When he peruses his roster, Pinkerton Academy second-year varsity ice hockey coach Joey Lee sees a good mix of seasoned veterans and determined youngsters who would like nothing more than to hoist a little championship hardware overhead at the close of the 2014-15 campaign.
Last winter’s Pinkerton crew came close to snagging a crown – following rough start to the 2013-14 regular season – before being eliminated from title contention by the Londonderry High Lancers in the Division I tournament semifinals.
Some highly-skilled icemen officially left that Pinkerton contingent following graduation, but the list of battle-tested veterans is lengthy and impressive, and Lee and his charges have ample reasons to think that they can do quite a bit of winning this winter.
“We are looking to build off of last year’s success with a strong returning nucleus and a skilled crew of new players,” said the coach. “If we play our game and all pull on the rope in the same direction, we should be able to find success.”
The Astros have a bunch of well-tested senior returnees back in the fold, and their efforts will be key to the team’s level of success. That crew includes forwards John Hamilton, Gio Corsetto, Ethan Landry, and Ryan Monte, defenseman Steve Leonard, and goalie Brendan Murphy.
Other key returnees include junior forward Tyler Poole, junior defenseman Shamus Doherty, and sophomore defenseman Josh Barton.
Other returnees with some varsity experience are senior forward Trent Parker, junior forward Jacob St. Jean, sophomore forward Tim Cronin, and sophomore defender Zach Pendenza.
The academy squad’s promising newcomers include junior forwards Ed Welch, Zach Gray, and Aaron Harmon, junior goalie Jordan Puzzo, sophomore forward Colin Philippon, and freshman defender Reese Popkin.
The Pinkerton Academy Astro squad will take to the ice on the road for its first Division 1 game next Wednesday, Dec. 17, against a Salem High Blue Devils’ contingent.
