Ice Hockey Opens 2006-2007 Campaign Thursday Evening By Hosting Suffolk In Non League Outing, Skyhawks Return 13 Letterwinners From Record Setting Season

November 8, 2006

After posting a record-setting campaign last winter, hopes for continued success are running high for Stonehill ice hockey, as sixth year Head Coach Scott Harlow welcomes back some key veterans while looking to blend in 13 newcomers to a squad that tied the school record for single-season victories (14) in 2005-2006 and advanced to the Northeast-10 Conference semi-finals for the third time in five seasons.

Harlow, named by his peers last winter as the 2005-2006 Northeast-10 Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, has an interesting mix of youth and experience dotting the Skyhawk roster this season, as three seniors and six juniors will blend in with a combined 17 freshmen and sophomores. Leadership for this group will come from sophomore Brendan O'Brien (Braintree, Mass./Deerfield Academy), who has been named as team captain, as well as senior Evan Spencer (Billerica, Mass./Billerica) and junior Matt Curran (Scarborough, Maine/North Yarmouth Academy), who will serve as assistant captains.

"Brendan showed great poise and leadership ability last season, and I know he will continue to set that same example on and off the ice," Harlow says. "Evan and Matt have been team leaders throughout their career and will also provide great experience in that area."

Here's a look at how things are shaping up for the 2006-2007 edition of Stonehill Ice Hockey:

FORWARD. O'Brien quickly established himself as a dangerous playmaker during his rookie campaign last winter, as the 2005-2006 Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year netted 10 goals and 32 assists for 42 points, earning the nod as Northeast-10 Freshman of the Week on nine occasions as well as a spot in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd" last February. Curran lends additional firepower up front for Stonehill after ranking second on the team with 16 goals and adding 15 assists for 31 points a year ago.

Junior Anthony Zanetti (Ludlow, Mass./Springfield Cathedral) posted nearly a point per game performance last year with 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points and lends experience at the forward spot along with fellow junior John Durkin (Scituate, Mass./Pomfret School), who netted eight goals and eight assists for 16 points. Juniors Brian Davis (Foxboro, Mass./Foxboro), Rob Carpenter (Cohasset, Mass./Cohasset) and Chase Feole (Windham, N.H./Salem) all return after combining for seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points, while sophomore Mike Cafferty (Arlington, Mass./Bridgton Academy) is also back after notching a goal in eight contests.

Seven newcomers will be looking to impact as well up front for Stonehill, as sophomores Paul Reissfelder (Plymouth, Mass./Tilton School), John Sommers (Manchester, Conn./Kent School) and Frank Amato (West Springfield, Mass./Loomis Chaffee), along with freshmen Mike Daraio (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison), Pete Roundy (Simsbury, Conn./Kimball Union), Chris Rogers (Westford, Mass./Pomfret School) and Zachary Cantin (Walpole, Mass./Xaverian) will all be vying for time at the forward spots for the Skyhawks.

DEFENSE. A very young blue line corps will look to gain experience as the season goes along for Harlow, who will have one senior among seven freshmen and sophomores on the defensive unit. Spencer is the lone upperclassman in the group, as he netted a goal and a pair of assists in 20 contests last season, while sophomores James Florentino (West Roxbury, Mass./Xaverian) and James Killeen (Derry, N.H./Proctor Academy) gained valuable experience as rookies last winter, as Florentino netted four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 19 outings while Killeen appeared in 14 games and notched three assists.

A quintet of newcomers will look to impact Stonehill's fortunes on the defensive end as well, as sophomores Billy Ninteau (Litchfield, N.H./Bishop Guertin), Frank Cavaliere (Winthrop, Mass./St. John's Prep) and Joe Durkin (Scituate, Mass./Cohasset), along with freshmen Corey Glynn (Hamden, Conn./Notre Dame) and Brendan Connors (Lowell, Mass./Xaverian), will compete for the remaining spots on the Skyhawk blue line.

GOAL. The return of senior Josh Green (Mendon, Mass./Gunnery Prep) between the Stonehill pipes provides a solid last line of defense for Harlow, as the 2005-2006 all-Northeast-10 netminder posted a 10-4 mark (the second highest single-season win total in school history) with a 2.98 goals against average, making 407 saves for a .911 saves percentage with one shutout.

Senior Matt Gorman (Southboro, Mass./St. John's) also provides experience in goal for the Skyhawks, as he notched a 3-1 mark with a 4.12 goals against average and 149 saves for an .876 saves percentage. Freshman David Tanner (Ipswich, Mass./Austin Prep) will also look for a spot between the pipes for Harlow during his rookie campaign.

Stonehill is set to begin the 2006-2007 season on Thursday, November 9th when the Skyhawks host Suffolk in a non-league outing at the Bridgewater Ice Arena that begins at 8:20 p.m. EST.