After entering last year as the number nine team in the country in preseason polls, the Jeffs were hampered by numerous problems on their way to a 6-14-5 finish. This year, with much lower expectations from outside influences, the Jeffs are confident that they can improve on last year's numbers.
"We are a very talented team, and there isn't a team we can't beat," said forward Erik DiNardo '03. "Every guy on the team worked extremely hard during the off-season to better themselves, knowing that being bigger, faster and stronger is now a necessity rather than just a bonus."
The Jeffs will be led by a senior class that is four skaters deep and also includes the top two goalies. Captain Erich Schram '03 has been a force on the blue line for four years, and he leads a Jeff defense that returns almost every minute played from last year.
Goalies Justin Jagher '03 and Jaffrie Perrotti '03 split time last year as the top goalies for the Jeffs and it is anticipated that they will share the of responsibilities similarly this season.
Offensively, the Jeffs return the top player in the conference in Beau Kretzman '05, but they must replace their second and third leading scorers in Bob Miele '02 and Greg Carr '02.
Kretzman took the conference by storm last year in his rookie campaign by scoring 25 goals and ending the season with 44 points, which were both good enough for second in the conference. Kretzman was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year and Second-Team All-NESCAC and ECAC East All-Star honors last year, despite being snubbed of First-Team All-NESCAC recognition.
"Beau will be relied upon to score some goals for us this year," said DiNardo, "But more than ever this will have to be a team effort."
In addition to Kretzman, the offense is returning strength in seniors DiNardo, Justin Pitrack and Brett Farson. Mike Kreger '04, who finished third on the team with 10 goals last year, and sophomores Jon Hill and Scott Aldrich, who both potted five goals last season, will also be counted on as the Jeffs look to expand their attack.
The Jeffs will also rely on their incoming freshmen to help bolster the squad. "We have some great freshmen, and we will look for them to provide us with a spark," said DiNardo.
Forwards Jack Greeley '06, Steve Nelson '06 and Rob Balanda '06 are expected to headline this freshman class and should make significant contributions to the team right away.
While the Jeffs will look to rebound this year, they still have one of the most difficult schedules in the country to contend with. In addition to conference games against Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Williams Colleges, the Jeffs will play Plattsburgh State College, the Rochester Institute of Technology and Elmira College in a brutal three-game stretch over winter break. All three of these teams are national powers.
The Jeffs open their season this coming weekend with a two-game road trip into Eastern Massachusetts, where they will play Babson College and UMass-Boston. Although the Jeffs have traditionally been able to handle these two squads, this year they aren't looking past any opponents.
"We are going to play tough, hard-nosed hockey whoever we are playing against this year," said DiNardo.
"Every game is a big game this season," added Jagher. "We are looking to learn from our mistakes last year and improve."