The Blue Hens are back and ready to take on the 2017-2018 hockey season! With a new coach, 17 returning players and 12 new rookies, the team is fully stacked and prepared to start the season in their first series against the West Chester University Golden Rams. The ACHA has put out a preseason ranking, and the Hens are ranked #19.
This new group of players that are joining the team this season show great potential and talent as they prepare to take the ice this weekend. Joining us this year are:
- #2 Andrew Marciniak – Defense – Naperville, IL – AAA Chicago Fury
- #3 Daniel Demas – Defense – Valley Stream, NY – Greater New York Stars
- #5 Harrison Good – Defense – Newburyport, MA – Newburyport High School
- #6 Harrison Chuma – Defense – Ridgeport, CT – Ridgefield High School
- #8 Cam Piorkowski – Forward – Millis, MA – Northeast Generals in NA3HL
- #12 Colin Emerich – Forward – Wilmington, DE – UD Division 2 Ice Hockey
- #18 Tommy Mason – Forward – Newark, DE – Canterbury School
- #25 Alexander Criswell – Forward – Gwynedd Valley, PA – Salt Lake City Moose in WSCHL
- #26 Brian Ostrander – Forward – Bell Harbor, NY – Greater New York Stars
- #29 Chris Demas – Goalie – Valley Stream, NY – Greater New York Stars
- #32 Ethan Docking – Forward – Chevy Chase, MD – AAA Washington Little Caps
- #37 Jack Zimmer – Defense – Randolph, NJ – New Jersey Hitmen
The team is looking forward to seeing all that these new players bring to the table this year!
Last season, UD swept the Golden Rams in both series played against them. It’s been awhile since the team has last skated together, and with all of the new players, the team will need to be focused on sticking to the basics. Assistant captain, Mike Zidansek, said, “This weekend work ethic is going to be key. We’ve got a lot of new players and we haven’t been on the ice together for very long. We just have to skate hard and outwork West Chester to be successful.” Captain, Cole Zucker, said, “This is a very important weekend for us. It is vital that we start the season off strong with a sweep. Coach Donahue has been working us hard, and the boys have all bought into his systems. A key to success this weekend is going to be utilizing our speed. We have a lot of young guys who are skilled and fast, and I’m excited to get to see them play. We also added some size on the defense which is something we have been missing the past couple years. We have been talking about this weekend for a while now, and we’re ready to get the season underway.”
Player to watch for the season opener is Shane Mullin. Shane is a senior, forward on the team who is serving as assistant captain. His strength and skill on the ice prove him to be a key player on the team’s offense, and ended last season with a total of 25 points, 11 goals, and 14 assists.
The team is excited to be back on the ice, so be sure to keep up with the first weekend through their social media pages! Friday and Saturday night’s puck drop is at 7:30 at the Ice Line Arena in West Chester.
Twitter: @udhockey
Instagram: @udicehockey
Facebook: University of Delaware Men’s Division 1 Ice Hockey
Written By: Analisa Vizzoni
