Team reloads with talent over summer

Both of your captains have graduated. So have five of your point leaders. And it's your first year on the job. \nThis is the predicament of Adam Schuchman, first-year general manager of the IU ice hockey team. The Hoosiers reached the 2002 National semifinals in March, but will be a much different team when Schuchman holds tryouts in September. \n"The top-scoring line is gone," said Schuchman, referring to the trio of Bryan Grant, Brandon Phillips and captain Dan Hauck. "So that's where we will be working."\nSchuchman and head coach Dr. Rich Holdeman, who returns for his 11th season, will not be starting from scratch, however.\nThe offense starts with returning leading scorer David Ravensberg, who will try to avoid a sophomore slump after netting 21 goals in his freshman campaign. Ravensberg will look for senior Clint Heiber, whose 29 assists were the second most on the team last season. \nDespite graduating five seniors who accounted for more than half of the team's offense, Schuchman said this will only exhibit the club's depth. \n"We have excellent players from the third, fourth lines moving up," Schuchman said. "And we'll fill those lines."\nPlayers such as junior forward Bob Pesavento, who had one goal in nine games, could benefit from the roster turnover with more ice time. But Pesavento is more concerned about team chemistry than individual opportunity.\n"Hopefully, returning players will show some improvement and come together," said Pesavento, who said he sees himself as a grinder and playmaker rather than a scorer. "It's not about who's starting and who's on the third and fourth lines -- it's how we come together." \nHow the returning players mesh with newcomers, who will tryout for nine openings on the 30-man roster, will also be key. Schuchman said he hopes tryouts will produce some new prospects who can help at both ends of the ice. \n"There's not a lot of good defensemen out there who want to play defense," Schuchman said. He also said he would like to find a committed defensemen to the returning group of blue-liners.\nJunior defenseman Mike Piotrowski, who has been voted the team's most valuable player on defense the past two seasons, will anchor the blueline once again. The defense returns Piotrowski and four other defensemen, but loses its top-scoring defenseman and captain in Tim McMahon. \n"I think we're as strong or stronger than last season," said Joe Rogers, assistant captain of the defensive unit. Rogers said he expects sophomore Jamie Dillon to build on an impressive freshman season to compensate for the loss of McMahon. \nThe defense will have the luxury of working in front of starting netminder Charlie Pulley, who returns for his senior season after posting a 15-3-1 record last year. Schuchman said Junior goalies Josh Block and Brandon Tucker are familiar with the program and will likely see more minutes this season. \n"We're pretty strong in goaltending with all three returning," he said. \nBy pairing a solid defensive and goaltending core with a less-seasoned offense, Rogers said the team will have to buckle down on defense.\n"I definitely think we're going to watch our goals-against," Rogers said. "Because we had five to six goals, but we might only score two to three a game (this season)." \nA member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA), the hockey program has reached the Division II national title game three times under Holdeman, most recently in 2000. \nThe Hoosiers compete in the Great Midwest Hockey League (GMHL), which includes club squads from Big Ten counterparts Michigan and Michigan State. \nFor more information about the club and fall tryouts, visit www.indiana.edu/~iuhockey.