Mike Moran got the message. Now he’s delivering a few of his own.
The opening month of the Division 3 season always gives us some tasty items to chew on over Thanksgiving. One of the tastiest this year is Worcester State, a second-division team in the MASCAC in recent years, surging to a 7-0 start that includes a pair of high-quality wins.
Spearheading the early surge, which is playing out under the backdrop of the team’s new arena, is Moran, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior from Milford, Mass., who’s already matched last season’s goal output (six) and leads the team in scoring.
“Coming into my last year, I wanted to be a player that would be hard to replace,” he said. “Not selfishly, but I want people to say that when Moran’s gone, it’s going to be a big loss.”
His motivation stemmed from a year-end meeting last May with coach Shayne Toporowski, one that wasn’t always pleasant. Following a 9-14-3 season, the sixth one in a row that finished at least five games below .500 for the Lancers, Moran had his shortcomings outlined, a lack of leg strength and modest body composition among them.
“I said what’s really going to transform your game is to get in the weight room, and get bigger and stronger,” said Toporowski. “He took it to heart and came back in great shape. When I saw him skate the first week of camp I was excited. He was skating like I’d never seen him skate before.”
“He’s playing with confidence, controlling the puck and creating his own time and space,” said senior defenseman Alex Pommerville.
Pommerville, meanwhile, is an anchor on a defense that’s allowing just 1.14 goals per game — third-best in Division 3 — in front of sophomore goalie Josh Reinstein (0.83 GAA, .962 save percentage).
“What Coach Toporowski preaches to the ‘D’ is just simplicity,” said Pommerville. “Get in the corner, make the hit get the puck up to the forward going the other way. No sense wasting time.”
“Our defensemen are just a hard group to play against,” said Moran. “(Opponents) know that when the puck goes into the corner they’re going to get hit and get hit hard. Over the course of a game, they may not want to go into the corner as much.”
The Lancers own wins over the two teams that have dominated the MASCAC these past few years.
A 3-2 win on Halloween night over Plymouth State was pure California — Khalil East set up Cody Slocum for the third-period game-winner (capping a comeback from two goals down) and Reinstein made 11 saves the rest of the way to close it out. All three players hail from the Golden State.
Eleven days later, they blanked two-time defending MASCAC champion Salem State, 4-0, with Tim Drevitch notching a goal and an assist and Reinstein needing to steer away only 18 shots. Drevitch is one of three freshman forwards — with talented Matthew Manning and Ryan James — in the lineup nightly.
The points of emphasis under Toporowski, who played professionally for 18 years in the NHL and in Europe, since he took over the program four years ago include work ethic, accountability and physical fitness.
“We weren’t the most skilled team when I took over, but I was determined we’d never get outworked,” he said.
As the wins have piled up, so has the confidence.
“It absolutely is (contagious),” said Pommerville. “The boys are feeling real good. You get a win and it makes working hard at practice the next day even easier.”
The practice setting doesn’t hurt, either. Last November, the university announced it had signed on to be an anchor tenant at the new Worcester Ice Center downtown when it opened this fall. It’s an $18 million, dual-rink project developed by Worcester Railers owner Cliff Rucker that also will serve as the Railers’ practice facility.
Previously, the WSU players would have to get in their cars and drive outside the city to Horgan Arena in Auburn. Games were played on campus at nearby Holy Cross, but often not starting until 8:30 at night.
“When we first heard, everyone was excited,” said Moran. “For the guys that live on campus, live in the dorms, it was really exciting for them. Being able to leave your equipment at the rink — it’s a small thing, but it means a lot.”
“What it’s done,” said Toporowski, “is given us our identity. This is our locker room. This is our home. … The Auburn rink served its purpose, but at the end of the day, when you’re recruiting players, it’s not an easy sell.”
The Worcester Ice Center also counts Becker College and Worcester Academy among its tenants, a part of the city’s revitalization that’s coincided with the one unfolding at Worcester State, which has announced itself as a MASCAC contender.
“It’s just great having a place to call home,” said Pommerville. “Even something like having our logo on the door … it means a lot and it’s shown how far this program has come.”
