Exclusive: Mike Cavanaugh breaks down UConn's newcomers
Exclusive: Mike Cavanaugh breaks down UConn's newcomers
The Huskies brought in 16 new players in this year's incoming class, including 12 freshmen.
On Monday, UConn men’s hockey finally introduced its incoming class. The group features four transfers and 12 freshmen. In total, the Huskies added 12 forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender.
Head coach Mike Cavanaugh spoke with the UConn Hockey Hub about each of the team’s newcomers.
Transfers
Forwards
Ty Amonte (BU)
“The biggest issue with him is going to be staying healthy and if he can stay healthy, he's a really good player. His sophomore year, I think he had [two] short-handed goals. He's an excellent penalty killer and he was here all summer working out with our guys. I was really impressed with his leadership skills.”
“This is where he wants to be and he came in and jumped in with two feet.”
Adam Dawe (Maine)
“I liked his competitive spirit. One of the first guys I called was (former Maine associate head coach) Ben Guite about Adam because he had him for three years there. He said nothing but great things and how much energy he'll bring to your locker room. He just compete so hard every shift and he can play in a lot of different situations. He can kill penalties, he can play on the power play, he can play against another team's top line. It just adds to our depth — overall depth.”
“He's effective because he plays with an edge so he can get under people's skin. I feel in practice, he’ll really drive the level of competitiveness.”
Justin Pearson (Yale)
“He’s big and strong. I think he's got that power-forward type mentality. I know his numbers were down last year but a couple of years ago, he led the team in goals. So I think he's a complementary player who — with the right guys — can have similar success here next year.”
Defensemen
Andrew Lucas (Vermont)
“He's a one-man breakout at times. He's excellent with the puck his power play skills are gonna be really important for us. He quarterbacked [Vermont’s] power play last year and just having scouted against him and coached against him and then watching him on tape, he just really moves along the line effortlessly and does a great job quarterbacking power plays.”