By Dave Diamond

Surprise, surprise; the SUNY Albany Great Danes won the MCHC championship again this year, handling CCM and Fairfield last weekend at Albany Academy. That piece of information will likely just add to the disappointment of the Pride Ice Hockey team, main rival of the Danes but losers in the first round of the MCHC playoffs at Fairfield on Feb. 16.

It was a disappointing end to a season ravaged by injuries and an enormous amount of traveling. It was also the first time since the 2003-2004 season that the Pride failed to get to at least the semi-finals of the tournament.

Though the Pride players and head coach Ian Clugston would be the last to make excuses, the following grade book for Ice Hockey’s 2006-07 season should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. If the injury bug had stayed away, the chances are this would have been a much more successful season for Hofstra, but alas, it was not the case.

OFFENSE: The offense was under the microscope from day one this season, having taken a big hit when it lost Matt Orenstein and Rob Gleckler to graduation and, of course, the tragic accident that took the very talented Vin Kelly at the end of last season. Still, the Pride offense looked very solid when the season began and as injuries depleted the roster, the goals came less and less. The brightest spot on the scoring side would definitely be freshman Tyler Kevorkian. Kevorkian led the team in points early in the season before injuring his neck when blind-sided into the boards in November. Still, the Pride should be excited, as Clugston also pointed at the youngster’s leadership ability and maturity at such a young age, perhaps hinting at a future captaincy. And speaking of the captain, Steve Wagner, despite a wrist injury that had him wearing a forearm length cast for most of the year, had another solid season to close out his career. Likely the best two-way player on the team, Wagner managed to put up solid numbers while being on the watchdog line for the other team’s top scorers. Honorable mention goes out to Bryan Mazliach, who had a breakout season. Every Rob Yawman goal seemed to come at a big spot, and Ryan Drudy’s tendency to be banged up did not stop him from being productive. Great offenses in the MCHC can come up with a couple of double-digit outings, and the Pride did not accomplish that. Two goals on the road in the playoffs told the story. Grade: C (Leaders: Rob Yawman- 15 Goals, Matt Saidman- 23 Assists, Steve Wagner- 33 points)

Defense: The grade for the offense, though, is not exactly telling of a Pride season because of their reliance on a defensive system. Defenseman Tom Germano had an All-Star season and was the mainstay on the blue line when the game reached its most critical moments. A big blow as the Pride approached their playoff push was the loss of Steve Zaffuto to injury. With Chad and Scott Goldman rounding out the front four, Hofstra could compete with any team on any given night. But at some points, the Pride began to chase in the defensive zone instead of staying aggressive, and it cost them big goals. To their credit, however, the Pride was never blown out and competitive in every game, signifying that their defensive system continued to keep the team in games and will keep future teams in excellent condition. Grade: B (Leaders: Steve Zaffuto-18 points, Scott Goldman- +7 rating, 71 Penalty Minutes)

Goaltending: It is extremely hard to argue with just about every coach, player, and fan the Pride came across this year. The opinion was always the same, Hofstra goaltender George Lorenz is the best in the conference, northeast region, you name it. It was another stellar year for Lorenz, who started turning heads two years ago as a freshman and, luckily for the Pride, still has his senior year to stun fans with every jaw-dropping save. What makes Lorenz so good? Consider Roberto Luongo’s career with the Florida Panthers as a comparison. He faces about forty shots per game as the Pride have a number of defensive breakdowns per game, and lets in maybe three, four on a bad night. The team is always a threat with a goaltender like Lorenz. Grade: A (Lorenz: 7-10-1, 4.10 GAA)

Coaching: Having gone on a weekend road trip with the team, I had a chance to see just how much the players respect Clugston up close. Two things make Clugston a great coach for a college team: a) he has experience as a player at various levels and has coached teams to championships in the past, which always brings extra respect from learning players and, b) Clugston is a motivator. The Pride had plenty of opportunity to let its spirit down in an injury plagued season, but never showed any ill effects. The team always remained positive and that is a direct result of Clugston’s attitude. Year one in the books for him, and this team should thrive under his tutelage in as the seasons progress.

Grade: B+ (Pride: 8-8-0-0 MCHC, 4th in South Region, 7th Seed in Conference)