MORRISVILLE, N.Y. – The SUNY Morrisville men's hockey team has waited over 18 months to return to the ice for competition, and after a long anxious wait will do so today as they open the 2021-22 slate on the road for the first time since February 2020, as they head south to face host Lebanon Valley in a 4 p.m. battle.
 
After the cancellation of last season, head coach Kevin Krogol and coaching staff, are excited to return to the ice to see what the combined underclass, who have yet to play a college hockey game, can do for the team this season.
 
"We are excited to get back to play," Krogol said. "With a combined freshmen and sophomore class of 21 players, we have a large group of guys that will be making their collegiate debut this weekend. We have done a significant amount of learning and growing over the preseason, and while we still have some to do, we are excited and optimistic that the program is heading in the right direction this season."
 
Krogol is looking to a trio of upperclassmen to lead the squad this season in senior captain Ben Sprague (Norfolk, N.Y.) along with assistants Jesse Anderson (Wasaga Beach, Ont.) and James Boisvert (Mansfield, Tex.), who enter the season with a significant amount of playing experience on the ice for the Mustangs in their careers.
 
Despite the number of new faces that will take the ice for the Mustangs this season, Morrisville returns four of it's top five scorers from the 2019-20 season, including Eric Melso (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Jestin Somero (New Ipswich, N.H.) along with Boisvert and Sprague.
 
Morrisville will have the lone out of conference contest against Lebanon Valley to prepare for a stiff State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) schedule that opens Wednesday. But with two quality exhibitions already under their belt, the Mustangs are ready to hit the ice fast.
 
"Out of conference we will see some new faces this season as we have added some new opponents to our schedule," Krogol said.
 
"In conference we have the privilege to continue to compete in the strongest conference in the country top to bottom."
 
That top league competition opens with preseason favored SUNY Geneseo Wednesday on the Mustangs home ice and follows with three additional league games, as Morrisville heads to Brockport on Nov. 6, followed by Buffalo State on Nov. 10 returning home on the 13^th against Fredonia.
 
Double-headers against Rivier University on the 19^th and 20^th on the Mustangs home ice, and a bout against Kings on the 26^th and 27^th will lead Morrisville back to SUNYAC play in December for four straight to wrap up first semester action.
 
Morrisville will have a three-game skid on the road, with the first stop at Cortland on the 1^st, followed by Oswego on the 4^th. They head to Potsdam on the 8^th before taking on Plattsburgh on the Mustangs home ice on the 11^th in the first semester finale.
 
After a short winter break, Morrisville will resume action Jan. 5^th against Arcadia, before heading to Albertus Magnus College for a second non-conference battle on the 11^th. A stint at Post University on the 12^th will be a final tune-up for a four-game conference slate kicking off with Brockport on Jan. 19^th on the Mustangs home ice.
 
Morrisville travels to Geneseo on the 21^st, followed by Fredonia on the 25^th, before meeting the Buffalo State Bengals on the 29^th on their home ice.
 
A final out of conference match against Canton on Feb. 4 will take Morrisville into the final stretch of their schedule, as they welcome Oswego on Feb. 9 to their home ice, followed by Cortland on Feb. 12.
 
Morrisville hits the road on Feb. 16 at Plattsburgh and returns home on the 19^th for the regular season finale.
 
"With a number of new faces and a solid core returning group we are excited at the possibilities of the season and look forward to working day in and day out to continue on a path to success," Krogol said.
 
Complete roster and schedule information, along with live coverage of home Mustang events, can be found on the college's athletics website at www.morrisvillemustangs.com.
 
SUNY Morrisville's curricula are enriched with applied learning and pave the way for opportunity at both the Morrisville and Norwich campuses. An action-oriented, interactive learning lab, the college is a national leader in technology and has been lauded for its exemplary, innovative and effective community service programs.
 
The college was ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2020 issue and was among the top 10 performers for social mobility, and was also recognized in the Top Public Schools, Regional Colleges North in the 2020 Best Colleges rankings. For more information about SUNY Morrisville, visit www.morrisville.edu.