How Sophomoric!

Yesterday, I previewed what should be a strong, albeit small, freshman class. Last year, Brown had a rather large freshman class, with nine members. Six of those players saw plenty of playing time, while Chris Draper saw the ice occasionally, and Taki Pantziris and Greg Tang spent most of their time up in the stands, watching the games from afar. 

However, in the players who did see a lot of ice time, there is plenty of reason for optimism. 

The sophomore class boasts some of the more impressive offensive prospects not just on the team, but in the league. Ryan Jacobsen was our second-best scoring threat last year, totaling 21 points in 32 games, while Matt Lorito managed 17 points despite missing 8 games. His .71 Points Per Game average was second only the incomparable Jack Maclellan, who will be sorely missed. 

Massimo Lamacchia '15 brings hustle, heart, and skill
to the table, reminiscent of Bobby Farnham '12.

Photo credit to brownbears.com, the Official Site of
Brown Athletics

Meanwhile, Massimo Lamacchia showed he can be a great spark plug, as well as a useful penalty killer and occasional power play weapon. I don't know if anyone else on the 2012-2013 team can match his heart and effort. He could assume Bobby Farnham's role of the total team player, as well as undersized instigator, going forward. 

Matt Harlow and Draper also provided some glimpses of the talent they possess, and, while both players are pretty raw, they could turn into effective power forwards. 

On defense, a pair of sophomores got a lot of minutes last year. While they mostly saw action because of injury or necessity, Joey De Concylis and Kyle Quick gained some invaluable experience last season. De Concylis looked a little lost at times, but with a full season under his belt, he should settle down and be a good two-way defenseman. Kyle Quick wasn't flashy, but usually did a decent job of shutting down opponents. 

One problem that Whittet-coached teams have had in the past few years has been lack of growth. All three of his freshman classes have impressed in their rookie seasons before plateauing in their followup campaigns. This needs to change, especially since this team will depend on the current sophomore class more so than ever before. 

Despite the struggles of past sophomores, I have faith that the likes of Jacobsen, Lorito, Lamacchia, and their peers will see to it that they won't be seen as just a flash in the pan. This class needs to take a big step forward this year if we are to truly contend in the coming years, and I think they'll do exactly that. This is a very exciting young team, in part because of the talent the sophomore class possesses.