Men's hockey out to prove itself under direction of new coach

Here's a pop quiz about the new-look men's hockey team: What is the correct pronunciation of the surname of rookie head coach Len Quesnelle '88? Kwes-NEL? Kez-NEIL? Quiz-NELLI? Nope. It's can-ELLE. As in, can left winger Brad Parsons again lead the team in goals? Or can a strong freshman class lead the team back to the promised land? Or can the new coach pick up where Don Cahoon left off? Now for some answers.

Answer: Parsons — who is entering his junior year — netted 11 goals to accompany his 10 assists last year, but it was senior right wing Kirk Lamb who led the team in overall points with 28. These two and four other returning players made up six of last year's top seven point scorers, but they will need to step up this season to give the Tigers a much-needed offensive boost.

Since the graduation of Jeff Halpern and the rest of the Class of 1999, Princeton has been searching for a replacement go-to-guy to provide some offensive spark. Lamb and Parsons filled in this spot last year, but the skates left behind by Halpern and his 44 senior-year points proved quite large. The Tigers need Lamb to repeat last season's performance and the veteran Parsons to continue his steady progression as a goal scorer.

Answer: Princeton might get some offensive help from a heavily recruited and strong freshman class — the last of the Cahoon era.

In the absence of more than a couple of its most veteran players, Princeton dressed seven freshmen for its second game against Niagara last weekend. This increase in rookie players was a conscious effort by Quesnelle and the coaching staff.

"We set our sights on bringing in a good class," Quesnelle said. "We knew that [the recruited class] needed to be deep, and we got a good class with a mix of talent. They're all going to be able to contribute."

The list includes eight forwards, two defensemen and two walk-ons. The development of these players could decide the success of the Tigers' season.

"Every game, we're going to have some youth in the lineup," Quesnelle said. "But the senior class won the [Eastern College Athletic Conference] championship as freshmen, and that is still on their minds. They will use that experience to lead the group of young players."

The new class will also help out a depleted defensive corps, which has suffered the loss of not only Darren Yopyk '00, but also senior blueliner Peter Zavodny, who is out for two to three months with a shoulder separation.

Answer: Watching the progression of this group of players fits in well with one of the remnants of the Cahoon coaching mentality. Don't look for Quesnelle to rock the boat now that he holds the reins of the team. Now in his 16th season as a part of Princeton hockey, the new head coach has seen what worked for his predecessor in bringing Tiger hockey to national prominence.

"We're just looking to get better from one game to the next," Quesnelle said. "That's what this program represents — playing our best hockey at the end of the season."

This has been a long-time Cahoon mantra and one that often accompanied his opinion of the ECAC competition.

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"Parity is probably an overused word in this league, but just look at how it was down the stretch last season [when third through eighth place in the ECAC was during decided during the final weekend last year]," Quesnelle said. "The returning players have an appreciation of how tough it is to get points in this league. We can't look past any team."

The Tigers start the ECAC season at home this weekend against one of the league's toughest traveling pairs — NCAA Tournament semi-finalist St. Lawrence and annual powerhouse Clarkson. The first weekend will be a good test for the revamped Tiger squad, when it will watch the development of Parsons' scoring touch, the experience of the freshman class and the coaching style of a Tiger alum.