Friar coach Paul Pooley has announced the signing of seven recruits and 1
transfer student.  The transfer, Tom Sheehan of West Warwick, played for
UMass-Amherst last season.  He will be eligible to play for the Friars in
January.  Sheehan played his high school hockey at La Salle Academy in
Providence.  Coach Pooley sounded very excited about having Sheehan wear the
black and white:  "Tommy is a player with outstanding ability, who is an
intense competitor.  He'll be a great addition to next year's squad."
 
The other 7 recruits are:
 
Mike Omicioli of West Warwick.  Omicioli was Sheehan's teamate at La Salle
before transferring to the Gunnery School in Washington, CT.  I spoke to
Coach Pooley at the Civic Center during the tournament and he was very
pleased with Omicioli.  He considers him an exciting skater, good
stickhandler and a great shot.  He described him as a Quenneville type
player.
 
Ben Stadey, a 6-foot 175 pound defensman from Boring, OR.  He played for the
Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL.  Stadey had his number retired in his last
game for the Blackhawks.  Pooley describes him as a "steady, solid defensive
player, good skater, and fierce competitor."
 
Scott Swanjord, 6-4, 210 pound goalie from Fairfax, VA.  He last played with
teh Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL.  Swanjord saved 84 of 87 shots in the
longest game in USHL history last season.  According to Pooley, "He's a
goaltender who will challenge a shooter and has had much success in pressure
situations."
 
Mark Kane, 6-0, 175 pound goalie from St. Alberta, Alberta.  He last played
with the Estevan Bruins.  Coach Pooley had mentioned that he was after two
goaltenders and said he needed players that could jump right in.  Junior Bob
Bell is inelligible next season, leaving the Friars with backup Dan Dennis
and walk-on Vinny Martino.  Pooley considered Dennis to be too inconsistant
for the starting role and said he had to go out and recruit a starting
goaltender.  According to Pooley, Kane is "a confident goalie who will
challenge the shooter and should compete for the starting position next
season.  His puck-handling skills will make him a strong addition to our
goaltending corps."
 
Troy Lake, a 6-0, 190 pound left wind grom Edmonton, Alberta and the
Kidersley Klippers.  Pooley descriges him as "a power winger, a proven goal
scorer, who scores and controls the puck."
 
Jon Cameron, a 6-2, 178 pound right wing from Langley, British Columbia.  He
last played for the Notre Dame Hounds.  Pooley expects Cameron to "have an
impact down the road with his combination of good hands and strong instincts
as a player."
 
Jon Coe, a 5-11, 185 pound center from Anoka, MN.  Coe is "a strong player,
the type of guy you can use as a defensive center," according to Pooley.
 
Overall, it sounds like an exciting recruiting class for the Friars.
 Providence lost three key players in Quenneville, Kramer, and Bell.
 Pooley's efforts have gone a long way to fill that void, looking for players
that can step in and contribute from the onset.
 
-- Ron