Brady Shaw: Sophomore, 6’1″, 200 lbs

• Invited to Montreal Canadiens Development Camp in the summer of 2013
• Ranked third on the team among freshmen in goal scoring in 2013
• Spent the majority of the 2012-13 season with the Surrey Eagles (BCHL) after being traded early in the season from the Coquitlam Express
• 25 goals, 17 assists

After sophomore Mario Puskarich went down toward the end of the year with an ankle injury, Shaw stepped up his performance in a big way, leading the team with 19 goals and tallying 12 assists for 31 points, second on the team only to senior captain Mike Paliotta.

Shaw proved to be an emotional leader in the Boston College quarterfinal series, scoring three goals in the first two games and leading the offense in that series overall.

Mario Puskarich: Sophomore, 5’9″, 190 lbs

• First Catamount to win the Hockey East Rookie of the Year Award
• Tied the NCAA lead with seven game-winning goals
• Second-most game-winners in a single season in UVM history
• Skated with the Langley Rivermen (BCHL) in 2012-13 and won the Brett Hull Trophy as the BCHL scoring champion after amassing 41 goals and 89 points
• 30 goals, 30 assists

Mario Puskarich will be going into his junior year and third season with the Catamounts.

As a first-year he received the prestigious honor of Hockey East rookie of the year. This past season he continued his surge until an ankle injury took him out of play, and the season ended before he had a chance to return. He still finished with the fifth most points on the team, despite playing only 29 games.

Puskarich brings a fearless attitude and a shoot first, shoot second and keep shooting mentality that the younger players will hopefully emulate.

Yvan Pattyn: Junior, 6’1″, 196 lbs

• One of the best offensive defensemen in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) while skating for the Portage Terriers
• During the 2011-12 season, he posted the eighth highest assist total (29) among MJHL defensemen
• Scored 9 points in 15 playoff games and helped the Terriers to their second straight Anavet Cup as champions of Manitoba and Saskatchewan
• 3 goals, 14 assists

Another choice is junior Yvan Pattyn. Men’s hockey head coach Kevin Sneddon, being a former Harvard defenseman himself, makes me believe he would lean in the direction of a defenseman if all other arguments were equal. This, coupled with the fact that the team relied not on scoring this past season, but on defense and goaltending, leads me to support his potential candidacy.

Pattyn is not a transfer, so he will be going into his fourth and final season of bleeding green and gold. His stats may not impress people, tallying five assists and zero goals in the previous season, but he was a very stable part of the success the team had this year, playing in all 41 games.

His stay-at-home style could make him a strong role model for the unseasoned incoming class of first-years. Sneddon’s choice in a defensive captain may be indicative of how he perceives the potential seasons going for the Catamounts.

Alexx Privitera: Junior, 5’11”, 194 lbs

• Boston University of two seasons from 2011-13
• 2014 All-USHL Second Team as the captain of the Dubuque Fighting Saints
• 2012 Hockey East All-Rookie Team
• Ranked second in scoring among USHL defensemen with 44 points in 57 games
• 8 goals, 20 assists

Privitera has what Shaw doesn’t: a little more experience and the fact that he was already a captain in his junior hockey career with the Dubuque Fighting Saints for the 2013-2014 season.

Privitera was third on the team in points this year with seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points and will be the most seasoned and most well-rounded defensemen next year in Paliotta’s and senior Nick Luukko’s absence.