High Expectations Set for M. Hockey

With no less than six freshmen and seven sophomores in the starting lineup every night, the 1997-98 Harvard men's ice hockey team threw its youth right into the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) fire.

During their ordeal, the youngsters helped Harvard win its first Beanpot game in three years, handing then-No. 7 Boston College its last loss until the NCAA finals. The Crimson placed fifth in its division, sweeping Colgate in Harvard's first home playoff games in three years, and captured third place in the ECAC Tournament, defeating Yale 4-lin the consolation game.

Not bad for the youngest team in the league.

After graduating only four players, the 1998-99 Crimson will be the final result of last season's test run. Harvard enters its 101st season of hockey filled with a wealth of expectations engendered by last year's success.

"We have a very good nucleus returning," said Coach Ronn Tomassoni. "We had a strong finish at the end of the year and we should put ourselves in position to compete for that first-place spot in our league."

Every player on the squad last year had the opportunity to mature, and that maturity should immediately translate into more consistent play. Over the course of the season, Harvard went on a roller coaster ride in which impressive win streaks were matched by equally long losing streaks. This season the older, wiser Crimson will have to answer for such lapses, which were often blamed on youth a year ago.

"We are a much more experienced team," Tomassoni said. "A lot of the young guys played in critical situations. I think that will pay off for us."

The man charged with maintaining that consistency and focus is captain Craig Adams. Adams, who missed half of last season with a shoulder injury, plays the game with an effusive intensity and drive that should serve as the catalyst for the entire squad.

During his lengthy rehabilitation, Adams earned the respect of his teammates. He still traveled with the team and became a vocal leader, not above a periodic tirade.

"I have a tough role this year, which I'm still getting used to," Adams said. "All I can do is work hard and lead by example."

Adams, though, has some big skates to fill. He succeeds one of the better Harvard generals in recent years, defenseman Jeremiah McCarthy. McCarthy established the model for unselfish play, moving up to the wing mid-year when injuries left the forwards depleted.

Among the other graduates--forwards Henry Higdon and Doug Sproule and defenseman Geordie Hyland, Harvard will miss Higdon the most. Playing on the top line, Higdon netted 13 goals 12 assists during the season.

Both Sproule and Hyland were role players, and Hyland was not a consistent starter for the team. Sproule added physicality, but if Harvard's new recruits play to their potential, they should easily make up the slack.

"The team has started to mold together well," said freshman forward Jared Cantanucci. "There is a real good chemistry on this team. It seems like this should be a special year."

Although they left an indelible mark, last year was defined not by the departing senior class but by the freshmen. The Crimson saw the birth of its two newest stars, Chris Bala (16 g, 14 a) and Steve Moore (10 g, 23 a), who took over Harvard's offense in Adams' absence.

In 1998-99, Adams, Bala and Moore will try to lead Harvard to the next level of play. The Crimson should improve in every on-ice category. Harvard has lofty expectations; these are the personnel who hope to take them there:

Offense

With a year under their belt, Bala and Moore should further blossom as elite players. Both are extremely dangerous with the puck, combining quickness and stickhandling ability to break defensemen down in one-on-one situations. Both players' styles complement each other well and the pair developed great chemistry last season.

"Bala and Moore perform at a very high level," Tomassoni said. "They are very special players with the beat people one-on-one. They make things happen."

Moore sees the ice remarkably well and has the ability to deliver the puck to the open man. He became the first rookie to lead Harvard in scoring since peter Ciavaglia '91 posted the same 10 goals and 23 assists back in 1987-88. For his phenomenal season, he was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year and garnered ECAC All-Rookie honors.

However, Moore may suffer from mild rust through the first few games. He has missed the final two weeks of preseason training with a shoulder injury, though is expected to play in tomorrow's opener against Brown.

"I'm looking forward to playing with Chris and building off last year," Moore said. "I just want to contribute."

Moore's contributions last season largely ended on Bala's stick. A natural goal scorer, Bala led the team in goals and plus-minus with a plus-14 rating. In the final weekend of the regular season, Bala set a Harvard record by scoring four goals in the first period against Vermont. Bala fittingly joined Moore on the ECAC All-Rookie team.

"I have been looking forward to playing withStevie all summer," Bala said. "I hope to pick upwhere we left off. We will see tighter checkingthis year, but we will just have to play throughit."

Adams rounds out the top scoring line forHarvard. With six goals and six assists through 12games last season, he was on pace for the bestseason of his Harvard career before gettinginjured. Over the past year, Adams has worked hardon adding finesse to complement his hard-nosed,crash-the-net-style of attack. Teamed with Balaand Moore, Adams, hungry to rebound from lastyear, should produce the finest season of hiscareer.

"I feel great as far as I can tell," Adamssaid. "It will have to wait until the game, but sofar the shoulder is fine."

Of course, Adams' production hinges on hisshoulder, which he worked hard to rehabilitateduring the offseason. By all preseason accounts,it is fully healed.

Even if he is 100 percent healthy, however, Adamsmay require a few games to recover his timing,especially since Harvard played a limitedpreseason schedule of one scrimmage againstDartmouth and no exhibition games.

Anchoring the second line, senior winger RobMillar (7 g, 19 a) will be relied upon to finishhis Harvard career with a breakthrough season.Millar, one of the more enigmatic players on theteam, posted a personal best 26 points lastseason. He has shown prodigious offensive talent,but also an inability to bury the golden chanceshis skills create.

"I think as a team if you want to jump up, youneed to average around four goals per game,"Tomassoni said. "Millar is one player whohopefully will improve."

Last year, a late-season drop-off from Millartransformed the Crimson into a one-line team. TheHarvard offense should be more balanced thisseason, and Tomassoni is experimenting with anintriguing line combination of junior Scott Turco,sophomore Harry Schwefel and freshman Kyle Clark.

Turco, entering his pivotal third year, reallyturned it on it at the end of last season. Henetted just three goals and five assists, butalmost all of them came at critical moments downthe stretch drive. Turco, along with Schwefel, maymove up into the next echelon.

"I have higher expectations for myself thisyear," Turco said. "The end of the year reallywent better for me, and we are all adapting to newroles."

While Bala and Moore had headline-making rookieseasons, Schwefel quietly posted five goals andseven assists. He scored the game-tying goal latein the third period against Boston University tosend the Beanpot final game into overtime and itsdramatic conclusion.

The really compelling portion of this line isthe contrast between Turco and Schwefel--bothsmall, quick players--and the ominous 6'6",215-pound Clark. The freshman comes to Harvardfrom the U.S. National Program, where he playedagainst the top juniors in Canada. Never hesitantto use his size, he registered 280 penalty minuteslast season, dropping the gloves on occasion.

"I like to play up front on the power play,putting some G's in that way," Clark said."Obviously, I'm a physical player, modelingmyself after [Boston Bruin] Cam Neely."

Rounding out the core of forwards are seniorClayton Rodgers and juniors Trevor Allman, BrettChodorow, Brice Conklin and Jamin Kerner. All ofthem save Kerner netted at least eight points lastseason and each knows his job on the team, makingoccasional contributions to the offense whilefighting the battles in the corners that rarelyget noticed.

"I think we are a balanced team," Bala said."Our lines are solid from first through fourtheach accepting their role on the team."

Three other freshman are competing for regularspots in the starting lineup--Jared Cantanucci,Derek Nowak and Jeff Stonehouse. Cantanucci andStonehouse are both smaller players--Cantanucciweighs a mere 160 pounds--with the reputation ofhaving a nose for the net. During Moore's absence,Tomassoni has put Cantanucci on the top linebeside Adams and Bala.

Defense

The defense was the only unit really hit hardby graduation. McCarthy, with his intensity andintelligence, really anchored this core lastseason.

As the lone senior on the blueline, Ben Storeywill be looked upon to replace McCarthy'sleadership. Despite problems of inconsistency,Storey really blossomed by season's end. A giftedtwo-way defenseman, Storey finally combined soliddefensive work with his offensive talents. Heshowed off a fearsome shot from the point of thepower play and will be quarterbacking it againthis year.

"Being the only senior throws me a leadershiprole," Storey said. "I feel comfortable with thatrole and we have a great group of guys."

If Storey falters as the leader of the group hehas some help among the junior ranks in MattScorsune and Mark Moore. Scorsune was named theCrimson's Most Improved Player last season,largely for a blistering one-timer on the powerplay that led to six of his nine goals.

Moore is a more traditional defenseman.

Part of Harvard's trend of players withoutstanding rookie seasons, sophomore GrahamMorrell had an excellent first year. Paired up ona starting unit with Storey, Morrell exuded atoughness and physicality on the ice that theCrimson sometimes lacked last season. He isexpected to have an excellent sophomore campaign.

Storey, Scorsune, Moore and Morrell provide asolid nucleus for the defense. The unit will be aphysically imposing one, as six of the backlinersweigh in at least 190 pounds. The remaining twoslots will be a competition between twosophomores, Liam McCarthy and Tim Stay, and twofreshmen, Leif Ericson and Peter Capouch.

Both McCarthy and Stay saw considerable actionlast year, though neither was a Crimson regular.While they looked impressive at times, McCarthycould be downright imposing. When he threw aroundhis 6'3", 210-pound frame, however, the two werefrequently caught out of position and became aliability, evidenced by Stay's minus-4 rating andMcCarthy's awful minus-13.

Ericson was prized for his skating ability,competitiveness and huge upside potential. Capouchreportedly has terrific hockey sense, but at 165pounds may have difficulty handling the biggerforwards in the league.

"So far the new guys have been great," Balasaid. "All our recruits have some attitude."

Goaltenders

Probably one of the most solid positions on theteam, Harvard boasts two excellent goaltenders.Junior J.R. Prestifilippo will be starting betweenthe pipes for the Crimson this year. One of theECAC's best big-game netminders, Prestifilippocemented that reputation with his gutsy 34-saveperformance in the Beanpot final, in which heyielded just two goals to one of the finestoffenses in the nation.

The start was his first after missing over amonth with mononucleosis. His illness is partlyresponsible for 3.44 goals-against average (GAA),subpar coming on the tails of a freshman season inwhich he was named ECAC Rookie of the Year.

"J.R. has been the guy for us for the past twoseasons," Tomassoni said. "I expect nothing tochange this year."

Prestifilippo's injury may have been a blessingin disguise for the Crimson, for it gave sophomorebackup Oliver Jonas a chance to prove himself.Jonas did exactly that in the Beanpot semifinal,making several spectacular saves down the stretch.Jonas has earned Tomassoni's confidence and willmost likely receive more spot starts this year.

The emergency back-up is junior Mike Ginal.Ginal made NCAA history last season, becoming thefirst player with a prosthetic limb to playcollege hockey.S-4TALENTCrimson File PhotoWHAT ABOUT ROB? Harvard hopes for abreakthrough year out of senior ROB MILLAR.

"I have been looking forward to playing withStevie all summer," Bala said. "I hope to pick upwhere we left off. We will see tighter checkingthis year, but we will just have to play throughit."

Adams rounds out the top scoring line forHarvard. With six goals and six assists through 12games last season, he was on pace for the bestseason of his Harvard career before gettinginjured. Over the past year, Adams has worked hardon adding finesse to complement his hard-nosed,crash-the-net-style of attack. Teamed with Balaand Moore, Adams, hungry to rebound from lastyear, should produce the finest season of hiscareer.

"I feel great as far as I can tell," Adamssaid. "It will have to wait until the game, but sofar the shoulder is fine."

Of course, Adams' production hinges on hisshoulder, which he worked hard to rehabilitateduring the offseason. By all preseason accounts,it is fully healed.

Even if he is 100 percent healthy, however, Adamsmay require a few games to recover his timing,especially since Harvard played a limitedpreseason schedule of one scrimmage againstDartmouth and no exhibition games.

Anchoring the second line, senior winger RobMillar (7 g, 19 a) will be relied upon to finishhis Harvard career with a breakthrough season.Millar, one of the more enigmatic players on theteam, posted a personal best 26 points lastseason. He has shown prodigious offensive talent,but also an inability to bury the golden chanceshis skills create.

"I think as a team if you want to jump up, youneed to average around four goals per game,"Tomassoni said. "Millar is one player whohopefully will improve."

Last year, a late-season drop-off from Millartransformed the Crimson into a one-line team. TheHarvard offense should be more balanced thisseason, and Tomassoni is experimenting with anintriguing line combination of junior Scott Turco,sophomore Harry Schwefel and freshman Kyle Clark.

Turco, entering his pivotal third year, reallyturned it on it at the end of last season. Henetted just three goals and five assists, butalmost all of them came at critical moments downthe stretch drive. Turco, along with Schwefel, maymove up into the next echelon.

"I have higher expectations for myself thisyear," Turco said. "The end of the year reallywent better for me, and we are all adapting to newroles."

While Bala and Moore had headline-making rookieseasons, Schwefel quietly posted five goals andseven assists. He scored the game-tying goal latein the third period against Boston University tosend the Beanpot final game into overtime and itsdramatic conclusion.

The really compelling portion of this line isthe contrast between Turco and Schwefel--bothsmall, quick players--and the ominous 6'6",215-pound Clark. The freshman comes to Harvardfrom the U.S. National Program, where he playedagainst the top juniors in Canada. Never hesitantto use his size, he registered 280 penalty minuteslast season, dropping the gloves on occasion.

"I like to play up front on the power play,putting some G's in that way," Clark said."Obviously, I'm a physical player, modelingmyself after [Boston Bruin] Cam Neely."

Rounding out the core of forwards are seniorClayton Rodgers and juniors Trevor Allman, BrettChodorow, Brice Conklin and Jamin Kerner. All ofthem save Kerner netted at least eight points lastseason and each knows his job on the team, makingoccasional contributions to the offense whilefighting the battles in the corners that rarelyget noticed.

"I think we are a balanced team," Bala said."Our lines are solid from first through fourtheach accepting their role on the team."

Three other freshman are competing for regularspots in the starting lineup--Jared Cantanucci,Derek Nowak and Jeff Stonehouse. Cantanucci andStonehouse are both smaller players--Cantanucciweighs a mere 160 pounds--with the reputation ofhaving a nose for the net. During Moore's absence,Tomassoni has put Cantanucci on the top linebeside Adams and Bala.

Defense

The defense was the only unit really hit hardby graduation. McCarthy, with his intensity andintelligence, really anchored this core lastseason.

As the lone senior on the blueline, Ben Storeywill be looked upon to replace McCarthy'sleadership. Despite problems of inconsistency,Storey really blossomed by season's end. A giftedtwo-way defenseman, Storey finally combined soliddefensive work with his offensive talents. Heshowed off a fearsome shot from the point of thepower play and will be quarterbacking it againthis year.

"Being the only senior throws me a leadershiprole," Storey said. "I feel comfortable with thatrole and we have a great group of guys."

If Storey falters as the leader of the group hehas some help among the junior ranks in MattScorsune and Mark Moore. Scorsune was named theCrimson's Most Improved Player last season,largely for a blistering one-timer on the powerplay that led to six of his nine goals.

Moore is a more traditional defenseman.

Part of Harvard's trend of players withoutstanding rookie seasons, sophomore GrahamMorrell had an excellent first year. Paired up ona starting unit with Storey, Morrell exuded atoughness and physicality on the ice that theCrimson sometimes lacked last season. He isexpected to have an excellent sophomore campaign.

Storey, Scorsune, Moore and Morrell provide asolid nucleus for the defense. The unit will be aphysically imposing one, as six of the backlinersweigh in at least 190 pounds. The remaining twoslots will be a competition between twosophomores, Liam McCarthy and Tim Stay, and twofreshmen, Leif Ericson and Peter Capouch.

Both McCarthy and Stay saw considerable actionlast year, though neither was a Crimson regular.While they looked impressive at times, McCarthycould be downright imposing. When he threw aroundhis 6'3", 210-pound frame, however, the two werefrequently caught out of position and became aliability, evidenced by Stay's minus-4 rating andMcCarthy's awful minus-13.

Ericson was prized for his skating ability,competitiveness and huge upside potential. Capouchreportedly has terrific hockey sense, but at 165pounds may have difficulty handling the biggerforwards in the league.

"So far the new guys have been great," Balasaid. "All our recruits have some attitude."

Goaltenders

Probably one of the most solid positions on theteam, Harvard boasts two excellent goaltenders.Junior J.R. Prestifilippo will be starting betweenthe pipes for the Crimson this year. One of theECAC's best big-game netminders, Prestifilippocemented that reputation with his gutsy 34-saveperformance in the Beanpot final, in which heyielded just two goals to one of the finestoffenses in the nation.

The start was his first after missing over amonth with mononucleosis. His illness is partlyresponsible for 3.44 goals-against average (GAA),subpar coming on the tails of a freshman season inwhich he was named ECAC Rookie of the Year.

"J.R. has been the guy for us for the past twoseasons," Tomassoni said. "I expect nothing tochange this year."

Prestifilippo's injury may have been a blessingin disguise for the Crimson, for it gave sophomorebackup Oliver Jonas a chance to prove himself.Jonas did exactly that in the Beanpot semifinal,making several spectacular saves down the stretch.Jonas has earned Tomassoni's confidence and willmost likely receive more spot starts this year.

The emergency back-up is junior Mike Ginal.Ginal made NCAA history last season, becoming thefirst player with a prosthetic limb to playcollege hockey.S-4TALENTCrimson File PhotoWHAT ABOUT ROB? Harvard hopes for abreakthrough year out of senior ROB MILLAR.