The Niagara University Purple Eagles have finalized their leadership group, heading in to the 2019-2020 season. With their roster playing home to what associate head coach, Tom Mooradian referred to as “a unique blend of incoming players and a core we’ve leaned on for so long,” It’s safe to assume that there are some exciting times ahead at Dwyer Arena. However, with the number of new faces coming in and the overall competitiveness of the league, Mooradian stressed that the 4 captains they’ve chosen are going to be tasked with a tremendous amount of responsibility, next year.

“When you take a look at our last 2 seasons and the lack of success we’ve had as a group, it’s pretty apparent that the competitiveness of our league has elevated. One of the most frustrating aspects of last year in particular was our lack of consistency. We challenged some of and even beat a top 12 team in the country, stole a few victories from NECHL opponents and yet, we dropped the ball against every one of those teams at some point during the season. What’s even more upsetting is that we did so with essentially the same roster, night in and night out. So, it’s easy to point the blame at this and that, but the fact of the matter is … the ACHA is a great league and it’s becoming harder and harder to win with the better it gets. We feel that the reconstruction of our leadership core will allow us to get the most out of our room, night in and night out … something that Larry and I knew needed to be addressed.”

On the 2 players sporting the “C” on their uniforms, next season:

“Chris Gasiewicz and Ryan Peters have differing stories. However, at this point in their careers – they are undoubtedly the 2 best choices to lead our team in 2019-2020. We selected Gaz as co-captain, last season because we feel that he possesses every quality a captain should. He’s a first line center, game-breaker, unbelievably accountable on / off the ice and places a tremendous amount of pressure on himself to take control when we need a spark. As excited as we are to have Petey back for next year, it’s even more exciting to see just how much he’s grown as an individual. His composure during some of last season’s highs and lows is what truly stood out to the coaching staff. He came to play each and every night and had a 0-tolerance policy for negativity in the room. He’s always fostered a tremendous amount of physical ability, but we’re starting to get a taste of what he’s capable of as a leader. We truly feel that the combination of those 2 attributes will prove to be a success for the culture we’re looking to establish.”

On the 2 players wearing an “A” next season:

“David Fish and Robbie McNamara are going to be looked to as the secondary source of leadership behind Ryan and Chris. Although they both provide our roster with 2 completely different elements, their importance to our team is equal. Fishy is one of the most versatile players in team history. We can use him in virtually every situation and position on the ice. The commitment he makes to his teammates, regardless of what transpires off the ice, is incredible. Robbie is one of the most dynamic and offensively gifted players in team history. He understands and has taken complete ownership of his role to provide our team with firepower on a nightly basis. It’s very difficult to overlook the guys who may not be as vocal, but do their bidding on the scoreboard. With that being said, we saw signs of Robbie’s leadership capabilities last season and are hoping to help him as well as Fishy, get to where they want to be as captains, this year.”

With 15 new faces on the roster, it’s going to be interesting to see how the transitionary period goes under the leadership group. This is the first time in team history that such a big recruiting class will be joining a very established group of players, peaking at the right time. There is certainly a formula for success in the mix, but whether or not it will be carried out is up to the 4 individuals listed above. The coaching staff did assure us that there are some exciting new announcements set be released within the next few weeks and that announcing their captains was of the highest importance. Stay tuned …