The Salve Regina hockey team is playing in their final season as member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) before moving to the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) next season. The focus is clearly on competing to win a championship in their final year in a conference that produced three NCAA tournament bids last season.
“The CCC is a very good conference,” said head coach Zech Klann. “It was difficult for the team in the way we lost in the conference tournament last year and that certainly is something we want to move beyond this season against some very strong teams in the conference. Next year is next year and we will have our work cut out for us in what may be the most competitive league in D-III hockey. Right now, we are focused on this season and Wentworth coming up this weekend as our next challenge on the ice.”
The Seahawks are off to a 4-0-0 start which includes winning the Buffalo State tournament to open the season and a weekend sweep of Suffolk to open CCC play this past weekend. The offense has been rolling early with a pair of guys that have some familiarity in their times at the University of Maine before transferring to Salve Regina. Senior Johnny Mulera and junior Matthew Fawcett and their linemate, Joe Kile have the offense clicking as the line has combined for 25 points in the four games where the Seahawks have outscored their opponents by a 26-8 margin.
“With the loss of Brenden Kim to injury and some other impacts on the blueline, it has been good for us to have such depth upfront that we haven’t had here in a while,” noted Klann. “I don’t mind leaning on the offense a bit right now while we get a bit healthier with the defensive unit. Our goaltending has been great, and we have been scoring goals while playing good team defense to help our depleted D-corps. Johnny and Matthew have been a big part of that offensive surge and with Joe that line really helps set the tone for the group.”
Mulera was part of the World University Games roster where D-III players competed for the USA on a global stage. The team won the country’s first medal, a silver, and when the Seahawk forward came back, his coach noted an improved version of the player who left his college squad to represent his country on the ice.
“First, it was great that Johnny and Mitch (Walinski) were able to play and contribute to the success of the team in the World University Games,” stated Klann. “You always want your players to enjoy a great hockey experience and what can be better than representing your country in an international tournament. I told them both to work hard and to learn from the experience and I think they both did that. Johnny came back to the team with his confidence soaring and was much more vocal in the room as a leader. That is helping this team which is already a close-knit bunch without a lot of ego, so things are good like we haven’t seen here since before COVID.”
The close-knit nature of the team is something that coach Klann thinks will be enhanced by a first half of the season that includes 10 of their 14 games being played on the road. The opening schedule includes two tournaments (Buffalo State tournament and Skidmore Invitational), four home-and-home conference weekends and two mid-week non-conference games with Albertus Magnus and New England College.
“I think the bus trips and going on the road really helps to bring the team together early,” said Klann. “A lot of our kids from Canada are used to much longer bus rides but this has helped bring the group together quicker and we are seeing that already on the ice in just the first few games. Our focus now is to continue to get better, get healthy and compete at the highest level in our conference and our schedule.”
Salve Regina continues CCC action this weekend with a two-game series against Wentworth and follows that with a Tuesday night non-conference game on the road against future NEHC opponent Albertus Magnus.
