University of Connecticut Athletics
Feature: Huskies Depending on Leadership from Upperclassmen
9/30/2019 4:50:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
The UConn men's hockey team will start their 2019-20 season this Saturday against Sacred Heart. The Huskies are looking to improve on a 12-20-2 record and a ninth-place finish in Hockey East last year.
Head coach Mike Cavanaugh said that this is still a really young team, with 18 of the 27 players being freshmen or sophomores. As a result, the leadership from the upperclassmen will be key.
The Huskies have two captains, seniors Benjamin Freeman and Wyatt Newpower, and two alternate captains, senior Alexander Payusov and junior Adam Karashik. Cavanaugh said he has a lot of confidence in that group.
"We have a tremendous leadership group," Cavanaugh said. "I know they're going to do a commendable job leading this team this year."
Whereas most hockey teams only have one captain, Cavanaugh said the player vote was dead even for Freeman and Newpower, so both were named captains. He said each one brings a different aspect of leadership that will help the team.
"They are different leaders," Cavanaugh said. "I think they're both very effective in their own way. Ben's a quieter guy that leads by example. Wyatt is definitely more vocal and also leads by example."
Freeman talked about how important it is for him to lead by example.
"I think you just need to set a good example and lead by example," Freeman said. "I think actions speak louder than words, so just doing all the little things and doing them right."
Newpower said that with the hard work and dedication of everyone on this team, it has made the job of being a captain pretty easy.
"There isn't a guy on this team that isn't taking extra time out of their day to go down to the rink," Newpower said. "So it's not really a task for us. It's more of just going out and doing what we do best, and these guys have done a great job of hopping in line and joining the crew."
Cavanaugh said that having the huge group of freshmen that were key parts of the team last year showed him how important the leadership at the top is.
"The one thing I learned from last year was that the freshmen don't drive the bus," Cavanaugh said. "They can be very talented, but it's your upperclassmen that are going to drive the bus."
Junior Brian Rigali said that the team has been feeding off the energy provided by the leaders.
"It's been awesome," Rigali said. "I think the four guys that were selected definitely are the right guys for the job. All four of them collectively just bring that energy every day in the locker room. I think it's so important that you can feel the energy in the room and guys vibe off that … It's not just the four leaders. Everyone can chip in and be a leader themselves."
Cavanaugh said that even the upperclassmen that are not in leadership positions will be expected to play key roles and give the team depth and quality minutes. These players include Rigali, Zac Robbins and Justin Howell.
With the start of the season less than a week away, Newpower said that the team can't wait to play an actual game after so many practices.
"With no preseason game like we've had in our time here, you kind of start to get the itch and scratch at the neck for a hockey game after having 4-5 weeks of practice," Newpower said. "So I think everybody on the team is really excited to play a hockey game … Guys are really starting to look extremely excited and the energy level is way up. I think this team is ready to go."
For the Huskies to take a step up from last season and compete for a Hockey East title, the combination of talent from the younger players and leadership from the upperclassmen will be a necessity.
