2018-19 Season Preview
After a weekend of exhibition contests for the Men's D1 and Women's D1 and D2 teams, the 12th season of Bulldog Hockey will be in full swing next weekend and Arrington Ice Arena will be buzzing with activity and be hosting games from Thursday to Sunday once again. After a season that ended with 5 Regular Season Titles, 3 League Titles, 1 Regional Title and 1 National Championship Title and several coaching change-ups, it would be an undestatement to say that the expectations are set high for the 2018-19 season.
Men's NCAA
After two straight years of dropping the NCHA Harris Cup Final game to longtime foes, the St. Norbert College Green Knights, and falling in the NCAA Tournament's Quarterfinals in March, the Men's NCAA team has their sights set on bringing the Harris Cup home and bringing the team's first National Championship this season.
Assistant Coach Shawn Skelly stepped down from behind the Bulldog bench to become the fourth Head Coach for the Women's NCAA Team at Adrian College. He was replaced with Kevin Moore, former Princeton University Director of Hockey Operations.
Moore, a former goaltender from New Jersey, played his college hockey at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, an NCAA Division I school, before spending time in the ECHL, FHL and AHL before working with Princeton in the 2016-17 season.
With the departure of a large, strong senior class last season, the Bulldogs will be bringing in 12 players, 11 freshmen and 1 junior transfer.
The Bulldogs will first travel to New Jersey for an exhibition contest with the Princeton Tigers, coached by former Men's NCAA Head Coach Ron Fogarty, on October 13th. The follow Thursday, October 18th, they will play an intersquad game at Arrington Ice Arena at 7:05 pm while their home opener won't come until November 2nd when Lawrence University comes to town.
Games to Watch:
vs. Salve Regina (12/7 and 12/8): The Bulldogs faced the SeaHawks in the first game of the Codfish Bowl last season where they would be defeated in their fourth straight game before going on a 16 game win streak. The Bulldogs were on the road and off of a holiday break when they faced the SeaHawks last time, so seeing the two teams clash on Bulldog home ice will be interesting to see this December.
vs. St. Norbert (11/10): The Bulldogs and Green Knights have bad blood dating back to 2011, so a game between these two teams is always the best of the season as the best of the best battle it out. The Bulldogs have edged the Green Knights for the conference regular season title all four years that they have both been members of the NCHA but the Green Knights have captured the last two Harris Cup victories on Bulldog home ice. Not only is every game between these two top teams a fight to the end, but the crowd is always packed as well, nearly 1,000 people crammed into Arrington Ice Arena when the Bulldogs hosted the Green Knights and defeated them in overtime last January.
Players to Watch:
Cory Dunn: Dunn has always been a standout player to watch since he came in his freshman year and garnered All American honors, but this season, his senior season, he will be wearing the C for the Bulldogs. Undoubtedly the top defenseman on the team, Dunn will look to close out his career as the team's first four time All American.
Braden Hellems: Hellems stepped up big time this past season and found himself on the top D pairing with Cory Dunn when senior Blake Butzow was sidelined. Hellems had the best season of his career, racking up 5 goals and 16 assists for 21 points and a +22 +/- and can only get better from there.
Women's NCAA
The Women's NCAA team comes into the season with a loss to Elmira in the NCAA Quarterfinals and a Slaats Cup victory in the NCHA and with a new Head Coach.
Former Head Coach Chad Davis stepped down from the position in August to take the head coaching job at Rochester Instittue of Technology (D1) and former Men's NCAA player and assistant coach, Shawn Skelly, was named his successor. Skelly spent the 2016-17 season as the Women's NCAA assistant coach when they made their historic run to the NCAA National Championship game and then spent the last season coaching his former team alongside his former linemate, Adam Krug.
Games to Watch:
vs. Plattsburgh: Unfortunately, Plattsburgh will once again not be making the trip out to Arrington Ice Arena, but the Bulldogs will face them in the East/West Classic in January and the Cardinal/RedBird Classic in November. The two teams are two of the top ten teams in the nation each year and it's always exciting to get to watch two top teams battle it out, whether it be at Arrington Ice Arena or via livestream.
vs. St. Norbert (2/8 and 2/9): Until the 2015 Slaats Cup Final, I wouldn't have thought to say that you would need to circle the dates the Bulldogs and Green Knights faced off, but since the 2015 Slaats Cup Final, games between these two teams are almost as competitive as when the Bulldogs and Foresters battle it out, which they won't this season at Arrington Ice Arena.
Players to Watch:
Kate Turner: Kate Turner is absolutely phenomenal, I've said it before this past year and I'll keep saying it. She broke team records this past season on a young Bulldog squad and I'm eager to watch her as the team matures.
Kelly O'Sullivan: O'Sullivan has proved herself to be the top defenseman for the young Bulldog team as she enters her junior season. A three time All American, O'Sullivan has two seasons left of thwarting scoring attempts as she remains a steady, trustworthy defenseman for the Bulldogs.
MD1
The reigning ACHA MD1 National Champions show no signs of slowing down this season as they look to defend their title in Dallas this March.
The Bulldogs saw five players graduate and two go professional (Austyn Roudebush to the Swedish Div. II League and Brad Kobryn to the SPHL) this spring and summer and have brought in seven freshmen that prove the future is bright for this team.
Justin Fisher will return for a fifth year and wear the C for the Bulldogs this season on a team with only two seniors (Fisher and forward Cooper McLean) and a large number of underclassmen.
Some people may say or think that a team that graduated a group of seniors like the Class of 2018 that included an undefeated goaltender, the most prolific goal scorer in program history and two of their top four defensemen would go through a rebuilding phase or a slump the next season but the Bulldogs show no sign of slowing down. After watching their exhibition contest against the Sarnia Legionnaires, it's obvious that the Bulldogs will once again boast depth across the board from their forwards, to their defensemen to their goaltenders. The Class of 2022 is fantastic and exciting to watch and all seemed to have fit in the Bulldog lineup this past weekend easily, I look forward to watching them this season.
The MD1 team will have two new faces on the bench this season after assistant coach Max Gavin's departure from the program. Kyle Lang will serve as volunteer assistant coach while Conall McNelis will serve as an assistant.
Games to Watch:
vs. Stony Brook: The Sea Wolves handed the eventual National Champions their only blemish on their otherwise spotless season record last year and the Bulldogs came back to best them 7-0 the next evening and then 4-0 at the National Tournament. The Sea Wolves come to town January 25th and 26th of 2019.
vs. Liberty: The Bulldogs and Flames have not played each other in the past four years of my memory and quite possibly have never made the trek to Adrian prior to this October. The Flames were ranked #10 in the first ranking of the season and I look forward to watching the MD1 team battle a fellow top 10 team this season. Liberty comes to town October 26th and 27th.
Players to Watch:
The Class of 2022: I'm excited to watch this freshmen class this season. They certainly have big shoes to fill after the Class of 2018 graduated as the winningest class in team history (which will more than likely be bested by the Class of 2019 at the end of the season, and the season after that with the Class of 2020, you're catching my drift here...). Not only do they have big shoes to fill, they have high expectations, coming onto a team that is fresh off of a National Championship and a landmark season. I have no doubt in my mind, however, that they will fill the shoes of the Class fo 2018 and meet the expectation of a commitment to excellence that this team has set for its players.
Mike Barrett: Speaking of big shoes to fill, you could say Mike Barrett has some after Austyn Roudebush posted a 26-0 season last year. But Barrett is no stranger to the starting goaltender position, he appeared in 24 games his freshman year and posted a 21-2 record that season. Barrett has the experience and the talent to fill Roudebush's shoes with ease and has what it takes to lead the team to a second National Championship title.
WACHA
After dropping the National Championship game in March to Liberty 2-1, WACHA has high expectations for a season that they hope ends in their first National Title.
WACHA will also have a new face behind the bench as Chaislyn Burgio takes over the role of assistant coach after the departure of Samantha Fallon this past April.
The Bulldogs added 5 freshmen this season (1 goaltender, 3 forwards and a defenseman) and picked up two freshmen who played for the Women's NCAA team and one sophomore transfer from Lindenwood-Belleville.
WACHA played two exhibition contests this past weekend and went 1-1 against the Southwest Wildcats and London Devilettes. They open their season at home on Friday, October 12th against CCWHA foe, Michigan State.
Games to Watch
vs. Liberty: The Bulldogs and Flames are the top two teams in Women's ACHA hockey, period. It was obvious last season as the two teams battled for the top spot in the national rankings and then for the National Championship in March. The Bulldogs did not beat the Flames last season, but look to change their luck as they make the trek to Adrian on October 26th and 27th.
vs. Lindenwood-Bellieville: Besides the Flames, Belleville was the only other team to best the WACHA Bulldogs last saeson in overtime on the road. This team is consistently a top 10 team in the ACHA WD1 and proves to be a tough opponent for the Bulldogs. Throw in the fact that WACHA has had two players (Courtney Hoke, Class of 2018 and sophomore transfer Tanya Candido) transfer from Belleville and you have the rumblings of a rivalry forming. Lindenwood-Belleville comes to town February 9th and 10th.
Players to Watch
Dana Columbo: All eyes are on the junior goaltender this season after starting netminder Alison Dungey graduated this past May. Columbo is not stranger to the crease though, as she has already appeared in 10 regular season games and played a little over 600:00 between the pipes.
Kaillie Hardy: Hardy returns for her final season as a Bulldog, once again as captain. Hardy, or linemate Nicole Paradis, will finish her career as the top scorer and point getter for the young WACHA program with over 100 points, a feat only she and Paradis have accomplished. Watch for her and Paradis on the top line for the Bulldogs once again this season as they tear through the ACHA one last time around.
Men's D2
The Men's D2 team kept a strong core of players this season after only losing two seniors.
Jack Clary will stay on for a fifth year and wear an A for the Bulldogs along with Marc Peters while Kyle Borner and Brandon McLean will once again wear C's for the MD2 team.
The MD2 team looks to build off of their sucessful first season in Men's Division II where they made it to the National Tournament with a team composed of more than half freshmen and only a handful of upperclassmen. This team will not only be exciting to watch in the coming years as last year's freshmen class moves up through the ranks, but will be making waves this season as they vye for the National Title.
Games to Watch
vs. Trine: Trine went on a tear last season, only to have their plans spoiled by not making it out of pool play in the National Tournament down in Columbus. They barely beat the Bulldogs in their final meeting last season and the two teams have already formed a rivalry. Trine comes to town on October 25th and again on February 21st.
vs. McKendree: The Bulldogs and Bearcats have only met once and it was when the Bulldogs won in overtime of the Regional Finals to propel them to their first National Tournament berth. The Bearcats were ranked higher than the Bulldogs, who were the underdogs in everyone's brackets during the regional tournament. Expect a high paced game from two good teams when McKendree comes to Arrington on January 17th and 18th.
Players to Watch
Phil Grippi: Grippi, one of only a handful of upperclassmen on the MD2 team, has became a staple on the blue line of the young MD2 team. Grippi is a reliable defenseman with a great shot and great character off of the ice. Grippi has what it takes to not only be a top player on the MD2 team this season but a leader on a young team as well.
Jack Clary: Clary, who will return for a fifth season of Bulldog hockey, isn't the flashiest player on the ice but is consistent and reliable since his freshman season with the D3 Gold squad in the 2014-15 season. Clary has an opportunity this season to not just to make his mark playing one last year of Adrian College hockey, but really be a leader on the ice for a young team of sophomores and freshmen.
WD2
The second year Women's D2 team will have a full roster this season and a new coaching staff. Chaislyn Burgio, a graduate of Merrimack College, will serve as head coach while former Women's NCAA defenseman Kelsey Dupuis will be the volunteer assistant.
The Bulldogs not only have enough players to sit a line or two, but also have great goaltending depth with four goaltenders on the roster.
The WD2 team has already played two contests in Marquette, Michigan against CCWHA opponent Northern Michigan University. They split the series with the Wildcats, losing in overtime the first game and winning the second game in regulation. They play their first regular season home game at Arrington Ice Arena on October 13th at 3:00 pm.
Games to Watch
vs. Sault College: Sault College is new to the ACHA this season after playing a partial ACHA schedule last season before becoming members of the Women's Division II. The Bulldogs played the Cougars in a pair of exhibition games last November and the Cougars bested the young Bulldog team in the second game of the series. Sault College comes to Adrian on January 26th and 27th of 2019.
vs. Notre Dame: The Bulldogs swept the Irish in their regular season series in early February last season but would fall to the Irish in the second game of the CCWHA Div. II playoffs later that month. The first game against the Irish was a close 5-4 victory. and the second day 4-1, which are relatively close games compared to other scores last season. Notre Dame comes to Adrian October 27th and 28th.
Players to Watch:
Victoria Poland: The sophomore goaltender stepped up big time when she went from splitting time to the starting position second semester last season and did not dissappoint. Poland is a reliable goaltender on the ice, picking up ten wins in her freshman season as a Bulldog and backstopping a very young Bulldog team to an undefeated regular season and a regular season title. Poland not only is a reliable goaltender, but a leader on the ice, always vocal from the crease and adding a positive and energetic vibe to the team.
Hannah Chase: Sophomore captain Hannah Chase proved to be a consistent player and leader for the Bulldogs last season. Always on her game no matter the day or time, Chase found her place consistently on the top line for the young Bulldog team last season from the start of the season. Chase has already proven she can be a leader on a young team last season when she was chosen by her peers as captain, but now the test will be to see how she and the other returners on the team will adapt to playing with a full roster and half of a team of freshmen.
MD3
The MD3 team posted an 11-15 record and qualified for the North Regional Tournament as the #8 seed last season and made it all the way to the regional final before they were upended by the Hope College Flying Dutchmen, the eventual ACHA D3 National Champions.
The Bulldogs, who will be a team full of young players after graduating a large senior class last season, look to build off of their sucess of last season as the begin the 2018-19 campaign beginning on October 13th when they face the Sault College Cougars on home ice at Arrington Ice Arena.
Conall McNelis took over head coaching duties for the MD3 team this summer after former Head Coach and MD1 alumni Max Gavin was named Head Coach of the Powasson Voodoos of the NOJHL this spring. McNelis, who hails from New Jersey, played club roller hockey at Syracuse University before going on to serve as an assistant coach at Red Bank Catholic High School.
Games to Watch
vs. Hope: The rivalry between Hope College and the Bulldogs dates back to 2014, before the days of any of the current MD3 players, when the D3 Gold Squad shutout Hope 1-0 for the 2014 National Championship. Despite the fact that neither team has any players left from that 2013-14 season, these two teams still seem to strongly dislike each other. Throw in the fact that the Flying Dutchmen crushed the D3 team's hopes at a National Tournament last season and you will definitely be seeing a competitive, hard hitting game between these two teams. Hope makes an appearance at Arrington Ice Arena on Wednesday, December 5th.
vs. Michigan-Flint: Another rivalry dating back to the glory days of the Gold Squad and the infamous three-peat, Michigan-Flint has consistently been a solid rivalry for the Bulldogs since the 2013 National Championship game and even before that. Last season, the two teams split with both teams picking up a win on the road. Michigan Flint comes to town Sunday, February 10th.
Players to Watch
Jordan Ruelle: Ruelle, the captain of the D3 squad, is one of few upperclassmen and one of even fewer seniors on the young Bulldog team this season. Ruelle served as captain on a team that was full of seniors last year, which says a great deal about his ability to lead on and off the ice as well as his character off the ice. On the ice, Ruelle is a reliable and steady defenseman who will be returning to play after being sidelined with an injury most of the second semester last season.
Will Emch: Speaking of reliable and steady, senior goaltender Will Emch is certainly those things as well. After spending a season with the MD2 team, Emch will play his senior season with the D3 team he began his career with four years ago. Emch, who played in 10 games last season and posted an 8-1 record with the D2 team, has played for the D3 Black, Gold and D2 teams in the past three years and has proven to be reliable for each team.
With the titles and glories of last season's success in the recent memory of everyone involved with the Adrian College Hockey program, we all look forward to the 2018-19 season with the same high hopes and expectations for all 7 teams in a season that we all hope ends with National Championship titles.