2008 Woodie Awards
Ice Dogs Are "Golden"
Steven Muscatello
Issue date: 2/6/03 Section: Sports
After an eight-game losing streak, which included two gut wrenching, one-goal losses to conference powerhouses Wentworth and Lebanon Valley, the Assumption College Ice Dogs have posted three consecutive victories to improve their record to 6-8.
Sparked by the impressive play of a freshman trio nicknamed "The Gold Line," the Ice Dogs topped Salve Regina 8-5, followed by an 8-3 win over Framingham State. To finish off the trifecta, the Ice Dogs beat Plymouth State 7-1 on Winter Homecoming at Buffone Rink.
The Line, composed of freshmen Kevin Cotter, Bobby Fanciullo, and Geno DeAngelis, combined for an astonishing 22 points in the Framingham and Plymouth contests. With scoring outbursts like those it is easy to see why the line has several nicknames besides the "Gold Line," although the others are not suitable for print.
The talented freshmen have certainly earned the respect of their older teammates, Junior Rian Murray, a solid contributor himself, cited the Ice Dogs first line as "a great group of players." The line, which Assumption Head Coach Keith Hughes assembled on the first day of practice, has improved steadily throughout the course of the season. "Gold Line" member DeAngelis believes the group plays well together because "[they] know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and are best friends off the ice which really helps with chemistry."
Hughes cited the play of his freshmen line as a major reason for the team's recent success, but he was also quick with praise for other players. "Defensively, we've benefited from the play of Brian Blanchette and Steve Snizek." Continuing, Hughes cited the spectacular play of freshman goalie Mike Sweeney, who recorded 30 saves against Plymouth State.
Streaks are an unexplainable aspect of sport. "As simple as it sounds," said DeAngelis, "the puck has just been bouncing our way." Hughes went a bit further in his explanation: "The losing streak really bothered the kids so they did the necessary things to turn it around."
Sparked by the impressive play of a freshman trio nicknamed "The Gold Line," the Ice Dogs topped Salve Regina 8-5, followed by an 8-3 win over Framingham State. To finish off the trifecta, the Ice Dogs beat Plymouth State 7-1 on Winter Homecoming at Buffone Rink.
The Line, composed of freshmen Kevin Cotter, Bobby Fanciullo, and Geno DeAngelis, combined for an astonishing 22 points in the Framingham and Plymouth contests. With scoring outbursts like those it is easy to see why the line has several nicknames besides the "Gold Line," although the others are not suitable for print.
The talented freshmen have certainly earned the respect of their older teammates, Junior Rian Murray, a solid contributor himself, cited the Ice Dogs first line as "a great group of players." The line, which Assumption Head Coach Keith Hughes assembled on the first day of practice, has improved steadily throughout the course of the season. "Gold Line" member DeAngelis believes the group plays well together because "[they] know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and are best friends off the ice which really helps with chemistry."
Hughes cited the play of his freshmen line as a major reason for the team's recent success, but he was also quick with praise for other players. "Defensively, we've benefited from the play of Brian Blanchette and Steve Snizek." Continuing, Hughes cited the spectacular play of freshman goalie Mike Sweeney, who recorded 30 saves against Plymouth State.
Streaks are an unexplainable aspect of sport. "As simple as it sounds," said DeAngelis, "the puck has just been bouncing our way." Hughes went a bit further in his explanation: "The losing streak really bothered the kids so they did the necessary things to turn it around."