After a devastating loss last year to University of Massachusetts, Boston in the first round, the Cadets are looking to rebuild this upcoming season.
The team is coming off a 13-8-3 season last year. The Cadets were at the top of their conference at the end of the regular season.
“It’s never fun to lose in the first round but sometimes you just got to pick up where you left off and get back on track,” said DJ Fimiani, a 22-year-old senior business management major from Melrose, Mass.
The biggest issue the team faced was its reluctant effort to score goals, players said.
“It all came down to who wanted it more and we just couldn’t put the puck in the net,” said Craig Serino, a 22-year-old senior engineering management major from Saugus, Mass.
The Cadets had only one player who reached double digits for goals throughout the season.
“We learned a lot from what happened last year and we will be more prepared for this upcoming season,” said Igor Martinez, a 21-year-old sophomore civil engineering major from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The Cadets brought in 12 new freshmen, 11 forwards and one goalie. They’re looking to strengthen their offensive line so they can score more goals.
“Everybody knows our biggest problem is scoring goals and bring ing in 11 new freshmen should do the trick,” said Martinez.
When the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League were struggling offensively they brought in two star forwards to help the team, the Sedin twins. Norwich has done something similar by bringing in Scott and Steve Schroder, identical twins from Saskatchewan, Canada.
“It’s very exciting to come to a new country and play hockey, Norwich has a great tradition in hockey and I’m looking forward to contributing to the team,” said Scott Schroder, 21, a freshman business management major.
Both players are excited and hope to make an immediate impact on the team. The twins have played on the same line since they started playing hockey, so it seems unlikely that head coach Mike McShane will separate them.
“My brother and I have played on the same line ever since we were little kids, we always seem to find each other on the ice,” said Steve Schroder, a 21-year-old freshman business management major.
The Cadets have a strong defensive core for this upcoming season and if they build offensively they will be a hard team to stop. Their success will rely on the returning players and the new freshmen they recruited for this season.
“Our goal this year is to win a National Championship, and that’s what we’re going to do,” said Fimiani.