Colorado College Hockey: 2009-10 Season Preview

With more than half its roster comprised of freshmen and sophomores, Colorado College will sport a new look in 2009-10.

True, the Tigers also have nine seniors - which should help in terms of leadership - but a number of those "upper classmen" have not played key roles in the past. Toss in a trio of goaltenders whose collective experience at the collegiate level adds up to less than one game, and this fall truly marks the beginning of a new chapter for the program.

Scott Owens, who enters his second decade as head coach, is eagerly looking forward to the challenge.

"It's going to be a relatively inexperienced team, there's no doubt," Owens said. "Yes, we have some concerns. But that isn't always a bad thing.

Sometimes there's a certain amount of freshness and newness to it all. It's going to require a certain patience from the staff as we sort through it and let some of these young players make mistakes as they develop.

"For guys who have been waiting for their opportunity, this is their chance to show what they can do. The senior class is large. They've been around the program for a long time and they understand what it takes. So, all in all, I think it's going to be a good season."

Of 28 players on the roster, no fewer than 15 will be in their first or second year at CC. With the exception of Gabe Guentzel, who played in 36 of the team's 38 outings as a rookie defenseman in 2008-09, the sophomores in that group really haven't had much chance to establish themselves. The three forwards - David Civitarese, Nick Dineen and Tim Hall - combined for only one goal and 12 points while averaging 20 appearances apiece a year ago, while blue-line specialists Ted Behrend and Ted Behrend each played in just eight games.

Offensively, the Tigers need to replace some healthy production provided by Chad Rau, Eric Walsky and Scott McCulloch, who accounted nearly 36 percent of the team's 103 goals in '08-09. Rau, a two-time All-American and All-WCHA first-team selection, led CC with 18 tallies and 37 points. Walsky collected 36 points, including 24 assists that tied a team high matched by defenseman Brian Connelly. With Connelly also gone after signing a professional contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado College has lost its top three point producers from a year ago.

Hoping to lead the charge in '09-10 are senior left wing Bill Sweatt, right wing Mike Testwuide and center Andreas Vlassopoulos. Sweatt, whose blazing speed makes him one of the nation's most exciting players, enters his final collegiate season with 76 career points (31g,45a) and is destined for a break-through year. Testwuide, who was elected team captain last spring, hopes to regain the scoring touch he enjoyed during his first two campaigns, when he struck for eight and 11 goals, respectively. Vlassopoulos, a proven playmaker and special teams artist, aims to make a significant improvement on his career totals of 16 goals and 43 assists.

Addison DeBoer, Brian McMillin, Matt Overman and Dan Quilico round out the group of senior forwards, while juniors Tyler Johnson and Stephen Schultz are poised to make big strides. Of those six players, only Schultz ever has scored more than six times in a season. He had 10 red lighters in 2008-09.

"I think it will be spread out a little more," said Owens. "We do have a handful of experienced guys, but it's still going to have to evolve...Diversfying it all - getting a lot of guys with nine goals instead of two guys with 18, or something like that - will be important."

The incoming class of nine freshmen, which includes defensemen Mike Boivin, Doug Leaverton and Joe Marciano, also features four promising forwards in Andrew Hamburg, William Rapuzzi, Rylan Schwartz and Scott Winkler. All are veterans of the junior A ranks, and Winkler was a third-round selection of the Dallas Stars in the 2008 National Hockey League entry draft.

Behrend and Bidwill join the three freshmen in completing a group of nine defensemen headlined by seniors Kris Fredheim and Nate Prosser. Both Fredheim and Prosser have been regulars at the blue line since the their sophomore year after platooning with each other as freshmen. Junior Ryan Lowery already has played in 69 career outings, developing a strong transition game, while Guentzel returns after a very impressive rookie season in which he finished fifth among all Tigers with 17 points (3g,14a).

"We should be able to lean on those guys early," Owens said. "When you look at Fredheim, Prosser and Lowery, as well as Gabe (Guentzel), who played a lot of minutes last year, it's a very solid group to help guide us through with our young goaltenders."

And that's the big unknown heading into '09-10 - what to expect between the pipes. With Richard Bachman opting to sign a contract with the Dallas Stars after only two seasons at CC, and Drew O'Connell having graduated in May, junior Tyler O'Brien returns as the team's only experienced goalie.

Excluding exhibitions, however, O'Brien has appeared in only three games as a Tiger, compiling less than 35 minutes of total ice time. He'll compete for a starting nod against a pair of freshmen out of the United States Hockey League - Joe Howe and Hudson Stremmel.

"It's going to be wide open," said Owens, anticipating the internal competition in net. "We're going to wait and see how it goes, try to get a look at different people and sort through it. We've got a good mix of guys.

They just need some experience.

"With the little scrap of ice that he's gotten, Tyler O'Brien has played pretty well and it remains to be seen whether he takes another step. Joe Howe is pretty highly touted...He's mature, has been in the USHL the last two years, and has pretty good size with fundamentally good mechanics.

Hudson Stremmel comes in with just one year in the USHL, a little bit of a non-traditional hockey background from Reno, Nev., but he's good size, really competes, and is very aggressive and athletic."

After an exhibition game against the University of Calgary on Oct. 3, Colorado College officially open its 2009-10 campaign the following weekend when the Tigers play host to Northeastern University in a two-game non-conference series at the World Arena. One of six 2009 NCAA tournament teams on CC's schedule - along with Air Force, Cornell, Denver, Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota - Northeastern finished second in the Hockey East standings last season, one point behind national champion Boston University.

Western Collegiate Hockey Association play starts a week later, with a road trip to Wisconsin, followed by a stretch that features nine of the next 11 games back at the CSWA.

"I like the fact that we are home a lot early, so that we can try to instill some confidence into this young team," Owens said. "It's better than going out and playing 12 or 15 games on the road at the start of the year.

Hopefully we can get some wins and gain some confidence.

"From a talent standpoint, we have some nice pieces. There are guys who can play roles. There's some scoring, some speed, and some playmaking. It's just a matter of putting it all together. I hope everybody being a year older will help, and that being humbled a little bit by last year will be a positive for us."