About a week until the puck drops on the new season, and the boys will be thrown into the fire right away, with Hockey East play starting immediately vs. Merrimack (the first conference game of the season in all of NCAA men's D1 hockey).
A large number of new faces join for the year, with 12 freshmen and a few transfers incoming. It's a welcome sight seeing some drafted players on the roster again, but in this day and age of NIL, the new transfer portal rules, the CHL eligibility changes, and the House vs. NCAA settlement, how will they be able to stack up against the likes of BU, Maine, PC, et al? Even Merrimack managed to land a freshman drafted in the second round.
Hopefully Austin Elliott turns out to be everything we hoped, because for the first time in what seems like forever, we won't have a goalie with significant NCAA experience to lean on (last year was the final year for extra COVID eligibility, so I wouldn't expect many grad transfers going forward). In fact, the entire roster is very young, with only 3 juniors and 6 seniors (counting Ahearn as a senior since he started college 4 years ago). I expect there to be some growing pains, but with the first two games being HE, hopefully the newcomers are quick studies.
From asking around, quite a few people think the coaches' poll put us too low (t-7 with NEU). I'm a little more pessimistic with last years' total collapse down the stretch still in my mind.
I'm still hoping for the best, or at least, a better second half. I have to wonder how hot Norm's seat is after the 11th place finish 2 years ago, and the disappointing finish to last year.
A large number of new faces join for the year, with 12 freshmen and a few transfers incoming. It's a welcome sight seeing some drafted players on the roster again, but in this day and age of NIL, the new transfer portal rules, the CHL eligibility changes, and the House vs. NCAA settlement, how will they be able to stack up against the likes of BU, Maine, PC, et al? Even Merrimack managed to land a freshman drafted in the second round.
Hopefully Austin Elliott turns out to be everything we hoped, because for the first time in what seems like forever, we won't have a goalie with significant NCAA experience to lean on (last year was the final year for extra COVID eligibility, so I wouldn't expect many grad transfers going forward). In fact, the entire roster is very young, with only 3 juniors and 6 seniors (counting Ahearn as a senior since he started college 4 years ago). I expect there to be some growing pains, but with the first two games being HE, hopefully the newcomers are quick studies.
From asking around, quite a few people think the coaches' poll put us too low (t-7 with NEU). I'm a little more pessimistic with last years' total collapse down the stretch still in my mind.
I'm still hoping for the best, or at least, a better second half. I have to wonder how hot Norm's seat is after the 11th place finish 2 years ago, and the disappointing finish to last year.
