>Posted on 15 Sep 1995 at 16:44:57 by Geoff Howell
>
>ECAC Predictions/National Top 20\
>
>ECAC
>
>4. Princeton- I may as well prepare for getting flames from Providence.
>Solid defense and goaltending, great freshmen class coming in to bolster
>scoring. Jonathan Kelley scored 24 goals last year when everyone in the
>rink knew he was going to shoot - why not 30 this year? Losing J.P.
>O'Connor (academic casualty) could push the Tigers back down.
 
I take all predictions with a grain of salt, but picking Princeton ahead
of Brown and Harvard seems a bit of wishful-thinking. As a pretty average
team last season, Princeton finished in seventh place in the regular
season. There's no question that the Tigers had an extraordinary playoff
run, but it shouldn't be forgotten that they played way above their
talent level in the playoffs, while more talented teams (Clarkson,
Brown, Harvard) played way below their ability. Jonathan Kelley is a great
scorer, but, in addition to J.P.O'Connor (second leading scorer on the
team, who ran into academic problems), Princeton has lost three good
seniors (third-leading scorer Ian Sharp, fourth-leading scorer Mervin
Kopeck, and eleven-goal scorer Ethan Early). Princeton had a good
recruiting year, but so did Harvard and Brown. It's hard to conceive how
Princeton will be able to move from seventh to fourth place. Besides,
if ECAC referees start cracking down on the clutch-and-grab game, Princeton
will be in serious trouble.
 
>5. Brown- Certainly a proven commodity - Mulhern and Jardine about as
>good a 1-2 punch as it gets. Potentially great goalie tandem, some
>good young defensemen. Scoring depth a concern, as is experience
>on the blueline.
 
I'm too close to the Brown team to be objective, but a few facts are
in order. Brown returns six experienced defensemen, plus a sophomore
(Bob Quinnel) who would have made the team last year had the coaches
not chosen to sit him out. (Quinnel entered Brown as a 21-year-old
freshman, and therefore only has three years of eligibility. Sophomore
forward Brent Hoiness was in the same situation, and is also expected
to make the team and contribute offensively this year.) Brown will miss
forwards Erich Trach and Tony Martino, and defensemen Pat Thompson
and Mike Traggio (two-time ECAC Best Defensive Defenseman), but the
team is experienced and deep at every position.
 
>6. Harvard- Best freshmen in the league (by a long shot), maybe the
>best in the nation. Konik, Nielsen, Halfknight all top-flight players and
>Tracy should be more reliable in net after adjusting to life w/o
>Israel. Will go as far as the rookies take them (something you will
>NOT hear Ronn Tomassoni say, I assure you).
 
Harvard will do better than sixth. They have very good players returning,
a superb entering class, plus a great hockey tradition.
 
Luiz F. Valente
 
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