Clarkson will be starting this season with new Head Coach George Roll behind the bench. This is Roll’s second stint with Clarkson; he was an assistant coach for the Knights from 1988 to 1996 and helped the team make the Frozen Four in 1991. The Golden Knights are hoping for similar success this year with Roll as head coach.
Last year, the Knights had to deal with some early season adversity due to the dismissal of former Head Coach Mark Morris. The team never truly recovered from the aftermath, causing a rare losing season for the team. Roll believes he can make a difference with the team, stating “the biggest thing is just to move forward.”
Clarkson is returning 13 veteran forwards this year, losing only two lettermen to graduation. The Golden Knights have struggled the past years on offense, and the loss of high-scoring Kevin O’Flaherty will place weight on the incoming players’ shoulders. Max Kolu and Mike Sullivan are freshmen that Clarkson will be relying on for some offense.
Goalies Kyle McNulty and Dan Weinrieb will be vying for playing time this season, but Dustin Traylen looks to be the starting goaltender for Clarkson. The Golden Knights’ biggest losses by far are on defense. Clarkson’s leading scorer last year, defenseman Randy Jones, left the team after signing a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. With such big losses on offense and only three returning blue liners, the rookies will have to play hard right from the start.
