2004-05 Sacred Heart Season Preview

October 6, 2004

The Pioneers finished the 2003-04 season with a record of 14-17-5 and in fourth place in Atlantic Hockey with a conference record of 12-8-4. The Pioneers would use the momentum from a late season surge into the first ever Atlantic Hockey tournament.

In the tournament, the Pioneers would surge past the fifth seed Connecticut Huskies 3-0, and edge the number two seed Mercyhurst Lakers 3-2 to find themselves in a position no other Pioneer hockey club as been in, playing for a conference championship. Top seed Holy Cross would end any hopes the Pioneers had of an upset, as they shut out the

Pioneers 4-0 in the championship game. The loss left the Pioneers thinking about only one thing, a return trip to the championship game, and a ticket into the NCAA tournament.

The Pioneers will return twenty lettermen from last season including three of the team’s top scorers, as well as a deep defensive corps and two goaltenders. Senior captain Garrett Larson (Rycroft, AB) who has led the team in scoring the past two seasons, finished the 03-04 season with 29 points, scoring a team leading 19 goals, including eight on the power-play, with ten assists.

Also returning is last seasons Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year, Pierre-Luc O’Brien (Nicolet, QC). O’Brien finished third on the team in scoring with 27 points on 14 goals and 13 assists, including three power-play goals, and team leading marks in short handed

goals (2) and game winning goals (5).

Rocco Molinaro (Dearborn, MI) followed up his 22 point freshman season by scoring 12 goals and assisting on 14 more for 26 points during his sophomore campaign. Defenseman Bernie Chmiel (Pittsburgh, PA) also improved his scoring numbers

from his freshman season, as he was tied for the team lead in assists (17) and led all Pioneer blueliners in points (21).

“We have a very balanced scoring attack this season,” said Hannah. “When you have a Garrett Larson and a Pierre-Luc O’Brien it makes you more difficult to defend.”

In net, the Pioneers will welcome back senior assistant captain Kevin LaPointe (Quebec City, QC). LaPointe, who had a break-out year in 2003-04, finished last season with a 13-13-5 record with a 2.92 goals against average while stopping .904 percent of the shots that came his way. He finished the season with two shutouts while setting a school

record for minutes played in a season with 1887:44 while tying a school mark for games played with 31. Complimenting LaPointe between the pipes is second year man, and New Jersey Devils draft pick, Jason Smith (St. Lambert, QC). Smith complied a 3.78 goals against average and .901 saves percentage in just five games.

“We have always been strong in the nets, and nothing is different this year,” Hannah said. “Kevin LaPointe had a breakout out year for us last season and when we go with Jason Smith everyone in the locker room is comfortable and feels that he can get the job done.”

Coach Hannah will also welcome back juniors Peter Giatrelis (Hamden, CT) and William Billinghurst (Fort Collins, CO), who add to the array of scoring threats in the Sacred Heart lineup. Giatrelis finished last season with 15 points on eight goals and seven assists, while Billinghurst tallied 11 points on six goals and five assists. Newcomer Alexandre Parent (Boisbrand, QC) will add yet another dimension to the Pioneers

attack with his playmaking ability.

On the blue-line, Hannah will look to senior assistant captain Noel Henck (Long Beach, NY) to step in and fill the void left by departed fifth-year senior Konn Hawkes. Henck, will anchor a defensive corps that includes Chmiel, and sophomores Kalen Wright

(Candle Lake, SK), Todd Spencer (Brentwood, NH) and Charles Veilleux (Quebec City, QC). Add into the mix a seasoned veteran in senior Patrick Sullivan (Mullica Hill, NJ) and a pair of freshman in Frederic Harland (Rosemere, QC) and Scott

Marchesi (South Portland, ME) give Hannah a deep and versatile defensive unit that stacks up against any in Atlantic Hockey.

“We are very deep on defense,” Hannah said. “Harland and Marchesi both have the ability to contribute on both ends of the ice. We will be very strong on the blue line, both offensively and defensively.”

The Pioneers will once again play an ambitious out of conference schedule as they prepare to make a second run at the Atlantic Hockey championship. Their 2004-05 schedule features opponents from the CCHA, ECAC, Hockey East and WCHA.

“Our competitive non-conference schedule does a few things for us,” Hannah said. “First, it gives our team a taste of how we need to play if we advance out of Atlantic Hockey and into the NCAA tournament. Second it helps us to identify our weaknesses, as good teams will turn mistakes into goals. This helps us identify and correct our weaknesses

before we start our conference schedule. It’s also a wonderful experience for the student athletes. Going into a big arena and playing in front of large crowds is an experience that these kids will remember.”

With the sour taste of defeat still on their minds, the Pioneers are focused on not only returning to the Atlantic Hockey championship game, but winning it. “With the character we have in our locker room, I’m confident that the team will keep their focus on what they want to accomplish,” Hannah said. “They understand what they need to do be successful and win hockey games.”