From a new coach to first-year Fed players selected as captains to just seven returning players from last year, the 2015-16 season is one of change for the St. Francis Fed team. The players’ hope is that one of those changes will include an improvement over last season’s 10-7 record.
The coaching change came after some shuffling within the St. Francis hockey program. Paul Jackson took over, and he’d heard good things about last year’s team.
“I know they had a pretty decent season last year,” Jackson said. “I thought they had a pretty good year and played some of the better teams pretty tight, so we’re hoping to build on that.”
Returning from last season’s team are two of this year’s captains, defenseman Gordon Donacik and goaltender Dylan McDonald.
“He had a heck of a year last year,” Jackson said of McDonald. “Dylan had a really really strong year. His goals-against average was under two, so we’re looking for a lot from him.”
And from the prep program come captains Ryan Deas and Joe Krasinski. Although it’s their first year on the Fed team, Jackson knows both players from previous experience coaching with other St. Francis teams, and he’s excited about the leadership he expects from both.
“Ryan Deas, he’s a senior,” Jackson said. “Real strong skater. Looking for a lot from him and some leadership. Our captain Joe Krasinski is a junior, but he was also a prep player that’s coming over and playing Fed. Very very good leader. We think a lot of him, so much so that we made him a captain.”
“I gotta try to bring all the guys together, try to get them going, get everyone on the same level, get everyone going together, and that’s when we’re gonna be the best we can,” Krasinski said of his leadership role with the team. “Gordon Donacik, Dylan McDonald, and Ryan Deas, they definitely are all leaders, especially Ryan Deas. He’s a great leader out there, always bringing everybody together in practice and stuff — real motivating, which helps a lot.”
Jackson also expects leadership from other returning players, including senior defenseman Chester Knaus, junior defensemen Joe Zhanghi and Evan Herman, and senior forwards Jack Webber and Rob Gerow.
“Most of the kids that are playing on this team I’ve coached, and I know they’re high quality individuals,” Jackson said. “Just really solid people as people, and in the locker room they’re just great teammates, and I think the chemistry’s gonna be a big part of what we hope to use this year to improve on last year.”
Jackson said before the season began that he expected Gerow to to provide some scoring, and through two games, Gerow has one goal. The senior is in his third year on varsity, and he’s watched the team grow and develop together to what the Red Raiders are this year.
“Last year as a Junior, we improved with having a stronger core of players on our team,” Gerow said. “We competed in our division but not with the other private school teams. This year we have a deep core of seniors and juniors. We have a lot of talent and we will be a hard team to play against. I expect a lot of great things out of our team.”
Krasinski didn’t describe himself as a goal scorer before the season began, but he has two goals and an assist through two games in which St. Francis is 1-1.
“Definitely more of an assist guy than a goal scorer,” Krasinski said. “Try to set everybody up. Not too big of a hitter. Like to put the puck in the net when I can.”
After a preseason scrimmage against Frontier on Dec. 4, Jackson described the team as a fast team with goaltending as the biggest strength.
“I think we have a fast team,” he said. “We’re gonna be looking to use that speed on the forecheck and in the transition game. I think we can play a pretty strong transition game, but overall I think our strength is in goal and then our defense. And I think our strength comes right off the goal. Goal, D, and then offense.”
St. Francis lost its first game of the season to West Seneca East on Dec. 6 by a score of 4-0, but the Red Raiders came back to win Monday’s game against Niagara Falls 4-3. Goaltender Jackson Chilberg earned his first varsity win.
“We’ve progressed over the last two games and will improve as we go on,” Gerow said. “I’m excited for this year and cant wait to see what it brings us.”
As Gerow mentioned, St. Francis had difficulty beating the other Catholic schools last season. Krasinski would like to see that change this year.
“I definitely want to come out with a winning season, hopefully beat Canisius or Joe’s,” Krasinski said. “That’d be nice.”
But Jackson doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself.
“I think we got some ability,” Jackson said. “I don’t like to make any predictions. In hockey, so much can change — injuries, the puck bounces funny. We’re just hoping we can get a strong start and then build on that. So it’s hard to make predictions, and I wouldn’t want to do that anyways. We’re gonna take it one game at a time, just like we should, one shift at a time, just like we should, and hope to learn and build and get together as a team.”