Veterans step up to new roles

By Scott Goldberg

With the loss of the most prolific goal scorer in team history coupled with the loss of the team's second leading scorer, men's hockey may have to look to the Seattle Mariners for inspiration.

The Mariners lost All-Stars Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr., and Alex Rodriguez in consecutive years, improving their record with each departure. Despite the loss of both Jeff Hamilton, SM '01, and former Captain Ben Stafford, BR '01, the Bulldogs look to improve on last year's 14-16-1 (10-11-1 ECAC) record, which earned them an eighth-place finish in their conference. Last year just nine points separated the third- and the eleventh-place teams in the ECAC. If the conference remains tightly packed again this season, one or two more wins might significantly improve the Elis' position in the standings.

MELISSA GARREN/YH After beating St. Francis Xavier 9-3, the Bulldogs hit the ice this weekend against the Under-18 National Teams.

This Bulldog squad will be more well- rounded compared to last year's team; all four offensive lines should contribute equally, as opposed to a previous emphasis on the first line. "The offensive pressure should be better spread-out among all four lines, and there needs to be a team emphasis on defense," Evan Wax, DC '03 said.

Two players looking to step in and fill the void created by the stars' departures are Captain Luke Earl, JE '02, and Nick Deschenes, MC '03. Earl finished off the 2000-01 campaign on a seven-game scoring streak to finish the season with 27 points, while Deschenes is the highest-scoring returnee with 17 goals and 20 assists tallied last year. With his 6'3", 215-lb. frame, Deschenes brings one thing to the ice that Hamilton never could: size, which should allow him to secure better positioning near the goal.

In order to become a more complete team, several Eli players will need to contribute regularly on offense. "Some of the younger players will have to step into different roles this season," Wax said. "Some players who were non-scorers will be expected to contribute more points."

The team hopes to have several players earn 20 points, including Jason Noe, CC '02, Spencer Rodgers, CC '02, and Wax, who looks to improve on the 20 points he tallied during his sophomore year. "Noe and Rodgers have the opportunity and are quite capable of having breakthrough seasons this year," Coach Tim Taylor noted.

Returning starting goalie Dan Lombard, SM '02, should anchor the defense. Lombard returns from a rib injury that caused him to miss the final two games of the season last year. The Bulldogs' backup goalie, Peter Dobrowolski, BR '04, filled in quite well for Lombard at the end of last season.

Also returning is top defenseman Jeff Dwyer, TC '04, who was the top point-producer among Yale's defensemen last year. Dwyer's three-goal, 18-assist performance earned him a spot on the All-ECAC rookie team. Returning juniors Stacey Bauman, BR '03, and Bryan Freeman, CC '03, look to contribute on defense as well.

The X-factor that will determine the success of this year's campaign lies in the current freshman class. The class of 2005 brought many quality high-school players, including Chris Higgins, MC '05, Joe Callahan, DC '05, and Ryan Trowbridge, BR '05. On the offensive side, Higgins is already practicing on the first line with Deschenes and Earl, while Callaghan has been practicing with Dwyer on defense.

"The freshman class brings us some much-needed size and speed," Taylor said. "There are a lot of good players in the freshman class; they'll have the opportunity to contribute."

Bulldog fans got a glimpse of what the future could hold as the Elis routed St. Francis Xavier 9-3 in the first exhibition match this past weekend. All four lines scored in the contest, and while St. Francis didn't offer much of a challenge, the game showed that offensive pressure will be spread around more evenly throughout the season.

"We demonstrated our speed, which we used to create opportunities to score and to keep them from gaining great offensive chances," Wax said.

According to Taylor, a significant advantage the Bulldogs have is their lack of a superstar. Because Yale no longer possesses a star first-line to carry much of the responsibility for scoring, opponents will have more trouble preparing for games. "Opposing teams can't come in with a game plan of shutting down our first line and expect to win," Taylor said.

The team faces one of its most difficult road trips of the season on the second weekend of November. Yale will travel nine hours by bus to take on ECAC rivals St. Lawrence on Fri., Nov. 9, and Clarkson on Sat., Nov. 10. The seniors, who are 0-6 on this roadtrip, look to pick up that elusive win early on this season.

The Bulldogs next take to the ice this weekend at Ingall's rink against the Under-18 National Team.

Back to Sports...