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Blasi confident RedHawks will reload
Thursday, September 25, 2008
OXFORD — More than a half-dozen names familiar to local fans have disappeared from Miami University's ice hockey roster during the off-season, some of which will become familiar soon enough to professional hockey fans.
One of the challenges facing the RedHawks this season, which opens in two weeks on Friday, Oct. 10 at Ohio State, is to fill the shoes — er, skates — of the players who have graduated or left school to sign professional contracts after helping transform Miami into a national power.
One portion of Miami's game which seems particularly prone to this loss of talent and experience is the defense, which must not only get used to playing without Jeff Zatkoff and Charlie Effinger guarding the net, but also roam the ice without the likes of defensemen Alec Martinez, Mitch Ganzak and Brad Robbins.
Miami head coach Enrico Blasi isn't so sure the defense will suffer that much. Blasi said he has confidence in the defenders he has coming back and a batch of freshmen who are certain to see substantial playing time.
"We feel we have a lot of talent on defense, but a little bit of inexperience," said Blasi, who guided the RedHawks to a 33-8-1 record last season and a 10-week stint as the nation's top-ranked team. The RedHawks are ranked No. 8 in the country in the preseason poll released this week by USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine.
"We have a good group of players who will adapt and contribute right away," the Miami coach added.
Senior Kevin Roeder and sophomore Vincent LoVerde are the top returning defensemen.
Roeder recently was named assistant team captain. LoVerde led the RedHawks last year with 40 blocks and Roeder was second with 39.
Also back is senior Raymond Eichenlaub, an iron man his first two seasons, playing in a total of 81 games, whose play was limited by an upper-body injury last year.
Blasi also is looking forward to the emergence of what he called some "talented freshmen who can all play and contribute in their own right."
First-year defensemen Will Weber, Chris Wideman, Matt Tomassoni and Cameron Schilling will make their debut when the RedHawks take the ice at Steve Cady Arena for their only exhibition game at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 against Ryerson.
Miami's goalkeepers have even less experience. Junior Jon Whitacre has played in only one collegiate contest, during the 2006-07 season, and freshmen Connor Knapp and Cody Reichard have yet to make their first appearance.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
