Men's hockey: Eyes on the prize
The Pipers are ranked eighth in the country and hope to make a trip to Lake Placid in March.
Connor Moore
Issue date: 1/26/10 Section: Sports
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Their success has been months in the making. Since Oct. 30, the Pipers have only lost one game and it was to No. 4 St. Scholastica on Jan. 8. The Pipers are 10-2-3 overall and are currently ranked eighth in the country according to the Jan. 18 USCHO.com rankings.
A mixture of leadership, talent and chemistry has lead to the Pipers' early success. This team is different from the last few years because of the scoring power on all four lines and the ability to move the puck.
The team is also strengthened by their connection off the ice.
"We all hang out outside the rink and on weekdays. We get along and there aren't really any bad guys on the squad," said sophomore forward Brian Arrigoni.
Familiar names like Arrigoni, junior Chris Berenguer and senior Kyle Kurr have fulfilled their roles as the top point-getters for the Pipers. Through 15 games the three have 17, 14 and 13 points respectively.
In addition to the usual suspects, second and third line players are also finding the back of the net. Junior Kelly Plude has a share of the team lead for points with 17. Plude has been a pleasant surprise for the Pipers this season. He has played with more intensity and has already more than doubled his point total from last season, which was seven.
Sophomore Jordan Van Gilder has 11 points through 15 games which is more than double last season's total of five. Van Gilder and Plude have used their speed this year to get around defenders and get to the net. Another big difference about this year is the players all want to drive to the net and create havoc.
Hamline has also been fortunate to see such great play from their rookies. I want to use the term "rookie" because these players are first-year Hamline players. The rookies who stand out are juniors Danny Vranek and Spencer Anderson and first-year Taylor Vichorek.
Vranek has been a great addition for the Pipers because of his stick skills and speed. When he, Plude and Van Gilder are on the ice together the little guys can really fly. Vranek transferred from the University of New Hampshire and has made himself a weapon for the Pipers. He has 11 points for the Pipers and two of his six goals have come on the power play.
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