It’s not a stretch to call American International defenseman Dom Racobaldo a natural leader. The Pennsauken, N.J., native captained the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League in 2012 before heading to AIC. He has been alternate captain the past two seasons.
Needless to say, the redshirt senior’s leadership has been a vital part of the program’s turnaround. The Yellow Jackets recorded double-digit wins for the first time since the 2013-14 season. In January, the team earned a vote in the weekly USCHO poll for the first time in program history.
Racobaldo says he has enjoyed helping change the program’s culture during his time in Springfield.
"It’s been a pleasure," Racobaldo said. "We’ve come a long way from my freshman year to now. It’s actually unbelievable how far the programs have come and turned it around."
Second-year head coach Eric Lang is especially grateful for Racobaldo, whose leadership has helped Lang in his transition to AIC.
"He’s allowed me to be a little bit more hands off with how our team looks on the road and our level of professionalism," Lang said. "He is a guy I can count on to lead away from the rink. He’s as good a human being as I’ve ever coached."
Despite leading the team in blocked shots this season, Racobaldo has not been able to contribute as much on the ice as he would like.
He’s had surgery on his shoulder, hips and knee since 2015. He is currently out with a separated shoulder he suffered in late January.
Understandably, Racobaldo says those string of injuries were the toughest thing he had to go through in his hockey career.
"All those injuries at once, there was a point where I thought I may never get back," Racobaldo said. "I thought I was cursed."
Even when he’s unable to play, Racobaldo continues to provide guidance and direction to a team with 19 underclassmen. It’s a vital characteristic in hockey, and it’s what he does best.
"One of the things (Coach Lang) explained to me and the leaders is that we’re the gatekeepers of this culture," Racobaldo said. "The culture never changes, whether it’s on the bench or in the stands or in the classroom. We like to keep that culture held tight no matter where it is."
The Notebook
Sacred Heart earned its first weekend series sweep of the season against a slumping Niagara team. The Pioneers offense exploded, winning 7-1 on Feb. 9 and netting five goals a day later. Sacred Heart’s Marc Johnstone totaled three points in the sweep. …
For a stretch, Mercyhurst was one of the hottest teams in the country, putting together a nine-game unbeaten streak. Though that streak was snapped in a loss to RIT on Feb. 12, the Lakers swept Robert Morris the following weekend to claim the top spot in the conference standings. …
It was a slow start at the beginning of the season, but Air Force has worked its way back to the middle of the pack. The Falcons picked up their third weekend sweep of 2018 when they defeated Canisius 7-4 on Feb. 16 and 3-2 the following night. Air Force is now in a prime spot to clinch a first-round bye in the conference tournament. …
It’s been a tight conference race the entire season in Atlantic Hockey, as just 10 points separate first and last place heading into the final weekend. What’s more, seven teams have between 27 and 23 points. The parity in the league should make for a thrilling postseason. …
Atlantic Hockey mourned the loss of Mark Workman, a former associate coach at Robert Morris who lost his battle to cancer on Feb. 14. He served as an assistant to the Colonials from 2009 to 2016. The team will have a jersey with his name on it over the bench for the remainder of the season.
Players to Watch
Zach Todd | Mercyhurst | The helper
The defenseman from Holden, Mass., has been racking up the assists lately, totaling seven in a five-game stretch. He has 20 assists on the year, which lead the Lakers.
John Laurito | Army | The prospect
Laurito (Johnston, R.I.) had a career day in a 6-2 win against Niagara on Feb. 2, scoring twice and assisting two other goals. His goals were the first since he found the back of the net in Army’s season opener.
Tyler Ledford | Air Force | The hometown kid
The senior enjoyed a strong weekend against Canisius to help Air Force complete the sweep. The Colorado Springs native totaled a goal and three assists in the two games. He is scoring 0.86 points per game, the highest of his career.
In the Spotlight
Derek Barach, Mercyhurst
A native of Glenmont, N.Y., Barach collected his 100th collegiate point in a 4-0 Mercyhurst win over Holy Cross on Feb. 10. Barach scored twice in the winning effort. He now has 33 points on the season.
Kyle Schmidt, Bentley
The leading scorer for Bentley, Schmidt recorded his first career hat trick in a 5-2 win over RIT on Feb. 3. The 5-foot-9 forward, a Wisconsin native, has at least 25 points for the third straight season.
Erik Brown, RIT
Brown scored eight goals in a three-game stretch, which included a hat trick vs. Mercyhurst on Feb. 12 and a four-goal burst against Sacred Heart on Feb. 17. As of Feb. 19, Brown’s 24 goals are second-best in Division 1.
The Quote
‘There’s so much parity in college hockey right now, you’re splitting hairs between winning and losing.’ — AIC coach Eric Lang
