Early Outlook on Union

Courtesy of SportsPageMagazine.com

After finishing 7-23-4 overall and 0-18-4 in their conference, Union will be relying on the talent from their incoming class and their returning players to help them win games. The Huskies play their fourth game against the Dutchwomen in Schenectady on October 11th, and will be using this game as a way to nail down their offensive and defensive systems before facing Cornell the following weekend.

Courtesy of USCHO.com

Last year, the Dutchwomen took the trip out to Boston to play a double header against Northeastern and then BU, losing both games. The Huskies should be able to come out of this game with a win, the only force stopping them is star goaltender Shenae Lundberg. Only in her second year, Lundberg was able to post an impressive .906 save percentage, helping out her defense when they were in dire need of it. As long as the Huskies can find a way past her, they will be able to win the game.

The other force that the Huskies will have to worry about is defensive power Ashley Johntson and forward Christine Valente. Johnston is one of the biggest and stronger defensemen in womens hockey, and posed a bit of a problem last year for the small Northeastern forwards. It will be important for the girls not to be intimidated by her size and strength as they attack in the offensive zone. Valente led the team in shots last season with 102. Although she didn’t put up too many numbers, she doesn’t miss an opportunity to score a goal for her team. She could be the biggest offensive threat for the Dutchwomen during the 2013-2014 season.

Courtesy of ECAC Hockey

Claudia Barcomb has brought in five players who will asked to contribute right away. Three of them are forwards who have had success in their high school careers. They will be adding depth to the offensive core at Union and will hopefully be able to score for the Dutchwomen. To round out the five, Barcomb has recruited a defense woman and a goaltender. Lundberg will still be the starter, but the new goaltender will probably be prepped and polished for the starting position in a few years time.

Although Union loses Julie Chu to the Olympics, they still have a strong staff. Barcomb is aided by Ali Boe, former Harvard goaltender who helped lead her team to the frozen four. With the loss of Chu, Barcomb brought in Northeastern alum Nicholas Carpentino from Elmira, where he helped lead the team to a DIII NCAA Championship. Carpentino served as the coach for the Northeastern Women’s Club Hockey team for two years, where he led them to a Division II ACHA Championship and helped move them up to become a Division I team.

It will be interesting to see how the Huskies fare against the Dutchwomen this year. This will be the first of a two game road trip to the Albany area; the second game will be played the following day against the RPI Engineers.

To read the release of Union’s 2013-2014 recruiting class, click here.

Early Outlook on St. Cloud and the Vail Tournament

In the middle of November, the Huskies will be heading to Vail, Colorado, for a tournament, in which they will be facing Wisconsin and St. Cloud. BU is the fourth team that will be participating in this tournament.

Courtesy of WCHA.com

St. Cloud has announced that seven girls will be joining the team in September. Among them are one goaltender, three forwards, and three defensemen. Jeff Geisen has brought in a class that will be looked upon to contribute right away. With the loss of two of their top three scorers, it will be crucial for the incoming forwards to step up and give their defensive teammates the cushion they need in order to come out with wins. Last season, St. Cloud went 9-24-3, an admirable record since they are in the WCHA, a conference that includes defending champs Minnesota, and powerhouses such as Minnesota-Duluth, and Wisconsin.

The matchup between St. Cloud and the Huskies comes the day after the St. Cloud/BU and Northeastern/Wisconsin games. The games against St. Cloud should be much easier for the Huskies. Dave Flint has done a great job coming up with a schedule that allows his girls to play against teams that they wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to play against. Wisconsin and St. Cloud will show the Huskies how the game is played in the WCHA. In the USCHO polls this past year, Northeastern hovered around 10th place, while Wisconsin kept moving between 7th and 9th. Playing an opponent that is so close to Northeastern in terms of skill will be very beneficial.

To read the releases on St.Cloud’s incoming players, click here and here.

Early Outlook on Syracuse

Over the past few years, Syracuse has been one of the first opponents of the Huskies regular season; this year is no different. The Huskies will face off against the Orange in Matthews on October 4th, and it should prove to be good test for the team.

Courtesy of Syracuse University Magazine

Since becoming a Division I program five years ago, Syracuse has been very consistent in the standings. They are historically a solid team who wins and loses the games they should. This past season they went 20-15-1, with 16 of those games being either won or lost by only one goal. The strength of Syracuse starts in the net; Kallie Billadeau and Jenesica Drinkwater are both solid goaltenders, and as incoming seniors, they have three years of experience to help the Orange secure a good spot in the CHA playoffs. The Huskies haven’t had much trouble scoring against Syracuse in the past, but in order to set a positive tone for the rest of the season, the Huskies need to strike first. For the past two years, rookies have scored the first goal of the season, so it will be interesting to see if one of the incoming freshmen will continue this tradition.

Anchored by Akane Hosoyamada and Brittey Krebs, the Orange defense will be relied on to support their goaltenders and make the plays necessary to aid in the offense. The coaching staff have brought in two additional defensemen to help keep the defensive core strong. Their schedule next year includes some big out of conference games against BC, Cornell and Clarkson, and it will be crucial for Syracuse to perform well in those games to help set them up for their CHA opponents. As the first test for the Huskies, it will be important for them to really establish the offensive system early in this game; as long as the girls can keep get into the offensive zone and control the puck, they will be able to find the back of the net.

Courtesy of SB Nation

Six forwards will be joining the Orange squad in the fall, adding to the scoring depth of the team. Syracuse has a lot of gritty players who aren’t afraid to get in front of the net and use their bodies in order to score. The Husky defense will need to be strong in order to help out Desjardins in this first game. It is crucial for the girls on defense to fall into their system as quickly as possible. The more comfortable the girls feel on defense, the more they will be able to help out their offensive counterparts in the other end of the ice.

With all things as they should, the Huskies should come out on top. It will be important for them not to underestimate the Orange; this game will be tough and gritty, but it will be a good way for the Huskies to familiarize themselves with the systems and with each other in a game situation.

To read Syracuse’s incoming class release, click here.