OC Hockey determined to plague competition

Winter is almost here, which means different things to different people. For some, it means that the Oberlin Plague ice hockey season is about to begin.

At times, hockey is graceful, as anyone who has ever witnessed the skating of Pittsburgh Penguin forward Jaromir Jagr or the goaltending of the Buffalo Sabres' Dominik Hasek can attest; at its best, however, it is a sport characterized by violence and brutality. In no other game can you punch someone in the face and serve only a five-minute penalty for it. Passive onlookers who find this to be the only redeeming quality of the game have never been cross-checked in the throat, slashed in the ribs or thrown head-first into the boards.

While ice hockey would not be ice hockey without such random acts of savagery, try not to overlook the fact that the game requires an extreme depth of skill, grace and finesse akin to something like ballet.

This year witnesses the return of dedicated veterans, and with the addition of many promising newcomers, the team looks better than ever. The combination of old and new provides the team with the best turnout it has had in long time. Senior forward Greg Scranton, previously of the Charleston Chiefs, returns as the Plague's foremost offensive weapon. Senior defenseman and four year veteran Ted Carleton has been on an extensive rehabilitation program after sustaining a broken nose and a broken back last year. He will, however, return this season in mint condition and with avengeance. Carleton will protect the blue line alongside defenseman senior Park Burger, who is no stranger to the dirty side of the sport, having spent his formative years playing in New Jersey.

Other veterans include junior defenseman and co-captain junior Dan Bourque, who learned his trade from his uncle, the great Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins. Junior forward and co-captain Ben Bernard, who hails from the Toledo Iron League, said, "This is the most enthusiastic the team has been in my three years here."

Bourque expressed similar optimism. "I'm really looking forward to this season," he said. "We have a lot more numbers than we're used to. We've been working pretty hard for the last two weeks and I think it'll pay off for us especially in a couple weeks when we play Denison. As for Wooster, I'm not too worried."

Defenseman junior and three-year veteran Tyler "Weenie T" Kord has bulked up a bit and will wield his blade on the point with defenseman sophomore Nick Party. Sophomores Evan Kelley and Zoltan Szuts round out the roster of returning forwards.

The Plague is stacked in goal with two veterans and one rookie, all of whom are more than competent. Three-year veteran junior Jessica Friedman, who will start between the pipes on Saturday against Wooster, is by far the most dedicated member of the team. Senior goaltender Ralph "The Chussian Hope" Cuseglio will see time in net as well even though it is often difficult for him to make the commute from Chiberia. Newcomers include first-year goaltender John Breskey, junior Matt Winstanley a Colgate transfer who plays defense and first-year center Ken Gary. Finally, senior Glenn Kaplan will serve as the Plague's coach, replacing the much revered and feared Fernando "Mike Keenan" Bretos.

Game time is 9:45 p.m. Saturday at Williams Ice Rink.

-Jon Gonnelli is a member of the hockey team