Let's Go PC [Archive] - USCHO.com Fan Forum

cavbim

09-22-2004, 10:42 PM

Any updates, info, or comments/concerns about the Lady Friars this season?

Have heard some bad news about Jana Bugden being out with a knee injury? Any other injuries, transfers, or academic inadequecy we Friar Fans should know about?

I am going to miss that senior class....Roth and Halcisak the twin towers on D, Stephenson's offensive savy, and Youlen and Quinlan's leadership. LETS GO FRIARS!

FOUR IN A ROW :)

Regarding Jana I thought I was told it was the shoulder that she has had problems with before. If I'm not mistaken she had surgery and it sounded like they got around to doing it fairly late. I'm guessing from what I've heard you won't see her the beginning of the year. Means Thomas may see more action before the break then she's seen in 2 years. The backup will be a walk on, forgot the name, but the roster is on the website and she was in school last year.

I also think Payton is recovering from surgery too but I'm not sure where she is in the rehab process. Also possible it was her shoulder too I just don't remember.

If you look at the roster the only underclassman not back is Bielawski and she basically missed the entire year last year with a foot injury.

Melissa Smith is suppose to be back from her injury that cost her all last season but I don't know where she fits on the depth chart. The 2 freshmen defensemen they brought in kind of flew in under the radar screen.

You are very right about missing that senior class. They won 3 straight league championships, not even Granato's class can say that.

Beside the fact they have the injury problem with Bugden I suspect concerns about the defense will be the biggest question marks. They especially must be concerned about the PK. Stephenson and Youlen were the best defensive forwards they had, that puts more pressure on the people absorbing Kelli's and Roth's minutes since they might not find that defensive help on the backcheck. Youlen certainly knew how to get back and cover for a roving defenseman. If one of the 2 d's weren't in the penalty box one of them usually was out killing the penalties at all times.

Replacing Kelli is the major question mark. I've watched this team for 20+ seasons and Kelli was a rare talent In all that time she is just one of 4 players who when they were on the ice you always felt good things could happen. The only drawback to her game and it might be how they work to replace her, is I really don't think she made the other players around her betters players. That is the difference between her and Granato and Curley.

Schedule wise they've got an easier schedule. They've dropped one game each against Harvard, Dartmouth and even Brown. They did pick up an extra game against Princeton.

Based on what Skatinmiasov wrote last spring even the player they have the highest expectations for, Jenna Keilch is going to face a learning curve jumping into college.