With less than 60 seconds to play in regulation, Kent star and Cornell commit Gio DiGiulian (South Burlington, Vt.) broke a 2-2 tie to give his team a very late lead in last March's Large School championship.
It was a lead Kent never gave up. The Lions went on to win a title.
Reality, however, began to set in after. DiGiulian, who had two goals in the game and 49 points on the season, was graduating. So was forward Owen Mahar, who also tallied a goal in the victory. Add in Jack Roberts' impending graduation and all three of Kent's top scorers were gone.
That doesn't mean expectations are tempered entering this season.
Head coach Dale Reinhardt brought in several high-end players who project to make an immediate impact. To say he's looking forward to this season would be an understatement.
"As high as any [team]," Reinhardt said when asked about his expectations. "I've haven't been as excited about a group from a talent perspective in a long time."
The question will be just how fast can this group of newbies come together? And, of course, is the Elite 8 in play?
