Men’s Hockey’s McEachern Era Begins with Salve Regina Home-and-Home

SUFFOLK vs. SALVE REGINA
Date Time Venue Video Stats Program	Friday, Nov. 4 6:00 PM Porrazzo Rink East Boston, Mass. Suffolk Playsight GoSuffolkRams.com Digital Program
Date Time Venue Video Stats	Saturday, Nov. 5 7:00 PM St. George's Rink Middletown, R.I. YouTube GoSuffolkRams.com
Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	Suffolk Trails, 11-15-4 Feb. 5, 2022, T, 1-1 (OT) Jan. 23, 2016, W, 3-2 T1

BOSTON – Suffolk men's hockey will start a new chapter of its record book this weekend when the Shawn McEachern era begins with a home-and-home Commonwealth Coast Conference series against Salve Regina. The Rams will entertain the Seahawks at Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink Friday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m., before the blue-and-gold venture to Newport, Rhode Island, Saturday, Nov. 5 for a 7 p.m. showdown. 

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

RAMS REWIND
Suffolk rejoined the CCC after a three-year hiatus. The Rams skated to an 8-13-4 overall record and 7-10-4 league ledger en route to the fifth seed in the conference tournament. The blue-and-gold could not take down fourth-seed Curry, who ended the blue-and-gold's campaign by a 2-1 quarterfinal setback.  

WELCOME BACK
The Rams return 69.1 percent of its total offense from a year ago including 74.6 percent of its 67 goals scored. Devin Lowe, who led the squad in points (20) and assists (13) and was second on the team in goals (7) is back in blue-and-gold, as well as offensive threats Nick Lachaine (6g, 8a), Olle Akermark (2g, 9a), Alex Kolowrat (5g, 6a), Samuel Rand (5g, 6a) and Ryan Harrigan (4g, 6a), in addition to a handful of others.  

All three of Suffolk's goaltenders, Cal Wilcox (3.40 GAA, .905 save percentage), Jarret Bovarnick (3.75 GAA, .872 save percentage) and Casen Janko (0.00 GAA), who combined for a 3.43 GAA and .905 save percentage last year, return to their post between the pipes.  

RAMS ROOKIES
Suffolk men's hockey's will have an added boost for the 2022-23 season as nine newcomers have joined the Rams roster for their first year of the Shawn McEachern era.

Eight members of the group will be making their collegiate debuts in Suffolk blue-and-gold in true freshmen in Tyler Anastasi, Tyler Borys, Thomas Dempsey, Will MacNeil, Adam McNabney, Alex Pratt, Cole Scott and Ryan Webb, while graduate transfer Kevin Ouellette brought his talent to Boston after a three-year career at Saint Anselm. 

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Adds Nine Newcomers for 2022-23 

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's 28-man roster is comprised of national and international student-athletes.

U.S. natives are mainly Bay State locals with 13 Rams calling Massachusetts home. A pair hails from Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina and New Jersey, respectively. North Carolina, respectively. Florida, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Carolina are all represented by one student-athlete each.

The international skates flew in from the Czech Republic, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

CLASS RANKS
Suffolk's squad is well-balanced between newcomers and experience. There are nine members of the Class of 2023, eight true freshmen, four juniors, six sophomores and one graduate transfer.

PUCK POSITIONS
When broken down by position, Suffolk has 17 forwards, eight defensemen and three goalies. 

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk men's hockey is on the verge of ushering a new era, its first season under Shawn McEachern, and the newly named head coach has named the largest captains continent in program history as the upperclassmen foursome of Olle Akermark, Nick Lachaine, Devin Lowe and Cal Wilcox will share the leadership role for the 2022-23 season. 

MORE READING: Quartet to Lead Men's Hockey as Captains in 2022-23

COACH'S BOX
A new era of Suffolk men's hockey is set to begin as Shawn McEachern, long-time NHLer and Stanley Cup Champion, was named the program's new head coach.

McEachern became the squad's first-ever full-time head coach after the position was elevated earlier in the summer of 2022 and will lead the Rams into the 2022-23 season and beyond.

McEachern will be aided by assistant coaches Greg Chamberlain and Steve Sheridan in his first season, as well as goaltending coach Mike Morrison.

NEW PLACE TO CALL HOME
Suffolk men's hockey has a new home as the Rams have taken their talents to the Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink in East Boston.

The rink can seat over 500 fans and will play host to both the Rams men's and women's home games. 

MORE INO: Louis E. Porrazzo Memorial Skating Rink

OPENING ACT

• The Rams are 10-11-1 in season debuts dating back to 1999.
• Suffolk looks for its first season-opening win since lifting the lid on the 2020-21 campaign with a 5-3 triumph over Nichols Feb. 28, 2021.
• The Rams will pull the curtain back on their schedule as the home team for the third consecutive campaign. Suffolk is 7-6-0 in front of its home crowd in the first game of the season.

PRESEASON POSITION
Just 15 days away from puck drop on the 2022-23 opener, Suffolk men's hockey has been pegged fifth in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Preseason Poll, in a vote by the league's eight head coaches. 

MORE READING: Men's Hockey Picked Fifth in CCC Preseason Poll 

CONFERENCE DEBUTS

• In three seasons in the CCC, Suffolk has yet to win a CCC Debut, 0-2-1. 
• All three of the Rams CCC openers have come on Suffolk's home ice. 
• A year ago, Suffolk skated to a 4-4 stalemate versus Wentworth in its first CCC game of the year. 
• There has been one shutout in Suffolk's CCC debuts, a 3-0 setback to Nichols in 2017-18. 
• Salve Regina and Suffolk will meet in the Rams' first CCC contest of a campaign for the first time. 
• The blue-and-gold has faced Becker (L, 3-1), Nichols (L, 3-0) and Wentworth (T, 4-4), in the first CCC contest of a campaign. 

SEAHAWKS SAYINGS
Salve Regina welcomes back a strong returning class from a team that went x-x-x overall and x-x-x against CCC counterparts in 2021-22.  

Up front, the Seahawks welcome back Seth Benson (12g, 9a)), Cayden Kraus (6g, 7a)) and Mitchel Walinski (17g, 13a), along with a deep core of defensemen highlighted by Spencer Stanley (1g, 14a). Key newcomers to boost SRU's lineup are wingers Johnny Mulera and Joey Kile.  

Salve Regina brings back experienced netminders in junior Levi Mitchell (2.70 GAA, .884 save percentage) and sophomore Kohl Reddy (3.00 GAA, .870 save percentage. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• The Suffolk, Salve Regina series dates back to the turn of the century in 2000. 
• The Rams trail the series, 11-15-4. 
• Suffolk tied the Seahawks, 1-1, in the foes late meeting, Feb. 5, 2022, before Salve Regina picked up the extra conference point with a 1-0 shootout win.  
• At home, Suffolk is 6-6-3 against Salve Regina. 
• On the road, the Rams are 5-9-1 versus SRU.  

EYES ON THE GAME
 

NHL STAR HELMS MEN'S HOCKEY TEAM
Stanley Cup champion Shawn McEachern looks to bring his winning ways to Suffolk, as the University's first-ever full-time men's hockey coach. 

READ MORE: NHL Star Helms Men's Hockey Team 

BOVARNICK WINS GOLD
Suffolk men's hockey's Jarret Bovarnick aided the Open USA Men's Hockey Team to a gold medal at the 21st Maccabiah Games at Pais Arena in Israel July 13-23. 

MORE READING: Bovarnick Helps Team USA to Gold Medal at Maccabiah Games 

RAM NATION IN THE NEW
Stanley Cup champion and Waltham native Shawn McEachern will take over as the next men's hockey coach at Suffolk University. 

MORE READING: Shawn McEachern to take over as Suffolk Men's Hockey Coach 

STILL GOT GAME?
Suffolk men's hockey wants you to prove it as the program welcomes back former Rams for an alumni game Saturday, Jan. 7 at 4:00 p.m. at Murphy Memorial Skating Rink. 

MORE INFO: Men's Hockey's Alumni Game Set for Saturday, Jan. 7 

LOOKING AHEAD
Next weekend pits Suffolk against Nichols. The Rams battle on the road Friday, Nov. 11 at 5:40 p.m., before hosting the Bison in a Suicide Awareness Game Saturday, Nov. 12 at 4:50 p.m.