RinkRap III

Ryan and Ted Donato: Crimson and Clover

Sharing the Rink, Fathers and Sons
The Bright-Landry Hockey Center was positively buzzing Sunday night to see the home debut of the Harvard Crimson, and no, the student body hadn't braved the perpetual construction of Anderson Bridge to make the trek to Alston. Instead it was a Who's Who of NHL scouts, alums and player agents who did, and why not? Harvard's offensive juggernaut contains the NCAA's version of the Magnificent Seven, led by sure-fire NHL scorer Jimmy Vesey, PLUS it was the home debut of the Chosen One, Ryan Donato, Bruins 2nd round pick and son of Harvard coach Ted Donato. USA Hockey personnel man and Harvard alum Ben Smith was in the house scouting for the World Juniors, and he was positively giddy over the Crimson colt. "He's not the primary reason I'm here," said Smith in the second intermission, "he's the only reason I'm here."

The night before Harvard had annihilated Dartmouth up in Hanover, racing off to a 7-0 lead in the 2nd period before calling off the dogs. Vesey amassed four points in what breathless eyewitnesses claimed was the most impressive performance in his brilliant career. Young Donato QB'd a power play that went three-for-three, picking up a pair of helpers. Boston's hockey establishment had been waiting seven months to see Harvard's collection of rare talent, delayed four weeks after the official opening of Division I hockey because of the Ivy League's equivalent of New England Blue Laws, postponing Ivy games until Halloween. Finally the middle aged hockey literati got to feast their professional eyes on the likes of Vesey, Alexander Kerfoot, Kyle Criscuolo, Sean Malone, Colin Blackwell, Tyler Moy, and Mark Messier's nephew Luke Esposito, Harvard's traveling circus of professional caliber skill players. Those mentioned above have familiar names and playing styles, but the house full of trained eyes had only seen the teenage Donato light up prep school goalies; now he was tangling with the men of college hockey. In his home debut, the kid lost his NCAA virginity by firing home a 15' wrister to put Harvard ahead 5-2 in the third to close out the evening's scoring. To set up the goal, San Jose Sharks prospect Blackwell spent three full seconds grinding out possession behind the goal line, an eternity in hockey, before delivering a pristine pass to the drooling pup. Donato was asked if he was going to buy his linemate a steak for the effort to set up his milestone.

"I might have to," said the Kid."Last night I gave him one, so yeah, I was pumped." Then boy wonder delivered a tasty morsel to the media contingent. "Colin Blackwell, prep school guy, I love him, he’s been one of my role models. I’ve known him since I went to Harvard hockey camp as a kid and he was my counselor, it’s pretty awkward now that he’s now my linemate; he’s a great guy." A salient story line dropped in our laps in the kid's first presser? Donato will be impossible to ignore, off the ice or on. He is the focal point of a radical experiment by Donato: not four but five forwards on the power play, with his son playing quarterback on the point. "I’ve never been at the top of a power play before, but I definitely like it. Obviously I’m still learning, but I have four incredible guys along the ice with me so it’s not too hard. We’ve got such skilled forwards, it’s really hard to defend." His dad Teddy, whose offensive gifts kept him in The Show for 13 years, is throwing caution to the proverbial wind when it comes to man-up situations. "You know what, we’re more concerned with scoring goals than the possibility of the puck going the other way. We realize there will be some growing pains, there will be some chances against, but we want to play aggressive, we want to move the puck around. We have a lot of guys that we can mix in to find the right group, so I think it gives us some good flexibility and depth."

Not only has young Ryan never run a power play, nor defend against odd-man rushes, but in order to play on a top line, the natural center is playing out of position. "It's the first time I've ever played wing before, so I'm learning how. Also the speed is a lot different, I think I'll adjust my game to that and keep getting better." Another challenge for Ryan is what, exactly, should he call his father? "There are awkward moments when 'Dad' slips out of my mouth, and then 'Coach.' It goes back and forth." Pops is more concerned with finding ice time for his stars than coddling his kid. "I don’t really think about it much. I’m doing what I need to do for the group. Maybe it’s a little bit different after the game, when I have to wait to talk to him because I don’t want to make him look bad. I think he knows that he’s going to have to earn everything he gets.  I kinda joke, but I’ll probably be harder on him than normally, but I think he’s kind of used to it by now." 

Minutes earlier, Dartmouth's veteran coach Bob Gaudet was sharing his experience with coaching offspring, as he had coached two of his sons Joe Gaudet (Dartm.'10) and Jim Gaudet (Dartm. '12) in Hanover, spanning six seasons from 2006 to 2012. "It's tough when you coach your own kid, you don't want to be harder on him then you are on some of the other guys, that's the tendency." Gaudet was warming to the topic of hockey parenting as he held court underneath the Bright Center stands, certainly preferable to the subject of being swept by the relentless Crimson. "I look back at my two boys, I'm biased, I have fond memories, they are two of my favorite players, they played hard all the time, they were assistant captains. As a coach, Teddy's the same way, you want to have the same relationship with your kids through four years of college, not screw it up. Thank goodness I was able to maintain it, and with the hockey mom at home. I think Teddy  gets it, his son's going to be a really good player here."

This is college, and a major exam is staring at both father and son Donato this Friday: Blood rival Yale is coming to town. Consider them the equivalent of Sparta in the City States of the Ivy League, Harvard being Athens with all its talent and skill. Located in gritty New Haven, Keith Allain doesn't have the built in recruiting advantage of his Crimson counterpart, so he builds his squad with defense, tenacity and supreme goaltending. Despite losing a heartbreak best of three playoff series to Harvard last March at Yale, The Bulldogs still beat Harvard an astounding four times last year, neutralizing Vesey and company with first team All Americans Rob O'Gara on defense and Alex Lyon in goal. While Harvard has the luxury of ignoring matchups because of its remarkable depth, Allain micro-manages every shift to claw his way into games. Yale just got through an impressive tourney victory down in Trenton lat weekend, and is eager to reclaim their pound of flesh from Harvard up in Cambridge. The Crimson 2015-16 fantasy ride may hit a painful speed bump if the Bulldogs successfully employ their smothering defense against the team they know intimately.
"It's certainly become a pretty tough rivalry, after last year’s playoff series," said coach Donato. "Both teams are feeling pretty good about their potential to be around towards the end of the season. This is a great matchup for us and a great challenge."

Vesey attacks Pucks AND Books (Courtesy Harvard Crimson)

Veritas Renaissance Man... College hockey's most dynamic player was relaxing on the concourse with family and friends late Sunday night, chatting up a hero-worshipping 9th grader from Malden Catholic high school. Jimmy Vesey had a week-old red scratch down his forehead from a nasty exhibition game with New Brunswick, and his legs were filled with lactic acid. In five days he would be clashing with Yale's supreme defenders whose sole purpose is to shut him down, yet that was stashed back in his priority list. His biggest challenge in the upcoming days is his psychology class, the last requirement as he plots his path to a Harvard diploma. "It's my toughest course. The professor's name is Daniel Gilbert. He's famous." A quick Internet search reveals a professor that is a bigger star in his field than Jimmy is in hockey. Fortunately Vesey is a trained student from four years of academic grinding at the prestigious Belmont Hill country day school, giving him the inherent confidence to meet this challenge. He has embraced all of Harvard's academic challenges, including writing final exams and term papers twice while in Europe playing for Team USA at World Championships.
There is intense scrutiny on Vesey this season. Not only is he a front runner for the Hobey Baker Award and the target of every opponent's game plan, but every NHL team is eager for his services. Due to a loophole in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, he can opt for free agency if he doesn't sign with the Nashville Predators, the team that drafted him back in 2012, by next August. When NBC's Pierre Maguire erroneously stated that Vesey would opt for free agency in an early season broadcast, it set off a minor feeding frenzy. Young Vesey, however, is unfazed by the commotion, allowing his dad Jim to run interference from all the NHL personnel men and player agents trying to test the his loyalty. Jimmy is using all his energy to maintain his balance between academics and hockey, both at the highest levels. He trusts his inner circle implicitly, and has learned from both his parents how college hockey stardom does not necessarily translate to career success. His dad was hockey's answer to Crash Davis from the film Bull Durham, an offensive star in the minors that only had a taste of mocha in The Show. Jimmy's mom Ann points out that one of his best buds, Shayne Gostisbehere, the guy who carried Union to the 2014 NCAA championship, blew out his knee playing pro hockey after foregoing his senior and a valued diploma. Jimmy made an informed choice to struggle through his final year at Harvard rather than chase Stanley Cup glory in Nashville last spring. The official Team Vesey stance re his professional direction is that he will choose whatever path gives him the best chance to make the NHL. If come March it turns out that Nashvilled has loaded up with several excellent left wings, it will no longer be an attractive destination. That is the only way he would opt out of Nashville. Ultimately, he wants to be in the 2016 Stanley Cup hunt, and that can only with the Predators. His choices, and his entourage of straight-talking loved ones, are in direct contrast with the much publicized player departure at Boston College five days prior.

Jerry York "We moved on"

BC's response to the The Bracco Affair- "Irrelevant"... After Jeremy Bracco slunk out of Boston College last Wednesday to forego college in order to play major junior in Canada, Eagles captain Ted Doherty called a players-only meeting demanding that his mates declare loyalty to the squad, and if not, to leave. Needless to say, not a single Eagle bailed. As reported by Scott McLaughlin of WEEI in Boston, Doherty said "I thought our best two days of practice the entire year were Wednesday and Thursday. We did a great job of blocking out all the distractions. It (Bracco's departure) was irrelevant." That single word was the ultimate slap in the face to Bracco, a freshman who was reportedly struggling with both his academics and the fact that he was not a star on this squad. He was, in fact, not even a standout of his freshman class. Doherty's claim of "irrelevance" was born out in last Friday's final seconds victory over #5 Denver at Conte Forum. Eagles gentlemanly coach Jerry York addressed the situation without using Bracco's name. "We moved on and we played very, very well. We demand an awful lot from our players. If you're not ready for that, then it's not a good environment for you." Irrelevant, indeed. A galvanized BC squad has now shut out opponents in 4 of their last 5 games, a first in program history.

Puck Droppings... A former BU player was at the Bright Center Sunday scouting for the Blackhawks. He lives in the Boston area and still works out at BU. He says Terrier Captain Matt Grzelcyk is still recovering from his torn ACL. He said Gryz played the final month of last season, that amazing run to the NCAA Final, with a torn ACL. BU just announced that Grzelcyk returns Friday vs Northeastern... Harvard appears to have found their replacement for departed goalie Steve Michalek. 6'5" Sophomore Merrick Madsen, a Flyers 6th round pick, was solid if not spectacular for the Crimson last weekend, stopping 43 of 45 shots in the 2-game series... Dartmouth's Nick Bligh, who scored a highlight reel goal vs Harvard Sunday, was a junior hockey teammate of Jimmy Vesey for the South Shore Kings back in 2012. Bligh caught up with Vesey post game Sunday, having graduated from sweat pants to suits, as both young men exchanged pleasantries... One of the rare undrafted members of Harvard's "Magnificent Seven" is Luke Esposito, the 5'10" son of Mark Messier's sister Mary-Kay Esposito, a valued member of Mark's inner circle. Mess has coached his nephew Luke and remains very close, instilling the values and intensity that permeate a winning dressing room. Mess is no stranger to the Harvard licker room. Despite his diminutive size, Luke's package of intangibles makes him a legitimate NHL prospect. 

 
 

Rink Rap

Bracco Bolts BC after 5 Games

The CHL/NCAA war over teenage hockey prospects just suffered its latest chapter Wednesday. Supreme prospect Jeremy Bracco (Toronto Maple Leafs/Team USA World Juniors) bolted B.C. in broad daylight for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. For American hockey fans, it leaves a dreadful taste. The kindest soul in hockey, head coach Jerry York, gets ramrodded by the departure, burned by yet another elite American groomed at USA Hockey's National Team Development Program. In the past 14 months BC has lost Sonny Milano a month before his scheduled arrival on campus, Noah  Hanifin to the Hurricanes after a single season at the Heights (it was obvious to many observers he needed at least another year of seasoning in the NCAA) and now Bracco. But unlike the prior two, Bracco's departure left a rupture. Imagine being his teammate at practice Tuesday, showering with the kid, and then reading that he's flown the coop for Canada on the next morning's Twitter feed. There's looking out for one's best interest, and then there is outright betrayal.


A couple of things after trying to digest this rotten news: you can't excoriate the kid, because he is, after all, a kid. If he is surrounded by sycophants who tell him he's great, deserves more power play time, and will have a more direct route to the NHL if he takes the major junior route, you get a better idea what went into the move. Who, after all, is looking out for his best interests? Anyone who says bolting BC a month into his college career is in his best interest is lying. Jerry York's mantra is to send his players off with a diploma and a ring. It worked for Kevin  Hayes, and if Johnny Gaudreau honors the oath he swore to his mom, it will be true for him also. Instead Bracco leaves behind scorched earth in the form of angry teammates (rumblings from the Heights is that his NTDP mates are PISSED) and a jilted coach, the kindest mentor in the business. Is Bracco ever coming back to claim his junk from the dorm? I wonder how that will go down. BC Sophomore Alex Tuch, a fellow NTDP product, will team up with Bracco again in December at the World Juniors. How will that play out?


What kind of values are being instilled here? The stereotype of the selfish travel hockey star is personified by Bracco's final act at BC, impersonating a teammate on the ice Tuesday, the only one on the ice knowing that he would bolt the program the next morning. His parents, agent and the Kitchener Rangers were all in cahoots in this unsavory act. Bobby  Orr's company is the official "Family Advisor" in this affair. Despite his permanent Saint status in the Bay State, Orr has always been loyal to Canadian junior hockey. He was the man who diverted Paul  Mara from his Ivy League career track to play in the OHL. While Mara enjoyed a plentiful career in the NHL, he is out of hockey, and has no Harvard diploma or contacts to fall back on. Bracco's dad was a Division I NCAA goalie, yet he yanked his kid from the institution that would set his son up for life in Boston. What was he thinking?


For perspective, College Hockey, Inc.'s Nate Ewell says that CHL college raids like this are less frequent now than in the past. Kudos to Mike  McMahon of CHN for breaking this story, but its run through the news cycle lasted but a day. The stink, however, lingers on. 

Rink Rap

Crossroads Clash in the Home of Twain
Three dark suits walked slowly off Hartford's XL Center ice surface Tuesday night, heads bowed, their moods darker than their attire. BU hockey's braintrust: David Quinn, Scott Young and Albie O'Connell had seen this once proud group of Terrier pucksters manhandled 5-2 by the fresh faced upstarts of UConn. Strains of Brass Bonanza, the iconic ditty from the old Hartford Civic Center was ringing in their ears from the Huskies mind numbing 4 for 7 power play success at the expense of last year's NCAA finalists. "The story is the penalty kill," said Quinn. "They get four power play goals, tonight we let everything get through us." Dissecting the score sheet reveals a startling breakdown with the game on the line in the decisive third period: BU allowed two power play goals within 45 seconds, the first took UConn 15 seconds to cash in, the second took a mere 10. The instant carnage turned a 3-1 struggle into a 5-1 route, revealing BU as a team much more reminiscent of Quinn's first BU squad than last year's juggernaut. Don't let their #7 national ranking fool you, BU is a team that has lost its way minus their best goalie (Matt O'Connor), their best forward (Jack Eichel) and their best defenseman (senior Matt Grzelcyk to injury) from last year. "Right now we're just playing an immature game. We've got to change our approach in a lot of ways," said Quinn. "The good news is that it's October, we get to go to practice tomorrow and get better." There is some cruel irony in that UConn freshman Max Letunov set up the Huskies' two power play daggers in the third period, and scored both UConn goals in Saturday's game at Agganis. Letunov is a four-star recruit who actually de-committed from BU this past August, the guy Quinn was counting to fill the Eichel void. Letunov now leads Hockey East with five goals, and piled up four points in the extended home-and-home series with BU. At the handshake line Quinn spent a few extra seconds talking to the man-child that slipped from his grasp this summer. The final question for Quinn in the bowels of Hartford's aging mausoleum was about the nature of his encounter with Letunov. Quinn didn't miss a beat. "I told him the bus was going to leave at 10:30. I'd like him to be on it."

Over the course of that evening's post game press gathering, Letunov acquired the nickname "Letti" from his linemate, a fellow 6'4" freshman Tage Thompson, who parlayed Letti's PP puck love into a hat trick on a night he will never forget, hist first NCAA goals. "It's been awesome playing with Letti, I feel like we're really starting to click, especially in practices, and its starting to show in games." The Moscow native concurred. "We had great chemistry on the power play, and five-on-five we just keep cycling down low, and just keep working in practice, and it's working." If there is any one individual who is emblematic of the rise of fledgling UConn and the apparent free fall of historic Boston U, it is supreme prospect Letunov, the 52nd pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. BU's loss is clearly UConn's gain. The Huskies are certainly a team on the rise, led by a brilliant coach in Mike Cavanaugh, an elite goalie in Rob Nichols (career .925 save %), and two supreme freshmen, one groomed in the famed Red Army hockey program in Moscow, the other a coach's kid from Connecticut, Tage being the son of Sound Tigers bench boss Brent Thompson. Cavanaugh's response to the reminder that his team is 4-3-1 against top-10 teams over his first two years in Division I is an indicator of where this team is heading. "I don't want to be known as a team that knocks off top-ten teams, I want to BE a top ten team."

Beware the Crimson
NCAA hockey season has been underway for nearly a month, yet if you believe USA Hockey personnel man Ben Smith, the top team in the country has yet to play an official game. "Harvard's the best team in the country," said Smith from Hartford. "I think they are going to win it all and they should have won it last year." Idle until Halloween due to Ivy league restrictions, Harvard dropped two spots in the pols, yet they were the only squad in North America to claim a point from the rough and tumble New Brunswick squad in an exhibition last Saturday, the Canadian University loaded with CHL vets that swept down through New England, busting up the Black Bears, BC and even the the AHL Portland Pirates before running into the Crimson Saturday night in a near empty Bright Center Saturday night (355 loyal souls). The scoresheet is a neon Crimson harbinger: Jimmy Vesey and perma-mate Kyle Criscuolo (think Batman and Robin in Crimson Capes) lit the lamp, as did Ryan Donato, coach Ted Donato's kid that carries enough reputation to bring USA World Junior scout Smith back to his Alma Mater. Harvard stormed off to a 3-1 lead entering the third, with a wide disparity in shots, before settling for a 3-3 tie. It was a nasty game, as the former CHL pros from New Brunswick amassed 44 minutes in penalties including two game misconducts against their preppy opponents. "New Brunswick went out to hurt guys, pisses me off," said former pro Jim Vesey, father of the All-American, from the Bright Center. Harvard opens their season at raucous Thompson Arena vs Dartmouth on Halloween, and then completes the home and home in what might be a church setting Sunday in Alston. If the Vesey gang collects four points over the weekend, and survives fright night in Hanover, then it's time to take Ben Smith at his word. Hopefully the populace of Harvard Yard will find it in them to endure the Anderson Bridge construction and cross the Charles River to see the best offensive talent in the NCAA.

A Champion at Work: Nate Leaman
At the same time the Crimson were slugging it out with Canucks from New Brunswick, an hour down route 95 the Providence College Friars were dealing with their own penalty issues in their sweep of Ohio State. PC totaled eight minor infractions combined in the 2nd period of both weekend games, allowing the Buckeyes back into potential blowouts on both nights. "We get to the second period and we were in the box most of the period," said 5th year Friar coach Nate Leaman. "Every time we got up a couple or three goals we got away from what we were doing. It will be addressed Monday, that's for sure." Leaman treats each season as an opportunity to teach and improve his squad, and there's no reason to believe that he won't have his #3 Friars in the thick of national contention by season's end. His legacy is cemented on the three crucial tiers of college coaching: teaching on ice; recruiting excellence; and alert bench work. He lost star center Mark Jankowski to a bruised forearm late in the second period Friday and played chess with his remaining players to close out the Buckeyes 2-1 in the opener. Challenging? "Not Really," said Leaman. "Cino (Senior Nick Saracino) has played center in his career, so that's an easy change there. It's really just making sure guys don't go every other shift." In terms of recruiting, Providence has historically been shut out of the Boston area, conceding the Hub's elite to brand names BC and BU. That has all changed under the Leaman era. If you look at his current roster you'll see junior defenseman and master blaster Anthony Florentino out of West Roxbury; sophomore center Brian Pinho from North Andover and freshman power forward Erik Foley from Mansfield. All NHL draftees, all on the Team USA radar, and all from the Bay State. Leaman's mastery of all three legs on the coaching stool helped him build consecutive NCAA champions (Union won in 2014 with his recruits). Calgary Flames President Brian Burke has total faith in Leaman to groom his future players, like Jankowski and John Gilmour, who combined on a big goal Saturday night. After Jankowski's x-rays turned up negative from blocking a shot with his forearm Friday, Leaman had him logging his usual heavy minutes Saturday, anchoring all special teams despite playing in pain. This was by design. "Sometimes, when guys get injured and they have pain, they just kind of make it through the game. Mark didn't make it through the game, he was really good. That's a big step for him as a player, a lesson for him for the rest of his life, that's what big time guys do, they rise to the occasion."  It's no wonder Burkie feels secure with players at his alma mater. Leaman and PC marketing are making the most to build off their Cinderella 2015 NCAA championship. Displayed prominently in the refurbished lobby of Schneider Arena is the current NCAA championship trophy, perfect for social selfies. After both games last weekend, the staff brought dozens of wide-eyed youth hockey locals into the locker room to schmooze with their sweaty heroes, creating lifetime memories for future Friars (or season ticket holders). The latest Frozen Four Championship banner hangs low over the ice, impossible to miss. The Nate Leaman era is in full swing in Providence, and if junior Nick Ellis maintains his .924 Save percentage, Leaman's Friars will be in the thick of the 2016 NCAA title hunt, business as usual for arguably the best college coach in the biz. Canadiens scout and college hockey guru Dave Starman was at Schneider Saturday, and did not think Leaman was a logical candidate to make the jump directly from college to the NHL, because of his lack of pro experience. First of all, it seems illogical that Leaman would even consider leaving his idyllic post in Providence, especially after they refurbished Schneider Arena into his own sparkling play pen. But if and when Burkie needs a change at the helm of the Calgary Flames, Leaman would be an obvious candidate for the Providence alum's short list.

Puck Droppings: Yale was in Providence Saturday, scrimmaging fellow Ivy schools Brown and Princeton at Bruno home Meehan Auditorium, as they prepped for their respective openers Friday. Prior to their first scrimmage, the Bulldogs performed a unique twist in their pregame dryland--all 20 players jiggling the soft tissue under their ribcage in unison. Not a stretch, not a twist, but a vibrating jiggle. Then they shifted to their high-tech rubber band resistance stretching. Rink Rap will post all developments to this breaking story... Yale has a freshman impossible to miss, JM Piotrowski from Irving, Texas. He dashes around the rink in an upright but urgent mannner, but it his not his play that grabs your attention. Piotrowski has a foot-long mane of bright orange hair descending from his helmet, something sure to shake up the country club at Ingalls this season. "I hope Keith Allain doesn't pull a Sampson and Delilah," said college hockey sage Bernie Corbett... BU frosh Bobo Carpenter, the son of the Can't Miss Kid Bobby Carpenter, is earning serious frequent rider miles on his Charley Card, taking the Green Line of Boston's Transit system from Boston's Comm. Ave to Chestnut Hill in Newton. Since enrolling at BU he has become a regular in his sister Alex Carpenter's dorm floor at The Heights, the senior superstar for the BC women's team. It is no coincidence that Bobo's girlfriend occupies the room next to Alex's... Reigning Hockey East goal scoring king Ahti Oksanen of Boston University is clearly suffering from the absence of Jack Eichel. Four straight games without a goal, a single helper his only mark on the scoresheets. "I hope it's bad luck," said Coach Quinn. "It would be more alarming if he wasn't getting chances."... A legacy of toughness has been transferred from former Islander, Sabres and Yale great Randy Wood. His elder son Tyler Wood (6'3" 190) spent four periods of hockey banging bodies of both Princeton and Yale on Saturday at the Meehan Auditorium scrimmages, while younger brother Miles Wood is firmly ensconced at Boston College. Miles, as you may recall, was a senior at Nobles prep school in Dedham, Mass. when he got invited to last year's Team USA World Junior final tuneup at BU, his first experience with the squad that was years in the making. He shocked some so called experts by making the squad, a preppy grinding it out against NCAA and CHL vets, earning him regular time on the Team USA's third line up in Montreal last January. That experience eased the transition for his NCAA debut at The Heights. His old man overcame similar odds back in the 1980's: an American Ivy Leaguer taking jobs in a predominantly Canadian NHL. Randy Wood carved out his impressive 11 year NHL career more through toughness than smarts. Look for both his boys to leave their mark on the NCAA this year.