FRIDAY, NOV. 1 // 7:30 PM  JASON RITCHIE ICE ARENA // WINCHENDON, MASS. LIVE STATS // VIDEO
EYES ON THE GAME SERIES RECORD // SUFFOLK LEADS, 12-5-2 LAST MEETING // OCT. 26, 2018, W, 7-0 LAST SUFFOLK WIN // SAME STREAK // W1

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's hockey team will pull the curtain back on its 40th campaign on the road at Franklin Pierce Friday, Nov. 1 Game time at Jason Ritchie Ice Arena is set for 7:30 p.m. 

LET'S TALK ABOUT #RAMNATION
RamNation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR
The Rams clinched the seventh seed in the NEHC Tournament behind a 5-13-0 league. Suffolk trekked to Northfield, Vermont to battle then-No. 5 Norwich in the quarterfinals and went shot-for-shot with the Cadets. With overtime looming, the higher seed slipped the puck past the goal line with 1:49 remaining in regulation to end the blue-and-gold's season, 8-17-0. 

GUESS WHO'S BACK
The Rams welcome back multiple scoring sticks. Of the 68-goal offense from a year ago, 61.8 percent (42-68) is back on the ice. Assist wise, 55.4 percent (56-101) of helpers have returned to Beantown.  

Jack Kelly, who was a scoring standout as a sophomore last season, is coming into his junior campaign after a 12-goal, 11-assist effort in 2018-19. Brian Brooks (5g, 10a), Shawn Montgomery (3g, 8a) and Joseph Mortillaro (6g, 4a) also put together double-digit point efforts a year ago.  

At the blue line, junior Joe Vingi and sophomore Billy Roche will be looked to back up the freshman gloves of Nathan Pickett and Cal Wilcox, who are likely to compete for the starting spot.   

ROOKIE RAMS
A dozen new faces in blue-and-gold sweaters will take the ice this season, all true freshman.

The members of Suffolk's Class of 2023 is comprised of national and international talent. Four states are represented in Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts and North Carolina, with one skater from trekking down from Quebec exact and another by way of the Czech Republic.

Position wise, the incoming class features seven forwards, a trio of defensemen and two netminders.

MORE READING:Rams Rookies: 2019-20 Men's Hockey

WEARING THE 'C'
Suffolk men's hockey head coach Chris Glionna has announced that Brian Brooks and Joe Vingi will share captain responsibilities with Jack Kelly and Phil Kreuser both served as assistant captains for the 2019-20 campaign. 

MORE READING: Two Captains, Pair of Assistants Ready to Lead Men's Hockey in 2019-20

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's 28-man roster is comprised of national and international student-athletes.

U.S. natives are mainly Bay State locals with 11 Rams calling Massachusetts home. A trio hails from California and Connecticut, respectively, with a pair making the trip from the midwest, Illinois. as Florida, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina Pennsylvania and Rhode Island are all represented by one student-athlete each.

The international skates flew in from the red, white and blue's neighbor to the north, Quebec, as well as the Czech Republic and Sweden. 

CLASS RANKS
The bulk of the Rams' roster is in the 12-member freshman class with a foursome from the Class of 2020. The remaining of Suffolk's line-up is split in equal parts sophomores and juniors with seven from each class.

COACH'S BOX
Chris Glionna returns to the fray for the Rams entering his 16th season as head coach. The winningest coach in Suffolk's men's hockey history has helped 24 student-athletes garner ECAC Northeast Hockey League postseason honors. 

Alongside the head coach, Glionna is assisted by John Burgess and Greg Fowke .

SCHEDULE SYNOPSIS
Suffolk men's ice hockey's schedule features a 25-game slate, comprised of 18 conference games and seven non-league outings. Fans will see the Rams host 11 home contests at historic Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink. 

PRESEASON PREP
To get ready for its 25-game regular-season schedule, Suffolk hosted a pair of exhibition outings at Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink. The Rams won the two contests, a 5-2 decision over Albertus Magnus, Oct. 19, and a 4-0 shutout against Framingham State, Oct. 26.  

LIFT THE LID

• The Rams are 9-10-1 in season debuts since 1999.
• Last year, Suffolk opened the season against Franklin Pierce and came away winners in shutout fashion, 7-0.
• Suffolk has captured its last eight openers, seven coming against Assumption and one against Franklin Pierce.
• The blue-and-gold will lift the lid on its schedule on road ice for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. The Rams are 2-4-0 in the first outing of the year on the road.
• Suffolk posted seven goals to open the campaign a year ago, which marked a program record. 
• The Rams blanked their opponent, Franklin Pierce, 7-0, in its season debut last season, a first in the record books. 
• Suffolk will meet Franklin Pierce in its season opener for the second consecutive campaign. 

TO BE THE BEST, YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE BEST
A year ago, the Rams made their names known against not only some of the NEHC's best, but the nations' as they upset a pair of nationally ranked foes. Suffolk stunned then-No. 13 Norwich, 1-0, December 1, 2018, in Northfield, Vermont, and came back to Boston the following weekend and skate past then-No. 12 Hobart, 5-2, December 7, 2018.

Suffolk will once again have its work cut out for itself as six of its 2019-20 foes appeared on the USCHOL Preseason Division III Poll: No. 2 Norwich, No. 5 Hobart, No. 10 Trinity, No. 12 UMass Boston, No. 15 Babson and New England College, who received votes.

WATCH AND SEE
Head coach Chris Glionna caught up with GoSuffolkRams.com to preview the 2019-20 Suffolk men's hockey season and give Ram Nation a glimpse as what to expect in the blue-and-gold's 40th campaign. 

PRESEASON POLL POSITION
Suffolk picked up 36 points in the NEHC Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was voted on by the conference's 10 head coaches, to finish seventh.

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Picked Seventh in NEHC Preseason Coaches' Poll

RAVENS REVIEW
Franklin Pierce will lift the lid on its 2019-20 slate on Friday night as well. The Ravens got prepared for the upcoming season with an exhibition out against Fitchburg State last Saturday, which they lost, 4-1.  

In his third season, Shaun Millerick built a 30-player roster made up of 24 returners and six newcomers. FPU will rely on the veterans of Alex Lester (10g, 19a), Matthew Toombs (4g, 7a), Justin Blanchette (4g, 6a) and Anthony Nikolopoulos (7g, 3a) to lead the way this year.  

Ian Wallace sand Kyle Martin split the bulk of time between the pipes for the Ravens. Over 18 starts, Wallace assembled a 5-12-1 record with a 4.16 GAA and a .895 save percentage. Martin, meanwhile, who appeared in 11 games, starting eight, built a 5-3-0 mark behind a 2.05 GAA and a .943 save percentage. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and Franklin Pierce will meet for the 21st time since 2002 Friday night with the Rams leading the series, 12-5-2. 
• The two foes will battle in the Rams' season opener for the second straight season. 
• Suffolk shutout the Ravens last season, 7-0, Oct. 26, 2018.
• The Rams and Ravens have gone into overtime seven times with Suffolk holding a 3-2-2 all-time record against FPU in OT outings. 
• Suffolk's seven-goal margin of victory last season tied the series record for the Rams' which was first achieved in an 11-4 decision versus the Ravens, Dec. 4, 2002. 
• The blue-and-gold has blanked the FPU twice in the all-time series: a 1-0 cleansheet Feb. 14, 2017 and a 7-0 shutout in last season's opener, Oct. 26, 2018. 

EYES ON THE GAME

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk remains on the road as it moves into NEHC action next weekend with a trek to Skidmore and Hobart on the schedule. The Rams will first stop by Skidmore Friday, Nov. 8 before visiting No. 5 Hobart the following day, Saturday, Nov. 9.