2012-13 Men's Hockey Digital Media Guide

Now that the calendar has turned to October, the college hockey season has officially arrived. Northeastern drops the puck to start off the 2012-13 season this Sunday, Oct. 7 when St. Francis Xavier travels to Matthews Arena for a 2 p.m. exhibition tilt. Everyday, GoNU.com will preview a portion of the team leading to Friday's game preview with the X-Men.

Following the scrimmage, Hockey East has chosen Matthews Arena as the spot to open up league play on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. The Huskies welcome in Merrimack as the season opener before defending national champion Boston College invades Matthews Arena on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m.

Be sure to connect with Northeastern athletics and Northeastern men's hockey on Facebook and Twitter to receive scores and information, interact with fellow fans, access photos and videos, and receive exclusive promotional and ticket offers.

Also, fans who cannot make it to Matthews Arena can tune into GoNUxstream for live, HD broadcast of Northeastern men's hockey free of charge all season long.

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Preseason Interview (Head coach Jim Madigan - GoNUxstream)


FORWARDS (Part 1)
10 Returning  •  5 Lost  •  6 New

Northeastern looks to improve upon last year's offense that ranked seventh in Hockey East. The Huskies averaged 2.85 goals per game and were hampered by a power play that struggled to a final clip of 13.7 percent (21/153). Thankfully, Northeastern returns five of its top seven scorers from 2011-12 and 66 percent of its total offense. NU lost Steve Quailer (8-17-25) and Justin Daniels (7-10-17), but sophomore Ludwig Karlsson, seniors Garrett Vermeersch and Vinny Saponari and juniors Braden Pimm and Cody Ferriero return as this season's corps of veteran leadership offensively.

Saponari, the Huskies' captain for the 2012-13 season, is the most seasoned college hockey player on the roster having skated in 116 games (82 of those games occurred at Boston University). The Powder Springs, Ga., native tied for second in assists last year (16) with Karlsson, but should be remembered for his overtime heroics on two occasions. The 6'0 forward dunked the walk-off goal 22 seconds into overtime at home against Massachusetts on Feb. 3 and then followed up that act a month later against his old club, BU, in the final game of the season on March 3. Saponari backhanded a rebound past Grant Rollheiser to send Northeastern to victory 2:35 into the extra session. The most recent winner of the Huskies' Radio 'Most Exciting Player Award' will serve as NU's leader both on and off the ice this season.

Karlsson returns for his sophomore season as an alternate captain after leading Northeastern in scoring his rookie year with 26 points (10-16-26). The Stockholm, Sweden, native was the first freshman to lead the Huskies in scoring since Chad Costello (2006-07). For his breakout campaign, Karlsson was selected to the Pro Ambitions Hockey East All-Rookie Team. The 6'2 winger finished 12th in the NCAA and third in Hockey East after totaling 0.81 points per game. Karlsson is primed for a huge season and will be one of Northeastern's biggest scoring threats all year long.

Vrolyk, one of Northeastern's eight seniors on the roster, will join Saponari and Karlsson to round out the Huskies' captain corps for 2012-13. The Boylston, Mass., native skated in 25 games last season and tallied eight points (5-3-8) as a junior. Vrolyk's sophomore season was cut short due to injury, but with a full, healthy offseason, the 5'7 forward looks to be a key contributor to Northeastern's offense. The speedy winger's only full season of play came his freshman year. With a full slate ahead, Vrolyk's speed and hands will be a lethal weapon for the Huskies on the right side.

Senior centerman Garrett Vermeersch returns as one of Northeastern's leading goal scorers last season, tying junior Braden Pimm and Karlsson with a career-best 10 tallies. The Macomb, Mich., native has skated in the most games as a Husky amongst this year's current roster. Vermeersch has played in 105 career games, and although Saponari's total is the highest (116 gp), not all of it has been at NU. The 6'0 center remains the Huskies' most viable threat on the power play. Vermeersch possesses a monster shot from the point and his team-high seven career power play tallies can back that up. Vermeersch's 58 career points at Northeastern also stands as a club best.

Pimm joins Vermeersch and Karlsson as a member of the double-digit goal-scoring club from last season. The Fort St. John, British Columbia, native totaled 10 goals and also led the Huskies in short handed tallies with two. Pimm, much like Saponari, has been known for his timely scoring. In last year's season opener against UMass (Oct. 7, 2011), Pimm netted the equalizer with just two seconds remaining in regulation to force the draw. Pimm will be another one of Northeastern's top centers as the junior looks to improve upon last year's 22-point campaign.

Junior Cody Ferriero will try and bounce back from a strong first half to his sophomore campaign that was mired by injury down the stretch. The Essex, Mass., native nearly averaged a point per game in those he participated in, scoring 15 points (9-6-15) in 17 outings. Ferriero potted a pair of game winners and notched Northeastern's first hat trick (at Vermont, Jan. 27, 2012) since Ryan Ginand on Jan. 24, 2009. Along with all of those figures, the San Jose Sharks draft pick lead Northeastern in plus/minus with a +11 rating and shot percentage (.220). Because he missed almost half of last year, a full-strength Ferriero could mean trouble for Northeastern opponents this season.

The sophomore pairing of Adam Reid and Joseph Manno joins Karlsson as the only second-year forwards on the club. Reid, a product of the U.S. National Under-18 Team, had a nice freshman debut with six goals and three assists. The Chino Hills, Calif., native lit the lamp for a pair of game winners and was the second highest scoring freshman behind Karlsson last year. Manno was a staple in the lineup, much like Reid, skating in 32-of-34 contests for NU as a rookie. The Montreal, Quebec, native totaled seven points (2-5-7), scoring both goals against defending national champion Boston College on Oct. 22, 2011. Both forwards look to remain in the lineup and be key contributors all season long.

Senior Steve Morra and junior Zak Stone provide the Huskies with much needed veteran leadership all year long thanks to the arrival of 12 new Huskies. Stone dressed in 25 games last year and scored his first two career goals in 2011-12. The Roslyn, N.Y., native is known for his physical presence and will be utilized in those situations. Morra is a speedy, hard-nosed forward that will vie for time all year long.

Be sure to check back to GoNU.com for the second preview of the 2012-13 men's hockey team tomorrow on GoNU.com.