"He can skate, he's assertive, he plays an aggressive game, he got skill and speed," Mazzoleni said. "He's an ingredient that's a key asset to our forwards because he can play an up-tempo game and that's what we're trying to do."

Junior Jeff Stonehouse (4, 4) will also be expected to contribute offensively. A small hard-nosed attacker, Stonehouse plays the game as though he's much larger than his 5'9'' frame. He isn't afraid to take a run at the opposing team's biggest player and his 36 minutes in penalties testify to his aggressive style of play.

"Jeff's a young man who always plays the game with a lot of piss and vinegar," Mazzoleni said. "He's got a lot of spunk in him. He's shed a few pounds. You can see he's a step quicker and because of his competitive nature, he'll be in the midst of everything this year."

There are also five freshman who will be looking to join the mix up front and fight for ice-time.

Rob Fried and Tyler Kolarik, both graduates of Deerfield Academy, entered camp as potential pro prospects. Fried was selected in the third-round of the 2000 NHL Draft by the Florida Panthers and Kolarik was a fifth-round pick of the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets.

"Kolarik just plays hard," Mazzoleni said. "You get him below the circles in the offensive zone and he has one thing in his mind, trying to score and he's strong and tough on the puck. When he wants to get it to the net, he gets it to the net."

Although Mazzoleni likes to work rookies into the lineup slowly, freshman Dennis Packard, Kenny Turano, and Tim Pettit will all likely see a good portion of ice-time.