Endicott Athletics and Recreation

    • Ready to Soar

    Ready to Soar
    October 3, 2003

    Oct. 3, 2003

    No more baby steps. No more growing pains. Now in its third full season, the Gulls ice hockey team is ready to shed its young feathers and take flight. For the upcoming 2003-04 season, Endicott coaches Brian Wylie and Mike Nelson bring together a number of returning lettermen, several key transfer students and an eager freshmen corps, giving the Gulls a high-octane blend of experience and enthusiasm. Dry land training and on-ice practice have already gotten under way, with the Gulls focusing on the seasons' first home game on Saturday, Oct. 18, against the Babson Beavers.

    Backed by the veteran goaltending tandem of Senior Jarred Ballou of Wolfboro, NH, and Sophomore Jeff Pardue of Kennebunk, ME, the Gulls will also feature returning defensemen captains Junior Derek Gagnon of Cony High School and Junior Ben Kramer of Avon Old Farms, plus Sophomore Brian Ferratusco of Malden Catholic, to form a rock-solid blueline. Returning forwards, led by Junior Jason Fall of Wolfboro, NH, and Sophomore Adam Partaledis of Malden Catholic, Sophomore Casey Marini of Vermont Academy, and Plymouth State College transfer Joe Dudek of Laconia, NH, promise to make life for opposing goaltenders more nightmare than nice. And we haven't even mentioned the twin terrors, Sophomore Mark Vaughn at forward and his brother Scott Vaughn, both of North Reading, on defense.

    Newcomers hoping to make an immediate impact include forwards Mike Spellman of the Morristown Beard School in New Jersey, Nick Iafrate of Xaverian, and Mike Tonnucci of Farmington High, defensemen Jeff Clattenburg of Concord High, Justin Umlah of Kennet High, and goaltender Dan Rudy of St. Bernards High. Both Clattenburg and Umlah garnered New Hampshire All-State honors in their senior campaigns.

    Highlights on the schedule include home against Bryant College, last year's NorthEast Collegiate Hockey Association champions, on Saturday, Nov. 8; away at Springfield College, which won the NECHA regular season title, on Friday, Nov. 14; plus the traditionally tough Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Saturday, Nov. 1, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute on Saturday, Dec. 13.

    Home games are typically scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Johnson Rink on the campus of the Pingree School on Highland Street in neighboring Hamilton. Come watch the Power Gulls soar!