At Assumption College, coach Kevin Zifcak is getting set for his second year behind the bench, and was quick to give an answer when questioned about his team’s strength: “I think up front we have a lot of depth. We’ve got players who can skate, shoot, and have good skill sets. These guys attack the net very well, and they forecheck very well. We have a good balance of scorers, but probably no one who can score forty to fifty points.”
Leading the way on offense will be junior captain Jim Trahon, who put up a line of 17-10–27 in 25 games last year. His biggest stat was his nine power-play goals, which was nearly a third of the teams’ total. Several other juniors will be counted on as well, including Matt Paget, Mike Rust, John Routhier, and Luke McDonough.
On defense, Zifcak said, “We’re very much improved. We have some defensemen who have good vision and move the puck quite well.” One defensemen who moves quite well is the senior on the blue line, Dan Surette, a former forward. “He’s got good puck control,” said Zifcak, “and he’s the whole package as a defenseman. He’ll be one of the keys to the power play.”
Juniors Phil Demers and Randy Morin help give the defense some experience, and sophomore Chris Genovese will switch to the blueline from his former spot as a left wing.
In the net, sophomore David Pinkham is back, after a solid rookie season. Zifcak pointed out that his goalie “is much improved, bigger and stronger, and I’d like to see him step up and be leader.” Competing for the number two slot will be Casey McNally and Jamie DiGiullio.
