After a successful and surprising 2014-2015 season, the Skating Saints are gearing up for another year. Last year, SLU exceeded all expectations by finishing second in the ECAC after being predicted to finish 11th. They swept RPI at home in the quarterfinals of the ECAC tournament before losing in overtime to Colgate in the semifinals at Lake Placid.
That roster has stayed mostly intact in the offseason, losing only 5 players in total. Patrick Doherty, Gunnar Hughes and Justin Bruckel graduated from the forward corps while Chris Martin was the lone subtraction on the backend. Tyler Parks is also gone, having transferred to Nebraska-Omaha. Parks appeared in just 1 game all season, a 2-1 loss to UVM. The four skaters combined for 73 points and were all strong defensive players as well.
Despite the losses, the team is still positioned well with the players that return. Goaltending is a definite strength for the Saints, provided that Kyle Hayton can stay healthy. The defense remains largely intact, and the growth of Sweetman and Bayreuther last year should continue this year. Someone like Ben Masella can slot in to Martin's spot and get the job done.
The forward group will see some larger changes. The Saints leading scorer from a year ago, Brian Ward, who wears the "C" this year, will undoubtedly center the top line, likely with Tommy Thompson on his wing. Drew Smolcynski will probably start on the other wing, like he did before an injury cut his season short last year. Beyond that, less is certain. Other than Ward, the Saints retain centers in Joe Sullivan, Ryan Lough and Alex Dahl, all good two way centers. Lough is the most skilled and should produce more in a bigger role, likely centering the second line. Other returning skill forwards include Mike Marnell, fifth in the ECAC in rookie scoring, Sean McGovern, who, given more ice time, should create more offense, and Christian Horn, who could become a 15-20 goal scorer this year.
However, goal scoring will still be a question for this Saints team, and they will have to look to incoming players as well as look for improvements in returning players. They also need a little bit more from Woody Hudson, who still hasn't reached his ceiling in terms of offensive production, recording 12 points last year.
This year, the Saints bring in three forwards this year: Michael Ederer, Michael Laidley and Jacob Pritchard.
Ederer scored 21 goals in 58 games last year with the Merritt Centennials of the BCHL. He brings the killer goals scoring instinct that the Saints will need. He isn't afraid to battle in the corners or lay out players with big open ice hits. He's strong on the forecheck and has good hockey sense. He can pass the puck just as well as he can shoot it, and will make an instant impact for St. Lawrence.
Laidley recorded 10 goals in 46 games for the Aurora Tigers of the OJHL.
Pritchard is a great talent and an excellent goal scorer. He recorded 39 goals in 54 games for Powell River in the BCHL last year. 12 of those goals came on the power play. He played on the USNTDP U-17 and U-18 teams and was the fifth leading scorer in the BCHL last year. He has excellent skills on the puck and is very creative on the ice. He should also bring the type of goal scoring instinct that St. Lawrence needs.
The Saints also add a defenseman in R.J Gicewicz. Gicewicz is a defensive defenseman, very strong in his own zone. He had five assists in 49 games last year for Green Bay in the USHL. He will help shore up the defense in front of Hayton.
Arthur Brey is a goaltender who had a 2.48 GAA and an .898 Save Percentage with Sioux Falls in the USHL last year. He will be a capable backup for Hayton.
Combining the incoming class with the returning roster, this St. Lawrence team has the potential to do some damage in this year's ECAC. Last year, the Saints boasted the second ranked offense and defense in the ECAC, but the power play and penalty kill ranked 9th and 6th comparatively. The penalty kill was great for the most of the year, but dipped at the end. They also lead the ECAC in shorthanded goals. They lose two of their top penalty killers in Hughes and Doherty, but players like Dahl, Sullivan and Ward were stalwarts last year on the PK. With Hayton still the backstop, I see no reason why there should be any significant drop in the effectiveness of the penalty kill.
The power play needs to improve though. The only two teams to sweep SLU in the ECAC, Quinnipiac and Colgate, both ranked higher on the power play. If the man advantage can make its way into the top six or five in the league and the defense and penalty kill remains steady in the top four or three, as it was last year, this St. Lawrence team could be one of the most consistent teams on both sides of the puck.
Obviously, as with any team in any sport, health is crucial. Should the injury bug stay away from Appleton Arena, expect a similarly successful 2015-2016 campaign, reflective of the improvements made in 2014-2015.
That roster has stayed mostly intact in the offseason, losing only 5 players in total. Patrick Doherty, Gunnar Hughes and Justin Bruckel graduated from the forward corps while Chris Martin was the lone subtraction on the backend. Tyler Parks is also gone, having transferred to Nebraska-Omaha. Parks appeared in just 1 game all season, a 2-1 loss to UVM. The four skaters combined for 73 points and were all strong defensive players as well.
Despite the losses, the team is still positioned well with the players that return. Goaltending is a definite strength for the Saints, provided that Kyle Hayton can stay healthy. The defense remains largely intact, and the growth of Sweetman and Bayreuther last year should continue this year. Someone like Ben Masella can slot in to Martin's spot and get the job done.
The forward group will see some larger changes. The Saints leading scorer from a year ago, Brian Ward, who wears the "C" this year, will undoubtedly center the top line, likely with Tommy Thompson on his wing. Drew Smolcynski will probably start on the other wing, like he did before an injury cut his season short last year. Beyond that, less is certain. Other than Ward, the Saints retain centers in Joe Sullivan, Ryan Lough and Alex Dahl, all good two way centers. Lough is the most skilled and should produce more in a bigger role, likely centering the second line. Other returning skill forwards include Mike Marnell, fifth in the ECAC in rookie scoring, Sean McGovern, who, given more ice time, should create more offense, and Christian Horn, who could become a 15-20 goal scorer this year.
However, goal scoring will still be a question for this Saints team, and they will have to look to incoming players as well as look for improvements in returning players. They also need a little bit more from Woody Hudson, who still hasn't reached his ceiling in terms of offensive production, recording 12 points last year.
This year, the Saints bring in three forwards this year: Michael Ederer, Michael Laidley and Jacob Pritchard.
Ederer scored 21 goals in 58 games last year with the Merritt Centennials of the BCHL. He brings the killer goals scoring instinct that the Saints will need. He isn't afraid to battle in the corners or lay out players with big open ice hits. He's strong on the forecheck and has good hockey sense. He can pass the puck just as well as he can shoot it, and will make an instant impact for St. Lawrence.
Laidley recorded 10 goals in 46 games for the Aurora Tigers of the OJHL.
Pritchard is a great talent and an excellent goal scorer. He recorded 39 goals in 54 games for Powell River in the BCHL last year. 12 of those goals came on the power play. He played on the USNTDP U-17 and U-18 teams and was the fifth leading scorer in the BCHL last year. He has excellent skills on the puck and is very creative on the ice. He should also bring the type of goal scoring instinct that St. Lawrence needs.
The Saints also add a defenseman in R.J Gicewicz. Gicewicz is a defensive defenseman, very strong in his own zone. He had five assists in 49 games last year for Green Bay in the USHL. He will help shore up the defense in front of Hayton.
Arthur Brey is a goaltender who had a 2.48 GAA and an .898 Save Percentage with Sioux Falls in the USHL last year. He will be a capable backup for Hayton.
Combining the incoming class with the returning roster, this St. Lawrence team has the potential to do some damage in this year's ECAC. Last year, the Saints boasted the second ranked offense and defense in the ECAC, but the power play and penalty kill ranked 9th and 6th comparatively. The penalty kill was great for the most of the year, but dipped at the end. They also lead the ECAC in shorthanded goals. They lose two of their top penalty killers in Hughes and Doherty, but players like Dahl, Sullivan and Ward were stalwarts last year on the PK. With Hayton still the backstop, I see no reason why there should be any significant drop in the effectiveness of the penalty kill.
The power play needs to improve though. The only two teams to sweep SLU in the ECAC, Quinnipiac and Colgate, both ranked higher on the power play. If the man advantage can make its way into the top six or five in the league and the defense and penalty kill remains steady in the top four or three, as it was last year, this St. Lawrence team could be one of the most consistent teams on both sides of the puck.
Obviously, as with any team in any sport, health is crucial. Should the injury bug stay away from Appleton Arena, expect a similarly successful 2015-2016 campaign, reflective of the improvements made in 2014-2015.
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