University of New Haven hockey is gearing up for a sequel to their statement 2022 campaign.
Under the roof of Bennett Rink this Saturday night will be puck drop as New Haven faces Salisbury. A rematch of the 2022/23 AAU National Tournament will commence, New Haven comes in looking for revenge and a season-opening win. Salisbury beat the sixth-seeded New Haven 5-4 in the National Tournament back in April.
New Haven enters their second season in the Empire Conference. A 12-8-3 record last season put the Chargers at 2nd place in the Empire Black Division.
“We are looking to build off last year’s success,” said UNH Head Coach Devin Bertrand, who also added that the strength of schedule is amongst the toughest in the division to help “prepare (us) for those tough postseason tournaments.”
So, New Haven is not looking for a walk in the park this season with an easy path to playoff hockey. What they are looking for though, is to truly fight for and earn every win that comes their way.
That is one of the best ways to prepare for the playoffs. By having that strategy and mindset, the Chargers will be charging in and out of every game with grit, undoubtedly helping player and overall team development.
A goaltending battle between Nathan Goff and Thomas Fernandes, puts New Haven in an ideal spot going into Saturday night. Curentally, there is no named starter for Saturday.
Over the offseason, New Haven added Brian Gonsalves as the assistant coach, who brings a mix of both new and old school hockey with him. UNH also added depth to the roster with eight new faces committing to play Chargers hockey.
New Haven’s 2023/24 captains will be Aidan Dowsett, Pete Richetelli, Gabe Patterson and Jack Mascari.
21-year-old Aidan Dowsett is looking to back up a 15 point 2022/23 season that saw 9 assists. He is just four points away from the 25 career mark with New Haven.
West Haven native Pete Richettelli almost averaged a goal-per-game, netting 17 goals in 18 games played. Overall, Richettelli accounted for 27 of UNH’s points.
Gabe Patterson has given UNH a shutout defense over the last two seasons. He is a solid stick handler who is able to lead the opposition away from the Charger’s net.
Jack Mascari opened up his stat line last season. He appeared in more games and took advantage of that extra playing time to slot in a goal and 6 assists.
- player stats provided by eliteprospects.com
It’s exciting to see the preseason state of Chargers hockey just a day prior to their 7:45 p.m. puck drop at Bennett on Saturday.
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