[Editor's note: The new men's hockey coach started on 10/27.]
here is a buzz on campus about a future new ice rink, but for now men’s varsity hockey still skates at IceWorks. A bigger problem for the team is the lack of a coach.
The Neumann Knights will be skating alongside a new coach this season, but who that coach will be has not been finalized.
To fill the gap, assistant coaches have been standing in to coordinate drills at practices each week before the season starts.
On October 27, the team kicks off its season against SUNY Geneseo.
After almost a decade as assistant coach and then head coach of the Neumann Knights, Kyle Mountain resigned from his duties. He headed the team for eight seasons of the Division III program.
Mountain and the Knights missed the playoffs in his final season after falling short with an overall record of 6-18-1 and a win percentage of .253.
Assistant coach Alyssa Gagliardi along with assistant coach and former goalie Kyle Pantalone, and volunteer assistant Shayne Morrissey have been boosting players’ mindsets for performance on the ice.
Pantalone learned the importance of film from former head coach Mountain.
“I think that was very important to the guys to see mistakes,” he said.
The players will be watching film to fix various flaws on the ice to generate chemistry with one another to make more aggressive plays down the blue lines.
Pantalone also preaches patience.
“Stay patient. This is a situation that has happened before here,” he cautions.
The Neumann men’s varsity team does not just play for the numbers on their backs, but the players next to them.
“We have to step up and be there for one another,” said forward Dexton Mozell.
Despite not having a coach, the team has high hopes.
Mozell tells fans, “Not only expect to be in the playoffs, but do damage.”