most recent NCAA tournament play, the season-long drama stars a compelling cast of characters dedicated to reversing the CCHA’s postseason fortunes. Individual teams will compete from October through March for the chance to win a trip to The Joe, where further competition will determine who earns the league’s sole NCAA tournament automatic bid.

Here is a listing of each team’s individually subtitled, six-month-long episode, in expected order of finish. Wackiness ensues.

1. The University of Michigan Wolverines star in “Michigan Wins It All Even Though Mike Comrie Left.”

A team loaded for bear hardly blinks when its top scorer leaves for another kind of show, while banding together to protect its starting goalie from treacherous nuts. Gutsy performances by some of the league’s biggest stars, including the underrated Scott Matzka, king of shorthanded goals.

2. The Michigan State University Spartans star in “The Contenders.”

A stingy defense and a pedigreed goalie make opponents miserable as the squad looks to recapture glory not seen in East Lansing since 1986. The team also searches for The One to succeed Shawn Horcoff, who succeeded Mike York, who succeeded…

3. The Lake Superior State University Lakers star in “The Jayme Platt Show.”

Jayme Platt stands on his head in net, while his defensemen spend a season becoming better acquainted with the puck. The two Ryans–Vince and Knox–are Platt’s season-long special guest stars.

4. The Northern Michigan University Wildcats star in “The Hardest-Working Team in College Hockey.”

Led by a single-minded coach who gave up the glamorous life of an athletic director to spend more time on ice, this young squad will set out to prove that they still forecheck like nobody’s business.

5. The University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks star in “It Ain’t No Bull!”

Another young team sets out to prove that success during its first full year of league play was anything but a fluke. Featuring Josh Lampman, last of the Flames.

6. The Miami University RedHawks star in “Staying Alive.”

A mix of veterans and young talent tries to avoid injury for the duration of the season. Jason Deskins and Gregor Krajnc return to the cast.

7. The Ferris State University Bulldogs star in “Defenders of the Realm.”

These princes valiant look to reconjure last year’s nonconference magic while attempting to put a spell on opponents within the borders of their own land. They’ll also search for half the conference goals lost to graduation.

8. The Ohio State University Buckeyes star in “Right Out of the Gate.”

Plagued by an ongoing inability to find the net early in the season, this rookie-heavy squad seeks goals, goaltending, and more than four wins in October and November.

9. The Bowling Green State University Falcons star in “Desperately Seeking Consistency.”

In the post-Edinger era, a group of hard-working players struggles to put behind them the previous year’s roller-coaster performance while trying to adhere to their coach’s mantra: “Points every weekend.”

10. The University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish star in “And Now Arriving…”

Buoyed by a trip to Detroit last spring, hockey players in the hometown of Touchdown Jesus work to prove that their program is on the verge of arriving–again.

11. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks star in “Have Puck, Will Travel.”

A young team searches for a way to overcome the curse of one-goal losses while battling the elements, bad connections, and jet lag in our 49th state. Featuring genuine good guy Ryan Reinheller.

12. The Western Michigan University Broncos star in “Hey! Remember Us?”

Last alphabetically and defensively and dismissed in both the coaches and media polls, a team that scores nearly as many goals as it allows fights for respectability.

Season Preview: Miami RedHawks

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Miami head coach Enrico Blasi is a man of few words.

“We return 19 letterwinners from a year ago, including offensively our leading scorer Pat Leahy, and two gentlemen who missed the bulk of the season due to injury, Jason Deskins and Gregor Krajnc.

“Defensively we return six starters. We add three freshmen to that list and hopefully they can compete for ice time.

“In the net we return David Burleigh, who as a freshman played 25 games for us, had a real good first half and tailed off toward the end. We’re looking for him to…do a good job for us in the net.”

That’s nearly all he has to say about the upcoming season.

Perhaps the second-year head coach is just being cautious. After all, in addition to losing Deskins and Krajnc for the season last year, a slew of other players sustained injuries that either took them out of the lineup or impaired their play, including Evan Cheverie, Matt Medvecz, and Jake Ortmeyer.

“As much as we don’t want to use excuses, we didn’t have enough guys to finish the season, really,” says Blasi. “We were practicing 15, 16 guys some days.”

Blasi is actually not one to make excuses, but the injuries–and Burleigh’s mediocre second half–do explain how the RedHawks went 5-11-0 in the second half of the regular season, losing their last two games to Ohio State, a team that didn’t make the playoffs.

How does the way in which the season ended affect this year’s Miami squad?

“If anything,”says Blasi, “it motivates us.”

"Obviously, time will tell. I don’t think [last season is] indicative of our team."

— Miami head coach Enrico Blasi

Starring…

Obviously, the RedHawks are excited to have Deskins and Krajnc back in the lineup, but Blasi cautions against expecting too much from Deskins, who two years ago made a run at the league scoring title.

Top returning scorer is Pat Leahy (16-22–38), who was also by far and away the team leader in penalty minutes with 89. Nick Jardine (12-10–22) had an impressive rookie season. Cheverie (8-12–20) and Ernie Hartlieb (3-15–18) round out the ‘Hawks veteran offensive threats.

Defending the Tribe

Burleigh (3.13 GAA, .870 SV% CCHA) and seniors Ian Olsen and Andy Marsch combined for an overall team GAA of 3.34, and save percentage of .872. Burleigh’s overall save percentage was just .864; he saw just over 19 shots per game while allowing 3.33 goals in overall play.

DAVID BURLEIGH

DAVID BURLEIGH

Challenging Burleigh will be David Bowen, who was redshirted his first year in Miami and took last season off to play for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, and Nick Petraglia, who joins the RedHawks from Shattuck St. Mary’s Preparatory in Faribault, Minn. Bowen finished third among USHL goalies last year, while Petraglia posted a .921 save percentage.

The Miami blueline is experienced, returning six of seven players from last year’s team. Leading the RedHawk defense will be the newly healthy Medvecz (3-5–8, -1).

Throw a Lifeline, Now…and Some Bandages…and a Splint…and…

With the many injuries that plagued the RedHawks last season, it’s difficult to get a read on how the team will perform this year–providing it’s a healthy season.

“Obviously, time will tell,” says Blasi. “I don’t think [last season is] indicative of our team.”

Is That Your Final Answer?

Apparently so.

Tufts, St. Mike’s on the Move

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In meetings held this week, the ECAC approved the realignment of two teams currently playing in the ECAC Northeast. Beginning with the 2001-2002 season, St. Michael’s will become a member of the ECAC East, while Tufts will join the NESCAC.

logos/stmike.gif

St. Michael’s, the 1998-99 NCAA Division II champion, will play under rules currently in place for St. Anselm, another Division II school playing in the otherwise Division III ECAC East. Both will play a full conference schedule, but will not participate in the ECAC East playoffs. They will instead continue to play in the ECAC Division II playoffs, which were instituted last season.

“It is very exciting for us,” said St. Michael’s athletic director Geri Knortz. “We have had a strong interest into moving into the East for the past three years, and we are pleased that the opportunity was finally presented to us.

“It will be a step up in the level of competition.”

Tufts is a member of the NESCAC in all other sports, so its move to the NESCAC hockey conference had been anticipated since the NESCAC split with the ECAC East after the 1998-99 season.

MURPHY

MURPHY

“Clearly, it is the premier Division III league in the country,” said Tufts coach Brian Murphy about the NESCAC. “The last six National Champions have come from the NESCAC/ECAC East league. We’ll have to adjust quickly, but I think we’ll be able to do it. It’s where we belong and we’re glad it happened.

“We’ll take some lumps from some teams in the short term, but I hope we can contend for one of the seven playoff spots right away. We have some good young players here and we need to continue working hard on and off the ice. We’ll be playing in front of bigger crowds in better rinks, so we’re all very excited about it.”

The addition of Tufts and St. Michael’s will most likely mean a shuffling of travel partners. St. Michael’s is expected to be paired with nearby Norwich, the defending NCAA Division III champion. Norwich is currently paired with Middlebury.

ECAC assistant commissioner Steve Hagwell confirmed that the interlocking schedule between the ECAC and NESCAC will remain unchanged.

“The conferences will retain the scheduling arrangement, with each league having 10 teams for a total of 19 conference games,” said Hagwell. “The standings will be done the same way they are now.”

Each team in the ECAC East and NESCAC play the teams in its own conference plus all teams in the other conference once per season. Home ice is rotated from season to season.

Season Preview: Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks

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You’ll pardon Mike Kemp if he seems effusive.

In their first year of league play, the Mavericks–then a program just three years old–defeated or tied every team in the CCHA at least once, and finished second to Michigan State in the tourney’s Championship game.

“Our experience at this point in time in the CCHA has been overwhelming for our fans, for our program, our players, staff,” says Kemp. “We feel it’s been a tremendous move for our team and our school. We benefited greatly from our membership in this conference and are really very, very appreciative of all the members in this conference who saw to it that we could be added.”

If Northern coach Rick Comley weren’t such a stand-up guy, maybe he’d be rethinking his welcome of the Mavs into the league.

To get to The Joe, Nebraska Omaha beat Northern Michigan in three games in Marquette. The Mavericks then further stunned the college hockey world when they eliminated the Wolverines from the CCHA Semifinals–by a score of 7-4.

“Last year was a very special year for our program, getting into the league and having our first taste of nightly conference competition,” says Kemp. “It was quite an experience for our guys and one that we learned from…and benefited from.

“We look at this year as an extension of that learning experience. We still haven’t been to every building in the league yet…and as this season goes it will be one of great experience for us, increasing our learning curve.”

JEFF HOGGAN

JEFF HOGGAN

Of course, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. While the Mavs haven’t yet been to every rink in the league, they’ve played every team–and they’ll no longer have the element of surprise on their side.

Starring…

Goaltender Dan Ellis is a star, without having played a game in a UNO sweater.

The rookie from the Omaha Lancers notched 11 shutouts en route to posting a 2.25 goals against average and .925 save percentage. Ellis–one of the highest-rated players in college hockey’s 2000-01 rookie class–was named the USHL’s Player of the Year last season.

“In goal, it will be an interesting transition,” says Kemp. “Rodney McLeod played some last year…but played sparingly down the stretch will hopefully be stepping in and filling the void left by graduating senior Kendall Sidoruk, but he’ll be heavily challenged by incoming freshman Dan Ellis…and also redshirt freshman Brian Haaland.

“Hopefully, there will be good competition in goal, and look for that to be a strength of our team.”

Heavily challenged? Hopefully? Move over, Red Berenson; there’s another master of understatement in the league.

McLeod (3.34 GAA, .898 SV% CCHA) won’t see much action if Ellis is as good as his hype. Neither will Haaland.

Although the Mavericks are led by a large senior class, it’s youngsters who star on this squad. Sophomore David Brisson (17-15–32) is the top returning scorer, followed by senior Allan Carr (11-20–31), and sophomore defenseman Greg Zanon (3-26–29). Junior Jeff Hoggan (16-9–25) was second on the team in goal production last season.

Defending the Tribe

UNO returns most of its defense. “We have a good solid nucleus,” says Kemp, “although I don’t know that we’ll be spectacular.”

"Last year was a very special year for our program, getting into the league and having our first taste of nightly conference competition. It was quite an experience for our guys and one that we learned from…and benefited from."

— UNO head coach Mike Kemp

Aside from the CCHA All-Rookie Zanon, several seniors will contribute from the Maverick blueline. Ed Cassin, Josh Lampman, John Rosso, and Joe Yureko will be counted on to improve in front of the rookie Ellis.

Ten of Cassin’s 11 points came in league play. Lampman–appropriately named for being the last of the former UIC Flames in the league–returns to action after sitting out last season with an injury. Rosso (1-2–3, -1) was plus or even in 27 of 38 games he played last season, and the Mavs consider Yurecko (0-2–2, 0) last year’s most improved player.

A Lifeline, Please

“We have our largest senior class since the program started, and quite honestly our seniors this year [were] our first freshmen class,” says Kemp, “so we’ve yet to have an entire cycle run through in our program.”

Upstarts.

As charmed as was Nebraska Omaha’s inaugural CCHA season, it wasn’t perfect. Team defense (-35 overall, -9 in league play) obviously is an area where the Mavs need real improvement, especially if they’re going to spend upwards of 20 minutes per game in the box. In conference play, UNO averaged 23.07 penalty minutes per game, while killing those off at the unimpressive rate of 80.1%, 9th in the league.

Additionally, the Maverick power play clicked along at just 15.7% in league matches.

So, all is not perfect on the prairie.

Is That Your Final Answer?

One compelling side story to this year’s Maverick squad–aside from the fairy-tale season last year, the potentially incredible rookie goalie, the bard of a coach, and the fact that most people forget they finished below .500 in 1999-2000–is the change of guard in the position of captain.

“Up front, our captain Jason Cupp will be a senior. He looks forward to giving us great leadership,” says Kemp. “It’s going to be an interesting goal for him in the sense that in the three years that our program has been in existence, we’ve been led by the same captain for all three years, Jeff Edwards who graduated at the end of last season. So it will be a team in transition with a new style of leadership.”

Perhaps the transition won’t be limited to a new style of leadership. No one will be caught napping when the Mavs come to town this season.

Season Preview: Western Michigan Broncos

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Another second-year coach, Jim Culhane, is pleased with the progress his Broncos made last season.

“Last year was a very exciting year for us in that we finally made it back to the CCHA tournament with a young team and a young staff. It was the first time in three years that we made it back into post-season play. It was a tremendous experience for us to go into Yost Ice Arena to play against Coach Berenson and the Michigan Wolverines, and I think we learned from that experience.”

There’s no doubt that the Broncos had plenty to learn. Absolutely, unequivocally, indisputably dead-last in league and overall team defense, yet in the middle of the pack offensively, balance is one lesson Western could have studied at Yost.

In the second half of the season, the Broncos limped into the playoffs, posting a 5-12-1 record in the second half of the season.

Starring…

Yes, there are a couple of stars on the Bronco squad. As Culhane will point out, David Gove and Michael Bishai are not only Western Michigan’s top two returning scorers, but two of the top offensive veterans in the league.

DAVID GOVE

DAVID GOVE

Gove (18-28–46) finished 3rd in conference scoring, notching seven goals of those league goals on the power play. Bishai (15-18–33), tied for fourth in CCHA offense with FSU’s Brian McCullough, had 11 power-play goals, tying him for 8th in the nation.

Sophomore defenseman David Cousineau (8-17–25) is the squad’s third returning scorer, while Steve Rymsha (13-11–24) will also contribute.

Defending the Tribe

There’s no getting around it: Western Michigan’s defense was, well, not very good last season.

“In net, you’ll not see a change there. Jeff Reynaert will continue to be a workhorse for us,” says Culhane. Reynaert (3.76 GAA, .888 SV% CCHA) finished last among league goaltenders, and second-to-last in saves.

“Defensively is where we need improvement,” says Culhane. “We were last in the league last year defensively, and we feel offensively we have good firepower up front, be we need to make a commitment defensively. We need to pride our team…on not giving up the odd-man rushes, and doing a better job on the penalty kill situation also.”

The Broncos had the worst penalty killing unit in the league, successful just 78.1% of the time. Doing a better job on the penalty kill situation is an excellent idea.

"Defensively is where we need improvement."

— Western Michigan head coach Jim Culhane

A Lifeline?

Are you kidding?

Is That Your Final Answer?

“A big key for us,” says Culhane, “is not being able to put the puck in the net but being able by committee to take tremendous pride in reducing our goals against.”

In other words, they can score, but they can’t defend. In conference play, the Broncos scored 83 goals–one fewer than Michigan State, more than Notre Dame, as many as Nebraska Omaha. But Western allowed 109 goals in 28 league games–more than anyone, including Alaska Fairbanks and Ohio State, the two teams that sat out the CCHA playoffs last season.

The final answer? Unless things change on the Bronco blueline, life could be lonely at the bottom.

Season Preview: Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks

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Entering his second year as head coach, Guy Gadowski says, “I’m very excited–as I think everybody in Fairbanks is–to see which of these freshmen are going to come in and step up.”

It’s not that the Nanooks lack veteran talent, but some freshmen are bound to “step up” for UAF this season; there are 13 of them, literally half the team.

“Twelve of those will be eligible to play this season” says Gadowski. “We had a definite strategy at the end of the year to recruit toward our large ice surface at the Carlson Center, and I think we’re very happy with the results we’ve gotten.

“We’re definitely not looking for them to ease into anything; we’re going to rely on them to make a big impact right away.”

Starring…

…13 freshmen and a couple of upperclassmen.

Forwards Ryan Campbell (Ft. Saskatchewan/AJHL), Tom Herman (OCN/MJHL), and Jared Sylvestre (Bonnyville/AJHL) are three rookies expected to make that immediate impact on the Nanook offense. Each notched 100 or more points for his respective team last season.

The top returning scorer for UAF is Bobby Andrews (13-12–25), one of two Nanooks who totaled ten or more goals last season.

LANCE MAYES

LANCE MAYES

Also expected to help with the attack are Ryan Reinheller (3-11–14) and Blaine Bablitz (4-9–13).

Another returning star is goaltender Lance Mayes (3.30 GAA, .900 SV% CCHA), the reason the Nanooks held many opponents close last season.

Defending the Tribe

Senior captain Darren Tiemstra (1-4–5, -12) will lead from the blue line, with help from Chad Hamilton (1-4–5, -10), and Daniel Carriere (8-12–20, -8)–all solid defenders, in spite of certain negative numbers.

"We had a definite strategy at the end of the year to recruit toward our large ice surface at the Carlson Center, and I think we’re very happy with the results we’ve gotten. We’re definitely not looking for them to ease into anything; we’re going to rely on them to make a big impact right away."

— UAF head coach Guy Gadowsky

“Darren Tiemstra is just a fantastic leader,” says Gadowski. “This is going to be his third year as captain of the team. Last year he was UAF’s male scholar-athlete of the year.”

Joining the veterans will be rookie Felipe Larranaga, who scored nearly 40 points in two seasons with Des Moines of the USHL.

Another potentially impressive rookie defender, David Keough, will sit this year out because of two Major Junior games with the Edmonton Ice of the WHL last season.

A Lifeline…or a Pipeline…or Priceline…

With a team plus/minus ratio of -125 in overall play, the Nanooks obviously have some work to do this season. The Nanooks were next-to-last in league offense (2.32 goals per game) and league defense (3.57 goals allowed per game), 10th on the penalty kill (.799), yet 3rd in power play (.190), an area where UAF has traditionally been strong.

Is That Your Final Answer?

On paper, the Nanooks lack the stats to impress anyone…unless you look carefully at their record of last season.

Sure, they lost 25 games, but 11 of those losses were by just one goal, and six more were by two goals. That’s 17 of 25 losses by two goals or fewer–certainly competitive, and with the right amount of chemistry and luck, UAF may just play itself into the playoffs.

Gadowski certainly seems happy in his new job. “This summer has been very productive for us at UAF. We built a study lounge and video lounge for the players in the practice facility. We’re going to have a new look with our uniforms this year. We have secured a letter of agreement with cooperation from the Carlson Center as well as financial cooperation from both our chancellor’s office and the mayor’s office to build a new locker room in the Carlson Center.”

When you’re in Fairbanks, those little improvements to the facilities may help in the recruiting wars.

And membership in the UAF booster club has tripled this year, so the folks in Fairbanks think the new coach is doing some things right.

Season Preview: Michigan State Spartans

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OSU head coach John Markell recently quipped, “Michigan State lost their best goaltender last season–Mike Weaver.”

Gone from the Spartan ranks is Weaver (0-8–8, +17), the last of a long line of great stay-at-home defenders that included Jeff Kozakowski and Tyler Harlton.

Even head coach Ron Mason can read some of this writing on the wall. “In the past, we’ve put up some unbelievable defensive numbers, surprising even to me some of the numbers we’ve put up. Whether or not we can continue with those kinds of numbers, I think that’s kind of up in the air. I don’t think we’re going to shoot for them, but I think we’ll be pretty strong defensively because we have a lot of return players.”

With a 6-4 preseason loss to the US Under-18 Team, perhaps there’s more than defense that’s “kind of up in the air” in East Lansing.

Starring…

Without question, the sole superstar on the Spartan squad is sophomore goaltender Ryan Miller (1.34 GAA, .941 SV%, CCHA). Not only did the fabled netminder carry the load for Michigan State his rookie year, but shutout opponents in one-third of his starts (8 of 24), including back-to-back blankings in the CCHA Semifinals and Championship game.

Up front, the Spartans look to Rustyn Dolyny (18-19–37) to fill the enormous skates left by Shawn Horcoff. Says Mason, “Rustyn Dolyny is our captain. He’s a proven scorer and a good leader, and I think our leadership will be there. He’s had some pretty good people to follow in Horcoff, and Tyler Harlton, and also Mike York, so I like that aspect of our team a lot.”

Also contributing offensively will be Adam Hall (26-13–39), the team’s leading returning scorer.

RYAN MILLER

RYAN MILLER

So far, that there are more alumni mentioned than current players should tell you something about how hard Michigan State is going to have to work to live up to expectations.

Defending the Tribe

The Spartans are team that has prided itself on overall team defense, not just stinginess from the blueline. Players like Horcoff and York left a legacy of two-way play that will be hard to recapture.

In addition to Hall and Dolyny, Brian Maloney (12-19–31), Damon Whitten (10-14–24), and John Nail (5-9–14) are the most likely candidates to carry on as solid two-way forwards. Nail, especially, is a very physical player.

Defensively, any team would have difficulty in trying to match Michigan State’s numbers from the 1999-2000 season. In 28 conference games, the Spartans allowed just 46 goals, averaging 1.64 per game. No one in league play came close to Michigan State on the PK, either, where the Spartans were effective 91.1% of the time.

"I think this year, like every year, is going to see a lot of one-goal games. The team that wins those one-goal games is usually the team that ends up having the best record."

— Michigan State head coach Ron Mason

Andrew Hutchinson (5-12–17, +4) is being touted as Michigan State’s leading return defender, but sophomore John-Michael Liles (8-20–28, +14) may be the best blueliner on the squad, effective on both sides of the puck.

Miller is, of course, expected to start in net, and barring a shift in the Earth’s polarity, he’s likely to contend for top goalie in the nation, again.

About That Lifeline…

Part of Michigan State’s success in recent years is the annual emergence of a new hero to lead the team. After Sean Berens, it was Mike York; after York, Horcoff. This year, Mason’s banking on Dolyny to do the proverbial stepping up, and while Dolyny may have a solid season ahead of him, it may not be too long before “Liles” becomes a household name in the CCHA neighborhood.

Another issue for the Spartans to face is their cluster, which included Michigan, Northern Michigan, and Lake Superior State. Michigan will do damage to a good many teams in the league; Northern, although young, is never a cakewalk; Lake State will prove formidable opposition this season.

If the Spartans hold their own within that cluster, they may finish high. If not, they may be looking at playing some place other than Munn in the first round of the CCHA playoffs.

Is That Your Final Answer?

“It’s nice to be chosen as one of the top teams in the league,” says Mason. “We’ve been there in the past and I don’t think we’re going to change the way we do things. We’ll go after everybody every night if we can; we know how difficult it really is.”

What’s nice is hearing a coach say he pays attention to preseason polls. The standard line is usually contains the phrase, “we don’t pay much attention,” and ends with “…a battle every night.”

Well, Mason doesn’t deviate from script completely.

“I think this year, like every year, is going to see a lot of one-goal games. The team that wins those one-goal games is usually the team that ends up having the best record. Our league is that tight and if you can persevere and be successful in those games, that’s usually the key.”

Season Preview: Ohio State Buckeyes

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“I’m looking forward to this season after such a disappointing season last year,” says John Markell. “It’s definitely a rebuilding year for us, one in which you might see 10 freshmen on the ice.”

Rebuilding? Ohio State’s season could be further subtitled, “Oh, How the Mighty with the New Rink Have Fallen.”

It was just three seasons ago that the Buckeyes advanced to the Frozen Four, two seasons when OSU was last received an NCAA tourney bid.

Last year, the Buckeyes missed the CCHA playoffs for the first time since 1982–the year some of this season’s freshmen were born.

But Markell is counting on those freshmen to help turn around this young squad, and put behind the team for good the slow starts that stymie this club nearly every year. After all, the Buckeyes went 7-7-2 in the second half of last season, a better record during that stretch than at least one team that made the playoffs posted.

Starring…

Well, it’s hard to say who’s starring for Ohio State, now that Eric Meloche and Ray Aho are gone.

"I really truly think there’s a sour taste in their mouths from what they did last year. They’re not happy with happened. Going from such a high to such a low is a tough position to put themselves into and luckily three or four of them have taken it upon them to make sure that it won’t happen again."

— Ohio State head coach John Markell

Certainly, Jean-Francois Dufour (13-22–35) would be a star on nearly any team. In spite of the Bucks’ 11th-place finish, Dufour finished 9th in league scoring. Beyond that, there are few marquee names on this Ohio State squad.

“We’re looking for the senior leadership from Andre Signoretti and Jean-Francois Dufour, looking for kind of an up year for Jason Crain [after an injury], and we’re looking for some goal scoring from Nick Ganga,” says Markell. “Basically we’re looking for a core of hockey players coming back to take this hockey team back to the playoffs.”

Signoretti (2-11–13) and Dufour, unanimous picks to co-captain the team, comprise two-thirds of Ohio State’s senior class. Jaisen Freeman (1-8–9) is the other third.

The Buckeyes are certainly looking for big things from a number of rookies, including forwards R.J. Umberger and Scott May, defenseman Doug Andress, and goaltender Mike Betz.

Umberger led his U.S. Developmental Program teams in scoring the past two seasons, posting 35 goals and 39 assists in 73 games last season. Markell likens May to former Buckeye Chris Richards. May had 42 goals and 42 assists in 54 games for the South Surrey Eagles of the BCHL last season.

Andress was named the CJHL Defenseman of the Year for the Brockville Braves last season, tallying 21 goals and 51 assists in 53 games. Betz had a .903 save percentage for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL last season.

Defending the Tribe

The Buckeye blueline did Aho few favors last season. The senior goalie made 997 saves in overall play, third behind the amazing Jayme Platt and the beleaguered Jeff Reynaert.

The team finished a dismal -117 collectively in conference play.

In addition to Signoretti, Freeman, and Crain (2-9–11, -6), the Buckeyes also return Pete Broccoli (0-3–3, -5), and Scott Titus and Eric Skaug–but neither Titus or Skaug right away. Titus is waiting to be cleared from offseason surgery; Skaug sat out all of last season and will miss the first eight games of this one because of prior Major Junior experience.

JEAN-FRANCOIS DUFOUR

JEAN-FRANCOIS DUFOUR

Throw Out A Lifeline, Now

The Buckeyes can only improve in just about every category.

Ohio State was dead-last offensively in conference play last year, averaging 2.00 goals per game. Defensively, the Bucks fared little better, giving up an average of 3.39 goals each contest for 9th in the league.

The OSU power play was, not surprisingly, unimpressive, converting at 15.9%, and the penalty kill was abysmal, effective 78.9% of the time–a bad, bad thing for a team that led the league in the box, averaging 27.07 minutes per game.

But if history has taught us anything, it’s that Ohio State loves to play the role of the underdog. And this year, the Buckeyes may have reason to be cautiously optimistic.

Is That Your Final Answer?

From new faces to new attitudes, John Markell thinks that fans will see a much different Buckeye team this season.

“I think there’s no doubt that the dedication is there, from what I see of the guys I know who stayed this summer, which is just about everybody,” says Markell. “Even some of the young guys [the rookies] were in here. “I think there’s a rededication to building their own tradition here. Really, that starts at the top. I see that in Signoretti, Dufour, and Freeman, three of the hardest-working guys. It’s nice when it’s your upperclassmen trying to show your team how to win.

“Right now, we’ve got a bunch of guys…that unless the program does well they probably won’t do well. But I really truly think there’s a sour taste in their mouths from what they did last year. They’re not happy with happened. Going from such a high to such a low is a tough position to put themselves into and luckily three or four of them have taken it upon them to make sure that it won’t happen again.”

To summarize, Markell says, “We’ve got a bunch of guys who will be playing for the crest on their sweaters.”

And if you think that’s not reason enough to believe the world as we know it is about to end, consider this: Ganga, who spent 112 minutes in the penalty box last year, says he won’t earn more than 50 minutes this season, “guaranteed.”

I don’t know about you, but I think I’m heading for church.

Season Preview: Northern Michigan Wildcats

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Rick Comley is a happy man. He’s no longer Athletic Director at Northern Michigan University.

“It’s like a rebirth for me–25th year of the program, silver anniversary, and I’m back to being a full-time coach again. I can’t tell you how much that means to me, how much better I feel.

“It’s great to go in in the morning and have all day to work on hockey and not deal with problems all sports have. I’m not sure my assistants like it too much, because they used to come in and have peace, and now I’m waiting for them to get there so we can get going.”

Comley is the only coach in the 25-year history of the Northern Michigan hockey program. His record at NMU is 494-404-59, and he’s only the 12th college hockey coach to win 450 games at one school.

For those of you out there who dismiss the Wildcats because Roger Trudeau and J.P. Vigier are gone and because there 10 rookies on this year’s squad, think again.

Rick Comley’s on the job, full time.

Starring…

Trudeau and Vigier were responsible for 39 Wildcat goals last season. While that would be a significant portion of any team’s offense, losing 39 goals would be devastating to more offensively conservative clubs like last year’s Buckeyes, Nanooks, or RedHawks.

Given that Northern Michigan tallied 129 goals in overall play last season, there are bound to be a few guys left who can put the puck in the net.

"I think our team will be typical of Wildcat hockey—good defensively, we’ll play hard, we’ll hit, we’ll do what we have to do—so I think we’ll be tough to play against."

— Northen Michigan head coach Rick Comley

The top returning scorer is Chris Gobert (18-15–33), last year’s CCHA Rookie of the Year and a solid two-way forward. Chad Theuer (11-16–27) is the only other returning Wildcat to top ten goals.

That leaves a whole mess of other players–hardly stars, yet–who contributed to the NMU offense, including sophomore defenseman Jimmy Jackson (8-10–18, +21) who may develop into a real play-maker.

Defending the Tribe

Everyone successfully defended the Wildcats last season. Everyone. There was no one on the Northern Michigan team on the wrong side of the plus/minus ratio.

In addition to Jackson, a pair of Seans–Connolly and Owens–help anchor the Wildcat blueline this season. On the indisputable hardest-working team in college hockey, it’s no surprise that Connolly (2-14–16, +11) toughed out most of last season with a broken hand. Owens (1-8– 9, +9) dealt with his own physical pain, a shoulder injury that plagued him most of the season.

It’s no wonder these guys played hurt. Have you seen the Wildcats hit?

Dan Ragusett (2.06 GAA, .913 SV% CCHA) returns to defend the net. Ragusett’s hot glove was a major contributor to his five shutouts last season.

“I think we’ll be pretty good defensively,” says Comley. “We return six defenseman [and] Danny Ragusett in goal. Craig Kowalski, a freshman from the Detroit area–I think he’s going to be an outstanding college goaltender.”

DAN RAGUSETT

DAN RAGUSETT

Lifeline? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Lifeline!

“I think our team will be typical of Wildcat hockey–good defensively, we’ll play hard, we’ll hit, we’ll do what we have to do–so I think we’ll be tough to play against.”

Oh, the coach knows his team! And he ain’t just blowin’ air, either.

While it’s true that Northern Michigan is young team, the veterans who are returning are some of the players who helped the Wildcats to a third-place league finish, a conference offense second only to Michigan (3.32 goals per game), a conference team defense second only to Michigan State (2.29 goals allowed per game), and special teams that were… that were… .

Oh. Yeah. Special teams.

In spite of that killer offense, the Wildcats were only 9th in the league on the power play, converting at just 15.8%. The penalty kill was little better, successful 82.2% of the time for 8th in the league.

And then there were the playoffs… .

“I’m very disappointed in the playoffs, although it was a great playoff,” says Comley. “Mike and I battled heads went to a third game, a very very tough loss for us and a great win for them, but that’s what makes this league special and college hockey great.”

“Mike” is Mike Kemp, head coach of the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks, the first-year, seventh- place team with a below-.500 conference record that ended Northern’s season prematurely in three games in Marquette last March.

Don’t think that isn’t motivation.

Is That Your Final Answer?

“We have a lot of question marks,” says Comley. “I look at the two polls–eighth in one, fourth in the other–and all of us picked Michigan and Michigan State one and two, but then I think it’s going to be a dog fight. We will really arrive as a league when eleven can beat one, twelve can beat three, and that’s what makes races exciting. And I know that for our program, very seldom are you in a game anymore when you can win 6-1.

“You play every minute to win a hockey game and it doesn’t matter where you are; every game is a battle.”

Season Preview: Michigan Wolverines

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“There’s not much new in Michigan,” says head coach Red Berenson.

Wouldn’t every team in the league love to have Berenson’s brand of same old, same old?

The Wolverines, ranked No. 2 in the preseason USCHO.com poll behind defending national champion North Dakota, return a tremendous senior class and a stellar goaltender, with minor losses to graduation and a less-than-minor loss to greener pastures. Mike Comrie (24-35–59) opted out, but as Berenson says, “On a good note, we really only lost a small senior class and have a small freshman class coming in.”

Starring…

“We think we’ll have more depth and balance up front with our senior class of five forwards,” says Berenson. More balanced?

Mark Kosick (18-16–34) returns as the squad’s top scorer, complimented by classmates Scott Matzka (15-15–30), Geoff Koch (12-16–28) and Josh Langfeld (9-21–30), who, Berenson hopes, “will rebound from an off year last year to his high-level production of his first two seasons.”

GEOFF KOCH

GEOFF KOCH

Berenson also says that “we’ll have a good sophomore class,” led by Andy Hilbert (17-16–33) and Mike Cammalleri (13-13–26). Take away Comrie’s 15 league goals, and the Wolverines still have more than any opponent with 97.

Defending the Tribe

“We’ll be solid in goal this year if Josh Blackburn stays healthy,” says Berenson. Blackburn (2.38 GAA, .905 SV%) missed 17 games last season with an off-ice foot injury. In 16 conference games, Blackburn’s save percentage was even more impressive at .913.

The junior goalie has the luxury of a great defense to front him, blueliners who are often overshadowed by Michigan’s powerful scoring abilities. Led by junior Jeff Jillson (8-26–34, +10), senior Dave Huntzicker (2-11–13, +27), and junior Jay Vancik (3-5–8, +29), the Wolverines held league opponents to 65 goals last season (104 overall).

“We think we’ll be stronger on defense with two incoming freshmen adding depth to our defense,” says Berenson. Those rookies are Mike Komisarek from the US National Team Development Program, and Andy Burnes from the Compuware Ambassadors.

"Overall, we hope to be in every game, but there are some areas we’re concerned about obviously."

— Michigan head coach Red Berenson

I’d Like a Lifeline, Please

“Overall,” says Berenson, “we hope to be in every game, but there are some areas we’re concerned about obviously.”

OK, if scoring, defending, and goaltending are strong, what areas of concern will the Wolverines address? Special teams and hot heads.

Last season, as strong as Michigan was, the Wolverine power play was fifth in conference play (.184) and second overall (.196), while the penalty kill was third against league opponents (.856), fifth overall (.840).

These would be great numbers for most teams, but most teams didn’t spend 26.46 minutes per conference game in the box.

Which brings us back to Mike Comrie. While the Wolverines may miss Comrie up front, they won’t miss the time he spent in the box–95 minutes.

Hmmm…one strong team minus a little guy with a huge ego who drew as much negative attention as positive to his squad equals what, one wonders, in the locker room?

Is That Your Final Answer?

On Sept. 20, Berenson told the media, “As a coach, when you have a big returning team, you think you know exactly who’s going to play with who and what your lines of defense pairs are, but as coaches we don’t know one line today and one pair of defensemen.

“Even though we’re an experienced team, there’s going to be a period of experiment.”

Experiment? The variables are minimal.

Season Preview: Bowling Green Falcons

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Buddy Powers has a way with words.

“I feel overall in the league…goaltending, staying healthy, and getting a break here and there is going to determine an awful lot of the final standings. Depending on those three categories, [especially] who stays healthy, and who gets the hot guy in the net.”

If those are the criteria for success, the Falcons begin the season behind the 8-ball. Senior defenseman and captain Doug Schueller (2-5–7, +6) had knee surgery at the end of last season, and will be out until at least December. “His loss will be felt,” says Powers, “He’s a tough physical defense, and a real presence in our locker room. Making up for his loss is going to be a little bit tough early on.”

Getting the hot guy in net is the other part of Powers’ equation. Neither Shawn Timm (2.30 GAA, .915 SV% CCHA) or starter Tyler Masters (2.91 GAA, .898 SV% CCHA) performed consistently between the pipes.

Throw into the mix a team that can score but which has no aversion to the penalty box, and your guess may be as good as anyone’s as to where the Falcons will finish this season.

Starring…

There’s no question that Bowling Green boasts its share of talented players.

" I see the coaches poll and the media poll, and I think there will be a few surprises along the way."

— Bowling Green head coach Buddy Powers

Powers thinks that Greg Day (13-16–29), the team’s top returning scorer is “ready to break out in this league.” Powers says that sophomore Ryan Fultz (17-10–27) had a “tremendous” rookie year. “We’re looking for him to continue in that vein, as well as Ryan Murphy to return to the form of his sophomore year.” Murphy had nine goals and 10 assists last season.

Then there’s defender Grady Moore (7-19–26), who had five power-play goals.

“We want a lot of guys to pitch in and make us real competitive in the league and do battle for a home ice playoff spot,” says Powers.

Defending the Tribe

Both Timm and Masters have what it takes to play and play well in this league. Timm has a ton of raw talent but has seen little time in net since his rookie year, when he surprised everyone mid-way through the season.

His collegiate career began mid-way through his rookie season because he came to Bowling Green too out of shape to play. Perhaps the amount of time he rides the bench says something about his work habits.

Masters, on the other hand, is a capable goalie who had a roller-coaster season. Powers has a good deal of confidence in this sophomore netminder.

GREG DAY

GREG DAY

The Falcon team defense–led by Schueller, Moore, Louis Mass, and Marc Barlow–also saw its share of ups and downs last year. Finishing 7th in the league while allowing 3.14 goals per game, ironically Bowling Green was decent on the penalty kill, finishing 4th (.851).

A Lifeline, Please

The Falcons like to mix it up. Spending on average 24.04 minutes in the box per league game, this team had Powers lamenting about “stupid penalties” all season long last year.

But this is another team that does everything by committee–including sit in the box. A dozen players had 30 or more minutes in the clink in conference play, but the biggest offender, B.J. Adams, is gone.

As they break the rules by committee, so do the Falcons score by committee. A dozen players had double-digit points in overall play last year, and the team finished -13 overall, +2 in CCHA action. This was a squad that finished 3rd offensively in league games, averaging 3.21 goals per game, right behind the powerhouses of Michigan and Northern Michigan.

If the Falcons can get their collective act together–stay out of the box, play better defensively, and get their “break here and there”–they may surprise a few people this season.

Final Answer?

In fact, Buddy Powers is counting on the unexpected this year.

“I think it’s going to be a tough battle. It’s an awful tough league to play in, night in night out. The competition between the teams is intense and pretty close. I see the coaches poll and the media poll, and I think there will be a few surprises along the way.”

Season Preview: Merrimack Warriors

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On the face of it, the Warriors lost a lot of players at key positions. No doubt that led to their distant dead-last position in the Hockey East Coaches’ Preseason Poll. Nonetheless, there’s still room for optimism.

Countering a lack of experience — particularly on defense — will be an upgrade in team speed as coach Chris Serino continues to shape the personnel to his desired style of play.

“We want guys here who can skate,” says Serino. “I think that we’re a lot quicker this year. Up front, we’re as quick as we were last year, maybe a little bit quicker, and we’re much quicker on defense this year. We have some young kids on defense and we’ll continue to get quicker there over the next couple of years.

“One of the things we did over [my] first two years is that we got a little bit smaller as we got quicker, but I think we’ve addressed that. We’ve got a couple of freshmen — [Marco Rosa, 6-1, 175, and Lou Eyster, 6-1, 190 ] — who are very quick with some good size, too.”

The emphasis on speed is most apparent on defense. Not only was that a major factor in recruiting this year’s freshmen, but returnees Stephen Moon and Brad Mills have opted for less bulk in the pursuit of improved speed. Moon, who played last year at 250 pounds, is down to 230. Mills dropped from 225 to 200.

"People are going to be shocked at what they see from that kid this year. He will be as good as any player in the league."

— Merrimack head coach Chris Serino on sophomore Anthony Aquino

“In the style we play, quickness is more important than how bulky you are,” says Serino. “[Moon and Mills] realized that and made the commitment to be better.”

That improved foot speed will have to overcome a significant loss of experience on the blue line. That said, Serino contends that many may be overestimating the youth of his defensive corps.

“We lost four senior defensemen, but we also have four defensemen coming back who played quite a bit for us,” he says. “Stephen Moon is back, he’s completely healthy and ready to go. I expect him to be very good this year. Nick Cammarata, with a year under his belt, is going to be a very good defenseman. Tim Foster and Brad Mills have played for us for two years. So we’ve got four experienced guys back there.

“We’ve got five freshman defensemen here that all are capable of playing. The nice thing is that I don’t have to throw five of them out there at once. I have four returning guys with plenty of experience, so the other guys can [work into the lineup] at the pace that they need to be broken in at.”

In goal, Tom Welby will be looking to take back the number-one spot that he lost last year to Cris Classen. While he’ll presumably start the season ahead of junior Jason Wolfe on the depth chart, the same may not be true for Joe Exter. Exter had to sit out last year, and the first two games of this season as well, because of playing in major junior hockey. However, he impressed many during practices last season and could become a major contributor.

“Tommy will obviously start out as our number-one guy,” says Serino. “But I think he’s going to be pushed very hard by Joe Exter and Jason Wolfe. I can foresee that our goaltending situation will probably be best if I can play one guy one night and the other one the next night.

“In our situation, we have to look for consistency. I’ve had this discussion with Tommy many times. You can’t make 40 saves and let in two soft goals. We can’t afford that. You’re better if you can make the saves you’re supposed to make. What we’re looking for from all our guys is to make all the saves he’s supposed to make and maybe steal one or two goals. If he does that, then our chances of winning are very good.”

TOM WELBY

TOM WELBY

Although the Warriors only lost three forwards, the early departure of Greg Classen to the pros really hurt. A measure of just how good a player he is can be found in his presence on the Nashville Predators’ opening-day roster. Thoughts of him playing on a line with Anthony Aquino for several years had to put a twinkle in Serino’s eyes.

With Classen gone, a number of forwards will need to step up to fill the void. Aquino, who entered the league last year as not only a 17-year old but a young one at that, moves to the head of that class.

“He’s twice as good as he was last year,” says Serino. “Last year, he was just a kid trying to feel his way through. He did a pretty good job at it, but now he’s a take-charge type player. People are going to be shocked at what they see from that kid this year. I think he will be as good as any player in the league. I’ll be shocked if he isn’t taken in the first or second round of the NHL draft this year.”

Serino also expects big contributions from several other players.

“Nick Parillo is much better than he was last year,” says Serino. “Ryan Kiley is a kid who could have a huge year for us. He’s got potential to do it. Alex Sikatchev is very skilled. We’ve got some seniors who I think will have a good seasons for us. Marco Rosa and Lou Eyster are a couple of young kids who I think are going to help us immediately.

“Up front we’re probably the deepest that we’ve been since I’ve been here. I think we’ve got more 10-15 goal scorers than we’ve ever had. I don’t know if they’ll do it, but they’ve got the potential.”

Despite the doubters, Serino is confident that the Warriors can have a successful season.

“We were in most of our games last year,” he says. “When we beat BC or tied Maine, we weren’t doing that while being outshot, 40-10. We were right there. It wasn’t like it was lucky for us to win the game. If we get some balanced scoring, I think that could be the difference for us.”

Season Preview: Providence Friars

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The Friars displayed pronounced schizo tendencies last year. They opened with only two wins in their first eight games, then won nine out of 10. They followed that hot streak with a 1-6-1 stretch only to turn things around yet again and win six of eight.

“It was a roller coaster year for us emotionally,” says coach Paul Pooley. “When we were on, we were on, but when we were off, we couldn’t find a way to win.”

Providence then lost 10 players, including top scorers Doug Sheppard and Fernando Pisani, and all but three defensemen. Perhaps the toughest loss was that of defenseman Mike Farrell, who turned pro early and added yet more attrition to a blue line that was already being decimated by graduation.

"Our biggest strong suit over the last couple years was supposed to be defense and it turned out that it wasn’t. We had to score a lot of goals."

— Providence coach Paul Pooley

Senior co-captains Jay Leach and Matt Libby form the nucleus of the returning defensive corps and are joined by sophomore Shawn Weiman. Supplementing those three will be freshmen Stephen Wood, Jason Platt, Regan Kelly and Dominic Torretti.

“Obviously, Libby and Leach are our leaders,” says Pooley. “They’re our co-captains and they both play well defensively.

“We’ll have three freshmen playing, no question. Kelly and Platt will most certainly be asked to contribute. Stephen Wood looked good in all the off-ice work we’ve done. Torretti may be more of a role player, making use of his intensity.

PAUL POOLEY

PAUL POOLEY

“Our defense will be young, but I think we’re going to come along pretty quickly. It might be one of our stronger suits as the year goes along because of the type of kids that we have.”

“Our biggest strong suit over the last couple years was supposed to be defense and it turned out that it wasn’t. We had to score a lot of goals. Last year it really wasn’t a strong point for us for the most part.

“Now we’ve got a young group in here and we’re going to expect an awful lot out of them and teach them to get up on the gap and do the things that we want to do. I think they’re going to be a very good group.”

Goaltenders Boyd Ballard and Nolan Schaefer will have to keep the puck out of the net while the freshman blueliners learn the collegiate ropes.

“Boyd had a great February for us last year,” says Pooley. “He went 6-2 and played well in Maine. Nolan showed signs of playing very well also, but injuries late in the year put him out of action.

BOYD BALLARD

BOYD BALLARD

“I think they’re going to rotate. From a coach’s point of view, it’s nice to have two goalies who can play. They get to feed off each other. They need to be competitors and want to be in the net. But I look at it as having two goalies who can play and if somebody emerges and takes the reins, then so be it.”

The brightest spot among the younger talent last year came up front. In their first season as Friars, Peter Fregoe and John DiSalvatore both came close to cracking the 30-point barrier. Another freshman, Devin Rask, topped the 20-point mark.

“Our young guys came along last year, playing a lot in February,” says Pooley. “I think that’s going to bode well for us this year. At the end of the year, DiSalvatore was our best player. Obviously, his hunger and his drive will help us.

“Fregoe was on the all-rookie team. Rask came into the spotlight when he was moved up onto a line with Fregoe and DiSalvatore in February. He has some intangibles that he can contribute, too.

“Drew Omicioli really played well for us the second half of the year, mostly in February. He’s really made strides and should be an offensive player for us as well as one of our PK [Penalty Kill] players.”

Pooley also sees a perhaps less visible, but still vital contribution from senior Adam Lee.

“He’s certainly going to be a big player for us up front in key situations,” says Pooley. “Whether it’s as an offensive player has yet to be determined, but in terms of being a key player on the ice defensively in key situations, he certainly will have a big impact.”

Of the five freshmen forwards, Cody Loughlean would seem to be a shoo-in to make the biggest initial impact. The 5-foot-9-inch, 185-pounder earned Player of the Year honors after a stellar season in Canadian juniors.

“We’re looking for him to be able to come in and play right away,” says Pooley.

In general, though, Pooley is looking more to his upperclassmen for results than the rookies.

“Our seniors, juniors and sophomores have to make it tough for the freshmen to play in order for us to get better,” he says. “If [the freshmen] do beat people out, that’s good for our program because people are competitive and we’re bringing good players in.”

Despite what looks like a rebuilding year, Pooley remains optimistic.

“I know we’ll be a lot faster than we were last year and we’ll be a lot deeper, too,” he says. “I think we’re going to surprise a lot of teams who think we lost a lot. We did, but we have a lot coming back.

“The things that always make a good team a lot better and great are the intangibles of leadership and character. Those are the things that we have to have happen for us. Some people have to emerge as the year goes along, but I think that will happen.

“We’re a young team in many regards, but the qualities we have in our older people are the qualities that are very important in being a successful team. We’re just going to go out and show what we can do, be hungry and aggressive and be in peoples’ faces and have the attitude that we’re going to be a top team.”

Season Preview: Boston College Eagles

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Is the glass half empty or half full?

Do BC fans torture themselves with woulda-coulda-shoulda possibilities involving national championships the last three years? Or do they draw pride and satisfaction in the fact that during that stretch their team is the only one in the country to have reached the Frozen Four each time?

Do they bemoan the loss of three collegiate stars in Mike Mottau, Jeff Farkas and Blake Bellefeuille? Or do they revel in watching another two: Brian Gionta and Bobby Allen?

Glass-half-full’ers at Chestnut Hill should be in for a treat this year. Once again, the Eagles look to be as talented as any other team in the league and perhaps the nation. Whether they finish on top of the First to Fourth Lottery or not, a fourth consecutive trip to the Frozen Four and maybe even that elusive national championship would not be a surprise.

"I think they’re in that ballpark."

— BC head coach Jerry York, comparing his freshman class to the Mottau-Farkas-Bellefeuille group of four years ago

The reasons for optimism begin with another great senior class. Gionta and Allen are but the leading members of a group that also features Scott Clemmensen, Marty Hughes, Rob Scuderi and Mike Lephart.

“The present senior class has really brought quantity and terrific quality to our program,” says coach Jerry York. “They’ve been to three straight Frozen Fours and have really been the core of our club.”

York also considers this year’s freshmen among the best of his recruiting classes, right up there with the Marty Reasoner class, the Mottau-Farkas-Bellefeuille one and this year’s seniors.

“I think they’re in that ballpark,” says York. “I really do. I like the makeup of the class. The three forwards — [Ben] Eaves, [Chuck] Kobasew and [Tony] Voce — are really national-level players. They skate very well, are creative and can score goals. They’ll have to go through an adjustment period, but they’re going to be dynamic players for us as they get older.

“In [defenseman] J.D. Forrest, I think we’ve got a player certainly capable of being a really major force in Boston College hockey.”

If there is one area of concern, it’s at forward. The departure of Farkas and Bellefeuille means a loss of over 50 goals and 100 points. If the Eagles are to repeat as the league’s top-scoring team, a number of players will need to shoulder some of that load.

“We’re maybe going to be a little more balanced this year,” says York. “I’m not sure which combinations we’re going to put together, but Brian Gionta and Mike Lephart are going to be our senior leadership-type players. Marty Hughes, a converted defenseman/forward, is certainly right there, too.

“Ales Dolinar and Jeff Giuliano really came on hard last year. We think Krys Kolanos is going to be a major, major player at the collegiate level this year. And then we look at the freshmen coming in. It’s a good mix.”

The power forward role filled by Kevin Caulfield and Tony Hutchins over the past four years will be assumed by Justin Dziama, a 6-3, 200-pound freshman.

“He’s a big, strong kid who fills that role for us,” says York. “We certainly need someone like that, [even though] it’s asking a lot of a freshman.”

Despite the loss of Mottau, the defense should once again be among the best in the league.

“We certainly feel that from the blue line back, we’re going to have the core strength of our club,” says York. “Four of the defensemen who played in our five-man rotation return. We’ve got some terrific experience, skill and poise there.

“The two seniors, Bobby [Allen] and Rob Scuderi, have each played a lot of contests and big games over their career. I think they’ll be leaders for us there. Brooks Orpik coming back is going to be a very, very strong force for us. And I think Billy Cass improved as much as anyone last year.”

Forrest is the one sure-fire addition to that mix. Two other freshmen, Joe Schuman and Brett Peterson, are also possibilities. Schuman will unfortunately miss the opening month of the season after tearing cartilage in one knee.

Peterson, a defense-forward swingman, will at least open the season on the blue line as a result of Schuman’s injury. Sophomore Anthony D’Arpino, who was a rarely used sixth defenseman last year after Hughes was moved to forward, is also in the mix.

SCOTT CLEMMENSEN

SCOTT CLEMMENSEN

Although Mottau last year often logged Ray Bourque-ian minutes, York wants to avoid that temptation with Allen.

“Early in the season we’d like to use six defensemen,” says York. “The game will dictate because of special teams, but we’d like to get to six. It’s a long, tough year. We have some good depth on defense, unlike last year. We’ll have to watch how [the freshmen] adjust.”

Goaltenders Scott Clemmensen, a senior, and Tim Kelleher, a sophomore, both contributed strong performances. Early in the season Kelleher seemed to have the upper hand, but as he has done throughout his collegiate career, Clemmensen played his best down the stretch.

“Scott and Timmy both bring a real good, positive feeling from their experiences last year,” says York. “Certainly we feel that it’s as good of a tandem as we’ve seen in college hockey. We feel very good about Scott and Tim joining that defense in front of them.”

Although Clemmensen eventually earned all the postseason playing time, York expects to open the season with a 50-50 rotation.

“We’ll do that early for sure,” he says. “They’re both excellent goaltenders. If one jumps out at us, significantly widening the gap, we’ll have to look at that. But we feel good about having two good goaltenders.”

Arguably, BC again enters the season without any particular weakness and with hopes high.

“We feel good about our club, but we know there are other great teams,” says York. “It’ll be a great battle this year again.”

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