Men's Hockey Begins 105th Season of Competition

10/8/2010 11:46:00 AM | Men's Ice Hockey

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth men's hockey enters its 105th season of collegiate hockey this winter as one of the most experienced Big Green teams in quite a while. Dartmouth will feature nine seniors on its roster this year while welcoming six newcomers into the fold. Given that, the hopes are high for the Dartmouth men's hockey program with the 2010-11 team as ten juniors will be among its 23 returnees.

"The team came back in great shape as the guys have worked really hard since last season ended and throughout the summer," head coach Bob Gaudet said. "We had 6-8 guys here all summer with a number of guys coming in periodically to check in with head strength coach, Bob Miller. As a team, I am very pleased with the work that our guys put in over the off-season. Work ethic is a big part of our tradition here and I know that our efforts will be rewarded this season."

Entering his 14th season at the helm of the Big Green, head coach Bob Gaudet knows that with so many upperclassmen and the talent his squad has, this might be the year the Big Green is able to get back to the ECAC Championships.

"I ask the guys, 'Why not us, why shouldn't we be the ones to hoist the trophy at the end of the season?" Gaudet said. "We want to compete at a high level and we plan on doing that and with hard work, discipline and enthusiasm we'll see success."

With goals like that Gaudet, as well as associate head coach Dave Peters and assistant coach John Rose believe the Big Green can see the success it had just a few years ago.

"We have depth in all positions and I think it's going to be a very competitive season across the board," Gaudet said.

FORWARDS
Lost: Gaudet (32gp, 7-5-12), Gillam (14gp, 2-0-2).
Returning: Fleming (32gp, 22-17-39), Estoclet (30gp, 12-24-36), Reber (29gp, 5-21-26), Jones (32gp, 4-21-25), N. Walsh (24gp, 6-10-16), Reeds (32gp, 5-8-13), D. Walsh (22gp, 8-2-10), Owsiak (26gp, 2-8-10).
Newcomers: 2 Matt Lindblad, Eric Robinson

The potential for the Big Green to generate a productive offense is definitely there this year. Dartmouth returns its top two scorers along with eleven lettermen up front, including the top six scoring forwards. Two incoming freshmen, with impressive resumes, will push the veterans and give the Big Green plenty of depth, something Gaudet has been looking forward to since his current crop of seniors came in as rookies.

"Our seniors are players who pretty much came in as freshmen and earned ice time right away," Gaudet said. "The fact that Scott Fleming (Plainfield, Ont.) and Adam Estoclet (Bessemer, Mich.) both are just a few games short of 100, shows that they've both seen a lot of ice time in their previous three years."

Leading the way for the Big Green at the forward position will be the tandem of Fleming and Estoclet. Both scored more than 30 points last season with career-highs of 39 and 36 points, respectively.

"We have an excellent captain this year in Scott Fleming and I think he'll be a great leader for us," Gaudet said. "He and Estoclet were both major factors in our offense last year and I expect that to continue. Guys like Fleming, Estoclet, Matt Reber and Kyle Reeds have so much experience due to how much key playing time they have had over the past three years."

Juniors Doug Jones (Marietta, Ga.) and Nick Walsh (Shannonville, Ont.) had solid sophomore numbers as Jones continued his scoring output with 28 points. Walsh saw solid ice time and really came on the second half of the season to become a consistent offensive threat.

Other forward spots could easily be filled with returners Kyle Reeds (St. Louis, Mo.), Dustin Walsh (Shannonville, Ont.), Andrew Owsiak (Moose Jaw, Sask.), Paul Lee (Garden City, N.Y.), Mark Goggin (Glen Ellyn, Ill.), Alex Goodship (Blackfalds,Alta.), Rob Smith (Brooks, Alta.), Jason Bourgea (Burlington, VT) and Troy Mattila (Rockford, Ill).

The newcomers to the position for Dartmouth are Matt Lindblad (Winnetka, Ill.) and Eric Robinson (Foxboro, Mass.). Lindblad spent last season with the Sioux Falls Stampede and finished near the top of the league in scoring with 24 goals and 70 points. Robinson also played in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders. He tallied 19 goals and was a two-way player who could be counted on for most situations.

"Lindblad's a good-sized player with tremendous ability," Gaudet said. "He can score and plays at a really good pace. Robinson is another big, power forward with a good skill level. Both players will increase the size and skill of our team. I expect them to come in and challenge right away. It's going to be a very competitive position for us this season."

DEFENSE
Lost: Boldt (30gp, 1-8-9), McCarthy (5gp, 1-0-1).
Returning: Stephens (31gp, 6-14-20), Stejskal (32gp, 3-7-10), C. Goggin (31gp, 1-4-5), Markowitz (28gp, 0-3-3), Gaudet (28gp, 0-2-2), Schussler (1 gp), Keenan (7gp)
Newcomers: 3 Nick Lovejoy, Taylor Boldt, Dan Nycholat

The core of Dartmouth's defense returns with seven lettermen back on the blue line. Three promising freshmen will add to the mix, giving the Big Green a defensive corps that will be loaded with the potential to be one of the best units in ECAC Hockey.

Much of the defense's success will rest in the play of senior assistant captains Evan Stephens (Bessemer, Mich.) and Joe Stejskal (Grand Rapids, Minn.), and Dartmouth could not be in better hands. Both players have been consistent top performers for the Big Green through three seasons. The two combined for 30 points in 2009-10. Stephens was recently named preseason All-League and is a two-time All Ivy honoree. Stejskal continues to be a big presence for the defensive unit as he's been one of the top penalty killers in the league.

The defensive core will be bolstered by a host of veteran returnees including Dan Markowitz (Jericho, NY), Connor Goggin (Glen Ellyn, Ill), Jim Gaudet (Etna, N.H.), Mike Keenan (Weymouth, MA) and Kyle Schussler (Okotoks, Alta).

Newcomers will be Dan Nycholat (Calgary, Alta.), Nick Lovejoy (Orford, N.H.) and Taylor Boldt (Niwot, Colo.). Nycholat and Boldt both come in after a year with junior hockey teams while Lovejoy played prep hockey at Deerfield Academy.

"Boldt comes to us after finishing up an excellent USHL career. He's a very skilled skater and good puck mover," Gaudet explained. "Nycholat played out in Western Canada but is a transfer from Northeastern. He's a good-sized guy who plays solid defense. Lovejoy is another big strong guy with a familiar name as a lot of our fans will remember his brother, Ben. Nick's about the same size as Ben and he has solid athletic ability. For all three of them it will be a process of coming in and developing at the level we need them to."

GOALIES
Lost: Charles Corsi (1gp, .850%, 5.68 GAA, 0-0-0)
Returning: O'Neill (21gp, .890%, 3.80 GAA, 6-14-1), Mello (16gp, .9125, 2.97 GAA, 4-5-2).
Newcomers: Cab Morris

With two veterans and one solid rookie vying for playing time, the Big Green will have experience, talent and competition in the crease, something Dartmouth has not seen in awhile.

Junior Jody O'Neill (Nepean, Ont.) has seen the bulk of the playing time for the Big Green with 51 games played, but he was challenged by classmate James Mello (Rehobeth, Mass.) last year and the competition pushed both netminders to perform at their peak.

"The tandem last year came along very well especially later in the season," Gaudet said. "I thought James had a great stretch where he played very good hockey for us and Jody has always been such a competitior and is one of the hardest working goaltenders I've ever seen. Both are in great shape after the summer so I'm really looking forward to seeing how our goaltender situation shapes up."

Cab Morris (Wilmette, Ill.) makes his way to Hanover after a solid year in the USHL in 2009. He's a big goalie, standing at 6-3 so he'll fill a lot of net. He finished last season at almost the top of every statistical goalie category and was ranked by the NHL's Central Scouting.

"Cab's a good-sized player that catches with his right hand which is pretty rare for a goalie," Gaudet said. "He had a great season last year and is such a good athlete that he's going to challenge right away."

SCHEDULE
A rigorous non-conference schedule featuring five teams that made it to the NCAA tournament highlights Dartmouth's schedule. A home game with Vermont, a visit to Dartmouth's Ledyard National Bank Classic by National Champion, Boston College and a neutral site contest against UNH will all be tough tests for the Big Green.

"We have a really good and balanced schedule," Gaudet said. "Excellent opponents bring out the best in you and we will challenge our team all season long with top-notch Division I competition against some of the top teams in the country."

The usual ECAC Hockey schedule is also on tap as the Big Green opens up right away with RPI and Union for its first league weekend.

"We play in a conference that is traditionally very tight from top to bottom," Gaudet said. "ECAC Hockey is a tremendous league, we have a lot of respect for our opponents and look forward to some great competition all season long."

The Big Green begins competition with an exhibition game against Quebec Three Rivers on Oct. 17 at 3:00. The first regular season game will be on Nov. 5 and 6 with Rensselaer and Union coming to Thompson Arena.