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USM Captains Named Prior to Friday's Opener

Men's College Hockey

November 20, 2008

Senior Ben Loss Named USM Men’s Ice Hockey Captain
Senior Kyle Smith Tabbed as Assistant Captain
Huskies Open Season Friday Night at Norwich

GORHAM, Maine -- Veteran University of Southern Maine men’s ice hockey head coach Jeff Beaney announced this week that senior defenseman Ben Loss (Wilmette, Ill.) has been named captain of the 2008-09 team as the Huskies prepare for their season opener this Friday night at Norwich University.

Beaney also announced that senior wing Kyle Smith (Auburn, Maine) has been tabbed as an assistant captain for the upcoming season.
The Huskies open their 31st varsity season, and 22nd under the direction of Beaney, this weekend with a trip to Vermont to play defending league champion Norwich on Friday (7:00 p.m.) and Saint Michael’s College on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). Norwich is the preseason favorite to repeat according to the coaches poll conducted earlier this month. Southern Maine was sixth in the preseason poll while Saint Michael’s checked in in tenth.
 

The Huskies have 19 players returning from last year’s squad that posted a 14-9-3 overall record and an 8-8-3 mark in league play.
“I’m very excited for Ben. He has a lot of natural leadership abilities and is well respected by his teammates and the coaching staff. He very organized and consistent in his approach to things on and off the ice,” commented Beaney.
 

“Kyle has played every role for us - power play, penalty kill, regular shift - and sacrifices (moving from right to left wing) for the good of the team. Everyone likes him. He was in this role last year and will provide a good complement to (Loss),” added Beaney.
 

Loss and Smith have been three-year regulars in the USM lineup. Loss played wing and defense his rookie season before settling in as a regular on the blue line in 2006-07. Smith has been a fixture at wing all three seasons. Both were named to the ECAC Men’s East All-Academic team last year.
 

The captain of the USM golf team this past fall season, Loss will be the leader of the Huskies’ youthful defense grouping playing in front of senior goaltender Jamie Gilbert (Lewiston, Maine).
 

Loss, who had eight assists in 17 games played last season, will be joined on the blue line by returnees Eric Graham (North Berwick, Maine), Ryan Jean (Randolph, Maine), Mike Carpenter (Minot, Maine) and Paul Conter (Woodbridge, Ontario), and four newcomers.
 

Smith was the Huskies’ third leading scorer last season netting 13 goals, including nine on the power play, and passing out 10 assists for 23 points. He begins the season with 28 career goals and 27 assists in 75 games.
 

After this weekend’s road trip, the Huskies will return to the USM Ice Arena for their home opener on November 25 (4:00 p.m.) when they host Plymouth State University in a non-league game. The Huskies close out November’s schedule playing in the Babson Invitational Tournament November 29-30.
 

Three games are on the schedule in the month of December before the Huskies break for semester exams and the holidays. Williams College comes to the USM Ice Arena on December 5 (7:00) and Middlebury College comes to town on December 6 (4:00 p.m.). The Huskies finish their December schedule with a trip to Salem State College on December 12 (7:00 p.m.).
 

USM resumes play in January with non-league home games against Colby on January 2 (7:00 p.m.) and Framingham State on January 6 (7:00 p.m.) before getting back into league play with road games at Trinity College on January 9 (7:00 p.m.) and Wesleyan University on January 10 (3:00 p.m.).
 

The Huskies final non-league game of the schedule with Suffolk University on January 13 (7:00 p.m.) kicks off a three-game homestand. Amherst College comes to USM on January 16 (7:00 p.m.) and Hamilton College visits on January 17 (4:00 p.m.).
 

USM closes out January with four straight road games at Babson College on January 23 (7:00 p.m.), the University of Massachusetts Boston on January 24 (3:00 p.m.), Colby College on January 30 (7:00 p.m.) and Bowdoin College on January 31 (4:00 p.m.).
 

Southern Maine has six games on the February schedule, including four at the USM Ice Arena. Skidmore College comes to USM on February 6 (7:00 p.m.) and Castleton State College visits the next afternoon (4:00 p.m.). USM plays its final two regular season road games at Connecticut College on February 13 (7:00) and Tufts University on February 14 (4:00 p.m.). The regular season comes to a close with home contests against New England College on February 20 (7:00 p.m.) and Saint Anselm College on February 21 (4:00 p.m.).
 

The eight NCAA Division III teams in the league will advance to the championship tournament with four quarterfinal games being played February 28. The four winners will advance to the semifinals and finals at the highest remaining seed March 7-8. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
 

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