Oct. 20, 2005

Head coach Digit Murphy has high hopes for the upcoming season with the return of several key players along with talented newcomers following a season filled with injuries and close decisions. The Bears lost eight one-goal decisions in posting a 15-15-2 overall and an 11-8-1 ECAC Hockey League record. Brown looks to return to its winning tradition this season with 15 letterwinners and eight newcomers.

Forwards: Returning 9, Lost 4, Newcomers 4
The Bears will have to fill a void offensively, losing All-Ivy forward Jessica Link '05. After a successful rookie campaign, sophomore Hayley Moore (Wakefield, MA) will continue to be an offensive weapon. Moore was one of the top rookies in the nation, ranking tenth with 26 points on 11 goals and 15 assists, and earning a spot on the All-ECACHL Rookie Team.

Joining Moore up front will be senior assistant captain Keaton Zucker (Gilford, NH) and junior dual-sport athlete Kathryn Moos (Wayzata, MN). Zucker was one of the Bear's most consistent players, appearing in all 32 games and tallying 18 points on four goals and 14 assists. After joining the squad at the conclusion of the soccer season, Moos made her presence known immediately in Brown's offensive zone. In an early meeting with Harvard, Moos tallied two first period goals 1:44 seconds apart. Moos finished the season with 22 points (7g, 15 a), ranking third on the team.

Infusing some experienced energy into the offense this season will be seniors Margaret Ramsay (Toronto, ONT) and Lindsey Glennon (Exeter, NH). Last season, Glennon spent most her time on defense, but was used as an offensive threat later in the season, including a two goal performance in the first game of the ECACHL Quarterfinal series with St. Lawrence. She finished the season with 15 points on six goals and nine assists.

Ramsay, who has played a key role in the Bears' offense, was sidelined with an injury suffered in last year's season opener against Maine. Ramsay's speed and hands were missed in the 19 games she missed before rejoining the team in February. She finished the season with one goal and eight assists for nine points.

Sophomores Emilie Bydwell (Montreal, QC), Heather Lane (London, ONT) and Rylee Olewinski (Burr Ridge, IL) saw ample playing time last season and are expected to play for bigger roles and provide leadership to the younger players.

Newcomers Meryl Edington-Hryb (Delta, BC), Frances Male (Toronto, ONT), Kim McManus (Dedham, MA) and Savannah Smith (Fort St, John, BC) will also compete for time in the offensive zone for the Bears.

Defensemen: Returning 4, Lost 3, Newcomers 3
Anchoring the defense will be senior captain Ashlee Drover (Bay Roberts, NF) and First Team All-ECACHL senior Myria Heinhuis (Chatham, ONT), who are both among the toughest defenders in the conference, and whose size and strength make opposing forwards second guess when crossing into the Bears' defensive zone. Drover fought through a shoulder injury in the early part of last season, missing seven games, but came on strong later in the season to record the game winning goal in the Bears' 3-1 win over Dartmouth in the last weekend of the season.

Heinhuis added a new dimension to her play last season, by displaying her offensive ability, recording a career high, six goals and eight assists. She was one of two defenders to take the ice in all of Brown's 32 games during the 2004-05 season.

Junior Lauren Deeb (Menands, NY) stepped up last season, appearing in all 32 games and is expected to play a bigger role when the Bears take the ice in the fall. Junior Ann Brophy (Ann Arbor, MI) will also look for more ice time on the blueline for the Bears. Adding depth to the defensive core will be newcomers Morgan Hanrahan (Bay Roberts, NF), Macey Roberge (Elliot, ME) and Lindsey Wilde (Billerica, MA).

Goalies: Returning 2, Lost 1, Newcomer 1
With the goaltending core intact from a year ago, the Bears are looking again at sophomores O'Hara Shipe (Anchorage, AK) and Stacy Silverman (Wakefield, MA) to continue their consistent play in the net. The two split time in the crease last season, posting a .906 save percentage.

Silverman finished the season with 854:24 minutes in 13 games, posting a .903 save percentage, and 2.67 goals against average. In the 4-0, victory over Cornell in January, Silverman stopped all 22 shots to earn her first collegiate shut out.

Shipe came on strong in the second half of the season, posting a 9-7-0 overall record including an 8-3-0-conference mark. Appearing in 17 games for 850:41 minutes in the crease, Shipe recorded two shut outs, one coming in the first game of the ECACHL Quarterfinal series with St. Lawrence.

Incoming freshman Nicole Stock (Buffalo Grove, IL) is also expected provide some competition for playing time between the pipes. Stock was the anchor of the Choate Academy team, leading the team to the New England Championship game last season.

The Schedule:
The Bears will open up their 29 game regular season schedule with a home and home series against the Wildcats from New Hampshire. The two squads will face-off on October 28 at the Whittemore Center in Durham, NH and they come to Providence for a match-up at Meehan on October 30.

The Bears will travel to Minnesota in November, to take on the defending National Champion Gophers for a weekend series on Saturday, November 12 and Sunday, November 13. Brown will look to keep the Mayor's Cup on College Hill, when they travel to Providence College on November 26 for the 11th Annual Mayor's Cup game. This game will be the finale in the Brown-Providence Thanksgiving College Hockey Tournament.

As 2006 begins, the Bears will look to avenge their early exit out of the ECACHL playoffs last season when they take on the St. Lawrence Saints the second weekend of January. The Saints came back in the opening round of conference playoffs to defeat the Bears two games to one in the best of three series.

The Bears will also have a new travel partner this season in the Yale Bulldogs, due to the addition of Quinnipiac, which will be playing in their inaugural ECACHL season.

Coming into this season the Bears were ranked fourth in the ECACHL Preseason Media Poll and fifth in the Preseason Coaches Poll.