![\"Senior](\"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/images\/colorscans\/20082009\/heck.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPlayer To Watch: <\/b> Senior forward Brandon Heck (16-18-34) has already broken all of the scoring records at the school and is looking to add to his r\u00c3\u00a9sum\u00c3\u00a9 this season by again topping the career 100 point mark.<\/p>\n
Summary: <\/b>This team has learned how to win and their physical style can wear down many teams — if the goaltending triumvirate of Jay Seals, Jeff Swanson and freshman Seth McNary can step up to the elite level, Castleton could compete with another Vermont school for the league title. <\/p>\nNew England College Pilgrims<\/h4>\n
2007-2008 Overall Record: <\/b>\t16-8-3
\n2007-2008 League Record: <\/b>\t10-6-3
\n2007-2008 League Finish: <\/b>\tFourth
\n2008-2009 Coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Pick: <\/b>\tFourth
\n2008-2009 USCHO Prediction: <\/b>\tFourth<\/p>\n
Team Overview: <\/b>The Pilgrims are another team that lost some key contributors from last year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s squad. If you happen to be near the bench and hear some different languages from the players, please note that there are 13 players who find their roots in Sweden or Finland, giving NEC a distinctive European style. <\/p>\n
The Scandinavian entourage will receive some solid support from a strong returning group that can score in bunches.<\/p>\n
Special Teams: <\/b>Expect speed and puck movement to dominate the style of play as the Pilgrims have always proved dangerous on the power play. Junior Mark Ehl (23-18-41) led the team with 12 goals on the power play and should be in a position to match that number this season with a talented supporting cast.<\/p>\n
Player to Watch: <\/b>Junior defenseman Trevor Turner (0-23-23) didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t score a goal last season but still produced over 20 points by setting up his teammates.<\/p>\n
Summary: <\/b> Six of the Pilgrims first eight games are at home including three match ups with top teams in the ECAC Northeast such as Nichols, Wentworth and Curry. A good start will set up NEC for a strong run following the semester break.<\/p>\nSouthern Maine Huskies<\/h4>\n
2007-2008 Overall Record: <\/b>\t14-9-3
\n2007-2008 League Record: <\/b>\t8-8-3
\n2007-2008 League Finish: <\/b>\tFifth
\n2008-2009 Coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Pick:\t<\/b> Sixth
\n2008-2009 USCHO Prediction: <\/b>\tFifth<\/p>\n
Team Overview: <\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are going to be a little inexperienced on the blue line to start but I like the make-up of this team,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said head coach Jeff Beaney. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The league is going to be very tough and we open with Norwich right out of the gate so I guess we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll see what we have got early on.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Special Teams: <\/b>Over a third of the team\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s goals came on the power play last season so look for senior forwards Dan Gordon (13-16-29) and Kyle Smith (13-10-23) to lead the way for the Huskies.<\/p>\n
Players to Watch: <\/b>Goalie Jamie Gilbert had a solid year in his first season playing following his transfer from Division I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s UMass-Amherst. His 10-6-1 record combined with a 2.63 GAA and .915 save percentage should help the Huskies stay competitive virtually every night.<\/p>\n
Summary: <\/b>Southern Maine has always finished strong in the second half. If they can steal some points on the front end, a home ice berth is easily within their grasp.<\/p>\nSalem State Vikings<\/h4>\n
2007-2008 Overall Record: <\/b>\t16-11-1
\n2007-2008 League Record: <\/b>\t9-9-1
\n2007-2008 League Finish: <\/b>\tSixth
\n2008-2009 Coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Pick: <\/b>\tFifth
\n2008-2009 USCHO Prediction: <\/b>\tSixth<\/p>\n
Team Overview: <\/b> This is Salem State\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s final season in the ECAC East as they will join the new MASCAC league starting in 2009-10. Not that they need the motivation but Bill O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Neill\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s teams are always competitive and will surprise teams that aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t prepared to play. They can score in bunches but will need to tighten up defensively if they want to make a run at postseason glory. <\/p>\n
Special Teams: <\/b>Special teams will need to be better on both sides for the Vikings, especially where they only had a 16% success rate scoring with the man advantage. Sophomore Justin Fox (18-22-40) led the team with six tallies on the power play. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll need some help. <\/p>\n
Player to Watch: <\/b> D-I transfer Vinny Monaco comes to Salem State from UMass-Lowell so look for some healthy competition with Ryan Hatch for playing time between the pipes.<\/p>\n
Summary: <\/b> The Vikings will need to get consistent play in their defensive end and solid goaltending. If they do last season\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s visit to the final four in the conference tournament will not be a surprise. <\/p>\nUMass-Boston Beacons<\/h4>\n
2006-2007 Overall Record: <\/b>\t11-14-2
\n2006-2007 League Record: <\/b>\t5-12-2
\n2006-2007 League Finish: <\/b>\tEighth
\n2007-2008 Coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Pick: <\/b>\tSeventh
\n2007-2008 USCHO Prediction: <\/b>\tSeventh<\/p>\n
Team Overview: <\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We want to compete in this league with all of the top teams,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said head coach Peter Belisle. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have a great group returning and have added a lot of new faces to help build our talent and depth.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We need our top performers from last year to go to the next level and from what we have seen in practice they are all bigger and quicker than we were a year ago. Hopefully, we will get a chance to outshoot some teams this year.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Special Teams: <\/b>The power play should be better and Eric Tufman (18-19-37) should top the nine extra attacker goals he scored last season. The penalty kill needs to improve significantly as a 21% success rate for the opposition will put the Beacons in a difficult spot unless the offense goes to the next level this season.<\/p>\n Player to Watch: <\/b> Junior goaltender Ryan Donovan has been outstanding in his first two seasons for UMass-Boston. If the team defense can improve and cut down on the shots he faces per game, he has the ability to steal wins and points the Beacons will need to compete for a higher seed in the playoff hunt.<\/p>\n Summary: <\/b>While the roster again includes some significant changes from just a year ago, coach Belisle has brought back a program that was not competitive for years. In this the third year in his system, the team should be competitive and deep enough to match up with some of the toughest teams in the league at home or on the road.<\/p>\n 2007-2008 Overall Record: <\/b>\t13-12-3 Team Overview: <\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re still pretty young,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d noted Hawks coach Ed Seney. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We will definitely be better defensively and we will have some competition for time in the net with Pat Gallagher returning and two sophomores in as transfers from UConn and Clarkson.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have a handful of freshmen getting some playing time and the bulk of roster is made up by sophomores so we will have to see if they can make the jump to the next level in their game.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Special Teams: <\/b> Penalty killing will need to improve for this team to compete in the league as opponents converted at 20% last season. The power play will also need to find contributions from other players as the top four scorers have graduated. Half of sophomore Ryan Butler\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s (6-9-15) goals last season were scored on the power play.<\/p>\n Player to Watch: <\/b> Goaltender Pat Gallagher played significant minutes last season for the Hawks and will need to maintain his .918 save percentage in striving for double-digit wins. <\/p>\n Summary: <\/b> The Hawks will need to avoid last year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eight game losing streak in the middle of the season that took them out of contention in the league. This team is still young but has some strong performers from a year ago to build on. While they aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t eligible as a D-II school for the league playoffs, this schedule will prepare them for a run at the NE-10 title in March.<\/p>\n 2007-2008 Overall Record: <\/b>\t7-17-2 Team Overview: <\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We are healthy this year which should make a big difference this year,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said head coach Neil Sinclair. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153At the end of last season we had just one regular defenseman healthy and had moved forwards back to play on the blue line. This year we have everyone back in the regular spot including Mike Gibbons moving back to his natural position at forward.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Our other challenge last year was in goal. This year we have three freshmen competing hard and doing well. Colin Bessey, John Bienkowski and Andrew Ross are all doing a nice job but we will see who emerges from the pack. I am confident that we will see better play in goal this season.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Special Teams: <\/b>With opponents scoring 28% of the time on the man advantage, the penalty kill has to be a top priority for coach Sinclair\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s squad. Improved goaltending should contribute greatly to a reduction in those numbers.<\/p>\n Player to Watch: <\/b>Sophomore Alex Mykolenko (12-9-21) returns as last year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s leading scorer. He has great offensive talents and is looking to reap the benefits of a healthy front line unit for the Thoroughbreds.<\/p>\n Summary: <\/b>They love playing on the big surface at home but will need to play better on the road. If the offense can improve with goaltending to match, Skidmore may surprise a few teams.<\/p>\n 2007-2008 Overall Record: <\/b>\t12-14-1 Team Overview: <\/b> \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s exciting to have won some hardware last year,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d noted head coach Chris Davidson. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We want to continue to improve and compete in this league as if we were eligible to play for the league championship. We have something to prove every time we go out on the ice.<\/p>\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We have a nice nucleus back and have brought in a nice group of freshmen that will see some playing time for sure. If Tyler [Bilton] can build on his success from last season, we will be a pretty competitive team in a very tough league where there are no nights off.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n Special Teams: <\/b> It’s tough to have success as a team when the opposition scores as frequently as you do with the man advantage. Look for an improved penalty kill supported by defensive stalwart and new assistant coach Lou DiMasi who was a former two time All-American at Norwich.<\/p>\n Player to Watch: <\/b>Senior forward Ryan Mero (20-17-37) has a chance to finish his college career as a 100 point scorer, but to do so he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll need some help from his supporting cast.<\/p>\n Summary: <\/b> Last season\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s NE-10 champs couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have provided a better first season ending for first year coach Chris Davidson. This year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s squad will need to cut down on the goals against with improved team defense and leverage the strong league competition to set them up for playing into the D-II tournament in March. That said, the Purple Knights want to show the ECAC East schools that they can compete at their level every game.<\/p>\n The games begin tonight — so drop the puck! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The interlocking schedule between NESCAC and ECAC East provides hockey fans in the Northeast some of the best match ups anywhere on virtually every weekend between now and the end of February. In this the last season in its current configuration before the commencement of the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) next year takes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":140328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[322],"tags":[],"coauthors":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Junior](\"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/images\/colorscans\/20082009\/Donovan,Ryan.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSt. Anselm Hawks<\/h4>\n
\n2007-2008 League Record: <\/b>\t8-8-3
\n2007-2008 League Finish: <\/b>\tSeventh
\n2008-2009 Coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Pick: <\/b>\tNinth
\n2008-2009 USCHO Prediction: <\/b>\tEighth<\/p>\nSkidmore Thoroughbreds<\/h4>\n
\n2007-2008 League Record: <\/b>\t4-14-1
\n2007-2008 League Finish: <\/b>\tTenth
\n2008-2009 Coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Pick: <\/b>\tEighth
\n2008-2009 USCHO Prediction: <\/b>\tNinth<\/p>\nSt. Michael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Purple Knights<\/h4>\n
\n2007-2008 League Record: <\/b>\t8-14-1
\n2007-2008 League Finish: <\/b>\tNinth
\n2008-2009 Coaches\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Pick: <\/b>\tTenth
\n2008-2009 USCHO Prediction:\t<\/b> Tenth<\/p>\n