After taking a closer look at some seniors in the Hockey East, we turn our focus to the ECAC, which returns all teams to action in 2021-22 after the Ivy Leagues scrubbed 2020-21 play due to COVID-19.
Harvard forward Casey Dornbach has been a productive scoring forward for the Crimson in two full seasons and enters his senior year as a good bet to continue that trend.
Zach Metsa of Quinnipiac enjoyed a breakout campaign as a junior last year and should be the catalyst on the back end for the Bobcats.
The series continues with a group of seniors who have the potential to infuse high-level play into the ECAC this season.
Forwards
Casey Dornbach, Harvard; 7/7/97, 6-0/180
ECAC Hockey and Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2019 increased his production as a sophomore to finish third on the team in scoring in 2020 and is set to spearhead the Crimson offense. He was a star for the storied Edina HS Hornets in his native Minnesota and took the next step with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars. Dornbach is skilled and intelligent; he drives the play effectively and is a consistent threat to break games open with his speed and pace.
Brenden Locke, Cornell; 10/9/97, 5-10/177
Fifth-year forward finished second in scoring for Cornell in 2020 and should be the focal point of the offense this year as he'll be 24 and bring a wealth of experience. He's shifty and smart, gets to the dirty areas and makes a lot of plays.
Justin Pearson, Yale; 5/17/98, 6-1/185 (Nashua, N.H.)
Granite Stater finished second on the team in scoring to Curtis Hall as a sophomore in 2019-20. Played at Bishop Guertin High before the Islanders Hockey Club in the USPHL NCDC should carry the mail this season as a tall, long forward who can make plays below the dots and get to the net.
David Jankowski, St. Lawrence; 5/25/97, 6-1/175
Tall and lanky, this experienced forward out of Ontario finished second in scoring as a junior in 2020-21, and with fellow senior Kaden Pickering, should provide the bulk of the Saints’ offensive pop this season. More of a passer/playmaker, he could stand to shoot the puck more, but he’s been a consistent scorer since coming over from the OJHL in 2018.
Ethan de Jong, Quinnipiac; 7/12/99, 5-11, 180
Right wing from British Columbia scored almost 100 points in two full seasons with the Prince George Spruce Kings before coming across the continent and making an instant impact as a freshman in 2018-19. He’s a skilled, shoot-first type with a natural nose for the net. After a career-best 14 goals and 29 points in as many games as a junior, he will be counted on to replace some of the production lost from Odeen Tufto’s departure.
Zach Tsekos, Clarkson; 11/15/96, 5-10/185
Entering his third season with the Golden Knights as a grad student/5th year player after transferring in from Sacred Heart in 2019. Tsekos led Clarkson in scoring in 2020-21 with 18 points in 22 games. He’s not the most talented or skilled forward on the roster, but with his age and experience, plus an excellent supporting cast, watch for him to put up career numbers this time around.
Max Andreev, Cornell; 10/22/98, 6-0/185
A rangy two-way center, Andreev finished fifth in Big Red scoring as a sophomore and should be able to lead an intriguing roster with a lot of talented newcomers. It is harder to project individuals on the teams who missed the entire 2020-21 campaign, but the Moscow native has the skills and intelligence to be a catalyst up front.
Josh McKechney, Colgate; 5/29/97, 6-2/200
Back for a fifth year as a graduate student after leading the team in scoring a year ago as a senior. The Brooks Bandits product of the Alberta Junior Hockey League is a deft passer who can set the table for his linemates with his vision and touch.
Christian O’Neill, Princeton; 6/17/98, 5-11/175 (Westwood, Mass.)
When playing at Belmont Hill, O’Neill could fly and pushed the play with his top speed, but learned to play more of a well-rounded game in the USHL with the Omaha Lancers. With his two-way play, he will be one of the Tigers’ more versatile and reliable forwards after missing out on hockey last year. O’Neill and Ontario products Corey Andonovski and Spencer Kersten will energize the offense up front.
Michael Lombardi, Quinnipiac; 8/20/98, 6-0/190 (Barrington, R.I.)
Former prep star with Kimball Union Academy played junior hockey with the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors and had to work his way up the QU depth chart gradually, but broke out with a solid 16-point campaign as a junior and will provide important depth as a senior.
Justin Addamo, RPI; 5/27/98, 6-6/250
Graduate transfer from the inactive Robert Morris University program is an intriguing blend of size and skills. At one time thought of a sleeper prospect for the NHL draft, the native of France could earn himself a look as an undrafted free agent if he can generate offense for the Engineers. He moves well for such a big man, and while not overly instinctive, he does a good job getting to the net and taking away sightlines, while finding a way to get his stick on loose change.
Jeffrey Losurdo, Dartmouth; 3/9/98, 6-0/185
Chicago native is a sneaky offensive producer who is quick and opportunistic. He may not have the cachet or talent that jumps off the page, but he should be one of the key contributors up front for his club this season.
Justin Jallen, Brown; 1/6/98, 5-9/178
The most productive of Brown’s returning forwards, Jallen will get the opportunities to key the Bears’ offense in big situations and build on the early success before the lost campaign of 2020-21. Like fellow senior Michael Maloney, he doesn’t have a lot of size, but is diligent and finds ways to make plays.
Defensemen
Brian Hurley, Clarkson; 6/18/98, 6-0/216
It was a step back for Hurley in 2020-21 after a 15-point sophomore campaign, but look for him to rebound as a senior. The former Mahtomedi HS Zephyr who played in the USHL with the Fargo Force and Chicago Steel before college has a strong two-way game and has a thick build to play a physical style and contain smaller, quicker forwards down low.
Zach Metsa, Quinnipiac; 10/19/98, 5-9/180
Undersized defenseman can wheel and move pucks, leading the position and finishing third overall in team scoring last year with 26 points. The Wisconsin native is a clever distributor who can find seams and get his shots through on net from the point. The BCHL and USHL product has increased his role and production in each of his three seasons and will look to continue that trend as a senior for Rand Pecknold’s squad.
Marshall Rifai, Harvard; 3/16/98, 6-1/190
Former Hotchkiss star from Quebec who played in the USHL with Omaha and Des Moines can absolutely fly and will look to build on a season two years ago when he carved out a bigger role for himself. Rifai is risk-reward as a left-shot defender who loves to skate pucks out of his end himself and can make effective breakout passes. He will have to keep working on his positional play and seeing the ice better, but he has the wheels and skills to be a free agent option in the spring.
Graham Lillibridge, Yale; 1/29/99, 5-9/160
Illinois native and Clark Cup champion with his hometown Chicago Steel in 2017 has not had the same kind of offensive impact he did in junior hockey but is smart, engaged and could be a candidate to lead the Bulldogs blue line in scoring as a senior. The left-shooter is nimble and agile, able to get back in retrievals quickly and move pucks to the right areas.
Goaltenders
Emil Zetterquist, St. Lawrence; 9/21/98, 6-1/190
After an outstanding junior season with a 2.40 goals-against average and even more impressive .926 save percentage, the Stockholm, Sweden product brings top-level experience and performance to the Saints. He previously played in the NAHL with Coulee Region(now the Chippewa Steel) in 2017-18 and has the size, reflexes and mental toughness to steal close games.
Darion Hanson, Union; 5/19/97, 6-3/200
Minnesotan won 30 games for the Dutchmen in his first three seasons and has posted save percentages north of .900 in each. He started 36 of his team’s 37 games in 2019-20, and despite going 7-24-4, posted a .910, which says a lot about how competitive he is. Good size and keeps his teams in the games. Look for another major workhorse campaign for him as the conference’s most battle-tested netminder.
Dylan St. Cyr, Quinnipiac; 5/23/99, 5-8/167
Grad transfer from Notre Dame may be small, but he’s highly athletic and posted a very good season for the Fighting Irish. He can move well laterally and play bigger in his net when he’s confident and seeing the puck. He gives the Bobcats a plug-and-play option after Keith Petruzzelli signed in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.
Jeremie Forget, Princeton; 10/15/97, 6-1/185
With a solid foundational base and the ability to track pucks and set his feet for incoming shots, he should be a workhorse in the Tigers net this season. The Tabor Academy product from Quebec went 35-2-1 for the Carleton Place Canadians of the CCHL Jr. A before Princeton.
