Falcons Open Season Friday At Quinnipiac Cup

        WALTHAM, Mass. ? The Bentley College hockey team kicks off its 
2000-2001 campaign this weekend (Oct. 20) in Connecticut at the annual 
Quinnipiac Cup at the Northford Ice Pavilion.
        The Falcons face MAAC Hockey League rival Quinnipiac University in 
the opening round on Friday night at 7 p.m. and play in either the 
consolation game (4 p.m.) or championship game (7 p.m.) on Saturday night. 
 Air Force and Fairfield University will be playing the other first-round 
game on Friday.
        The Falcons certainly have their hands full in the season opener.
Quinnipiac, which already has two games under its belt (a win and a tie 
against Iona) was picked as the preseason favorite by MAAC coaches and 
will be led by forward Shawn Mansoff and defenseman Anthony DiPalma. The 
Braves won their second straight MAAC regular-season crown last year with 
a fine 27-6-3 overall record and a 23-1-3 mark against conference 
competition. Mansoff, a six-foot senior from Edmonton, led his team in 
scoring with 29 goals and 37 assists for 56 points last year.
DiPalma, a 6-foot-3 senior from Wallingford, Conn., led a defense that 
allowed only 2.22 goals-per-game last year, contributing nine goals and 21 
assists as well. Both players were MAAC first-team all-stars.
Bentley, 7-23-2 last season in its first MAAC season, was hit hard by 
graduation as Ryan Soderquist and Brian Gangemi both played their final 
games for the Falcons last year. Soderquist, now Bentley's assistant 
coach, is the school's all-time leading scorer (173 points) while Gangemi 
is tied for fifth in career points with 121.
Falcon coach Jim McAdam, entering his eighth season behind the bench at 
Bentley, is hoping an experienced defense and an enthusiastic group of 
talented freshman can keep his squad in the thick of things.
Junior Steve Tobio (Belmont/Belmont HS) will lead the Falcons this season. A member of the MAAC's preseason 
first-team, Tobio finished with seven goals and 22 assists last year, tops 
among Bentley returners. He will be joined by classmate Matt Kowal (Ancaster, Ontario) as Bentley's top set of defenseman. Assistant captain and senior Andy Cavanagh (Greenville, R.I./Smithfield HS) will skate with freshman Robert DeLong (Danvers/Danvers HS)  as the No. 2 blueline tandem and senior Mike Romano (Cicero, N.Y./Canterbury School) and freshmen Joshua Downs (Syracuse, N.Y./Milbrook School) and Anthony Contrucci (Hollywood, Fla./Pomfret School) are also in the mix for regular ice time at defense.
Behind that defense will be senior Ray DeVincent (Waltham/St. Sebastian's HS), who takes over No. 1 goalie duties for the departed Joe Cullen. DeVincent 
will be backed up by sophomore Kevin Williams (Scituate/Vermont Academy), Robert Berberian (Andover/Lawrence Academy) and Bill Bridge (Billerica/Billerica HS).
A pair of sophomores will look to lead the Falcon offense. Marcus Willy (Marshfield/Marshfield HS) and Andy Peters (Saxtons River, Vt./Vermont Academy) are the top returning scorers other than Tobio. Willy had nine goals and 
15 assists last year while Peters contributed nine goals and seven 
assists. Freshman Joe Lovell (Falmouth/Norwood HS) will join Willy and Peters as the team's first-line center.
The second line will be comprised of junior John DiGennaro (Amesbury/Amesbury HS) at center, junior Paul Monzione (Chelsea/Matignon HS)  at right wing and freshman Tim Calabro (Billerica/Billerica HS) on the left. Senior Brook Geraghty (Winthrop/Winthrop HS), juniors Kevin Cahill (Woburn/Woburn HS), Mark Douglas (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa HS), John Yianoukos (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam HS) and Dave Gibson (Meriden, Conn./Avon Old Farms) and freshmen Matt Beck (Waltham/Waltham HS), Mike Mulligan (Marshfield/Thayer Academy) and Mike Ciarletta (Watertown/Arlington Catholic HS) will all be hoping for spots on the third and fourth lines.
        After the weekend tournament in Connecticut, Bentley will hit the 
road again next weekend for games at Canisius and Mercyhurst. The Falcons 
play their home opener on Friday, Nov. 3 against the University of 
Connecticut.