New England Hockey Journal’s NCAA preview series continues with a look inside Atlantic Hockey, where the most recent shortened season featured a schedule heavy on conference play. All 10 teams are getting set to begin a full 2021-22 slate next weekend.
The lighter game load didn’t stop American International from emerging at the top of the standings and repeating as conference champions, having their chance at three straight titles and NCAA tournament appearances eliminated at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Yellow Jackets have put together a deep roster and soared to a record run in recent years, as only one team has ever won three straight regular-season crowns.
So, too, has the conference as a whole. Sacred Heart looks to remain in the upper echelon after setting program records two years ago, while Bentley continues to break in a sparkling arena and Holy Cross is beginning a new era under Bill Riga.
As a new season begins, these are some of the top seniors looking to make some noise for the four local clubs in Atlantic Hockey.
Forwards
Brendan Hamblet (Hopkinton, Mass.)
Bentley, 11/05/98, 5-11/180
Returning to Bentley as a graduate student, Hamblet increased point production over his first three years as a Falcon before scoring six goals and nine points in 15 games across a shortened senior year. The Hopkinton, Mass., native and former Rivers School captain is the team’s top returning goal scorer (29 career) and faceoff man, and he will have even more room to contribute within the Falcons’ top-six after leaders Jakov Novak and Luke Santerno transferred to Northeastern and Clarkson, respectively.
Austin Magera
Sacred Heart, 07/19/98, 6-1/185
Magera made a mark in late-game situations by leading the nation with seven game-winning goals (and 14 in total) as a freshman and has continued to produce for C.J. Marottolo’s team ever since. The Georgia native ranked second on the Pioneers with 14 points last season, seven of which were goals. He recorded his first collegiate hat trick in February and will enter the 2021-22 season as the most productive goal scorer on the roster.
Chris Theodore
American International, 10/15/97, 5-7/180
The Yellow Jackets only have one New Englander on their entire roster (sophomore defenseman Matt Rickard of Coventry, R.I.), but their top scorer from a year ago was a Hotchkiss grad in Theodore. Though he was more of a playmaker with 15 of his 19 points being assists last season, all four of his goals were game-winners. The Quebec native set up the tying goal and scored the winner last March when AIC beat Canisius to win the conference title.
Anthony Vincent
Holy Cross, 08/12/97, 5-10/180
Having on-ice leadership is key for any team, but especially when that team is looking to build under a new coach. Vincent provides that presence for Riga and the Crusaders, as he has served as a two-year assistant captain after landing on the 2019 AHA All-Rookie Team with a team-best 16 assists. The four-year Salisbury product from Wilton, Conn., was injured late in his sophomore season and played in 14 of the team’s 16 games last year, bringing a well-rounded game of skill and grit up front.
Defensemen
Bryce Dolan
Holy Cross, 02/13/99, 6-1/190
Dolan and captain Matt Slick are the lone seniors on the back end for the Crusaders, who will be looking to play a fast-paced style under their new head coach. The Barrington, R.I., native handled that jump to a new speed at the college level quickly, playing in 25 games as a freshman straight from the prep ranks at Kimball Union. Dolan is a former captain for the Wildcats who played on two NEPSAC championship teams.
Matt Lombardozzi
Bentley, 06/27/97, 6-1/205
Lombardozzi, who also prepped at Rivers and hails from Leominster, Mass., has found his way into the Bentley lineup since his freshman year and adds to the team’s returning fifth-year class. He enjoyed his best offensive season with 13 points and rated plus-10 in 2019-20 before contributing just one point last year, but he has remained one of the team’s top shot blockers throughout the last couple of years. His 19 blocks co-led the team last year.
Parker Revering
American International, 01/11/97, 6-1/200
Revering will captain the Yellow Jackets as they look to fill the void left by reigning Player of the Year and All-American defenseman Brennan Kapcheck, who signed with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies following the team’s NCAA run last March. A Minnesota high school and NAHL product, Revering set up seven goals — including one in the league title game — and led the team with 28 blocks a year ago. His point total in 19 games was one shy of the mark he put up in 32 contests a season earlier.
Goaltenders
Josh Benson
Sacred Heart, 11/04/97, 6-1/190
Benson has seen plenty of work as a Pioneer since earning the net 24 times during an Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie campaign back in 2019. The Minnesotan was named to the All-AHA Third Team after pitching five shutouts the following year before seeing his numbers take a dip (3.02 GAA, .899 save percentage) across 14 games of the shortened last season. Through it all, he remained SHU’s top option and now looks for a bounce-back performance.
Erik Gordon
Holy Cross, 01/05/99, 5-10/172
Gordon played in only four games during the 2019-20 season after seeing regular time as a freshman, but he bounced back and started 11 of 16 games played by the Crusaders in the past shortened year. The Duluth, Ga., native earned all four of the team’s wins, posting the best marks of his career with a 2.62 GAA and .906 save percentage. Coaches often say that teams are built from the net out, so an experienced stopper like Gordon is a perfect building block at Holy Cross.
