The Amherst men’s hockey team has spent the majority of the past few seasons on the brink of joining the elite in NESCAC play. Last season they got over the first-round hump when they defeated Little Three rival Wesleyan University 2-0 in one of the best games of the year. But aside from a victory over Norwich early in the season, the Jeffs were unable to defeat the top teams and for the third consecutive year, lost to Bowdoin College in the NESCAC Tournament.
Despite graduating starting goaltender Josh Fillman ’07 and captain Sean Ellis ’07, the Jeffs expect to build off last year’s 14-10-1 record. “We have a lot of talent and could definitely finish at the top of the league,” said forward Greg Adamo ’08. “We have depth at goaltending for the first time in a while, and a lot of talent up front.”
Leading the Jeff offense is co-captain Kyle Schoppel ’08. The former NESCAC Rookie of the Year enters this season with an already-impressive college career, boasting 77 points on 36 goals and 41 assists. First Team All-NESCAC performer Joel Covelli ’09 transferred from Colby College before last season and provided instant firepower for the Jeffs with 11 goals and 24 helpers, good for third in the conference.
Adding to the Amherst arsenal will be seniors forward Andrew Schremp and defender Mike McIntosh, each of whom continually provided timely goals and key assists last year and will bring a bevy of experience to the Jeffs this season. Junior forwards Brendan Powers, Will Collins, Griffin Biedron and Olufemi Amurawaiye contributed a combined 21 goals to the Amherst offense last season, while sophomore forwards Jack Baer, Keith Nelson and Teddy Vickers combined for 26 assists.
Improving on a defense that allowed 86 goals in 25 games will be critical for the Jeffs’ success. Senior co-captain Rob Stevenson will be joined on the blue line by Jeff Landers ’09, Rylan Burns ’09, Shane Lennox ’09, Sean Patterson ’10 and Andrew Stevenson ’10. Landers and Burns had a solid year offensively with 22 and 14 points, respectively, last season, including three game-winners from Landers. Anchoring the defense is junior goalie A.J. Scola, who pitched a shutout in the conference quarterfinals last year, earning him Conference Player of the Week honors.
Rookie net-minders Jonathan La Rose and Cole Anderson have impressed the coaching staff in early practices and will split time until Scola returns to the mix after a grueling football season. Also joining the team are first-year forwards Trip Wray, Matt Rhone, Luke Arnold and Jason Degiovanni, along with defender Gavin Carson.
With a competitive roster, Head Coach Jack Arena can expect the best from his players every day at practice. The depth between the pipes will undoubtedly improve Amherst’s defense, and senior leadership up front gives Amherst reason to be optimistic.
A quick start hasn’t been an issue for the Jeffs, but the question will be how they handle late-season matchups with Middlebury, Bowdoin, Colby and archrival Williams Colleges. If they can pick up some big victories in league games, the Jeffs have a chance to host a playoff game at Orr Rink for the first time since the 2000-01 season, when they fell to Middlebury in the NESCAC Championship game.