Here's how every Atlantic Hockey program is shaping up ahead of the 2018-19 season. Last year, Air Force was the conference's sole team to make the NCAA Tournament.
Air Force
Air Force finished fifth in conference rankings last year, but they saved their best for last, winning the AHC tournament and upsetting No. 1 St. Cloud State in the first round of the NCAA West Regional. Junior goaltender Billy Christopoulos made 39 saves in that win over St. Cloud, suggesting his .922 save percentage last year was no fluke. Head coach Frank Serratore’s squad graduated three of their top four scorers, but seniors Evan Giesler and Matt Serratore return to lead the offense. Keep an eye on sophomore defenseman Zack Mirageas (Newburyport, Mass.), who put up 17 points as a rookie.
American International
Eric Lang (Springfield, Mass.) continues to build up American International, as they won their first-ever Division 1 playoff series in Lang’s second season. The Yellow Jackets graduated only six seniors, meaning AIC is a candidate to improve yet again. Sophomore blueliner Brennan Kapcheck played in every game as a freshman and led the team in scoring. Fellow classmate Stefano Durante showed promise in net, and juniors Blake Christensen and Janis Jaks return after posting 20-point seasons. They’ll need more help on the offensive end, as AIC finished dead last in the conference in goals per game.
Army
Juniors Dom Franco (Portsmouth, R.I.) and Michael Wilson each hit the 30-point mark last year for Army West Point, a team that scored only 2.60 goals per game. Other Black Knights, like juniors Zach Evancho and Brendan Soucie (South Dennis, Mass.), must step up to provide scoring chances. The defense should be solid with AHC Defensive Player of the Year Alex Wilkinson and senior captain Dalton MacAfee (Needham, Mass) returning after leading the conference’s best penalty kill unit. The big question mark comes in net, as last year’s starter Cole Bruns graduated. Sophomore Jared Dempsey has the pressure on his shoulders to fill Bruns’ shoes after playing in 10 contests last year.
Bentley
While Bentley revealed a state-of-the-art arena near the end of last season, the Falcons still ended up near the bottom of the AHC standings. A nine-game winless streak in January sunk Bentley last season, and the team often went through cold streaks scoring-wise. Last year’s leading point-getter Kyle Schmidt is gone, but Atlantic Hockey Rookie Team member Luke Santerno returns after a 30-point campaign. Senior blueliner Tanner Jago tallied 28 points last season and leads Bentley’s defense. Head coach Ryan Soderquist (Stoneham, Mass.) brings in nine freshmen, including 2018 NHL draft pick Jakov Novak, to revitalize the program.
Canisius
Canisius again finished near the top of the Atlantic Hockey standings last season, coming two points short of first place. The Golden Griffins offense was their strongest attribute, led by AHC Player of the Year Dylan McLaughlin. The forward totaled 48 points last year as a junior and has the best odds to win Player of the Year again. Not to be forgotten are juniors Nick Hutchison and Matt Hoover, two forwards who combined for 57 points. All-Conference first team member Cameron Heath heads the defense. Canisius returns most of last year’s key players, suggesting the team can be in the conference’s elite once again.
Holy Cross
While they did muster 30 conference points for a third-place regular season finish, Holy Cross floundered in the AHC tournament, being swept by Robert Morris. Three of the Crusaders’ top four scorers received their diplomas this spring, but seniors Michael Laffin and Peter Crinella are two forwards who will produce on offense. Senior blueliners Spencer Trapp and Johnny Coughlin lead one of the best defenses in Atlantic Hockey, though Holy Cross does struggle killing penalties. Head coach David Berard ushers in nine freshmen this season, including Kimball Union defenseman Bryce Dolan (Barrington, R.I.).
Mercyhurst
Last year’s regular-season champs, Mercyhurst scored a whopping 3.35 goals per game and reached the conference semifinals. The team had a slow start but won nine of its last 10 contests to shoot up the AHC standings. Seniors Derek Barach and Joseph Duszak return after combining for 70 points last season. The Lakers graduated Atlantic Hockey Defensive Forward of the Year Jack Riley and 10 other seniors, meaning Rich Gotkin’s squad has a different look this year. Five of last season’s seniors tallied over 25 points each.
Niagara
Niagara was arguably the best AHC team in the first half of the season, but their inexperience got the best of them in the second half. The Purple Eagles went 2-17-2 in their last 21 games, dropping their last six contests in head coach Jason Lammers’ first season. Leading point-scorer Derian Plouffe is gone, but senior Tanner Lomsnes and sophomore Eric Cooley return after respective 20-point campaigns. Niagara’s best player may be Noah Delmas, a junior defenseman who accumulated four goals and 26 assists last season. The good news for Lammers is that he brings back most of the same guys for his second season on the bench.
Robert Morris
After a so-so regular season, Robert Morris caught fire in the conference tournament, advancing to the AHC championship game. This year, the Colonials prepare for life without forward Brady Ferguson, who led Atlantic in scoring as a senior. Upperclassmen forwards Alex Tonge (44 points) and Luke Lynch (37 points) should be the focal points of the offense. Junior Francis Marotte put up a 2.56 GAA and a .917 save percentage last season and should be one of the top netminders in the conference. A whopping 11 freshman join this year’s program.
RIT
One of the best scoring teams in Atlantic Hockey last year, Rochester Institute of Technology was upset by Sacred Heart in the opening round of the conference tournament. The Tigers lost five of their last six contests in the 2017-18 season and enter this year with only five seniors on the roster. Luckily, this year’s senior class is star-studded, including 42-point scorer Erik Brown and forwards Gabe Valenzuela and Abbott Girduckis. The offense won’t be a problem; it’s the worst defense in the AHC that needs work. Three different netminders played at least 424 minutes for RIT last season. Either senior Christian Short or sophomore Ian Andriano must improve to lead the Tigers to a winning season.
Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart overcame an 11-win regular season to shock RIT in the Atlantic Hockey tournament. There’s a possibility the Pioneers improve this season, as they graduated just two members of last year’s club. Junior forward Vito Bavaro returns after leading the team in points, and sophomore Marc Johnstone looks to build off a 30-point season and conference Rookie Team honors. Juniors Zach Tsekos and Austin McIlmurray also lead a team that struggled with generating shots last season. Sacred Heart gave up goals in big numbers with junior Brett Magnus in between the pipes; they’ll need him to shape up as a senior.
