American International has High Hopes for 15th NCAA Division I Season
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The American International College men's ice hockey team has set high expectations for the upcoming 2012-13 season, its 15th as a NCAA Division I program. Head coach Gary Wright's squad has shown steady progress the past couple seasons, and will look to take that all-important “next step” this year.
2011-12 RECAP: The Yellow Jackets finished the season with an overall record of 8-26-3 and finished 10th in the final Atlantic Hockey standings with a mark of 6-18-3. That record, however, we no indication of how good AIC actually was as was proven by the team's near first-round conference tournament series win at Robert Morris. The two teams split the first two contests, and the third and deciding game went into overtime. Senior forward Adam Pleskach (Beausejour, Man.) was named a third-team Atlantic Hockey all-conference selection after leading AIC in scoring for the third straight season, tallying 16 goals and 14 assists for 30 points. He ranked fifth in the AHA in goals and was 11th in total points. Pleskach was also one of the Yellow Jackets' 22 all-academic selections. Michael Penny and sophomore forward Matt Cassidy (London, Ont.) shared the honor of being named Atlantic Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year with a 4.0 grade point average for the 2011-12 academic year.
KEY LOSSES: Nielsson Arcibal tied for the team lead in scoring last season with 10 goals and a team-best 20 assists for 30 points, which ranked him fifth in the league in assists and 11th in points. Penny was the team's third-leading scorer with six goals and 17 assists for 23 points. Rob Blanchette was one of AIC's top player on the blue line last season and added one goal with two assists on the offensive end. Nick Sandor appeared in 33 of the team's 37 games a year ago, contributing three goals and six assists for nine points.
FORWARD: Pleskach, who was elected team captain, is one of the team's top returners up front. He enters the season with 83 career points and could become the programs second 100-point producer since elevating to Division I. Senior Steve Mele (Bronx, N.Y.) was fourth on the team in scoring a year ago with 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points, while junior Jon Puskar (Grosse Ile, Mich.) tied for fifth on the team in scoring with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. Sophomore Nathan Slewinski (Castle Rock, Colo.) scored four goals with 11 assists in 34 games as a rookie, while junior assistant captain Blake Peake (Lethbridge, Alb.) netted five goals with eight assists for 13 points. Seniors Nick Grasso (Smithtown, N.Y.) and Richard Leitner (Los Alamitos, Calif.), juniors Nick Campanale(Chester Springs, Pa.) and Jakub Simisek (Treneianska Turna, Slovakia), and sophomores Matt Cassidy (London, Ont.), Brandon Fagerheim (Calgary, Alb.),Alexander MacMillan (Clagary, Alb.) and Jason Popek (Hamilton, Ont.) also return this season as part of what might be the deepest group of forwards AIC has had since going DI. They will be joined by three talented freshmen – Colton Cyr (Nanaimo, B.C.), David Gandara (Canyon Lake, Calif.) and Chris Porter (Stoufville, Ont.) – who further add to the Yellow Jackets' depth up front.
DEFENSE: AIC returns five defensemen from last season, a group that will be led by senior assistant captain Chris Markiewicz (Calgary, Alb.) and classmate Jeff Ceccacci (Placentia, Calif.). Markiewicz played in all but one of the Yellow Jackets 37 games last season, contributing one goal and eight assists for nine points on the offensive end, while Ceccacci tied for fifth on the team in scoring with four goals and 14 assists for 18 points in his 34 games played. Sophomore Jake Williams(Duluth, Minn.) had one goal and three assists while skating in 32 games as a freshman, while classmate Steven Hoshaw (Vista, Calif.) had one goal with four assists in his 28 games played. Junior Whitney Olsen (Eagan, Minn.) also returns on the blue line after skating in 12 games last year. They will be joined by freshmen Derek Henderson (Smithfield, R.I.) and Brandon Lubin (Commerce Township, Mich.), both of whom could see significant playing time right away.
GOALTENDER: Senior Ben Meisner (Halifax, N.S.) will once again be the starter in goal this season, a position he's held since he first arrived at AIC. Meisner was 8-22-3 a year ago with a 3.37 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. His 1,103 saves were the fourth-most in the nation last season. Junior Ryan Kerpan(Saskatoon, Sask.) and sophomore Chandler Long (Point Lookout, N.Y.) also return after seeing limited time in net last season.
2012-13 SCHEDULE: AIC will open the year with e weekend series at Penn State University October 12-13 before opening the home and Atlantic Hockey portion of its slate October 16 against Holy Cross at the Olympia Ice Center. The Yellow Jackets will also host challenging non-conference games against preseason No. 5 Union College (October 26) and Alabama-Huntsville (October 27) and will travel down I-91 for a game at Quinnipiac University, which was receiving votes in the preseason poll, November 6. The Yellow Jackets will compete at the UConn Hockey Classic December 29-30, opening against the host Huskies and then facing either Brown University or Minnesota State University. AIC will close out the season with a home-and-home set against Bentley University, first hosting the Falcons March 1 before traveling to Bentley to end the regular season March 2.
*from www.aicyellowjackets.com
2011-12 RECAP: The Yellow Jackets finished the season with an overall record of 8-26-3 and finished 10th in the final Atlantic Hockey standings with a mark of 6-18-3. That record, however, we no indication of how good AIC actually was as was proven by the team's near first-round conference tournament series win at Robert Morris. The two teams split the first two contests, and the third and deciding game went into overtime. Senior forward Adam Pleskach (Beausejour, Man.) was named a third-team Atlantic Hockey all-conference selection after leading AIC in scoring for the third straight season, tallying 16 goals and 14 assists for 30 points. He ranked fifth in the AHA in goals and was 11th in total points. Pleskach was also one of the Yellow Jackets' 22 all-academic selections. Michael Penny and sophomore forward Matt Cassidy (London, Ont.) shared the honor of being named Atlantic Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year with a 4.0 grade point average for the 2011-12 academic year.
KEY LOSSES: Nielsson Arcibal tied for the team lead in scoring last season with 10 goals and a team-best 20 assists for 30 points, which ranked him fifth in the league in assists and 11th in points. Penny was the team's third-leading scorer with six goals and 17 assists for 23 points. Rob Blanchette was one of AIC's top player on the blue line last season and added one goal with two assists on the offensive end. Nick Sandor appeared in 33 of the team's 37 games a year ago, contributing three goals and six assists for nine points.
FORWARD: Pleskach, who was elected team captain, is one of the team's top returners up front. He enters the season with 83 career points and could become the programs second 100-point producer since elevating to Division I. Senior Steve Mele (Bronx, N.Y.) was fourth on the team in scoring a year ago with 10 goals and 11 assists for 21 points, while junior Jon Puskar (Grosse Ile, Mich.) tied for fifth on the team in scoring with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points. Sophomore Nathan Slewinski (Castle Rock, Colo.) scored four goals with 11 assists in 34 games as a rookie, while junior assistant captain Blake Peake (Lethbridge, Alb.) netted five goals with eight assists for 13 points. Seniors Nick Grasso (Smithtown, N.Y.) and Richard Leitner (Los Alamitos, Calif.), juniors Nick Campanale(Chester Springs, Pa.) and Jakub Simisek (Treneianska Turna, Slovakia), and sophomores Matt Cassidy (London, Ont.), Brandon Fagerheim (Calgary, Alb.),Alexander MacMillan (Clagary, Alb.) and Jason Popek (Hamilton, Ont.) also return this season as part of what might be the deepest group of forwards AIC has had since going DI. They will be joined by three talented freshmen – Colton Cyr (Nanaimo, B.C.), David Gandara (Canyon Lake, Calif.) and Chris Porter (Stoufville, Ont.) – who further add to the Yellow Jackets' depth up front.
DEFENSE: AIC returns five defensemen from last season, a group that will be led by senior assistant captain Chris Markiewicz (Calgary, Alb.) and classmate Jeff Ceccacci (Placentia, Calif.). Markiewicz played in all but one of the Yellow Jackets 37 games last season, contributing one goal and eight assists for nine points on the offensive end, while Ceccacci tied for fifth on the team in scoring with four goals and 14 assists for 18 points in his 34 games played. Sophomore Jake Williams(Duluth, Minn.) had one goal and three assists while skating in 32 games as a freshman, while classmate Steven Hoshaw (Vista, Calif.) had one goal with four assists in his 28 games played. Junior Whitney Olsen (Eagan, Minn.) also returns on the blue line after skating in 12 games last year. They will be joined by freshmen Derek Henderson (Smithfield, R.I.) and Brandon Lubin (Commerce Township, Mich.), both of whom could see significant playing time right away.
GOALTENDER: Senior Ben Meisner (Halifax, N.S.) will once again be the starter in goal this season, a position he's held since he first arrived at AIC. Meisner was 8-22-3 a year ago with a 3.37 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. His 1,103 saves were the fourth-most in the nation last season. Junior Ryan Kerpan(Saskatoon, Sask.) and sophomore Chandler Long (Point Lookout, N.Y.) also return after seeing limited time in net last season.
2012-13 SCHEDULE: AIC will open the year with e weekend series at Penn State University October 12-13 before opening the home and Atlantic Hockey portion of its slate October 16 against Holy Cross at the Olympia Ice Center. The Yellow Jackets will also host challenging non-conference games against preseason No. 5 Union College (October 26) and Alabama-Huntsville (October 27) and will travel down I-91 for a game at Quinnipiac University, which was receiving votes in the preseason poll, November 6. The Yellow Jackets will compete at the UConn Hockey Classic December 29-30, opening against the host Huskies and then facing either Brown University or Minnesota State University. AIC will close out the season with a home-and-home set against Bentley University, first hosting the Falcons March 1 before traveling to Bentley to end the regular season March 2.
*from www.aicyellowjackets.com