Sports
Men’s hockey hopes to build on successful 2015-16 season
By Will Kaback ’20
November 17, 2016
Tags sports
Some say the first day of winter is not the 21st of December, but rather the first time stepping through the rink doors and feeling the cool air hit your face, seeing the reflective shine of a fresh sheet of ice and hearing the soft overhead buzz of the facility’s mysterious machinery. It’s the season of breezers (not hockey pants). It’s the season where “flex” refers not to a display of braggadocio on social media but instead the torque on a stick. It’s the season of sharpened skates and stick tape. Bauer and Reebok take the place of Nike and Adidas as the top ap- parel providers. Great swathes of flowing locks (also known as “lettuce”) practically burst out of every helmet orifice, and it’s not uncommon to spot a “dirty stache” or two nestled behind a face mask. Hockey season is upon us.
The men’s hockey team could not be more excited to hit the ice. Follow- ing a 13-8-4 season that saw them fall to Middlebury College in overtime of the NESCAC championship quarterfi- nals last year, they have retooled their roster to highlight the strengths of their returning players, while making room for a number of first-year additions. They return their top three points scor- ers in Robbie Murden ’17, Neil Conway ’18 and Brandon Willett ’18, while also looking to highlight the skill sets of last season’s first-year standouts Jason Bro- chu ’19 and Jon Stickel ’19.
Coach Robert Haberbusch identi- fies “consistency” as the key goal of the team for the 2016-17 season. He says that the team needs to find balance in “all areas” of its game, rather than an over dependence on individual players or lines. Luckily, the team brings back an All-NESCAC player at every position with Murden at forward, Conor Lamberti ’17 on defense and Evan Buitenhuis ’18 in goal. Haberbusch says that having such a veteran team is “a treat.”
Not only have the returning players remained dedicated to the hard work that keyed their success last season, but they have also led by example to set the tone for the program. The NESCAC is a notoriously competitive conference for men’s hockey, and Haberbusch says “you have to be ready to play playoff hockey from Day One.” Fortunately, the veterans on the ice have been there before and look to push the team to greater heights.
In addition to a slew of returning contributors, the team also adds a num- ber of first-year players. For some, the transition to college hockey is more abrupt than others. Chris Browne ’20 is the only first-year to have gone straight from high school to the collegiate level. Traditionally, players will take one or more years off in between high school graduation and the beginning of college to hone their skills in the various junior hockey leagues around the country and in Canada. Browne decided to forgo this path and jump straight into the “big leagues,” knowing well that the shift could be “quite difficult.” However, he says that “the support of our upperclassmen and coaches has been tremendous and made the transition seamless.”
Browne minces no words when asked about the bonds already forming among the team. He says, “Without a doubt in my mind this is the closest team I have ever been a part of.” It’s clear that the culture established by the returning players has not only been conducive to success but also a wel- coming environment to new players. In a season sure to have its fair share of twists and turns, close bonds between teammates can be just as important as skill on the ice.
The coaching staff and players ac- knowledge that no matter how much preparation they put into the preseason, injuries and random occurrences will provide ample challenges beyond their competition. Browne says that rather than worrying about losing starters or veterans to injury, the team has focused on making sure every player is ready “to step up into roles they are not used to filling.” With that being said, Browne points out that there is no limit to what the team can do when it plays “to the best of its potential.”
The squad faces a challenging schedule beginning Friday night when it hosts Amherst for its season opener. Outside of the NESCAC, they will face off with the likes of Skidmore College, Franklin Pierce University, and SUNY Canton. Following a three-game home stint to begin the season, they’ll be on the road for all of December against four conference opponents. Even so, they’ll have the opportunity to com- pete to win every game, and their bal- anced roster bodes well for the many big games they are sure to face.
With Haberbusch at the helm, they’ll look to lock down all areas of the ice by following his principles of consistency and competitiveness. It’s clear that they have the offensive fire- power with Murden, Conway, and Wil- lett, coupled with a stout defense led by Lamberti and Buitenhuis. Furthermore, they’ll look to first-years like Browne, Nick Ursitti ’20, Bennett Morrison ’20,
Blayne Oliver ’20, Sterling Bray ’20 and Sam Jones ’20 to make contribu- tions wherever possible. Finally, any player will tell you a raucous fan sec- tion can sometimes make the difference between a win and a loss. The support of the student body will be crucial to providing the extra motivation neces- sary to win tight games, especially on their home ice.
Friday night, each of these fac- ets will converge as the men’s hockey team looks to start its season off with a bang. Whether you’re a player or a fan, when you enter the Sage Rink that night, you’ll know one thing for sure: it’s time to play some hockey.