2014-15 Ice Hockey Season Preview
The Fitchburg State ice hockey team enters the 2014-2015 looking to improve upon its MASCAC Quarterfinal appearance last season.
FITCHBURG, Mass. - The Fitchburg State ice hockey team enters the 2014-2015 looking to improve upon its MASCAC Quarterfinal appearance last season. With all but two players returning from last season's team and a strong crop of incoming freshmen, the Falcons should be in the mix to once again enter the conversation for the MASCAC crown, and earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
Last season, Fitchburg State's season ended on a sour note with a road playoff loss to Framingham State. The loss ended a season that saw the Green & Gold finish with an overall record of 11-14-1 including an 8-9-1 record in the MASCAC. The Falcons year was highlighted by a three-game season sweep over rival UMass-Dartmouth. The Falcons were also crowned the NCAA Division III statistical champion for penalty killing percentage. The Falcons defense limited opponents to just ten power-play goals all season en-route to leading the country among all NCAA DIII schools with a 91.7% (111-of-121) penalty kill.
In addition to the national accolade, Fitchburg State also named two players, defensemen Craig Halpin and forward John Celli to the 2013-14 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) All-Conference first and second teams.
On the season, Halpin led the way for the Falcons blue-line, and contributed to the offensive mix as well, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 18 points on a team-leading 18 assists.
Celli played an instrumental role in Fitchburg State's offense this past season. The second year Falcon finished second on the team in goals scored with 12, while ranking first on the team in scoring with 24 points on 12 scores and 12 helpers.
Head Coach Dean Fuller, entering his 31st season behind the bench for the Falcons with an astounding record of 485-270-46, hopes his Falcons can use last season's disappointments as a motivator during the upcoming season.
"We struggled to find offensive consistency last season and that hurt us," Fuller said. "Our goal this season is to play better in all three zones, which should allow us to generate more offense which should lead to more favorable results."
The 2014-2015 Falcons have a mix of battle-tested veterans with an influx of younger first year players who will be expected to contribute. With an automatic NCAA tournament berth going to the MACAC tournament winner again this year, the competition within the conference this season will be better than ever.
FORWARD
Leading the Falcon attack this season is senior captain Sean Loebs. As a junior Loebs posted three goals and 14 assists, good for sixth on the team last season. Juniors Celli, Max Lorenzen, and Ryan Connolly will all look to build off successful sophomore campaigns for the Falcons. Celli is the leading returning scorer for the Falcons, is the leading active scorer for the Falcons coming into the season with 51 points. Connolly scored the most goals on the team last season with 13. Lorenzen, also named a team captain, posted 23 points last season including 18 helpers.
Fellow returners Kevin Holmes, Thomas Carlow, Nat Rojas, Timmy Genova, Ryan Bedard, Jon Johannesson, Mike Fish, Cameron Snyder, Stephen Carlette, and Paul Falanga will be expected to take significant ice and play an important role for the Falcons this season.
Newcomers up front include Nick Govig, James Gordon, and Corey Hayashi.
DEFENSE
On the blue line, the Falcons return senior captain Halpin who will be expected to once again log a lot of ice for the Falcons.
Also figuring to play prominent roles with the Falcons this season include senior, junior Mike Morrison and returning sophomores Dillon Wright and Jordan Furlane.
The Falcons have brought in three defensemen to compete for playing time including Daniel Robertson, Evan Byrnes, and CJ Mulieri.
GOALTENDING
Senior Ryan Wysocki logged over 1000 minutes of ice last season for the Falcons, posting an impressive .927 save percentage. He is joined by returning senior Dan Finn, along with first year player and transfer Brian Robbins from DI UMass-Lowell, who will compete for playing time.
SCHEDULE
Fitchburg State will open its 2014-2015 season by teaming up with local banking provider IC Federal Credit Union for the sixth annual ICFCU Shootout and will play host to the Becker on October 31st. After the tournament, Fitchburg State opens MASCAC league play with Plymouth State on November 13th.
In addition to its strong league schedule, Fitchburg State will also play in the prestigious PAL/STOVEPIPE tournament with Southern New Hampshire, Courtland, and the University of New England. The Falcons also play tough non-conference opponents in Wentworth and New England College.