Though the loss of Kevin Karlander will hurt the rebounding team, the hard-working trio of Jim Gernander, Ryan Miller, and John Longo is sure to pick up the slack. And captain Andreas Moborg will use his trademark hard-nosed play to make up for lost time and reestablish his team as a formidable foe in the league. While the Catamounts are sure to be excited to be back on the schedule, their euphoria can only take them so far.

Union

Pure grit and determination will not be enough to carry the somewhat average core of Skating Dutchmen in to the postseason for the second straight year. Head Coach Kevin Sneddon '92 returns eight veteran seniors with "not a lot of talent but who come to play every day." What Union (8-24-1, 6-14-1 10th) lacks in skill, it makes up for it with leadership for the youngsters on the roster.

Still, the loss of defenseman Jeff Sproat and forward Ryan Campbell will hurt the already fledgling squad. The key to Union's game lies with netminder Brandon Snee, who garnered a record 56 saves against St. Lawrence in the quarterfinals last season. Union just doesn't have the depth or skill to make a run at post-season play this year.

Brown

Despite an exhilarating 5-4 overtime victory against the formidable Moncton squad, it is unlikely that Brown (6-19-3, 4-5-2 11th) will surpass Union in the rankings, never mind make a run at the playoffs. Brown's ten incoming freshmen will be integral to the Bears' strategy, as just about anything would be an improvement over the past two seasons.

It is a risky move to depend heavily on six incoming forwards to invigorate offensive production, especially considering that none have any Division I experience. But with no snipers ranked in the top 50 in the league, and a pitiful average of just over 2 goals per game, Head Coach Roger Grillo is grasping at straws. To add insult to injury, Brown's only saving grace, goaltender Scott Stirling, was lost to graduation. However, Brian Ecklund was stellar between the pipes in the 6-0 win over the Saints. Just don't count on a trend.