With the season upon it's time to make some unfounded and utterly useless predictions. But first, perhaps a brief write up of each program so that the predictions aren't totally ignorant.
For Vermont :
Finished 7th in HE but still managed to earn a trip to the Tourney where they were ousted by the eventual Nation Champs. Finished the season with a #15 ranking in the Poles.
Key Losses : Chris McCarthy, the 3rd Line
The loss of McCarthy will be a tough hole to fill, besides leading the Cats in points, he was seemingly everywhere on the ice. At times, it was if it he literally willed the team to a victory. Whatever the team needed, McCarthy stepped in and provided and it's hard to see a player on this seasons roster that can fill that role. While UVM did lose 7 players and the experience that goes along with it, the returning players should fill the spots without much trouble.
Key Returners : Mario Puskarich, Kyle Reynolds, Brady Hoffman
UVM returns the reigning HE ROY in Puskarich who tallied a 19-17-36 line. He should continue to lead the team in scoring, although without McCarthy may take a small step back. Reynolds, will return after missing all of last season. As a freshman he was 2nd on the team in scoring and 3rd in his sophomore outing. His return will help to offset the loss of last years seniors. UVM also returns Jr. Brady Hoffman who finished 3rd and 5th in the league in S% and GAA and led the team down the stretch. Should Hoffman falter at all, So. Santaguida is more then capable of filling in and will likely start the season in rotation with Hoffman.
Outlook:
Goaltending should be a strength for this team. Santaguida and Hoffman will have to fight for time between the pipes. Last season saw them split down the middle with Hoff playing 20 games to Santas 19, combining for a respectable 2.32 GAA, .917 S%. With a year of experience I expect both goalies to take a step forward.
Offense: Very little was lost in the way of scoring from last season. McCarthy led the team, however Reynolds should fill much of that void. A number of frosh showed they had some game and should improve this year. The incoming class appears to be more offensively minded and the scoring should increase, however the Cats struggle to score goals year in and year out and this is likely to be the biggest weakness.
Defensive: The Cats lost a top defensmen to graduation, but retain the core group. Paliotta had a tremendous season scoring 27 pts for 3rd on the team in scoring. The Cats return 4 of their top 6 D-men and add a group of frosh that on paper look to be more offensive minded scorers. With the addition of Alexx Privitera there are plenty of veteran d-men to help the incoming recruits in transitioning to HE play.
Overall, I expect Vermont to realistically be fighting for a top 4-6 spot in the league.
For Vermont :
Finished 7th in HE but still managed to earn a trip to the Tourney where they were ousted by the eventual Nation Champs. Finished the season with a #15 ranking in the Poles.
Key Losses : Chris McCarthy, the 3rd Line
The loss of McCarthy will be a tough hole to fill, besides leading the Cats in points, he was seemingly everywhere on the ice. At times, it was if it he literally willed the team to a victory. Whatever the team needed, McCarthy stepped in and provided and it's hard to see a player on this seasons roster that can fill that role. While UVM did lose 7 players and the experience that goes along with it, the returning players should fill the spots without much trouble.
Key Returners : Mario Puskarich, Kyle Reynolds, Brady Hoffman
UVM returns the reigning HE ROY in Puskarich who tallied a 19-17-36 line. He should continue to lead the team in scoring, although without McCarthy may take a small step back. Reynolds, will return after missing all of last season. As a freshman he was 2nd on the team in scoring and 3rd in his sophomore outing. His return will help to offset the loss of last years seniors. UVM also returns Jr. Brady Hoffman who finished 3rd and 5th in the league in S% and GAA and led the team down the stretch. Should Hoffman falter at all, So. Santaguida is more then capable of filling in and will likely start the season in rotation with Hoffman.
Outlook:
Goaltending should be a strength for this team. Santaguida and Hoffman will have to fight for time between the pipes. Last season saw them split down the middle with Hoff playing 20 games to Santas 19, combining for a respectable 2.32 GAA, .917 S%. With a year of experience I expect both goalies to take a step forward.
Offense: Very little was lost in the way of scoring from last season. McCarthy led the team, however Reynolds should fill much of that void. A number of frosh showed they had some game and should improve this year. The incoming class appears to be more offensively minded and the scoring should increase, however the Cats struggle to score goals year in and year out and this is likely to be the biggest weakness.
Defensive: The Cats lost a top defensmen to graduation, but retain the core group. Paliotta had a tremendous season scoring 27 pts for 3rd on the team in scoring. The Cats return 4 of their top 6 D-men and add a group of frosh that on paper look to be more offensive minded scorers. With the addition of Alexx Privitera there are plenty of veteran d-men to help the incoming recruits in transitioning to HE play.
Overall, I expect Vermont to realistically be fighting for a top 4-6 spot in the league.
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