With a strong recruiting class of seven incoming freshmen, the men's hockey team stands a strong chance of rebounding from the loss of six varsity players from the 1994-95 squad next season.
The loss of senior forwards Dion Del Monte, Mike Stacchi and Patrick Turcotte will deal a major blow to the offense, while the graduation of Trevor Dodman and Yanick Roussin will hurt the defense. Also, defenseman Ben Butters '97 will be taking his game to Bethel College in Minnesota to play under his father, who will be the head coach there.
But the seven members of the Class of 1999 will be looking to step in and make an immediate impact. The incoming freshman class, which includes four forwards and three defensemen, brings a classic mix of size and speed to the Big Green.
The Big Green added some size to the defensive corps in an effort to prevent the offensive shootouts the Big Green fell victim to last season.
Ryan Burkart, a 5-11, 180-pound defenseman from Mississauga, Ontario is a "classic defensive defenseman" according to Head Coach Roger Demment.
Ironically, Demment said Burkart plays in a similar fashion to Captain Dax Burkhart '96, also a defenseman.
Burkart's stay-at-home style should prove a major asset to the defense, which was plagued by odd-man rushes last year.
Dave Risk, a 6-0, 190-pound defenseman originally from Morristown, N.J., is one of the top private school defensemen in New England, Demment said.
According to Demment, Risk adds even more size to the defensive corps, and he is "mobile, hard nosed and handles the puck well."
The final defenseman of the group, Chris Showalter, is the biggest of the three. Showalter, who stands at 6-3, 190 pounds, hails from Chalfont, Penn. and played last season in the United States Hockey League, a junior league in the midwest.
Demment said Showalter has good all-around skills and also some offensive potential.
While the defensive corps has a focus on size, the four forwards will bring a blend of speed and power to the team.
Ryan Chaytors, a 5-10, 165-pound forward from Calgary, Alberta, will bring "a lot of character, hard-nosed play and intelligence" to the lineup, Demment said.
Chaytors was captain of his junior team, the Calgary Canucks, which recently won the Centennial Cup as the best junior team in Canada, Demment said.
Demment called Chaytors a versatile player who can play all three forward positions. Chaytors will probably see time on both the penalty killing and power play units.
Matt Giedt, a 5-11, 180-pound forward from Fargo, N.D., has a "tremendous set of wheels" according to Demment. Demment said the coaching staff will try to find where Giedt's speed best fits into the lineup.
Scott Peach, a 5-11, 175-pound forward from Langley, British Columbia is also extremely speedy, according to Demment.
Peach is primarily a center but can also play either wing position. He was the highest scoring forward on his team, the Langley Thunder, in the British Columbia junior hockey league playoffs, Demment said.
Curtis Wilgosh, a 6-2, 205-pound forward from Canore, Saskatchewan, is a strong power forward much in the mold of Stacchi, according to Demment.
Demment said Wilgosh is a very good skater "for a big guy" and he led his junior team, the Minot Americans in shorthanded goals this past season.
According to Demment, the seven incoming freshmen have all been leaders on their respective teams.
With the seven members of the class of 1999 stepping in, the Big Green will be looking to improve upon their 11th-place ECAC finish in 1994-95.
Although the loss of Del Monte, Stacchi and Turcotte means the Big Green lose approximately 50 percent of their goals from last year, Demment is confident the younger players stepping up will be able to fill the shoes of the graduating seniors.
"One of the things I'm excited about is of the 27 players associated with varsity last year, we have 19 returning," Demment said.
He added the young players on the squad, particularly the class of 1998, got some valuable experience last year during the team's late-season charge for a playoff berth that fell just short.
The team hopes to have Burkhart back for the start of the season.
Burkhart tore two ligaments and a cartilage disk in his knee during the last weekend of the regular season in March.
Burkhart underwent successful surgery on April 4 and is well along in his rehabilitation schedule, Demment said.
