The 2001 Ivy League Champions will have a difficult time defending their title this year, especially after graduating nearly fifty percent of their offense. Three-time All-American Jeff Hamilton became Yale’s all-time scoring leader last season after another 45-plus point season. He leaves his mark of 80 career goals and 93 assists on the Bulldogs’ record board.
Without Hamilton and Ben Stafford, Captain Luke Earl (14-13-27) will need offensive support from juniors Nick Deschenes (17-20-37) and Evan Wax (7-13-20). Watch for Deschenes to have a 40-point season by deflecting shots and cleaning up trash in front of the cage. The question will be whether Yale will be able to generate balanced scoring, with only four players with five or more goals last season returning to the team.
The blue line looks to be on stable ground, especially with sophomore Jeff Dwyer (3-18-21) returning for defense. Dwyer was a member of the All-ECAC Rookie Team and will be a huge threat on the power play this year. Classmates Bryan Freeman (0-8-8) and Stacey Bauman (0-6-6) will be among the mainstays on defense, while newcomers Joe Callahan and Michael Grobe bring size to the lineup.
In goal, it appears senior Dan Lombard (3.65, 0.881, 14-15-0) will get the nod again. The Bulldogs have a bountiful supply of goalies, but Lombard is the only one with experience, having played all but 142 minutes last season. Sophomore Peter Dobrowolski (3.54, 0.881, 0-1-1) started two games last season against Harvard and Brown, allowing eight goals on 67 shots. Look for Lombard to play 25 games this season, with Dobrowolski picking up all but two of the rest.
