If Santa is looking for some last-minute gift ideas for teams in the ECAC Northeast, well, I have their wish lists.
Salve Regina
The Seahawks hope their success in conference games continues in the second half of the season. They sit 4-1 in the conference with the lone loss to Wentworth on Nov. 12, which was a 2-1 game. Coach Andrew Boschetto is building up the program in the right direction, but the team still needs to find a way to come from behind and win a game on the road. They are 1-4-0 when trailing after one period and are winless after two periods. When they go on the road, they are 1-5-0.
Nichols
Coach Kevin Swallow is that one person you struggle year after year trying to find a gift for. He doesn’t have any needs that need to be addressed immediately. He got an early holiday gift when goaltender Alex Larson and Tyler Beasley avoided the sophomore slump. Larson is 6-1-2 in goal with a 2.47 GAA and a .923 save-percentage. Beasley has passed the halfway point to last year’s point total of 28. This year, he has a 6-10-16 line in 10 games.
Johnson and Wales
If this was a Thanksgiving column, Johnson and Wales coach Eric Noack would be thankful for a lot of things. How about that three-headed monster in forwards Josh Obregon (12-4-16), Cody Sarmiento (7-9-16) and Stefan Brucato (1-14-15)? The freshmen and sophomore classes have done a good job helping the Wildcats to a 9-3-0 record this season. They are also thankful for the superb special teams so far.
Western New England
The Golden Bears are another team that’s off to a very good start. They have done a very good job of getting out to a lead and holding onto to it. In the second of the season, they will face the class of the ECAC Northeast, though. They still have two games remaining with Nichols and Johnson and Wales and one game remaining with Salve Regina.
Suffolk
The Rams will be looking for a more potent power play. They are 8-for-56 on the man-advantage and coach Chris Glionna will be looking for his team defense to be better in the second half of the year. They are allowing 3.80 goals per game in conference games and still nine games in ECAC Northeast remaining on the schedule.
Wentworth
The Leopards had big plans as the ECAC Northeast playoff champions last season. There’s plenty coach R.J. Tolan wants from Santa. The biggest thing on the list is more goal production as they only have two players with four goals and another with three. The Leopards also haven’t had much luck in one-goal games as they are 2-4 in those games.
Becker
It has been a struggle for the Hawks this season. The Hawks are hoping the 10 games at home in 2014 will turn things around. They have had only three games at home and are 0-2-1. Goal support for goaltender Gregg Hussey is another thing for coach Steve Hoar’s squad. Hussey has a .891 save percentage, which isn’t that bad for a goalie that’s seeing a lot of shots.
Curry
The Colonels want goals and want them fast. They have only scored 13 all season in eight games. That’s not going to win many games. To that statistic, a better power play is in order for coach T.J. Manastersky. Curry starts the second half with seven nonconference games, but will face stiff competition against teams like Oswego, Utica, Wisconsin-Stout and Manhattanville. This will be good for them to get ready for the remaining conference games in late January and February.
