 "Photo: Matt Rosenberg/Cardinal Points")
Plattsburgh State men’s hockey Head Coach Bob Emery can only hope 13 will be a lucky number for the 2009-10 season.
After losing a pair of All-Americans, one of the most successful goalies in program history and nine others, it will need to be if the Cards can reach the top this year.
Among 12 players lost from last year’s team are captain and ACHA East First Team All-American Nick Rolls, leading scorer and ACHA East Second Team All-American Joey Wilson, as well as starting goalie and conference Most Valuable Player Bryan Hince. Rolls and Wilson used up their eligibility, while Hince left to play professionally in the Central Hockey League after just two seasons.
“We lost a lot of players last year,” Head Coach Bob Emery said. “Any time you lose players that were All-American or All-League, you’re not going to replace them right away.”
The Cardinals also waved goodbye to forwards Riley Hill, fourth in scoring, and Shawn Dennis, defensemen Eric Greene, Ryan Burke and Ward Smith, as well as goalies Chris Molinaro and Matt Dickson.
To fill all the holes, Emery brought in 13 freshmen — almost 50 percent of the team.
Every facet of the team, from the guys with the big pads all the way up the ice to the forwards crashing the crease, is dominated by freshmen.
There are three roster spots for goaltenders. Each is filled by a freshman. Each is trying to secure the starting role.
“I think it’s better coming in having to compete, instead of knowing you’re going to be the starter or backup,” goalie Ryan Williams said. “It brings out the best.”
Emery said he does not name the starting goalie until Friday mornings.
“If you play good, you’ll play more,” Emery said. “If not, you won’t.”
Regardless of who starts between the pipes, he will have some big shoes to fill.
Hince compiled a 44-7-2 record, a 1.98 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in his two years wearing the red and white.
But goalie isn’t the only position dominated by newcomers. The Cardinals lost half of their defensemen from a year ago.
Senior Tom Breslin and junior Ryan Corry will be the ones looked at to provide stability on the blue line.
“I think (the freshmen) have all been around enough,” Breslin said. “There will probably be some jitters at the start, but we’ve already played a game.”
The key loss on the blue line for the Cards was Rolls, who in his four-year career compiled 33 goals and 74 assists.
“Absolutely, it’s a tough void to fill,” Breslin said. “It all starts in practice, having poise and just getting the job done.”
For the past two seasons, the “C” had been sewn on to Rolls’ sweater — now it’s on junior Dylan Clarke’s.
“Nick was the best captain I’ve ever had,” Clarke said. “I’m just trying to do what he’s done in the last two years. He’s just a great captain, going to be hard to replace.”
Emery has complete confidence in Clarke’s ability to lead.
“Clarkey’s his own man,” Emery said. “Leadership-wise he’s not going to put much pressure on himself.”
The All-American forward will also be looked at to continue his contributions on the score sheet.
When Wilson left, he not only left a big void in terms of leadership, but also on the score sheet.
His 41 points last year led all scorers.
Senior Phil Farrow, who finished third on the team in scoring, said he’s not sure if that void can be filled, and that he needs to step up and be a leader the best he can to fill it.
It won’t be left to just Clarke and Farrow to pick up the slack.
The Cards return 12 forwards from last year, including junior Eric Satim, who finished fifth in points last season.
Clarke, Farrow and Satim will need to continue their success on the power play, which succeeded 26.2 percent of the time last season — good for fifth in the nation.
They combined for 16 of the team’s 50 power play goals.
“There’s not really any added pressure; we got a lot of guys,” Satim said. “We’re not going to be relying on certain guys (to score) all the time.”
But even with all the new faces, Emery said he doesn’t see himself doing any more coaching than in years past.
“You have to do what you have to do, when you have to do it,” he said. “It’s just as much reacting as it is preparation.”
The Cardinals will have their first chance to see how their young team matches up when Geneseo visits the Stafford Ice Arena tonight.
Geneseo, who finished third in the conference a year ago, returns just the opposite of PSUC.
Back for the Ice Knights are goalie Cory Gershon, who split time last year with graduated Jeff Pasemko, but enters this season as the starter. Scoring-leader Sebastian Panetta (7g, 16a) and senior Jeff MacPhee, who led all defensemen with 15 points, also return
Geneseo also has the size advantage with 10 players at least six feet. The Cards gave up the size advantage two weeks ago and breezed past Concordia 7-2.
“We’re definitely a lot faster,” Clarke said. “Everyone saw against Concordia, they were bigger, but they couldn’t handle our speed.”
The Cardinals will then play host to Brockport 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Golden Eagles also return their top point-getter and starting goalie. James Cody’s 24 points led all scorers as a freshman, while his 11 goals tied for the team lead.
Todd Sheridan started 18 games for Brockport a year ago, finishing with a 10-4-3 record, a .917 save percentage and a 2.59 goals-against average.
“We’re young,” Corry said. “But with the older guys and coaching staff, it’s not going to affect us that much.”
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