Spearheading the Bulldog offense will be Jeff Hamilton, who amassed a team high 10 goals along with top point getter Keith McCullough (24 points).
And the defensive end offers little apparent weakness as well. Captain Ray Giroux is perhaps the most dominant returning defenseman in the league and will offer an offensive spark as well. The second-team All-ECAC member tallied nine goals and 12 assists to finish third on the team in scoring last year.
10. Union
The Skating Dutchmen shocked the pundits last season with an 11-win, fifth-place finish in the ECAC.
The determining factor for this team, however, resides between the pipes. Goaltender Trevor Koenig returns to Union's lineup after a 1996-97 season in which he dominated play.
His most noteworthy accomplishment was the ECAC record which he set for the most consecutive shutout minutes (198:44), becoming the first ECAC goaltender since 1984 to post consecutive shutouts.
Unfortunately, however, while Koenig can dominate, he can not carry the entire team, and that is where the Skating Dutchmen will falter. Even Union Coach Stan Moore has called his current coaching endeavor, "the process". Obviously even Union believes it is at least one year away.
11. Dartmouth
It has a new coach and 18 players back. Can Dartmouth finally establish itself in the top of the ECAC?
Probably not.
Bob Gaudet left Brown in order to return to his alma mater, and with him he brings a newfound excitement and hope for the struggling program.
Unfortunately, the team may need a little more help after posting a pathetic 1-13-2 record following Christmas break last season. The loss of Alex Dumas and Owen Hughes creates difficulties as well, since they combined for a total of 30 points and a strong blueline presence.
On the upside, four of the Big Green's top scorers are back for more. David Whitworth (38 points), Jon Strugis (30 points), Ryan Chaytors (28 points) and Jeremiah Buckley (21 points) will constitute the bulk of the offense. That will at least give Gaudet something to work with.
12. Brown
The team's new coach, Roger Grillo, who defected from the Vermont system, is maintaining a positive attitude, and who wouldn't? After a season in which the Bears garnered only four victories and scored 40 fewer goals than their opponents, it couldn't get much worse for the Bears and their fans.
Hey--at least Brown returns the team's top scorer from last year in Damon Prescott. But Prescott, who was the first Brown player to break the 20 goal mark since 1977, is unfortunately joined at the hip with a mediocre offense including Jade Kersey (17 points), Adrian Smith (15 points), Brent Hoiness (12 points) and John DiRenzo (11 points). Not exactly a powerhouse unit, but at least they are veterans.
The only semi-promising aspect to this team is its goaltending situation where Jeff Holowaty and Scott Stirling will challenge for the starting nod. Then again Holowaty had only two victories last year while Stirling has yet to find his first "W".