Dave Geringer					Athletic Department                                 (508) 990-9651 				Sports Information Director	
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2005-2006 UMASS DARTMOUTH HOCKEY PREVIEW
NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-Last season, the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth hockey team came within one game of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference post-season tournament and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Championships.

This year, the Corsairs hope to take the next step and earn their ninth league championship and an accompanying NCAA berth.

“We’re pretty much a veteran team,” said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach John Rolli, who is entering his 22nd season and ranks fourth among active NCAA Division III coaches with 416 wins and a 416-111-19 overall record. “We may dress two new forwards and one new defenseman each night, and we will also have a new goaltender.”

Senior forward Eric Frank (Waltham, MA/Traverse City Enforcers-CEJHL) leads the returning players. Frank, a 2005-06 pre-season second team All-East selection by U.S. College Hockey Online, led Division III in scoring with 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points, while leading all of college hockey in points per game (2.27). Named to the ECAC and New England Hockey Writers All-Star Teams, Frank was also UMD’s first American Hockey Coaches Association/CCM All-American.

Senior leadership is always important, and the Corsairs have an abundance of that with seven seniors. Forward Ian Seaver (Ludlow, MA/Springfield Cathedral HS, 6-2-8 a year ago) is the 2005-06 team captain, while defensemen Dave Cioch (Springfield, MA/New England Junior Coyotes, 3-6-9) and D.J. Aucoin (Marlboro, MA/Waltham HS, 2-14-16) will serve as assistant captains. 

The Corsairs should be well set up front, with Frank (47 goals and 58 assists for 105 points during his 64-game career) joined by junior Pete Lindner (Parlin, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy, 14-14-28) and sophomore Jeff Grant (Burlington, MA/Austin Prep, 8-6-14). Senior P.J. Lovett (Falmouth, MA/ Falmouth HS) will join junior Jim Foley (East Taunton, MA/Catholic Memorial HS, 10-13-23) and Kyle McCullough (Danvers, MA/Boston Junior Blackhawks, 13-22-35) on a second line, Seaver will join senior Joe Walsh (Kingston, MA/ Tilton Academy, 5-10-15) and junior Ray Kirby (Fairhaven, MA/York Stars) on the checking line, and sophomore Paul Garabedian (Belmont, MA/Belmont HS, 6-11-17) will be joined by a pair of newcomers. Expected to challenge for those two spots will be newcomers Tom Ford (N. Grafton, MA/ St. John's Shrewsbury HS), Brendan Byrne (Dedham, MA/ Catholic Memorial HS), Marc Paquin (Warwick, RI/ Winchendon HS), Mark Trahan (Chelmsford, MA/Chelmsford HS), Chris Shore (West Haven, CT/Winchendon HS), and Jeff Driscoll (Saugus, MA/Saugus HS).

“We definitely have some talent up front,” said Rolli. “Eric Frank, Jeff Grant and Pete Linder are talented players, as are Jim Foley, P.J. Lovett and Kyle McCullough. Our checking line includes three of our smartest hockey players, and Paul Garabedian is coming off a fine freshman season. We’re going to have the ability to score goals and create some nice offensive plays.” 

Aucoin and Cioch will anchor the defense, which will include junior Paul Carr
(Springfield, MA/Cathedral HS), and sophomores Brian Chapin (Medway, MA/Medway HS, 2-10-12), Mike McNulty (Hingham, MA/Winchendon HS) and Tyler Crocker (Wakefield, MA/Wakefield HS). Freshman Bubba Gunn (Winthrop, MA/ Berkshire Academy) and David Doucette (Westford, MA/ Kimball Union Academy) are expected to challenge for playing time. Aucoin is expected quarterback the Corsairs power play with help from Carr, while Cioch will patrol the front of the UMD net.

“On defense, we have a good group,” said Rolli. “We have several veterans, led by D.J. Aucoin and David Cioch, and we have an exciting rookie in Bubba Gunn who can play either forward or defense. He’ll be in the lineup at either position, depending on what our needs are.”

Good goaltending is always a key to success, and the Corsairs lost a good one when Kevin McGowan graduated, McGowan, named the outstanding goalie in the ECAC Northeast Conference last season, played 26 of UMass Dartmouth’s 27 games and saw all but 150 minutes of the season’s action, going 21-5 with a 2.59 goals-against average. Sophomore Bruce Maggio (Quincy, MA/North Quincy HS) is battling three freshmen: Jon Dryjowicz-Burek (Ludlow, MA/Springfield Jr. Falcons), Jeff Green (Medway, MA/Valley Jr. Warriors), and Patrick McCarron (Andover, MA/Central Catholic HS) 

“The biggest issue we’ll have will be going from a veteran goaltender in Kevin McGowan, who played four years for us and was the goalie of the year, to a new goaltender,” said Rolli. “You never know what’s going to happen. Bruce Maggio will be in the competition, and we also have Jon Dryjowicz-Burek, who was rated highly even though he was on a 10th-place team, which speaks highly about his ability.”

Changes at the professional level usually filter downward, and Rolli feels that the movement to tolerate less holding and interference will also be felt in the collegiate ranks.

“The college game is going to mirror what’s going on at the pro level,” said Rolli. “There will be less clutching and grabbing, and it will take an adjustment by the players. The number of penalty calls and penalty minutes is up dramatically, especially in terms of hitting from behind. It seems there is hardly a game without a call for hitting from behind.”

The ECAC Northeast has 16 teams, including 12 Division III members, and the competition is quite difficult. The Corsairs were ranked behind defending champion Curry in the pre-season poll, and Rolli said that Curry is once again the team to beat.

“In our league, it’s Curry first and everybody else playing for second,” said Rolli. “Wentworth is also a perennial power. There are also some very good teams out there than could play the role of spoiler, including Johnson & Wales, Salve Regina and Nichols.”

A six-hour trip to Lebanon Valley marks the beginning of the schedule, which includes only four home games during the first semester. However, the second semester features eight of the last ten games being played inside the friendly confines of the Corsairs’ home rink the Stephen Hetland Memorial Arena.

“We have a brutal start to our schedule, with 11 of our first 15 games on the road,” said Rolli. “Of the seven teams that we face that made the playoffs last year, we play six of them at home and only Curry on the road.” If the Corsairs are flying high by the time they play in the Codfish Bowl during the holidays, they should be among the powers in the ECAC Northeast once more. 

UMASS DARTMOUTH HOCKEY