Colby skating strong Mules, Polar Bears, Huskies optimistic

Colby College hockey coach Jim Tortorella and Bowdoin College’s Terry Meagher are optimistic and the University of Southern Maine’s Huskies, despite an 0-3 start, are also seeking improvement upon last year’s 5-19-2 campaign.

“I’m very optimistic,” said former University of Maine goalie Tortorella, in his seventh year at Colby. “In our two games last weekend [wins over St. Anselm and New England College], our guys played hard in all situations. They were winning the battles for pucks in special areas of the ice, like below the goal line and along the wall. We have really enforced the work ethic, we have some skill and we’ve added some freshmen with skill.

“We have depth, speed and size and I like our camaraderie and chemistry,” added Tortorella. “We can sit three or four players out and put a similar team on the ice. But we will need to sustain the energy level we had last weekend.”

The Mules can throw one of the top lines in Division III at you with James Laliberty centering for Bobby Nagle and Mike Higgins. But Nagle broke his hand and will be out six to eight weeks.

Laliberty had 12 goals and 13 assists a year ago; Higgins had 15 & 8 and Nagle had 9 & 9. Laliberty has a goal and four assists already and Higgins has four goals and an assist.

Brock Barton and Sean O’Grady are veteran workhorses along the blue line and can also produce offensively. Barton produced 17 points a year ago and O’Grady was an All-NESCAC second team choice.

Right wing Nick Bayley had two goals and two assists over the weekend and headlines a talented freshman class.

Jesse Kucenic and J.D. Hadiaris return in goal.

Bowdoin coach Terry Meagher, who is in his 19th season behind the Polar Bear bench, said he has a “pretty good foundation” on which to build his season.

“If we can get goaltending and get two 20-goal scorers, we’ll be a very competitive team,” said Meagher. “I think we can beat anybody in the country but anyone in the country can beat us, too. That’s the nature of how competitive everybody is.”

Sophomore Mike Healey is considered a “very capable goalie” by Meagher and he has a top-notch cast of defensemen in front of him including seniors Brian Shuman, and David Rush and juniors Chad Hart and Ryan Seymour.

Seymour had 15 assists and a goal last year.

The Polar Bears who would be the best bets to reach the 20-goal plateau would be 18-goal scorer Chris Pelletier, 12-goal scorers Mike Carosi and Adam Mantin and nine-goal producer Sean Starke, who already has three in Bowdoin’s wins over St. Anselm and New England College.

The University of Southern Maine has nine freshmen and 10 sophomores on its roster and coach Jeff Beaney will hope to erase the memories of last year’s 5-19-2 record.

The Huskies will be led by last year’s leading scorer, John Lauziere (9 goals, 12 assists) along with 13-point man Brian Aceto, 12-point producers Tony Coates and Scott Irwin and 11-point man Andrew Gardner.

Senior Russ Chapman and sophomores Derek Klowak and David Brady will key the blue line corps.

The Huskies have four goalies, two sophomores and two freshmen. Freshman Tim Claus had 31 saves in a 4-1 loss to unbeaten Salem State on Tuesday.