So what can Babson College junior forward Brad Baldelli do for an encore after leading the hockey team in scoring, earning selection to two Eastern College Athletic Conference all-star teams and helping power the Beavers to the NCAA Division 3 quarterfinals last season?
"Just take it game by game," said the 5-foot-7, 165-pound captain from Northborough. "That was my approach last year, to stay in the moment. We played well all year, but it really came together late in the season for us. We kind of caught lightning in bottle.
"Knocking off the No. 1 seed, Norwich, in their rink and then winning the ECAC East the next night against New England College is a great memory," added Baldelli. "I'd like to think we opened a few eyes, but last year's record doesn't carry over to this year. It's a new beginning."
Baldelli, who played on a St. John's High of Shrewsbury team that made it to the state championship game, finished his high school career at the Salisbury School in Connecticut before enrolling at Babson.
"Brad is our heart and soul, for both his talent on the ice and his dedication off the ice as one of our captains," said Babson's head coach, Jamie Rice.
Baldelli, who had 16 goals (including a team-high 10 power-play goals) and 20 assists last season, was selected by the New England Hockey Writers group for its ECAC/New England Small College Athletic Conference's all-star team, and the ECAC East All-Conference second team. He was also one of 18 finalists for the seventh annual Joe Concannon Award, presented to New England's best American-born hockey player at a Division 2 or 3 college.
Baldelli doubled his point total last year while skating with linemates J.T. Balben of Wayland and John Geverd, and they're back together again. In season-opening wins against Bowdoin and Colby, Baldelli netted a pair of goals and Balben had two assists.
"We started playing together at the halfway point of my freshman year and we've really clicked. John is more of a shooter, J.T. is a good passer and while I'm basically a playmaker, the power play was one of my strengths last year," said Baldelli, who learned to skate on a pond adjacent to his home.
"Brad made a huge jump last season and established himself as one of our top players, and deservingly he was recognized as an All-New England selection by the hockey writers," said Rice, who was also honored by the group as coach of the year after the Beavers posted an 18-10-1 season, won their first ECAC East title since 1992 and reached the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time in 14 seasons.
Baldelli and Balben are among six players from the suburbs west of Boston lacing 'em up for Babson.
Last season, Balben, a junior center who was a prep school all-star at Belmont Hill, had seven goals and 15 assists; Tom Maregni, a senior forward from Ashland and a graduate of St. Sebastian's in Needham, chipped in with three goals and four assists; Chris Sabo, a sophomore forward from Wellesley who played at Cushing Academy, had a pair of goals and five assists; and Pat McLaughlin, a junior forward from Berlin and Cushing Academy, scored six goals and 14 assists (and has notched two goals and two assists already in Babson's 3-0 start to this season). Joining them as a newcomer to the Wellesley school's roster is sophomore goalie Travis Clarke of Waltham, who prepped at the Groton School.
"J.T., Brad, Tom, Pat, and Chris epitomize what we want a Babson hockey player to be," said Rice, "selfless as a teammate, passionate about Babson College and hockey, and difficult to play against because of their determination."
