Feature: Saints Sophomores Measure Up on the Ice

Jeremiah Cunningham (l) and Travis Vermeulen

The following feature article on St. Lawrence sophomores Travis Vermeulen and Jeremiah Cunningham appeared in the November 29 issue of The Watertown Daily Times.

By Max DelSignore
Sports Writer 

St. Lawrence University sophomores Travis Vermeulen and Jeremiah Cunningham have dealt with questions about their height since childhood.

Quite honestly, neither of them care that they lace up their skates only to stand as tall as their shoe-less teammates. The toughness and fundamental play they've provided the Saints this season is immeasurable.

Vermeulen, a 5-foot-6-inch center from Centerville, Minn., and Cunningham, a native of Ashbury, Va., listed as a 5-foot-9-inch center, are the grind-it-out skaters that normally go unnoticed when on the ice. But two of the smallest players on SLU's roster have already made a significant impact.

"It's a sense of reliability with this guy," Saints coach Joe Marsh said of Vermeulen. "... His presence is really, really strong. He's always in a good, strong position defensively.

"... (Jeremiah's) a lot different," Marsh said. "He's really fast with breakaway speed and can attack quickly. ... He's a good complement to a lot of guys on this team."

Vermeulen has had only five games to showcase his skills due to two separate injuries. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee earlier this year and also separated his left shoulder. It's the first time he's endured any injury in his career.

But Vermeulen has supplied three assists in limited action, including two helpers in SLU's 2-2 tie with Wayne State last week. Producing points may not be his greatest asset.

"I'm picking up guys on the backcheck and playing guys hard defensively," Vermeulen said. "If there is a (scramble), I make sure I'm on the defensive side. And personally, I try not to get beat one-on-one."

"He's one of the most reliable players I've ever had, and he's only a sophomore," Marsh said.

Cunningham offers skills in contrast to Vermeulen. Marsh said he has the ability to maneuver around opponents and swoop into corners to dig out loose pucks. Cunningham's explosiveness fits the Saints' strategy perfectly.

"We're known as a good skating team around the league," said Cunningham, who's tallied six points in 14 games. "Skating, I think, is one of the strong parts of my game. I'm not a huge guy, so it wouldn't make sense going to a program with big, slow players."

Cunningham and Vermeulen agreed that having the freedom to skate made St. Lawrence's style attractive as incoming freshmen. Now, the roommates will attempt to turn the Saints' season around in their final regular-season meeting with rival Clarkson on Saturday.

"I think we just need consistency, not just for the entire game, but from shift to shift," Vermeulen said. "We can go through being consistent, but it can't be playing well for the first period and (playing) OK for the second."