Each player on the yellow line has his particular talents. Paul ("Duke") Howley works well when he gets the puck around the net. If hockey were played one-on-one in the schoolyard, Howley would be king of the ice.

Presz is one of the team's best forecheckers. He can bang with the best of 'em.

And Taucher works his center position with "uncanny intelligence," Cleary says.

Sure, they'd like more goals. When Presz scored against Vermont last Saturday, the team threw a holiday.

"They're only a hair away from scoring," Cleary says. "Just a few breaks, and they could have some real goals."

But Cleary will take them, goals or no goals.

"I told them, 'If you score one, great. If you score 10, great," Cleary says." 'If you don't score any, great. I don't care. You keep playing the way you've been playing because you're an integral part of the team.'"