By Gavin Lindahl
Sports Assignment Editor
With a 15-1 loss to the University at Buffalo and a 4-1 loss against Cortland last weekend, the club hockey team’s season is finishing the way it started.
With only one game remaining (last weekend’s game against Binghampton was postponed, date to be announced) and devoid of any significant bright spots, the 2014-2015 season is set to go down as another disappointment.
Perhaps the most glaring statistic within the 3-16 record is that the Bonnies were outscored by over 100 goals with a stat line of 145 goals against to 43 goals for. Such a lopsided statistic is sure to open a Pandora’s Box of who’s to blame.
The only real answer to that question, and the popular opinion among players and fans alike, is everyone. The offense needed to produce more, the defense needed to help the goalies out more and, while they couldn’t really help it, the goalies were freshmen.
“We had two freshmen goalies who played well, but [they] didn’t get a lot of help from our defense or our offense,” said sophomore defenseman Sean Devine.
Slightly below half of the team failed to record a point this season, and while that’s understandable since games played range from nine to 11 between players, it’s still inexcusable. Looking at the players’ statistics reveals just how helter-skelter the team’s offense has been.
One of the more interesting aspects hidden in the players’ stats is that half of the team’s top scorers are freshmen. This includes the team’s top scorer, freshmen forward Joe Piegay. Piegay recorded 14 points (nine goals and five assists) in 19 games. He is also tied with junior forward Derrick Jester leading the Bonnies in power play goals with two – making Piegay responsible for about 20 percent of team’s man-advantage goals.
“Having a lot of freshmen on the team, it took some [players] longer to adjust than others,” Devine said. “But a lot of the freshmen players stepped up, Joe Piegay always shows up to play and [he] gives it his all along with other freshmen like Tyler Gokey and Michael Mendola.”
What the stats for this dark season reveal is a sliver of light for next season. The production of freshmen forwards Joe Piegay, Mendola, Gokey, Colin Coppola and Jordan Farnham will be expected to grow or at least continue in 2015-2016 and following seasons.
Perhaps one or two more forwards who can produce can help bolster the team’s offense even more and give the Bonnies something they’ve lacked thus far – depth in scoring.
In the team’s back-end lies the biggest question mark going forward. With defensive lapses being consistent, season-long problems, the Bonnies will need to focus on sealing up the blue-line to give sophomore goalie Alex Feyche a better chance – whom will undoubtedly be expected more of in his second season between the pipes for the Bonnies.
As is the case with the close of every season, though, there is no telling who may come and who may go.
At least for the moment, Bona’s puck has something to look forward to for next year.
