MEN'S HOCKEY

This article was written by Anna Grearson and appeared in the Times Argus on Nov. 7, 2007 

NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The 2007-2008 men's ice hockey season officially begins next Friday for the Norwich Cadets, but at Tuesday's media day, the senior leadership contingent already voiced its ultimate goal - a Division III national championship.

"Absolutely," said assistant captain Phil Sbrocchi. "It's a reasonable goal every year. If we're not focused on winning a national championship, then I guess we shouldn't be here."

Sbrocchi, a senior defenseman from Ontario, is an instrumental part of a program that hasn't seen a national title since 2003.

"I think the seniors on this team have gone through a pretty tough time the last three years here and we've lost some pretty big, disappointing games, maybe games we were expected to win," Sbrocchi explained. "We didn't really produce what we should have. A lot of us are taking it in stride and trying to put it all together for this final year and keep everybody focused in one direction, and that is for a national championship.

"We talk about it a lot, about how the guys who were here when we were freshmen won a national championship and they kind of gave us the expectation of going for it each year," Sbrocchi continued. "We won playoff games but that doesn't mean anything because we haven't won it, and I think we're that much hungrier. I think the young guys definitely do understand what it's going to take, and hopefully we can put it all together this year."

Last season the Cadets went 20-8 and fell to eventual D-III national champion Oswego State in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but this time around Norwich coach Mike McShane has brought in a handful of fresh-men to complement two handfuls of juniors and seniors.

"We've got good experience, and not a lot of new guys," McShane said. "We've got five freshmen who are actually skating with the team now, and there's a couple who have played junior hockey and they're a little older. I expect probably three of them to be playing early on. We have five seniors and six or seven juniors, so we're a pretty well-spread-out team, probably leaning a little on the older kids. We've been close the last couple years with good solid teams. To get where we want to go again in some ways it doesn't take much and in some ways it takes a lot, but we think that we have a team that can compete with anybody."

The Cadets are beneficiaries of a more rigorous strength training program that has allowed McShane to jump right into skill work rather than focus on conditioning.

"I think we're in the best shape of the four years I've been here, our team looks pretty strong," Sbrocchi said. "I think the strength training program is more suited to specifically hockey rather than just being big and strong. It's more weight power, agility and force. The strength training coach has done a really good job with us this year, and I wouldn't say they pushed us a lot harder than other years because we get pushed pretty hard each year here, but it's been a challenge."

That intense preseason training has resulted in a much faster team, and it has boosted the team's confidence.

"I think we're one of the fastest teams in the nation for sure and everybody has great skating skills," returning captain Raphael Robitaille said. "If we put that on the ice every game, then we can control every game if we use our speed."

Offensively, the Cadets return their top three point producers in All-America senior forward Rick Cleaver (24 goals, 20 assists), senior forward Eric Lauriault (10 goals, 28 assists), and Robitaille, a forward who tallied 15 assists and 11 goals.

Sborcchi leads the defensive pack as well as the Cadets' power play, and said there is a much more relaxed mood amongst the team.

"Last year we had a lot of guys on the team at the start of the season, and a lot of guys were fighting for spots and I think it kind of took a toll on the team," Sbrocchi said. "This year we have five or six new freshmen and everyone seems comfortable with their spot. It's not like we aren't going out and fighting for ice time, but everybody seems to be getting along better."

All three goaltenders - sophomores David Thompson and Ryan Klingensmith and junior Chance Gieni - return from last year's squad, and the fact that all three returned healthy and ready to play brought a bright smile to McShane's face.

"Chance Gieni, who is our junior, was hurt most of last year, and this year he's back and he looks great," McShane said. "David of course is back. He looks good, he's playing strong, and Ryan Klingensmith, who was a walk-on last year, has put on 20 pounds and is a lot stronger, so there's some competition there. I feel good about the goaltending. We've got some experience back there, and the biggest thing is to stay healthy."

Thompson saw the most minutes in the net last season and amassed a nearly 91 percent save percentage and recorded two shutouts.

The Cadets schedule provides long stretches of both road games and contests on the home ice of Kreitzberg Arena. Norwich will play at home the entire month of December and then spend most of January in southern New England.

"That's just the way it's fallen the last few years, and I think we just get used to it," McShane, who is entering his 12th year at the Cadet helm, said. "We've got a good home-ice schedule and we take advantage of the tournament we have here at Christmas time, and then we finish up on the road at Colby and Bowdoin. We're used to doing both, and sometimes an away game is just what you need."

Traditionally one of the biggest games that any Norwich team plays is against in-state rival Middlebury, and the hockey Cadets face the Panthers in the third game of the season in the Primelink Shootout, held this year at Plattsburgh on Nov. 23, and again on Feb. 9 in Middlebury.

"The league is getting better every year, and we've had some tough games against a lot of teams," Robitaille said. "There are a lot of teams we want to play, and the payback is always good."

McShane certainly appreciates the enthusiasm for success, but the road to the 2008 Frozen Four begins on the road next Friday against the University of Southern Maine.

The Cadets' Maroon & Gold game is this Saturday night in Northfield with the regular season home opener slated for Friday, Nov. 30 against Hamilton.

"I'm glad they are hungry for it, but you've got to keep it in perspective," McShane said. "You've got to have a good start."