Everyone around Chestnut Hill is aware of the expectations - after losing in the national championship the last two seasons, the 2007-08 men's hockey squad counts on being set in a position to raise its third national championship trophy. With only two graduating seniors and a solid replacement in line for Cory Schneider, the bar was set. But after a five-game winless streak, some may ask: Was the bar set too high?
Up to now, the Eagles' season has not been defined by who has played and contributed, but rather who has not been there to help this team win. Brett Motherwell and Brian O'Hanley only played in a single contest before being suspended indefinitely, while Brock Bradford, who also played in only one game, will be nursing a broken arm until January. While Bradford's injury left the team with a void in its most dynamic line, the two suspensions limited the Eagles' depth on defense to six players. The injuries spread the team thin and the Eagles have stumbled out of the gates after a weekend series with instate rival UMass.
Jerry York and crew had to stomach yet another depletion to their backline when freshman Nick Petrecki of Clifton Park, N.Y., was diagnosed with mononucleosis. The absence of the hard-hitting freshman hurt the Eagles, as they could only muster one point in the home-and-away series against the Minutemen with five defensemen on the roster. The reduction meant that defensive pairs shifted to give players a bit more rest, which caused some confusion - a blunder by senior captain Mike Brennan that lead directly to UMass' second goal, which came while his normal partner in crime, Petrecki, stood on the sidelines and Tim Kunes was on the shift with him.
Petrecki is expected to return within a few weeks, but the other aloof defensemen are not so inclined. It was announced earlier this week that Motherwell, who led all Hockey East defensemen a year ago in points and assists as a sophomore, inked a deal to try out with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, the Triple-A affiliate of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. The professional play of Motherwell officially ends any hope of reinstatement with York's squad, while O'Hanley, a senior, serves his indefinite suspension on campus, taking classes in pursuit of a degree in communications.
2008 Woodie Awards
