After an undefeated preseason with wins against SUNY Oswego (W 6-3), University of Massachusetts (W 4-3 OT), and Boston University (W 5-2), the Drexel University Roller Hockey Club’s ECRHA team is eager to start the regular season.

The 2014-2015 squad returns several players from last season, including seniors Matt Baer and Brendan Mullen, juniors Jeff Kelley, Luke Albright, and Tim Lopez, sophomore Ray Rindone, and pre-junior goaltender James Halko. Newcomers include graduate student Jeff Conway, senior Justin Canney, sophomore Kyle Henofer, and freshman Tom Ceraso. Under second year head coach Bryan Humphreys (class of 2004), the team will begin regular season play at Marple Sports Arena in Broomall, PA on October 25 and 26. 

“I’m very happy with how we played this weekend,” Kelley stated after the team’s three preseason wins. “We had a few defensive breakdowns from losing our man coming back into our zone. Offensively, I like how we activated our defense and they showed they can put the puck in the net. Halko looked great [in net] as well.”

The team heads to Sewell, NJ (November and February), North Arlington, NJ (December), and Old Bethpage, NY (February) later this season.

In addition to their three preseason games, the team hosted two scrimmages versus Villanova University (L 4-9) and the University of Delaware (L 0-1). Tryouts were held one week before the scrimmages, so the goal was not to win, but to get familiar with each other on the rink.

Coach Humphreys commented, “Overall, a very promising start but with plenty of room for improvement.”

The team has high hopes of making the ECRHA playoffs – a feat not accomplished since the 2010-2011 season – and to ultimately put themselves in position to earn a bid to nationals, to be held in Independence, MO in April 2015.