Wakefield’s Whitney, McCarthy, Hegarty are on the Bantams roster

Published in the November 28, 2016 edition.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The 2016 Trinity College men’s ice hockey team, under the guidance of Head Coach Matt Greason (sixth season), will look to defend its league title this winter as it opened the season at Tufts on Friday, Nov.18.

The 2015 NCAA Champion Bantams, ranked No. 7 nationally in the D3Hockey.com National Pre-Season Poll, return the top-five goal scorers and an experienced defense from last year’s squad that won the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title and returned to the NCAA Tournament last year.

“When our guys found themselves not ranked among the nation’s top five or so team, I am happy to say they were disappointed,” said Greason. “My first year we would have been thrilled to receive votes in a national poll but now the bar has been raised and our goal is to be right up there with the best competing for an NCAA title. The pre-season has been uptempo and the guys were excited to get out there and compete. We have lofty goals but we still have to go out there and play.”

The Bantams are currently 3-2 after five games.

The most prolific scoring attack in the conference last season should pick up right where they left off. The trio of senior captain Sean Orlando (Ivyland, Pa.), senior Ryan Cole (Anchorage, Alaska), and junior Anthony Sabitsky (Sicklerville, N.J.) combined to score 31 goals last season and 76 total points.

Orlando, a New England Hockey Writers Association Division II/III All-Star and an All-American last year, has established himself as one of the most potent offensive weapons in college hockey and will look to cap off a record-breaking career that has seen him total 94 points (46 goals, 48 assists) in three winters.

Sabitsky was the team’s top point-scorer (12 goals, 17 assists) and earned All-NESCAC honors while Cole is already a 100-point scorer (51 goals, 73 assists) and was also an All-NESCAC honoree one year after garnering NESCAC Player of the Year and All-American recognition as a sophomore.

Junior Tyler Whitney (Wakefield) and senior captain Ethan Holdaway (Glastonbury, Conn.) are also counted among the top returning forwards in the conference, as each totaled more than 20 points last winter. Whitney attended Lawrence Academy. Whitney also had four goals and four assists after five games.

Rounding out Trinity’s incredibly deep attack are seniors Brandon Cole (Anchorage, Alaska) and Will Sleeper (Wellesley, Mass.), juniors Bradley Buvinow (Turnersville, N.J.) and sophomores Ross Mandigo (Stowe, Vt.) and Mark Knowlton (Colorado Springs, Colo.) who have all proved themselves up to the challenge.

Trinity’s first-year forwards Adam Anderson (Hugo, Minn.), Barclay Gammill (New Canaan, Conn.) and Jack McCarthy (Wakefield) will compete with the veterans for ice time. McCarthy attended Austin Prep. McCarthy has scored two goals on the season thus far.

On the blue line, senior captain Sam Johnson (Dallas, Texas) and classmate T.J. Sherman (St. Louis, Mo.) are skilled and seasoned veterans which will anchor the unit, while juniors Connor Hegarty (Wakefield) and Griffyn Martin (Southport, Conn.) will also look to build on impressive sophomore campaigns. Hegarty attended Buckingham, Browne & Nichols and has scored a goal and an assist.

Martin and Sherman were two of the top scorers amongst defenders last year, combining for 31 points and both will contribute offensively on the power play along with first-year blue line Liam Feeney (Foxboro). Adding to Trinity’s defensive depth are Bryce Eviston (Vancouver, British Columbia), Nick Johnson (Dallas, Texas) and Michael O’Brien (Cohasset, Mass.) who gained valuable experience last year.

Junior goalie Alex Morin (St.-Hubert, Quebec) shined last year in net for the Bantams, posting a 14-3 record, 1.81 GAA and .933 save percentage. The Quebec native will look to dominate this year between the pipes, behind a stingy Trinity back line. First-year Ted Loughborough (Wellesley, Mass.) will be the backup.