SUFFOLK vs. NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE - PROGRAM
Date Time Venue Video Stats Series Last Meeting   Last Suffolk Win Streak	Friday, Oct. 29 7:00 PM Horrigan Rink Charlestown, Mass. Suffolk Stretch GoSuffolkRams.com Suffolk Trails, 0-5-0 Jan. 31, 2020, L, 5-3 Never L5

BOSTON – The Suffolk men's hockey team will get its 2021-22 season going Friday, Oct. 29 when New England College stops by Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink for a 7 p.m. puck drop.

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation 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. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

SUFFOLK ATHLETICS 2021-22 FAN POLICY
Suffolk University Athletics, following guidance from the University's health and safety protocols, Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), Centers for Disease Control and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, plans to allow fans to attend home athletic contests during the 2021-22 academic and athletic year.

Fans, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, can attend games. They must be masked the entire time they are on campus, pursuant to institutional policy, and complete a health screening form at the security desk of each building upon arrival. This policy applies to home contests played on campus at the Ridgeway Building's Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court, as well as the Emmons Horrigan O'Neil Memorial Rink and the Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink.

For outdoor outings, specifically at East Boston Memorial Park, fans are asked to respect COVID safety protocols. At this time, masks will not be mandated for fans no matter vaccinated status at outdoor venues.

MORE READING: Suffolk Athletics Announces Fan Policy for 2021-22

RAMS REWIND
Last season, Suffolk was limited to just a pair of outrigs due to COIVD-19. The Rams one the first, a 5-3 opener versus Nichols, before falling at Curry, 4-2. 

Griffin Clark and Alex Kolowrat still had a standout sophomore seasons with three points apiece. The former logged one goal and two assists, while the latter put away a hat trick against the Bison. Billy Roche also provided three points all on assists.

Cal Wilcox played both games between the pipes and compiled a 3.52 GAA and .868 save percentage.

RAMS ROOKIES

Head coach Chris Glionna brought in 11 additions to help boost the Rams roster as Suffolk men's hockey transitions back to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) in 2021-22. The group, comprised of features nine true freshmen and a pair of transfers, will add five new options at the blue line, four forwards and new netminder in Casen Janko. 

Junior Pat Lavin and sophomore Jared Newell, who started their collegiate careers at Nichols and Becker, respectively, will add more experienced depth to a team that brings back 19 skaters from a year ago, while the nine real rookies – Sergi Anisimov, Gus Butler, James Clarke, Phil Decresce, PJ Donahue, Janko, Troy Ladka, Joe Lizotte and Connor Thomas – will be relied on right away to help the blue-and-gold in the competitive CCC.

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Adds 11 Newcomers for 2021-22

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's 30-man roster is comprised of national and international student-athletes.

U.S. natives are mainly Bay State locals with 15 Rams calling Massachusetts home. A pair hails from Connecticut and North Carolina, respectively. California, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are all represented by one student-athlete each.

The international skates flew in from the Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

CLASS RANKS
The bulk of the Rams' roster is in the 11-member junior class with nine true freshmen. The remainder of Suffolk's line-up is split in equal parts between seniors and sophomores with five from each class.

PUCK POSITIONS
When broken down by position, Suffolk has 17 forwards, 10 defensemen and three goalies. 

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk men's hockey head coach Chris Glionna has unveiled that Joe Feeney and Billy Roche will don "C" on their jerseys for their final campaigns in blue-and-gold with the seniors sharing the Rams' captain role for the 2021-22 season.  

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Announces Feeney, Roche as 2021-22 Captains 

COACH'S BOX
Chris Glionna returns to the fray for the Rams, entering his 18th season as head coach.

He will continue to be assisted by John Burgess and Greg Fowke.

OPENING ACT

• The Rams are 10-10-1 in season debuts since 1999.
• Suffolk has captured its last 10 openers.
• The Rams will lift the lid on its schedule as the home team for the second straight season. The Rams are 7-5-0 in front of their home crowd in the first game of the season.

PRESEASON POSITION
Suffolk men's hockey has been pegged seventh in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, in a vote by the league's eight head coaches.

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Selected Seventh in CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll 

PILGRIMS PLAUDITS
New England College had the chance to compete in a 10-game season in 2020-21. The Pilgrims went 3-7-0 overall in a campaign that featured four games against Babson (0-4-0), and home-and-home series with Anna Maria (1-1-0), Castleton (2-2-0) and Norwich (0-2-0). 

The Pilgrims are under the guidance of 20-year head coach Tom Carroll, who welcomes back 19 upperclassmen and brought in nine freshmen. Nikita Pintusov is the biggest name back for NEC as he poured in 41 points (25g, 16a) as a sophomore in 2019-20. Connor Inger, meanwhile, anchored the offense a year ago with six strikes and five handouts.

Four of the Pilgrims five goalies – Andrew Kormos, Spencer Kozlowski, Jack Maxwell and Kai Tomita – look to defend the pipes once again. The foursome combined for a 3.59 GAA and .904 save percentage a year ago. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk has yet to find the win column against New England College in a series that dates back to 2015.
• The Rams are 0-5-0 all-time against the Pilgrims.
• All five games against NEC have come under Chris Glionna's guidance.
• Suffolk and NEC last tangled Jan. 31, 2020. The Pilgrims won the outing, 5-3.
• The Rams are 0-2 when hosting NEC.
• Two games have been shutouts. New England College kept Suffolk off the scoreboard in the first two games in the series. First a 7-0 decision Jan. 13, 2015, followed by a 4-0 game Nov. 9, 2018.
• Suffolk and NEC have never needed extra time to decide a winner. 

MORE INFO: Suffolk vs. New England College – All-Time Series 

EYES ON THE GAME
 

LOOKING AHEAD
Friday night's season opener serves as Suffolk's only prep before Commonwealth Coast Conference calendar gets underway with a home-and-home series against Wentworth on tap next weekend. The Leopards pay Charlestown a visit Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m., before the Rams head across town Saturday, Nov. 6 for a 5:00 p.m. puck drop.