Despite a tremendous season last year in which the Wolfpack club hockey team claimed the regular season title and a third place playoff finish, this offseason has been one of reluctant change for N.C. State hockey.
The team has entered into a transition period with a new coach in Mike Gazzillo. The Long Island native has over thirty years of experience in hockey, and five years experience as an assistant coach before taking the position as head coach at State.
“I don’t really believe in changing what works for change’s sake,” coach Gazzillo said. “The Wolfpack have a ton of great traditions and has been successful, so I really don’t see the need to change much. It’s all about just making a smooth transition.”
Hopes are high for any team coming off the kind of season the Wolfpack had last year. However, the team enters play this year with only seven players remaining from last year’s team. But the team looks to overcome that lack of experience.
“I think it can be a positive thing,” Gazzillo said. “We don’t have any seniors on this team, but I have a chance to put a lot of work into getting these guys to play their best hockey, and the team has a chance to build a better bond going forward. These guys are going to be together for a while.”
Club president Harry Fryckberg, admitted he was quite nervous about what he would see come tryout time, but said he was quite relieved once the players hit the ice.
“I was a little worried about the season, but then I got a chance to see some of the talent coming in, and it was a relief,” Fryckberg, a junior in economics, said. “I did not expect to see as much talent, so it’s a really exciting thing. We have a great chance to repeat, and we’re expecting big things for this team. We want to repeat.”
One returning “player” that the team would like to see back this year would be the strong crowds from last season. The team was able to utilize a strong home ice advantage last season, with over 500 students showing up for the UNC and Duke games to cheer on the team.
“The guys work really hard, and they feed off that energy from a larger crowd,” Gazzillo said. “We definitely want students and fans to come out and support us.”
Fryckberg echoed Gazzillo’s comments and even credited the fans for some of the big wins the team had last season.
“We appreciated the support we received last year,” Fryckberg said. “Fans are really close to the action, and it’s a huge positive for us on the ice to have those larger crowds. We won a few games last year just on the strength of our crazy fans. We definitely saw a few teams that were thrown off by the size and the loudness of our crowds.”
However, Fryckberg admitted that he cannot guarantee a win every single time out, but noted that there is one thing he can definitely guarantee game in and game out.
“We promise you a good time,” Fryckberg said.
