Season Outlook: Saints Gearing Up for New Campaign

Photo by Tara Freeman

CANTON, N.Y. -- Pre-season prognosticators are seeing the shadows of the departed in their crystal ball when it comes to St. Lawrence University's men's ice hockey team and the 2009-10 season, but the Saints could have a little magic waiting in the wings.

With four four-year regulars on defense and three outstanding forwards picking up diplomas in May and heading into the professional hockey ranks, the pre-season rankings of 10th (Coaches Poll) and 7th (Media Poll) are perhaps understandable. The Saint senior class was just the third in program history to have three 20-or-more win seasons in their career and veteran coach Joe Marsh called the 2008-09 team on the best he has coached in his 25 seasons behind the Saint bench.

"We had four defensemen...Zach Miskovic, Matt Generous, Jared Ross and Shawn Fensel...who played together for all four years and never missed a game unless there was an injury situation. That is very unusual, and they got better every year. They were definitely the cornerstone of our team last year. Up front we had three high-end skill guys in Casey Parenteau, Kevin DeVergilio and Brock McBride. Those seven guys played in a lot of big games and had tremendous careers here. We are going to miss them, but that is part of the process," Marsh said.

"I think this year's team is going to be a fun team to watch," said Marsh. "The returning guys have bought into what we are trying to do and are working very hard in pre-season. While the players who graduated meant a lot in terms of points and special teams, they did help create a very positive atmosphere in the lockerroom and showed the younger guys what it takes to be successful."

A solid freshman class from a year ago may be a key factor in the success of this year's squad. While the Saints brought in four recruits and have added some walk-on talent who could compete for playing time right away, the depth created with last year's rookie group could pay big dividends this season.

"Not everyone played every game, because we platooned some guys to develop our bench strength, but there are some very good young players coming back to compliment our veterans," said Marsh. "Jake Klancher, Jacob Drewiske, Max Mobley and guys like (junior) Nick Pitsikoulis are good, hard working hockey players and this year is going to be their chance to step in and make their mark."

The recruiting emphasis for the Saints was on defense with Canton native Kyle Flanagan the only newcomer up front. Flanagan, an outstanding athlete in both hockey and lacrosse, was a 57-point scorer in the USHL last year and should be an immediate contributor up front for the Saints.

Senior captain Derek Keller and senior Jeff Caister are the veteran defensive returnees. Keller played in 32 of 38 games a year ago, scoring three goals and adding four assists in addition to very solid defensive play. Caister, who transferred from Wayne State at the end of his sophomore year, played in all but one game for the Saints in his first year in Canton and had two goals and seven assists in his first year in a Saint uniform. Juniors Matt Raley (31 career games) and Bobby Torney (11 career games) have also been part of the program for two seasons and will contend for playing time as will sophomore Pete Child and senior Pat Kelliher.

Newcomers on the blueline include recruits George Hughes, Jordan Dewey and Mac Stratford and walk-on candidates Sean Coffey and Matt Dyer.

"Hughes, Dewey and Stratford g are well seasoned from some very good junior league and prep competition and they should step right in and challenge for regular roles," said Marsh. "Coffey also played in the USHL and Dyer put up some good numbers in the EJHL last year as a defenseman."

Dyer (6,2, 200) and Coffey (6-3, 195) are the biggest of the defensive newcomers, with Hughes coming in at 6-1, 180, Dewey at 5-11, 195 and Stratford, the grandson of former Saint football coach Ted Stratford and former SLU athletic director Bob Sheldon, at 5-11, 185.

The other newcomer for the Saints is a goaltender, 6-5, 215 David Grilk, who played at the Holderness School last year and will battle for backup duties in a position in which the Saints have quality and depth.

Seniors Alex Petizian and Kain Tisi give the Saints a solid veteran tandem with sophomore Robby Moss waiting in the wings. Petizian had a 2.18 goals against average and a .927 save percentage in 31 games last season and has 72 career appearances with a 2.43 goals against average and a .916 save percentage and is the likely number one goaltender. Tisi went 2-2 last year with a 2.82 goals against average and a .885 save percentage and has a 2.72 goals against average and a .895 save percentage in 20 career games while Moss was 2-1 with a 3.86 goals against average and a .859 save percentage a year ago. Sophomore Joe Spadaccini, who worked out with the team last year, but did not play in any games, joins Grilk as contenders for backup duties.

While the senior class represented over half of the goals scored in 2008-09 with 65 and accounted for 152 points, the Saints do return their leading scorer from last season in Mike McKenzie, who had 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points and has 79 career points in 103 games. Joining McKenzie among the veteran returnees are junior Jared Keller (7-13-20), senior captain Travis Vermeulen (7-12-19) senior assistant captain Alex Curran (4-13-17), junior assistant captain Aaron Bogosian (3-12-15), senior Jeremiah Cunningham (3-4-7) and senior Sean Flanagan (0-4-4), who battled injury throughout much of his junior year.

Sophomore Brandon Bollig scored six goals and has seven assists last year, while classmate Mark Armstrong scored four of his six goals and had three assists after coming back from an ankle injury at mid-year. Rick Carden battled concussion problems through much of his rookie season and should be a contributor as a sophomore and Klancher, Mobley, who played in ten of the last 15 after being slowed by illness to start the year, Drewiske, who played in 18 games as part of the Saint forward rotation, and junior Pitsikoulis, who played in 10 games last season should all be in the mix up front.

The Saints open their season Sunday with a 4 p.m. exhibition game against the University of Toronto and play their first official NCAA game on the road when they meet UMass.-Lowell in the opening game of the Icebreaker Tournament at the University of Nebraska-Omaha in Omaha on Oct. 9. Host UNO and Army play in the second game with the championship and consolation games set for Oct. 10. UML is picked to finish second in Hockey East in pre-season polls. The Saints are also scheduled to play Boston College (3rd in HEA) and Nebraska-Omaha at the Wells Fargo Cup in Denver in January.

The Saints will open their home season with RIT and Niagara visiting Appleton Arena Oct. 16-17 and will play a non-league game at Clarkson on Oct. 24. A two-game set with Sacred Heart at Appleton Oct. 30-31 will set up the start of ECAC play with the league opening series at Princeton and Quinnipiac on Nov. 6-7. Other non-league opponents for the Saints include Maine in Portland on Nov. 29, a game at Vermont on Dec. 12 and a pair of games at Niagara on Jan. 8-9.