Hockey season is fast approaching, and with it comes a plethora of coaching changes in the ECAC. Clarkson, Colgate, Union, and Vermont each have a new head coach, and three of the four have coached for another team within the conference. Vermont hired former Union Head Coach Kevin Sneddon and Union found its new coach in former Harvard Assistant Coach Nathan Leaman. Colgate’s new head coach, Stan Moore, was head coach at Union before Sneddon. Clarkson’s new head coach is George Roll, starting his second stint with the Golden Knights.
There is also an air of uncertainty surrounding the league with the Division III proposal possibly costing three of the ECAC teams the ability to offer scholarships in the Division I sports the schools participate in. RPI, Clarkson, and St. Lawrence all face the possibility of not being able to compete against larger schools with larger athletic programs. The proposal will not affect the current rosters for the schools, but could possibly turn prospective hockey players away from. Future players would face the risk of losing their scholarship in 2008 when the proposal would go into effect.
Brown Bears (16-14-5; 10-8-4 ECAC – fifth)
Last season Brown continued its success of the last few years with a berth in the ECAC Tournament for the first time since 1995. All but eight members of last year’s team are returning to the Bears, and are ready for another trip to the Pepsi Arena.
Senior Yann Danis, who was named to the 2003-2004 preseason all-conference team, will once again be starting in goal for the Bears. Danis finished last season with a .929 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.31, making him one of the best goalies in the nation.
The Bears biggest loss was in their front line. Seven members of last year’s squad graduated, and the newcomers will join returning players Brent Robinson and Les Haggett to help Brown on offense. The four new forwards add size and strength to Brown’s offense.
Brown lost very little from their blue line, with seven returning defenders. Last season, the defense allowed just 83 goals and posted the sixth best team goals against average in the nation, with 2.37. The Bears should finish in the top half of the standings as long as they stay focused on their game and do not play down to their weaker opponents.
Clarkson Golden Knights (12-20-3; 9-10-3 ECAC – T-seventh)
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.
Colgate Raiders (17-19-4; 9-10-3 ECAC – T-seventh)
With Don Vaughan serving as interim athletic director, Assistant Coach Stan Moore will serve as interim head coach for the Raiders this season. Before assisting at Colgate, Moore was head coach at Union for two years, and will probably rely on that experience to help him coach a strong Colgate team.
The Raiders’ biggest loss on offense is with the graduation of leading goal scorer Scooter Smith. This year will see senior Kyle Doyle and junior Adam Mitchell leading the offense. Colgate has also added size to their line-up with two big freshmen forwards.
Six defenders will be returning to the team this year, and leading the pack will be captain Rob Brown. Brown, along with Joey Mormina, will bring experience and leadership to the Raiders’ blue line. The Raiders have added Eamon Del Giacco, a transfer from Fairfield, to their lineup.
Steve Silverthorn will be minding the net this year for the Raiders. David Cann is also returning for Colgate, and will be competing for the starting job. The Raiders are returning this year with more experience, and the team will be looking toward making it to Albany in March.
Cornell Big Red (30-5-1; 19-2-1 ECAC – first)
Last season, Cornell made it all the way to the Frozen Four before losing in the semifinals to New Hampshire. Although many of the lettermen are returning this year to defend their ECAC title, the Big Red will be missing players who were vital to the success Cornell enjoyed last year. Cornell graduated seven seniors, including Stephen Bâby and Doug Murray. Murray led the defense for Cornell, along with his line-mate, Jeremy Downs.
The freshmen added on offense will be a major physical force to deal with. Each of the new forwards has proven that he can score and will add offense to a fearsome group of goal scorers.
The most significant loss, however, is David LeNeveu. LeNeveu chose to leave Cornell after his sophomore year to pursue a career in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes. Freshman David McKee will fight returning goaltenders Louis Chabot and Todd Marr for the starting position. If Cornell wants to be successful this year they will have to find a way to fill the void between the pipes.
Dartmouth Big Green (20-13-1; 13-9-0 ECAC – T-third)
Last year motivation got the Big Green into the ECAC Championship Tournament, where they finished third. Dartmouth is returning 20 players from last season’s team, and the incoming freshmen look to improve the team even more. Both the coaches’ and the media’s preseason polls have Dartmouth ranked third, which will likely stimulate the team and keep them playing well.
With the graduation of top goalie Nick Boucher, the top goaltender position is up for grabs. Both Darren Gastrock and Dan Yacey have proven themselves in past seasons, and will be looking to earn the starting spot. Freshman Sean Samuel will also be vying for ice time with the two veterans.
The Big Green blue line is returning five, but has lost three experienced players—Trevor Byrne, P.J. Martin, and Pete Summerfelt—to graduation. The freshmen defenders will have to step it up if Dartmouth wants to continue it’s defensive domination of years past.
Dartmouth’s front line is returning 13 players, including Lee Stempniak, Hugh Jessiman, and Mike Ouellette. Jessiman, only a sophomore, has already shown himself to be a top scorer in the league. Tanner Glass, Matt Kunsman, and Dan Shribman, Dartmouth’s three freshmen, will have to work hard for ice time. With the number of returning big scorers, the Big Green offense should be able to pick up where it left off last year.
Harvard Crimson (22-10-2; 17-4-1 ECAC – second)
After taking Cornell to overtime in the ECAC Championship game last year, Harvard is looking to be a dominating force again this year. Defender Noah Welch and forward Tim Pettit were both named to the 2003-2004 preseason all-conference team, making Harvard the only team to have two players selected. Also, both the coaches’ and media’s preseason polls have Harvard taking first over Cornell.
Harvard still has its star goaltender, Dov Grumet-Morris, between the pipes. Grumet-Morris put up stellar numbers last year. The Crimson look to be solid in net again this year.
Harvard’s only losses have come from its offensive line. Aaron Kim, Dominic Moore, and Brett Nowak have graduated and will be missed this season. Both Moore and Nowak were offensive powerhouses for the team and Kim, while not a prolific scorer, was a big presence in the locker room.
The Crimson blue line will be solid again this year, with all six defenders returning to the team. Seniors Kenny Smith and Dave McCulloch will bring a lot of experience to the defensive line, and rookie Dylan Reese looks to be a promising prospect for the team as well. If the entire Crimson team stays solid, they will almost certainly find themselves returning to Pepsi Arena again this season.
Princeton Tigers (3-26-2; 2-18-2 ECAC – 12th)
Of all the teams in the ECAC, Princeton is definitely the bottom of the barrel. Princeton only managed six points last season, and RPI and Harvard were the Tigers’ only two conference wins.
With the amount of things that went wrong for the Tigers last year, this season needs to start with the basics. “We are putting team defense first this season, more so than anyone has ever done before,” said Head Coach Len Quesnelle. “This will start from our strong group of defensive defensemen and needs to continue with every person on the ice, regardless of position.”
Also of importance to the Tigers will be its goaltending situation. Junior Trevor Clay and sophomore Eric Leroux are both returning for Princeton this season. Freshman B.J. Sklapsky will also figure in for some playing time later in the season.
Princeton’s offense will also need work if they want to improve on their three wins of last season. Seniors Chris Owen, Dan Hursh, and Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer will all have to maximize their play and help by being strong leaders both in the locker room and on the ice.
At least the Tigers know they will make the playoffs again this year. The ECAC is staying with the playoff format that was put in effect last season, which gives every team a playoff berth.
St. Lawrence Saints (11-21-5; 7-12-3 ECAC – ninth)
St. Lawrence is hoping this year will be more successful than last year’s ninth place finish. To do this, Head Coach Joe Marsh plans on having the team work on their special team play, something that they struggled with last year.
The Saints will be returning two experienced goaltenders in Kevin Ackley and Mike McKenna. Also returning are five blue liners; Ryan Glenn and Tony Maci will provide solid defense for the Saints. The St. Lawrence offense will also pose a threat to opposing teams. Captains Rich Peverley and Josh Anderson will both provide scoring and leadership for the team. The Saints are also looking for sophomores John Zeiler, T.J. Trevelyan, and Adam Hogg to play well after their remarkable performances last season.
The start of the Saints’ season is full of tough competition that could possibly set them up for disappointment if they fail to perform well. During the first two months of the season St. Lawrence will have to face Denver, Maine twice, New Hampshire, and Colorado College. If the Saints do not fare well against their non-conference opponents, it is possible that will not have the confidence required to compete effectively against their strong ECAC competition.
Union Skating Dutchmen (14-18-4; 10-10-2 ECAC – sixth)
Union’s season ended last year in disappointment with Kris Mayotte’s apparent breakdown in the first round of the playoffs against RPI. The team will be starting this anew year with first-year Head Coach Nate Leaman. Formerly an assistant with the Harvard Crimson, Leaman brings fresh ideas and a different set of skills to an improving Dutchmen team.
The Skating Dutchmen lost only five lettermen from last season’s team and have two transfer students and six freshmen ready to pick up the slack. Along with the newcomers, returning forwards Joel Beal and Jordan Webb look to add to their point totals. Both Beal and Webb finished last season with 37 points, the most of any Dutchman. The next three highest point-getters graduated, leaving a gap in the offense that may be too big for rookies to fill.
Union’s blue line will also have to step it up this season, especially with the questionable goaltending situation. The Dutchmen have six defenders returning to the ice this season, and assistant captain Brent Booth will have to help get the two rookie defenders ready to play. Union will need Mayotte to come back strong after last year’s playoff woes, otherwise, the team will risk slipping below the .500 mark.
Vermont Catamounts (13-20-3; 8-14-0 ECAC – 10th)
The Catamounts proved last year that they are not going to settle with the last place finish they had two years ago. Even though last year only improved them two positions, the ‘Mounts wouldn’t count themselves out and fought their way into the second round of the playoffs by sweeping Clarkson in the first round.
This year has Kevin Sneddon stepping in as head coach after spending five years at Union. Sneddon takes over an improving Vermont program from 19-year veteran Mike Gilligan, who stepped down last April.
Vermont’s top scorers last year, Jeff Miles and Brady Leisenring, are both returning this season. Miles and Leisenring will be joined by an experienced front line. The defensive unit is also returning an experienced line which will be buffered by the addition of two incoming freshmen. Jaime Sifers is only a sophomore, but he has already shown himself to be a solid defenseman and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team last season.
The Catamount’s goaltending job is up for grabs after the graduation of Shawn Conschafter. Travis Russell, Matt Hanson, and Scott Sortal will each be looking to earn the starting job, but none of them have much game experience. If Vermont is able to figure out the goaltending question, they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Yale Bulldogs (18-14-0; 13-9-0 ECAC – T-third)
The Bulldogs surprised the league last year, finishing in a tie for third. Unfortunately, star forward Chris Higgins has left Yale and signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens. Higgins was named ECAC Co-Player of the Year last year, and had 72 points in just two seasons.
Yale lost a large section of their defensive unit, but the remaining Bulldogs will be top performers. Jeff Dywer and Joe Callahan are going to be leading the defense this year, and the younger players all have great potential. Dwyer has been named to the 2003-2004 Preseason All-Conference Team, providing a relatively average team with an individual honor. In goal, Mike Gartner and Peter Cohen will find depth with the addition of freshman Matt Modelski.
Without Higgins, Yale will be looking to some of the freshmen to step forward and put the puck in the net. There are nine returning Bulldogs to the front line. Ryan Steeves, Vin Hellemeyer, and Mike Klema will be asked to boost their play as well. Yale will most likely not find similar success as they did last year without Higgins. If they are able to stay healthy and get solid play from the entire team, they could still be a contender for home-ice come playoff time.
