Season Preview: Big Green Big on Depth in 2011-12

There will be a new look to the 2011-12 Dartmouth men's hockey team with the annual graduation of seniors and the addition of incoming freshmen. However, that new look won't change the fact that this year's team will continue to have the same competitive attitude and drive that have become staples of Big Green hockey for years.

Head coach Bob Gaudet and his staff are teaching and reemphasizing the program's culture of team play and the commitment to growth to the current group of players wearing the Dartmouth sweater.

This reemphasis is not contingent upon the nine new players entering the fold, but rather, based on the team, as a whole, buying into the idea of sacrifice and commitment for the greater good of the program.

A balance of veteran leadership and youth will give the Big Green depth and skill in 2011-12. Twenty players from last season's third-place team will be back in Hanover along with the nine new names to make up this year's Dartmouth men's hockey team.

"Depth is a really big strength for our team this year," Gaudet said of his initial assessment of this year's team. "We have a big, strong group with a very good skill level that makes us a deep team out there on the ice.

"We expect our returning guys to step up and fill the void of the graduating class and have our newcomers get acclimated and use their great skill set to contribute early on," Gaudet added.

FORWARDS

Returning: Doug Jones (33gp/8-21-29), Matt Lindblad (33gp/13-15-28), Dustin Walsh (34gp/10-10-20), Nick Walsh (32gp/10-7-17), Eric Robinson (25gp/3-8-11), Paul Lee, (33gp/2-7-9), Jason Bourgea (11gp/3-2-5), Alex Goodship (18gp/3-2-5), Troy Mattila (8gp/1-1-2) Mark Goggin (Injured)

Newcomers: Jesse Beamish, Brandon McNally, Charlie Mosey, Eric Neiley, Tyler Sikura, Brian Ward

Some teams might find it hard to replace the two top scorers from a season ago, but don't count on Dartmouth to sit back this year. Assistant captain Doug Jones (Marietta, Ga.) is back for his senior season after tying Adam Estoclet '11 for second on the team in scoring in 2010-11 with 29 points. After a strong freshman season that saw him record 28 points, sophomore Matt Lindblad (Winnetka, Ill.) will likely have to shoulder the weight of more responsibility in the offensive zone.

Fresh off a trip to Montreal Canadiens training camp, junior Dustin Walsh (Shannonville, Ontario) is back in a Big Green sweater and looking to increase his offensive production that ranked fifth on the team as a sophomore last season. Dustin's older brother, senior Nick Walsh (Shannonville, Ontario) will also add depth and size to Dartmouth's forwards.

The Big Green will also benefit from the returning experience from the likes of seniors Paul Lee (Garden City, N.Y.) and Troy Mattila (Rockford, Ill.), juniors Alex Goodship (Blackfalds, Alberta) and Jason Bourgea (South Burlington, Vt.) and sophomore Eric Robinson (Foxboro, Mass.). Also, look for Mark Goggin (Glyn Ellyn, Ill.) to get back on the right track after missing all of last season with injuries.

Gaudet also adds freshmen Jesse Beamish (Mississauga, Ontario), Brandon McNally (Saugus, Mass.), Charlie Mosey (Prior Lake, Minn.), Eric Neiley (Warminster, Pa.), Tyler Sikura (Aurora, Ontario) and Brian Ward (Haverhill, Mass.) to the mix to replace the six graduating forwards from last season's team.

"Towards the end of last season, you started to see some of those young lines coming together really well. Now, those guys have some experience playing with one another and will have more ice time together this season which makes me confident that we can be successful in what we are trying to accomplish," Gaudet said.

DEFENSE

Returning: Connor Goggin (34gp/4-10-14), Mike Keenan (34gp/3-8-11), Taylor Boldt (34gp/1-2-3), Jim Gaudet (34gp/0-1-1), Nick Lovejoy (1gp/0-0-0), Kyle Schussler (0gp/0-0-0)

Newcomers: Billy Fitzgerald, Rick Pinkston, Andy Simpson, Dan Nycholat (Transfer)

Hockey, like many other sports, is judged by the numbers its players produce. Many of those numbers come from the offensive end as goals, assists and points are the means by which most players are measured. But, for the most part, that thought process is a gross exaggeration that underemphasizes the importance of a good defensive corps.

Gaudet will have a strong group of blueliners this season as team captain junior Mike Keenan (Weymouth, Mass.) and assistant captain senior Connor Goggin (Glenn Ellyn, Ill.) make up the top pairing and combine offensive skills with high hockey IQs in the defensive zone.

Senior and assistant captain Jim Gaudet (Etna, N.H.) has developed into a good player at the back end over the last three seasons and is expected to contribute even more this year. Dan Nycholat (Calgary, Alberta), a transfer from Northeastern, will finally get his chance to don the Big Green uniform in 2011-12 after sitting out last season per NCAA rules. Senior Kyle Schussler (Winnipeg, Manitoba) will also add a veteran presence to this year's squad.

In the same mold as Keenan in terms of his work ethic both on and off the ice, sophomore Taylor Boldt (Niwot, Colo.) is also a player the coaching staff will rely on for strong play in the defensive zone, while counting on him jumping into the play at the other end at the appropriate time. Sophomore Nick Lovejoy (Orford, N.H.) should see an increase in playing time this season with the graduation of Evan Stephens and Joe Stejskal from a year ago.

The new defensemen added by the coaching staff to this year's team feature size and a good pedigree. Billy Fitzgerald (Milton, Mass.) and Rick Pinkston (Trenton, Mich.) both come to Hanover standing 6-foot-1, while at 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds Andy Simpson (Wildwood, Mo.) is the smallest of the three. Not only do all three bring a size factor to the Big Green, but Gaudet characterizes the grouping as a collection of winners with the understanding of what it takes to succeed at any level.

"We graduated two key seniors on defense, but we have a veteran group coming back," Gaudet said. "We also have some excellent young players coming in that I'm excited to have here. This team has some good experience on the blueline, but I wouldn't be surprised if you saw those younger guys really pushing the veterans for playing time at points."

GOALIES

Returning: James Mello (30gp/.926 save %, 2.21 GAA, 17-9-3), Jody O'Neill (5gp/.86 save %, 3.55 GAA, 2-2-0), Cab Morris (1gp/ .810 save %, 4 GAA, 0-1-0)

Newcomers: N/A

The Big Green has a deep collection of goaltenders in 2011-12. Senior James Mello (Rehoboth, Mass.) appeared in 30 games a season ago and was one of the top goalkeepers in all of ECAC Hockey, a fact illustrated by his inclusion on both the coaches' and media's all-conference preseason teams.

"James is coming off just an outstanding year in terms of not only statistics, but also leadership," Gaudet said. "He really emerged as one of the top goalies in all of college hockey last season and I was very proud of him for that."

Gaudet says that in all his years of coaching college hockey, there have been few goalies that have demonstrated the cool and calm presence of Mello between the pipes.

"I've never seen a goalie as calm as he is in all situations and I think that just feeds through the team. The guys look back at him and see that he's never rattled. James is the same goalie in the first period that he is in the third or in overtime and I think that helps his teammates settle into the game as well," Gaudet added.

What should not be overlooked is the depth Dartmouth has on any given night in its crease. Senior Jody O'Neill (Nepean, Ontario) gives his team a great chance to win in each game he appears. O'Neill still has the skill set that made him the 2009 ECAC Hockey and Ivy League Rookie of the Year and gives Dartmouth arguably the best goaltender tandem in the league.

"Jody is the hardest-working goaltender that I've ever had in my 23 seasons of coaching," Gaudet said. "He is a heart-and-soul guy that is ready to battle this year and is the type of player that defines what Dartmouth hockey is all about."

Finally, sophomore Cab Morris (Wilmette, Ill.) adds a different look to the goalie position the two senior tenders don't have. Morris is left-handed, which is something most forwards aren't accustomed to seeing when firing pucks on net. The second-year player, who missed much of 2010-11 with an injury, will benefit from another season behind both Mello and O'Neill, but Gaudet knows that his young goalie's size and work ethic in practice will have him competing for playing time this season.

SCHEDULE

Dartmouth will once again face a challenging slate of opponents this year. The schedule gets underway, much like it did last season, with the Ivy Shootout. But this time the Big Green won't have to travel as they host the four-team classic the final weekend of October.

Dartmouth could play as many as three Hockey East opponents this season as it travels to take on former ECAC travel partner Vermont on Nov. 27 in Burlington. Dartmouth then plays in the annual Battle for the Riverstone at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, which pits them against in-state rival New Hampshire on Jan. 14. The Ledyard National Bank Classic on Dec. 30 and 31 will feature the third Hockey East opponent as Merrimack and St. Lawrence meet in the first round, while Dartmouth and Holy Cross battle in the second game of the two-day classic at Thompson Arena.

Highlighting the conference home schedule is the Eddie Jeremiah Celebration when Dartmouth hosts Yale on Jan. 28 and the Alumni Game prior to the matchup with RPI on Feb. 11. The Big Green opens ECAC Hockey play Friday, Nov. 4 when they host Quinnipiac. Dartmouth's first Ivy League game comes the following night against Princeton.