{"id":29957,"date":"2008-10-04T16:43:02","date_gmt":"2008-10-04T21:43:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2008\/10\/04\/200809-quinnipiac-season-preview\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:15","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:15","slug":"200809-quinnipiac-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2008\/10\/04\/200809-quinnipiac-season-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"2008-09 Quinnipiac Season Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"
Offense<\/b><\/p>\n
Rand Pecknold’s Bobcats have never been hesitant to embarrass a goalie, and last year was just the most recent edition of the QU goal march. Seven players finished in double-digits for goals-scored, and four players — Wong (13-24-37), Nelson (14-21-35), Bates (11-23-34) and Leitch (15-18-33) — topped the 30-point mark over the ‘Cats’ 39-game season. <\/p>\n
The departures of Nelson, Bates and Travis (12-9-21) create a gap in that potent offense, but it’s not too much to overcome for such a high-octane program.<\/p>\n
“We lost Nelson and Bates, two of our top 10 or 12 all-time scorers at Quinnipiac,” said Pecknold. “Some forwards will have to step up to account for [the loss].”<\/p>\n
Freshmen Scott Zurevinski and Spencer Heichman might help pick up some of the slack.<\/p>\n
“Zurevinski and Heichman look the most ready to play, but we’ll have to see,” said Pecknold. “Just about every year for the last eight or nine years, we’ve had a couple kids … who came out of nowhere and surprised you,” he added.<\/p>\n
Isak Tranvik transferred to D-III to be closer to home, and Chris Meyers had to call it quits after shattering his ankle back in his freshman year. “He couldn’t overcome the injury,” Pecknold lamented.<\/p>\n
The offense has been the strength of the program in its short time in the ECAC. Pecknold is trying to instill a more responsible two-way game in his players, but it will be up to the gunners to support the rest of the cast in its early-season transition.<\/p>\n
Defense<\/b><\/p>\n
This is the area that needs the most shoring up. The blueline is intact from last year, even returning fifth-year senior Matt Sorteberg (“just barely” met the medical redshirt requirements, according to Pecknold). However, the D has been spotty since All-American Reid Cashman graduated in 2007, and the coach is hoping to get the whole team to commit to a strong game in all three zones, as opposed to just the front one.<\/p>\n
Four d-men come back after playing in 30 or more games last year: Henningson (3-21-24), soph Zach Hansen (2-8-10), senior Andrew Meyer (1-7-8) and sophomore Brett Dickinson (1-3-4). <\/p>\n
The Bobcats import a solitary freshman rearguard in Michael Glaicar, a six-three, 200-pound 19-year-old out of Salmon Arm, British Columbia.<\/p>\n
Goaltending<\/b><\/p>\n