Two weeks ago, I was ready to lambaste the men’s hockey team in my season preview. I even penned the first few paragraphs, comparing 2003-04 to spontaneously going blind only to find your roommates throwing a babe-fest upon returning to your pad.
But, then I realized that no one (athletes, coaches, fans, administrators, even myself) needed to be reminded exactly how rotten last year’s 10-21-3 campaign was.
Don’t believe me? Ask assistant captain Brian Tudrick.
“I don’t think I could take another year like that,” he said,”especially after Christmas. It was tough going to the rink for practice. We were down all the time. So, we’re happy to start this year and kind of pretend that never happened.”
And really, how much worse could this season be than the previous year, in which NU was the only team to not qualify for the Hockey East Tournament?
It also occurred to me that my pessimism for the upcoming year wasn’t founded on the current roster; it was mostly residual anger from last year’s pathetic run. Something clicked at the annual Red/Black Scrimmage on Oct. 4.
It hit me like a ton of bricks: They aren’t that bad. They’ve got their fair share of problems, don’t get me wrong, but they aren’t “last-year” bad.
Disagree? Take a stroll down to Matthews sometime and catch a game. What you’ll find is a team that attempted to address its most pressing issue during last year’s debacle: defense.
Rearguard Tim Judy returns for his junior season on Huntington Avenue and is as fundamentally complete a defenseman as coach Bruce Crowder has seen since that Fahey guy (see: Jim Fahey, San Jose Sharks).
But more important than the growth of the team’s best defenseman is the addition of freshmen Bryan Cirullo and Steve Birnstill. Cirullo, at 6-0, 190-pounds, and Birnstill, who measures in at 6-2, 185-pounds, can skate, check and rip a slap shot faster than you can say “sucks to BU.” To say the least, it’s been a while since Crowder had a stable of talented defenseman who can perform all three desired tasks.
Another key ingredient to Husky success in the new year should be the power play. Last year’s man-up unit had enough trouble holding the offensive zone, let alone actually scoring. With a pair of power play notches against Colgate last week, and some impressive puck movement, that problem seems to be a thing of the past. It doesn’t hurt that sophomore Mike Morris is just plain scary anytime he touches the puck. The 2002 first-round NHL draftee hasn’t just improved his game over the summer, he’s taken it up a few levels and is now Northeastern’s go-to guy in the offensive zone.
Let’s not forget 2002’s season opening Hockey East poll, which pegged Northeastern sixth. Last year’s group wasn’t as bad as their record, they just rarely played a complete 60-minute game. If the team hadn’t taken off periods (Boston University) or sometimes entire games (Maine, UMass-Lowell) the 5-17-2 conference mark they posted could’ve been drastically different.
With that being said, the flaws of the current group will keep Crowder’s bunch from finishing any higher than sixth this season.
First and foremost, they’re small. The addition of guys like 5-9 forward Bryan Esner did little for a team lacking height up top. He joins 5-8 Jason Guerrerio and 5-6 Jared Mudryk as the resident Mighty Mites on Huntington Avenue. These guys can’t even reach the top shelf, let alone hit it. While all three possess great skill with the puck and good speed, they’ll take a pounding in Hockey East play without more bruisers like freshman Yale Lewis. Against Colgate, Crowder suited up only three forwards standing six feet or taller. That’s going to be a problem against a team like Providence College, who boasts three defensemen towering at 6-3 or taller.
On to issue number two: they’re young. For the second year in a row, the Dogs have only four seniors. A stacked and talented junior class leaves hope on the horizon, but a lack of senior presence killed the team last year. Birnstill, for instance, couldn’t even buy a pack of smokes if he wanted to. He’s 17 years old.
As always, the team is destined for ups and downs. What’s important, though, is that the valleys won’t be nearly as deep as last year.
And remember, as a good childhood friend of mine and I always say, “You can’t win ’em all.”
– Jack Weiland may be reached at [email protected]. He can be heard at noon on Wednesday on WRBB 104.9 FM’s “Newstime.”
