The Brown Bears will open their season next Saturday, November 4 at home against the Harvard Crimson. This game will give an early indication of how good these two highly touted ECAC teams really are. Brown-Harvard is the oldest college hockey rivalry in the United States. Brown was defeated by the University of Acadia (N.S.) 4-3 in an exhibition game played at Meehan Auditorium last Friday. Brown led for most of the game, but was victimized by two Acadia goals in the final two minutes. SEASON PREVIEW The 1995-96 Bears will be essentially a veteran squad, although newcomers will be given a fair opportunity to make the team. Brown lost only four regulars from last year's squad, which won the Ivy title and finished second in the ECAC. Among the players Brown will have to replace is co-captain Mike Traggio, a rugged defenseman who received ECAC's Best Defensive Defenseman Award in both his junior and senior seasons, and who was a First-Team All-ECAC and All-Ivy selection last year. Other graduated players included Second-Team All-Ivy defenseman Pat Thompson (currently playing for the Canadian National Team), and forwards Eric Trach and Tony Martino. The Bears will play a very hard schedule, which includes games against five Hockey-East opponents: Maine, Northeastern, Merrimack, Lowell and Providence. Early road trips to Colgate and Cornell, and to Clarkson and St. Lawrence will be a tough early test for the Bears. GOALTENDERS The goaltending situation is potentially competitive, although it looks like senior Mike Parsons (1994-95 First-Team All-Ivy) will once again be the number one goaltender. Mike is a very intelligent young man, and his intelligence shows in the way he approaches his goaltending tasks. He does not make too many spectacular saves because he is seldom out of position. He is a technically sound, fairly conservative goaltender, who does not roam too much, reads plays very well and has excellent concentration. Parsons may have played too many games games last year. He started in twenty-five of Brown's twenty-seven regular season games, and appeared to be a bit tired towards the end of the regular season and during the playoffs. Brown fans will probably see junior Brian Audette and sophomore Jeff Holowaty more often than they did last year. Both are capable goaltenders, who will only get better as they gain more experience. Audette, who was impressive during the playoffs, will probably see some early season action. Holowaty has played well whenever called upon, although he will probably still play behind Parsons and Audette. DEFENSEMEN The nucleus of the defense are senior co-captain Charlie Humber, and sophomores Jimmy Andersson (1994-95 Ivy-League Rookie of the Year and ECAC All-Rookie selection), D.J. Harding and Bob Quinnel. Despite lacking a strong shot, Andersson is a very good offensive defenseman. He has excellent skating and passing skills, and moves the puck from his end extremely well. Harding is as solid a defenseman as one will find in the Ivy League. He has a low, accurate shot from the point, and plays a sound positional game. The coaching staff chose not to play Quinnel last year (as a 21-year old freshman he only had three years of eligibility). There was never any question, however, that Quinnel would be able to contribute. He combines strength with finesse, and, with his good shot from the point, may be one of the solutions for Brown's power play woes. Quinnel and Harding were the two best defensemen against Acadia. Humber is a finesse player, who provides experience and stability to the defense. He can also play forward, and may be moved to left wing if the Brown offense sputters. Of the five remaining defensemen, Bill McKay seems to have nailed down the fifth spot. This creates a competitive situation for the final slot among seniors Ron Smitko and James Mooney, junior John Churchward and freshman Tom Ryles. Although Smitko and Mooney are more experienced, Ryles, who like Andersson comes to Brown from the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL, will probably see some early season action and be given the opportunity to show how well he can perform at the collegiate level. FORWARDS Co-Captain Ryan Mulhern (1994-95 Ivy League Player of the Year) is the heart of the Brown offense. Mulhern is one of the best power forwards in Division I and a potential All-American. Unlike many other top offensive players in the league, Mulhern is also an outstanding defensive player, who sacrifices his offensive statistics in order to do his job defensively. Although he is one of Brown's best penalty killers, he will probably see less action in that capacity this year, in an effort to keep him fresh for key offensive situations. For Brown to do well, however, other offensive players must have good years. Senior Brian Jardine, a deft passer and playmaker, will once again be counted upon to generate offense. Unlike the past couple of seasons, he probably will not play on the same line as Mulhern, except on the power play. For the moment, Mulhern has been paired with sophomore Brent Hoiness at left wing and freshman Jade Kersey at center. Like Bob Quinnel, Hoiness sat out last year because of the three-year eligibility rule. Hoiness is an excellent offensive player, with size, skating ability and a heavy shot. Once he adjusts to the college game, he will help remove some of the pressure from Mulhern. Kersey is a very good skater and possesses excellent passing skills. He also appears to have what is known as very good "hockey sense." Right now Kersey is the only freshman who has cracked the starting lineup. He looked impressive against Acadia, playing with the confidence of a veteran. The all-junior line of Scott Bradford, Mike Noble and Rob Merrill looked good against Acadia. Bradford and Noble returned from the summer in excellent shape. They are very good skaters, with an excellent attitude. Bradford was a pleasant surprise last year, scoring ten goals after having gone scoreless as a freshman. He is a skilled player, who plays with a lot of intensity, and is great both in the locker room and the bench. Noble, who shares Bradford's intensity and work ethic, gives an honest effort every shift. Merrill is one of Brown's biggest forwards, and has the potential to be a good goal scorer. Like Bradford and Noble, Merrill plays a physical game, and is a very good bodychecker. The coaches expect juniors Mike Flynn and Marty Clapton finally to realize their potential as Division I players. Clapton is a big kid who can stickhandle and really shoot the puck. He scored a spectacular goal against Princeton in the playoffs, stickhandling through the Princeton's defense before unloading a heavy shot that caught the Princeton goaltender by surprise. Unfortunately it was only Clapton's fourth goal of the season. Clapton is capable, however, of being a fifteen-goal scorer. Flynn has been unable to cash in on the many opportunities he generates with his speed. He is definitely capable of being a ten-goal scorer (he scored only two goals last season) and has the playmaking skills to be a twenty-assist man. Other forward regulars include sophomores Damian Prescott and John Direnzo, and senior Steve Kathol. Prescott had a good pre-season and played well against Acadia. He seems to be coming into his own. Direnzo is a clever stickhandler, who will only get better with experience. Kathol had a good sophomore season, but was used mainly in a reserve capacity as a junior. He is a good defensive foward with some scoring touch. Other upperclass forwards include senior Scott Humber and sophomore Brian Crowley, both of whom saw limited action last year. Freshmen include Paul Giblin, Adrian Smith and Dustin Sventy. Giblin, a standout at Hothckiss, is the most likely candidate from this group to see some early season action. He made a positive impression on the coaching staff during the pre-season, and was reportedly very close to being part of the exhibition game lineup. Against Acadia the lines were Hoiness-Kersey-Mulhern, Noble-Bradford- Merrill, Direnzo-Flynn-Jardine and Kathol-Prescott-Clapton. With the coaches still looking for the right combinations, the lines may be changed before the Harvard game. Brown was picked in the various polls to finish anywhere from third (Hockey News) to sixth (ECAC coaches). In my estimation, Brown has the potential to be a top four team. (I voted Brown fourth in the Hockey-L poll behind Colgate, Clarkson and Vermont.) In order for Brown to be a contender, however, Brown has to get better offensive production from the forwards, be more consistent defensively and play with more intensity than was the case against Acadia. Luiz F. Valente HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.