In two-time All American defenseman Chris Berenguer, the Pipers have one of the best players in D-III hockey. Statistics alone speak volumes about his hockey abilities.<\/p>\n
Berenguer led MIAC defensemen in scoring with six goals and 22 assists last season, which followed a sophomore season when he produced a team-leading 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points. So far, he’s scored four goals and three assits in four games this season.<\/p>\n
“He’s the best player in the school’s history,” said Pipers coach Scott Bell about the 6-foot-2 and 205-pound defenseman and son of former Minnesota Twins relief ace Juan Berenguer. “It’s nice to have him here. It makes me a better coach with him on our team, that’s for sure.<\/p>\n
“He’s poised, in control, and confident — he has all those intangibles — and he’s very talented.”<\/p>\n
Berenguer’s abilities augment what is a deep Hamline squad, which was picked by coaches to win the league title this season.<\/p>\n
Offensively, winger Brian Arrigoni joins Berenguer as having one of the hardest shots on the team. His laser-like attempts on goal led Arrigoni to a team-leading 30 points on 10 goals and 20 assists last campaign.<\/p>\n
“He’s one of the more dynamic forwards in our league,” said Bell about Arrigoni, who the coach said is also underrated as a physical player. “He does a lot of things extremely well and he’s a handful.”<\/p>\n
The Pipers were giving teams a handful this season. The team knocked off St. John’s and St. Olaf in the MIAC Showcase Oct. 29-31 while also taking down Northern Collegiate Hockey Association preseason title favorite St. Norbert, 4-3, on Nov. 5.<\/p>\n
The 3-0 start made the 5-1 thumping by University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point the next night particularly jarring.<\/p>\n
Freshman netminder Matt Hemingway (Owatonna NAHL), who started in three of the team’s first four games, took the loss. Otherwise, the Alexandria, Minn., native has been a revelation, with a stellar 2.34 goals-against average and .917 save-percentage.<\/p>\n
Hemingway’s emergence has allowed incumbent goalie Beau Christian to ease back into action after undergoing off-season hip surgery. Despite the nagging injury, Christian went 16-5-3 last season with a 2.43 GAA and .907 save-percentage last season.<\/p>\n
“Beau played exceptional considering his physical state,” Bell says. “I would expect Beau to have a real big year for us based on him being healthy and recharged and ready to go.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In two-time All American defenseman Chris Berenguer, the Pipers have one of the best players in D-III hockey. Statistics alone speak volumes about his hockey abilities. Berenguer led MIAC defensemen in scoring with six goals and 22 assists last season, which followed a sophomore season when he produced a team-leading 14 goals and 25 assists […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":140328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[322],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n