And Captain Peter Clark, the heart and soul of the team, is the center on the returning senior line.

Without a single returning senior on the blueline, the Big Green defense relies heavily on less experienced players. Freshmen Dax Burkhart and Scott Dolesh must adapt quickly to the ECAC competition if they are to fulfill the coaching staff's expectations and handle the major roles they will be given as stoppers.

12. UNION

Hercules had it easy compared to the Union hockey team.

Union begins this season with little hope of improving on, shall we say, a dismal year.

In 1992, the Skating Dutchmen reached a level of mediocrity only the New England Patriots can fully appreciate.

Last season Union, Playing its first year of Division I hockey, looked, well, like a Division III school playing Division I. It had a record of 3-21-1 overall and 2-19-1 in conference.

Those records, however, don't even begin to describe the horrors this team endured. The Dutchmen finished last in team defense, penalty killing efficiency and special teams efficiency, and second to last in team offense and power play efficiency.

This year the prospects seem just as bleak.

"We are just trying to build a good team," Union Coach Bruce Delventhal says. "We are one step closer, but we are still far from where we want to be."

The 1992-93 edition will primarily consist of freshmen and sophmores. Union brought in 10 new recruits and all of them made the team.

"We didn't bring in any Ted Drurys, but we will have some good recruits who will certainly help us," Delventhal says.

Few of last year's starters are returning. The top two returnees will be sophmore goalies Luigi Villa and Mike Gallant. On offense Union's best hopes fall on the shoulders of junior Jayson Flowers (seven goals and nine assists).

From the looks of Union's first preseason game, a 6-5 loss to Division III Army, the returnees will need not only great play but some divine intervention if they hope to stay out of the cellar.