As he always does, Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder calmly answered questions at last Thursday’s media luncheon at the Fleet Center.
But this time, the questions were of a different kind. In the past, Crowder has had to find a way to recall the previous season’s miseries and how his team would adjust to make Northeastern a better hockey club.
This year, the question is not what the team can do to improve, but how it can maintain its winning ways. How will they win without defenseman Jim Fahey, and have they decided that goaltender Keni Gibson is their man?
Gone is Fahey, whose stellar season captured everyone’s attention and made him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Gone is reliable netminder Jason Braun, who would spell Keni Gibson at times. Chris Lynch, one of NU’s two 20 goal scorers also has departed, as has Willie Levesque and Leon Hayward. Arik Engbrecht won’t be patrolling the blue line anymore.
However, Crowder and his staff have recruited some new faces and, along with the surprisingly good recruiting class from last year, the Huskies will field a talented and young team.
One recruit in particular has teams and coaches turning heads. Mike Morris, who was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in last April’s NHL entry draft, knows how to play this game.
“We didn’t really see much film, but he has great instincts,” said Crowder. “He has tremendous hockey sense. He’s a complete player.”
In fact, Crowder thinks he’s so complete that he’s adding Morris to the first line with 24 goal scorer Mike Ryan and Jason Guerriero. “I must be the luckiest guy on the team,” said Ryan.
Morris and fellow freshman Brian Swiniarski made instant impacts as both scored goals in the team’s opening 3-3 tie against Vermont in Burlington.
“They’ve shown a lot in practice,” said Crowder of his potentially explosive first line.
Ryan nearly left the club for the Dallas Stars in the offseason but chose to stay at NU in the late summer.
“The surprise factor was really doing what was right,” said Crowder. “There were so many outside influences trying to get their point of view on the situation. I give Mike a tremendous amount of credit in making that decision. I think it was the right decision, but only Mike can make it. Obviously, Northeastern is very happy to have him back. He’s a proven goal scorer in college hockey.”
Overall, this team’s offense could be much better than last’s. The second line will consist of Brian Tudrick and Trevor Reschny, two-thirds of the effective third line from the ’01-’02 season. They will be joined by Jaron Herriman, who at times last season showed flashes of brilliance.
Eric Ortlip will anchor the third line along with Joe Mastronardi and Scott Selig, who Crowder believes will be much improved this season.
“He’s a kid that looks like he reinvented himself,” said Crowder. “He had a good freshman year, all things considered. His sophomore year was a disaster and he knows it. Sometimes you can learn a heck of a lot more during adversity rather than good times. We hope he has his real break out year. He’s confident and more mature. He didn’t pick up the puck and go home, he let the other guys play with the puck and he made himself better.”
Jared Mudryk and Swiniarski will be the main stays on the fourth line. Mudryk became a crowd favorite because of his 5-foot, 6-inch frame and his fearlessness to make a big hit.
Defensively, Northeastern will feel Fahey’s loss on the power play. Tim Judy, Brian Nathe and Donny Grover will all try to make up for the loss of last season’s captain who logged over 40 minutes a contest.
Brian Sullivan is hoping to stay in the rotation. Neither Jason Braun nor Mike Gilhooly had taken the reigns as the number one netminder. Both squared off in practice and both played in the first two games in Alaska. But after all was said and done, Gibson became the man for the job.
The freshman from Ontario started the season 14-5-1 and was the Huskies’ No. 1 netminder from December on. Gilhooly returns and will most likely start the season as the No. 2 and freshman Tim Heneroty, a highly touted prospect will start at No. 3.
“We’re hoping that Tim will step right in and be a Division-1 Hockey East goaltender,” said Crowder. “It helps us if we have someone in the fold and we don’t have to recruit after the loss of Mike Gilhooly. Tim has shown us a lot.”
NU’s 3-3 tie last Saturday opened the season injury-free and will be the elder statesmen on a young Husky defense. Sullivan has had two separate incidents where he separated his shoulder and was knocked out for the season. Jack Celata and 6-foot 4-inch Jon Awe will also be in the mix for defensemen, along with new-comer Chuck Tomes who Crowder and his staff are very high on.
At the beginning of last season, the winds around campus circled dismay over the Huskies’ goaltending. Friday, NU will take on Connecticut at 7 p.m. at Matthews Arena.
