CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton men's ice hockey season is officially underway with the Spartans hosting Wentworth at Spartan Arena tonight.
Under third-year head coach Kyle Richards, the Spartans have a 25-game slate on deck including 15 contests on home ice. With Richards at the helm, the program improved by four victories last season and looks to keep raising the standard.
"Winning's not a fluke around here anymore," sophomore Zack Whittaker states. "This is the real deal."
Senior Justin Stairs trades in the "A" for a "C" this season alongside first-time captain Whittaker. Zach Trempner, Stone Stelzl, and Zach Papapetros also take leadership roles as alternate captains of the 30-man roster, eight of which are newcomers. "Our guys are getting more comfortable playing with each other," says Stairs. "It should be an exciting opening night."
Bryce Irwin returns to lead the offense after collecting six goals and 16 assists as a sophomore, earning All-NEHC Second Team honors in the process. Last season's top goal-scorer Andrew Stefura is back after his 14-tally sophomore campaign with eight coming on the power play. Stelzl and Trempner combined for 20 points in 2022-23 and bring valuable experience.
Stairs and Whittaker anchor the defense that also features Papapetros, Romeo Torain, and Cedrick Theodore as strong presences that are back on the ice for another year. Among the talented newcomers battling for spots is Logan Dapprich, a sophomore transfer from Rivier who topped the Raiders with eight helpers in his first collegiate season.
Juniors Simon Brenter and Dominic Rodrigue are front-runners for the No. 1 slot in goal. An impressive 40 saves by Brenter against UMass Boston in last year's regular season finale earned NEHC Goalie of the Week recognition. Rodrigue has an edge in career volume, appearing in 14 games with an .892 save percentage.
The rookie forwards are Chance Heaphy, Avvi Tanasiyenko, Josef Vyvial, Chase Strychaluk, and the 6-foot-5 Matteo Turrin. Intent on locking down opposing scorers in the defensive end, British Columbians Cam Reid and Aiden Robson will make their debuts in green and white this season. The Spartans' roster footprint encompasses seven states and four Canadian provinces as well as Austria, Hungary, and Czech Republic.
