Returning only eight of their top 20 players, it will be very difficult for this
Pirate team to duplicate the feats of the 1998 NCHSLA state champions. Nine
seniors, including five all-state players, graduated, leaving some big gaps in
the Pirate lineup.
The race for the league title looks to be a dogfight with
at least half the teams having a legitimate shot at the trophy. Whether or not
RHS is there at the end will depend on players stepping up to fill the shoes
of last year's graduates.
The midfield appears to be the strongest position as two-time all-state
player Bradley Shore (48g,23a), will lead the way. A pre-season favorite for
player of the year, the senior's third point this season will make him
Riverside's all-time leading scorer. Senior speedster Nic Tyndall (11g, 7a), who was honorable mention all-state and Pac VI last year, and junior Jon Ham (12g, 4a) will have to increase their scoring outputs this year to make up for
the 78 midfield goals lost to graduation. But they both have plenty of
experience and should satisfy the expectations.
They will be aided by seniors
Steve Knopp and Blair Bordeaux, junior Robert Douglass, and sophomore Laurence Tilley. The biggest question at middie is who will handle the faceoff chores
left vacant by All-American Scott Gordon who dominated the league last year,
winning 80 percent.
At attack, second team All-Stater Evan Leekley (35g, 40a) will anchor an
inexperienced unit with little depth. He will be joined by senior Eric Poston (6g, 2a) and junior Adam Whitfield (12g, 3a). These three played together in
the fall, and showed great promise in the transition game.
The defense will notice the biggest change this year. Gone are two two-time
all-state players, and the starting goalie. The lone returning starter at
close defense is junior Tom Raspet. After a solid showing last spring, and a
strong fall, Tom should be one of the league's premier defenseman.
Also
returning is senior Matt Carpenter who ran at defensive middie last year. This
year, look for Matt to be playing both close defense and defensive middie as
the coaches seek to utilize his speed and athleticism. Senior co-captain Marc Tillett had a solid fall and will probably fill one of the other two spots.
Junior Adam Roberts and sophomore Brendan Griffin are the pre-season favorites
to battle for the last spot, while junior Casey Crowley will also fight for
playing time.
The goal will be filled by junior Jamie Zawadowski, the backup
keeper for the last two years. "Z" has an outstanding .690 save percentage in
limited action, but he has worked exceptionally hard since last spring, and
should be a formidable presence between the pipes.
