As the 2003 pre-season draws to a close, the Duke coaching staff has released the official 2003-04 Duke Hockey roster, and is proud to welcome aboard the recruiting class of 2007. Consisting of no less than twelve new faces and hailing from all corners of the country, this crop of Duke rookies forms the largest class to put on the Blue Devil sweater since the fall of 2000. They are expected to mesh well with the Duke seniors and help bring the Devils back to the top of the ACCHL.

Heading into the off-season, one of the main goals for the Blue Devils was to rebuild a defense that last year was racked by injuries and also severely limited by the departure due to graduation of three-year captain and second team All-ACCHL selection Luke Wolin. Fortunately for the Duke coaching staff, 2003 has seen the arrival of the finest crop of blue liners to hit Durham in recent memory, and they will be more than capable of filling the void. Joining returning seniors Calvin Hui and Ben Peterson on the point this year will be returning ACCHL All-Freshman selection Drew Evans as well as newcomers Ryan Eick, Issey Kato, Kevin Ford, and David Rabin. A utility player last year, Evans has been named an assistant captain for 2003 and is ready to make the permanent switch to his more natural position as a defenseman. He will be looked at to provide stability and leadership in Wolin’s absence, as well as to build on his impressive offensive stats from a year ago. As for the new faces, they all appear ready to step in and log significant minutes in a variety of game situations. Eick, in particular, provides an enormous physical presence on the blue line, something Duke has not enjoyed since the departure of former captains Dan Shand, Jaime Evans, and Jared Butler in the 1990s. Standing 6’6 without skates and possessing good hands and a heavy shot, Eick is a natural fit in the Blue Devil rotation. Arriving via the Chicago showcase program, Kato also adds a new dimension to the Duke defense with his tremendous speed and puck moving ability, making him an excellent addition to Coach Selman’s high flying attack. Ford and Rabin, with their good hands and hard shot, respectively, will be looked at to provide much needed depth on the blue line.

Up front Duke is happy to welcome a diverse group of skaters that is expected to pitch in immediately at both ends of the ice. Leading the way are wingers Bert Maidment and Ben Tyson. Both hailing from the Midwest and possessing great speed and finishing skills, they will be looked at to fill vacancies on the top three lines and to make significant contributions to an offense that has been one of the most dangerous in the ACCHL over recent years. Also bolstering the Blue Devil attack will be Patrick Meyer, Alex Putterman, Jeremiah Liao, and Peter Elkins-Williams. These four provide depth that Duke has not experienced in the past and are ready to help out in whatever role Coach Selman asks of them. Elkins-Williams also gives the Duke roster its first player from home state North Carolina.

The Blue Devils also welcome two new faces between the pipes. Law student Clayton Jernigan brings vast experience from his previous stint with Williams College, and freshman Andrew Barbour adds good size and athleticism. Jernigan and Barbour will compete with sophomore Marc Roitman to replace former starting goaltender Mark Lavender, who has since departed to law school.

All in all, Duke Ice Hockey is thrilled to welcome the Class of 2007. Senior and team vice-president David Bradley put it best when he said, “Each one of the new players brings something different to the table, and the rest of us veterans are excited to come to the rink every practice and feed off their energy.” The Duke Class of 2007, as well as the rest of the Blue Devils, will open the regular season this Friday at the University of Maryland.