Preview: Personnel Losses have Jones, Clarkson Filling Big Shoes
The following article appeared October 6 on the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Web site.
By Brian Sullivan
ECAC Hockey Columnist
It appears that the Joneses may be the ones trying to keep up this year.
With the commencement of the Casey Jones era in Clarkson hockey comes a season of long odds and immediate challenges. The Golden Knights lost more than just their seniors last spring, as top-tandem blueliner Mark Borowiecki also bid adieu to Potsdam with a year of eligibility still remaining. Combined with the graduation of Bryan Rufenach, the Knights are out an elite defensive pairing. Add to that the departure of snipers Brandon DeFazio (with his team-leading 14 goals) and Scott Freeman (second, with 10) — who alone combined for nearly a quarter of Clarkson’s goals last year — and you’ve got some pretty sizeable roles to fill.
“Obviously, from the outside looking in, there are some pieces of the puzzle that left last year,” said Jones, who took over for George Roll following three years under Cornell coach Mike Schafer. “Some of our scorers, some of our defensemen, obviously that would cause some concern. I think our strength will be our team speed, but, again, from the outside looking in, we might see a limitation that we’re going to have to develop our defensive corps. But overall, I’m excited about where we’re at right now.”
Complete article can be accessed via the USCHO Web site by
clicking here.
