April 25, 2005
It was a season defined as much by heart and hard hits as highlight-reel goals, and smart, heads-up play as much as sensational saves. The 2004-05 hockey season will be remembered as the year that the Endicott Gulls arrived as a force to be reckoned with in the Northeast Collegiate Hockey Association. The young Gulls, with only four seniors, and the tough loss of Casey Marini (multiple-concussions) broke fast from the gate, survived a short mid-season slump and finished with a flourish to post an overall record of 15-5-1 (7-4-1 in the NECHA), the best in the program's short history. On any given night, half of the 21 players who dressed were freshmen - a very good sign for the team's future.
"After three years, we finally feel that the program is starting to get the recognition that we deserve," said Brian Wylie, Endicott's head coach. "We reached the quarterfinals last year, semifinals this year, and next year with some very strong freshman entering, we'll shoot to be in the finals."
Wylie has cause for optimism, due to an abundance of returning lettermen who earned their stripes with huge wins over Bryant, MIT, and Western Connecticut in the regular season, and the Coast Guard Academy in the NECHA playoffs. Also, nothing was more apparent this year, than the team chemistry. Starting with the captain leadership, the "team" concept of hardwork and determination throughout the year fostered much of the team's success. The team's heart was tested in a hard-fought 3-0 loss to Holy Cross in the semifinals, but the Gulls never once stopped battling. Rock-solid starting goaltender Jeff Pardue, who posted stellar numbers as a junior (2.33 goals against and a .933 save percentage in 15 games), will provide senior leadership along with Captain Adam Partaledis. Also vying for time in the nets will be feisty junior Dan Rudy, and a pair of exceptional sophomore netminders, Josh Provost and Chris Gulino, who forced the coaches to carry four goaltenders with their strong play.
"Jeff played great and really kept us in some games, and we have some excellent guys waiting in the wings," said Wylie.
In front of the goalies, the Gulls boasted a strong, steady defense with some size, led by a trio of starting freshmen - Mike Ripley 6'3, 185lbs., Jeff Lallier 6', 180lbs. (2 goals, 11 assists), and Mike Feehely 6', 180lbs. (1 goal 5 assists) - as well as junior stalwart Scott Vaughan (2goals, 2 assists), senior assistant captain Derek Gagnon (1goal, 5 assists), a much-determined Brendan Mack (2 goals, 1 assist), and freshman Brendan Donnelly (1 goal). Given the defensive squad's youth and development over the course of the season, Wylie expects the group to be among the league's most dominant collection of blueliners over the next few years. Ripley complemented his bruising body checks with 5 goals and 19 assists, confirming him as one of the best two-way defensive players in the league.
The future also looks promising in the offensive zone. Senior assistant captain Joe Dudek (third on the team in scoring with 30 points - 14 goals and 16 assists) has been accepted into the school's MBA program, and may play another season. If Dudek returns, he'll join a talented group that includes the high-octane, and league respected, Partaledis (second on the team leader board with 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points), playmaking junior Mark Vaughan (6 goals, 18 assists) and rugged sophomore Mike Manfredi (8 goals and 4 assists despite an injury-shortened season). No doubt, the team will miss the speed of Kenny Dargon (a playoff hat trick against Coast Guard) and shiftiness of Jason Fall (4 goals, 2 assists). But, on the bright side of the ledger, the Gulls scoring leader was a freshman - Chris Garofalo (17 goals, 18 assists - 35 points) who actually started the season slow due to an illness- while classmate D'arcy Wiart (8 goals, 7 assists) also showed a keen nose for the net.
The Gulls employed a high-energy back-checking scheme, led by Partaledis, Dudek, Dargon, Fall, sophomores Mike Tonucci (5 goals) and late-blooming Tim Murphy (2 goals), and freshmen Bryan Caccamo (2 goals, 2 assists) and Dennis Uhlman (4 goals, 1 assist), that helped keep opponents off balance. These same players, along with the defense and Pardue, also formed a potent penalty-killing unit, which was a major factor in the team's overall success, given college hockey's mandate to clean up the game.
Freshman Brian Sullivan, perhaps the team's most unselfish player, was asked to move back to defense, a position he'd never played, then shifted to forward late in the season, and showed glimpses of his strength and knack for the net. Forward Joel Orlando (1 goal, 2 assists) contributed with strong play down the stretch, along with Jack Storti (3 goals, 3 assists) and Nick Turczak (1 goal).
Clearly, Endicott, like many NECHA squads, struggled through the first two-thirds of the season with the increase emphasis on clutching and interference penalties. However, the Gulls showed their maturity by dramatically cutting back on their penalties during the stretch run to the playoffs. The team's discipline play created more power play opportunities, which translated into more goals and more wins, including a huge triumph over perennial league power Bryant College at the Bulldogs home rink in Rhode Island.
Next year, Wylie expects to continue to add quality opponents to Endicott's schedule, with an eye toward making sure the Gulls will be a tournament tough squad. After all, the 2005-06 edition of the Gulls will have only one win in mind - the finals of the NECHA playoffs.
