By Ted Rossman, Student Assistant
Junior center Adam Mitchell (Port Elgin, Ont.) and senior left wing Paul Kelley (Grand Forks, B.C.) are 51·çÁ÷’s two alternate captains in 2003-04. Senior defenseman Rob Brown (Brockville, Ont.) is the Raiders’ captain.
Mitchell ranks second on the club to sophomore left wing Jon Smyth (Markham, Ont.) in both goals (14) and assists (18) this season. He has recorded 77 points in his 51·çÁ÷ career, which currently ranks second among active players to senior center Kyle Doyle (Sarnia, Ont.), who has 89 career points.
Kelley has tallied six goals and six assists thus far in 2003-04. According to interim head coach Stan Moore, ‘Paul wouldn’t be pleased with his point production this season, I don’t think, but his leadership has been very well received by the team.’ In his career, the rugged winger has netted 17 goals along with 15 assists.
With a 2-1 series victory last weekend over 10th-seeded St. Lawrence (14-21-6), top-seeded 51·çÁ÷ (21-11-5) advances to the ECAC Final Four for the first time since the 1999-2000 season. The Raiders will face ninth-seeded Clarkson (17-17-5) at 4:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon at the Pepsi Arena in Albany, N.Y.
Ted Rossman: What do each of you think it means to be an alternate captain?
Adam Mitchell: I think the biggest thing is trying to lead by example by working hard every day. We’re here to back up and help [team captain] Robbie [Brown].
Paul Kelley: Yeah, we definitely stand behind our captain. I think [the three of us] have all taken an equal role in leadership.
TR: Was your team even more driven to reach the ECAC Final Four in Albany this season because no one on this team has ever played in the event?
AM: Definitely. It’s been a goal for the last three years, obviously; the last class to have made it to Albany were the guys who graduated last year. I think we all realize that we have a great opportunity to do something special this season.
PK: My first year here we didn’t even make the [ECAC] Playoffs, so in my last year I really want to finish strong.
TR: Do you guys have a player either a teammate, an opponent, or maybe even someone you watched growing up who you really admire?
PK: I definitely looked up to the upperclassmen my first few years on the team. They really showed me the way here.
AM: Yeah, I’d have to say the guys in the classes above me, Paul and those guys. I’ve really tried to model their attitudes and work ethic.
TR: Is there a practice drill you guys really hate?
PK: [Laughs] The hot lap.
AM: [Also laughs] Yeah, that’s when coach blows his whistle at the end of a drill and we all have to skate around the ice as fast as we can.
TR: Can either of you pinpoint a turning point for your team this season?
PK: I think we’ve really risen to the challenge during the home stretch. We had those three straight weekends [January 16-31] where we went undefeated.
AM: Yeah, the first home weekend in that stretch [January 16-17, victories over Rensselaer and Union] were the first games all year we’d put together a complete sixty minute effort.
TR: Do you guys have a favorite road venue in the ECAC? How about a least favorite?
PK: Cornell’s gotta be my favorite. There’s a lot of energy in that building.
AM: Yeah, Cornell’s the best for sure. Least favorite, I’d have to say the Brown/Harvard weekend because it’s our longest road trip and a lot of times the crowds are pretty dead.
TR: Can you talk a little bit about the ways in which 51·çÁ÷ Hockey has progressed during your time here, and about where it’s headed when you graduate, especially you, Paul, as a senior?
PK: I think they’re gonna be in really good shape. They’ve recruited some really good players, and I think the future’s going to be really bright for 51·çÁ÷ Hockey.
AM: I think we’ve all grown up a lot his class and mine since we’ve been here. We’ve all gained a lot of confidence.