Hockey searches for scores in Hamilton's absence

By James Fagan

This weekend, the men's hockey team laces up its skates and steps out onto the ice for the start of the regular season determined to both recapture and build upon the success it experienced last year. Last year's accomplishments—which included an Ivy title and a fifth-place finish in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC)—will prove difficult to match, however. While 17 of Yale's 22 lettermen, including seven of its top 10 scorers, remain from last season, questions surround the team, particularly as it searches for new forces on offense and between the pipes. "We are definitely a team without an identity right now," forward Peter Toomey, PC '01, said. "And we have to find one to be successful."

This challenge to find an identity is particularly urgent on offense. Captain Jeff Hamilton, SM '00, who accounted for 25 percent of the Elis' offense last year, faces a five-game suspension [see bottom article], and Jeff Brow, SM '00, the second-leading scorer, will be out for the opening contest against Michigan. The task of replacing production up front thus falls to the remaining seniors and juniors, who are not accustomed to shouldering the offensive load.

Hamilton's return will not solve the Bulldogs' offensive woes, however, nor will it remove the pressure now placed on the other forwards. After averaging just 2.77 goals per game last season, the Elis must increase their scoring production, which means distributing their points among a larger group of players. "We're going to need scoring from two or three lines," defender David Sproule, SM '02, said. "We have the capability to do it and it's just a matter of doing it. Guys like Luke [Earl, JE '02], Ben [Stafford, BR '01], and Jay [Quenville, SY '00], should score some goals for us." An exhibition loss to St. Francis Xavier on Sat., Oct. 23 underscored the need for more variety on offense—Hamilton and Brow scored the Elis' only two goals.

The pressure for the offense to put up points is further compounded by a lack of experience in goal, where the Elis must also find a new face. The Bulldogs lost the best goalie in Yale history, Alex Westlund, SM '99, to graduation, leaving a big void in the crease, which Trevor Hanger, SY '00, and Dan Lombard, SM '02, will try to fill. With Westlund in goal last year, neither had the opportunity to showcase his abilities. Most Bulldogs seem unconcerned about the lack of experience in the net, however. "I don't think the goaltending issue is as big a question mark as people seem to think," forward Cory Shea, BR '00, said. "We've got two talented, capable goaltenders who've been waiting for the opportunity to show people what they're capable of."

While the team needs a goaltender and its forwards to step up, its defense remains its strength. Led by Keith Fitzpatrick, TD '00, and James Chyz, BR '00, whom Taylor calls the "cornerstones" of the unit, and Joe Dart, BR '01, and John Gauger, JE '01, the club's defense has the ability to shut down top offenses, especially on the power play. The Elis' success is not limited to the blueliners, however. Shea, who is known for his physical style, is considered by many to be the conference's best defensive forward.

In addition to defense, maturity will be a strong point for the Elis. With most of their forwards returning, the Elis possess a great deal of on-ice experience. "With 11 seniors," Trevor Hanger, SY '00, said, "there should be no void of leadership. Both the junior and senior classes have the maturity and attitude to be effective leaders." Coupled with contributions from newcomers like Nick Deschenes, MC '03, and Evan Wax, DC '03, and game-tested sophomores such as Earl, the mix could prove potent.

Hopes run high at Ingalls Rink as the Elis seem to be moving in the right direction—at least on paper. Though ranked seventh in the ECAC preseason coaches' poll, the squad expects to finish higher. "We're looking for a third-straight league title and to do better in the ECAC," Sproule said. While St. Lawrence, and Colgate are all ranked ahead of Yale in the poll, Taylor said, "the League is clearly a league that will be difficult to run away with."

The Elis remain optimistic, even as the absence of players such as Hamilton and Brow threatens to hijack their season before it ever leaves ground. Without Hamilton, the Elis will face No.6 Michigan, No. 5 New Hampshire, and perennial powerhouses Clarkson and St. Lawrence. "We've all worked hard during the summer to get to the point where we can prove our program is legitimate, not to be overlooked," Sproule said. "In spite of the fact we don't have [Hamilton], this is a time to show we can compete and beat some big teams." And perhaps alsoa time when the team will find the identity it so desperately seeks.

Photo of Dan Lombard, SM '02, by Cayte Pushkareva.

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