JULIA TIERNAN/YH John Chyz, BR '00

Overcoming injuries, hockey keeps skating

Westlund. Hamilton. Shea. For the Yale men's hockey team, the losses have mounted high over the past year, testing the club at every turn. The club has passed each trial with flying colors, revealing the extent of both its depth and its talent in the midst of potentially season-ending setbacks.

"With any sport, things are bound to happen injury-wise," forward Nick Deschenes, MC '03, said. "But everyone has to step up every night. One player really doesn't make the Yale hockey team. While you don't wish for [injuries], there is absolutely nothing you can do. You just have to look at the 19 guys around you in the locker room and go into battle with them."

Even without injuries losing players to graduation can be damaging. When legendary goalie Alex Westlund, SM '99, graduated last spring, he left an immeasurable void between the pipes—immeasurable, but definitely not insurmountable. Goalies Trevor Hanger, SY '00 (1.96, .932, 5-1-2), and Dan Lombard, SM '02 (2.12, .930, 2-5-1), have done an impressive job this season filling Westlund's skates. While Hanger ranks fourth in Division I in save percentage and fifth in goals against average (GAA), Lombard is not far behind, placing fifth in save percentage and 12th in GAA.

Most recently, in a 1-1 tie with Boston University (BU), which is ranked sixth in the nation, on Sun., Jan. 23, Hanger played spectacularly, falling one save shy of his fifth 30-save game of the season. He was named the Eastern College Athletics Conference (ECAC) Goalie of the Week for his performance. "Hanger was unbelievable against BU," Deschenes said. "It could have been a 5-1 game."

M. Hockey

Record: 8-6-3, 5-3-2 ECAC Recent Results: Won vs. Army, 5-1; tied at Boston University, 1-1 (OT). Coming Up: Fri., Jan, 28 vs. Union, 7 p.m.; Sat., Jan. 29 vs. RPI, 7 p.m.

Yale's netminders have been behind a large part of the team's defensive success this season. "They are the best goalie combination in the country," de-fenseman Keith Fitzpatrick, TD '00, said. Given the team's offensive struggles, worsened by forward Jeff Hamilton's, SM '00, decision to sit out his senior season due to injury and preserve his final year of eligibility, the defense has had to pick up the slack.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, a number of players have improved their games in Hamilton's absence, including forward Ben Stafford, BR '01. The junior leads the team in scoring and trades points with some of the ECAC's best snipers. Stafford has grown into a team leader, motivating his teammates on the ice. "If I see a need to say something, I will," Stafford said. "But I tend to lead more by example."

Nevertheless, his efforts have often not been enough for a victory, with the team struggling to find offensive consistency. "It's a concern, but not something we're going to dwell on," Stafford said. "Every line feels the obligation to go out and score." The squad's defense has been placed under a lot of stress lately, as a result of yet another injury. The knee injury to captain and forward Cory Shea, BR '00—one of the best defensive forwards in the ECAC—in the Sun., Jan. 16 loss to Boston College struck a blow to Yale's defense. Shea has been out of action for two weeks. "He's a big factor on the ice," Stafford said. "He's not that fun to play against, but a good guy to have on your team."

In Shea's absence, much of the team has stepped up its play, including strong performances in a 5-1 victory over Army and a 1-1 tie with BU. Against Army, it was forward Evan Wax, DC '03, and defenseman David Sproule, SM '02, who posted the first goals of their Yale careers and carried the weight of the team on their shoulders.

The team is not out of the woods yet, however, since it must hold down offensive force Brad Tapper '01 (25-8-33) in its game against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Sat., Jan. 29. "A kid like Shea would draw that assignment," Fitzpatrick said. "Someone else will have to do it. We have enough to get the job done."

Its upcoming games, though, including Union on Fri., Jan. 28 and the game against RPI, leave the team cautiously optimistic. "Union is naturally hardworking," Stafford said. "They are playing well. RPI is offensively geared. We're going to have to play our game against them. There is definitely no team in our league you can rest against."

After their tie with BU, it is also clear that there is no team that Yale cannot beat. "At the beginning of the season, we did not know what to expect against a team like them," Fitzpatrick said. "Now, it has got to be a win."

With 11 games remaining in the season, all against ECAC teams, that attitude will become increasingly important. "We have all seen what kind of hockey we can play," Stafford said. "If we continue to do that, we'll do well." Photo of John Chyz, BR '00, by Julia Tiernan.

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