Although the Jeffs started the season ranked ninth in the country, the team had a number of question marks. After advancing to the conference finals last year, the Jeffs lost eight players to graduation, and this year's squad is one of the youngest in recent memory.
''We probably have one of the-if not the-youngest teams in the country this year, and it's going to take time for guys to build chemistry and feel comfortable with new systems,'' said co-captain Darren Reaume '02. ''Having said that, I've been very impressed with the play of the freshmen.''
In the season opener, the Jeffs skated to a 0-0 tie with the visiting Babson College Beavers. The Beavers were also playing their first game of the season, and while there were a number of quality scoring chances for each team, both squads showed signs of rust and were unable to convert their opportunities into goals. Justin Jagher '03 made 32 saves to hold the shutout for the Jeffs.
The next afternoon, the Jeffs showed none of the offensive cobwebs of the first game, putting 14 goals in the back of the net against UMass-Boston, while only allowing two goals against.
The Jeffs jumped out to the lead in the first period and never relinquished it, scoring two goals in the first, four goals in the second and eight goals in the third period. Leading the way offensively for the Jeffs were Bob Miele '02, who notched a hat trick and added an assist, and Reaume, who added two goals and two assists. Erik DiNardo '03 tallied an unassisted goal and added three assists, and co-captain Greg Carr '02 added four assists.
Jagher again logged the bulk of the minutes against UMass-Boston, making 17 saves, while Jaffrie Perrotti '03 finished the game off by recording five saves and allowing no goals in his appearance.
After a short break for Thanksgiving, the Jeffs were back on the ice this past weekend at Wesleyan University for the Spurrier Tournament. In their opening game of the tournament, the Jeffs faced off against the Cardinal hosts on Saturday afternoon.
Again, the result was disappointing for the Jeffs. At 18:10 of the opening period, the Jeffs took the early lead when Jonathan Hill '05 tallied his second goal in as many games, this time scoring on the power play off of an assist from defenseman Erich Schram '03. Wesleyan added the next goal, tying the score up midway through the second period, but the Jeffs answered right back with a nifty goal of their own.
After carrying the puck deep into the Wesleyan offensive zone Beau Kretzman '05 slid a pass into Miele who was parked outside the crease. Miele then flipped the puck into the air over a prone defender, and Reaume knocked it out of the air and into the back of the net to give the Jeffs another lead.
In the third period, the Cardinals took advantage of a Jeff penalty to score two quick goals, and it appeared that they had the game in their control. The Cardinals knotted the score with just under 12 minutes remaining, and they then added the go-ahead goal just under 45 seconds later.
But the Jeffs were not done and again it was a nifty goal that got the job done. After taking a breakout pass from Schram, Mike Kreger '04 juked a defenseman and the Wesleyan goalie while putting the puck in the back of the net. Neither team was able to notch another goal in either the end of regulation or the five-minute overtime period, so the game went down as a tie in each teams' record books. But, in order to complete the tournament, a winner had to be decided. In the ensuing shootout, Wesleyan goalie Dusty Nolin stopped all five Amherst shots, and the Cardinals were able to sneak one shot by Perrotti to move on to the championship game. Perrotti made 19 saves in the game.
In the consolation game, the Jeffs again jumped out to the lead, but the story remained the same and they were unable to come away with a win. The Jeffs jumped out to a 3-1 lead behind two goals from Kretzman and one from Kreger, but the Bantams came back to tie the score by the end of the first period. In the second, the Jeffs again took the lead, this time behind a goal from Justin Pitrack '03, but the Bantams stormed back and scored the final four goals of the game, winning by a final of 7-4.
While the Jeffs still own a .500 record at 1-1-2, inconsistent play has haunted them. ''So far this season we are not competing at the level we should be,'' said Carr. ''We have plenty of talent on this team but we need to pick up the intensity and win more battles for us to be successful. Once we bring a high level of intensity day in and day out we will be a tough team to beat.''
''The upperclassmen need to look in the mirror, accept responsibility, and raise their level of play,'' added Reaume. "The top line [Reaume, Miele and Carr] especially needs to step up.''
Although the season has been disappointing so far, there have been a number of bright spots. Kretzman has made the transition to the college game look easy, scoring three goals and adding four assists in the first four games to lead the team in scoring, while Kreger has tallied a team-high four goals.
''Beau [Kretzman] has been outstanding,'' said Reaume, ''He has probably been our most impressive player.''
The Jeffs return to action this weekend with a road trip to Vermont to take on Norwich University and St. Michael's College. Norwich is traditionally one of the top teams in the nation, capturing the national title in 2000, and this year is no different as they have already knocked off powerhouses Middlebury College and Plattsburgh College, last year's national champion.
''Norwich is playing outstanding hockey,'' said Reaume. ''It's one of the toughest places in the league to play, but it's a great opportunity to right the ship and get the season headed in the right direction.''