Graduate student center Lynden Breen and senior defenseman David Breazeale will co-captain the University of Maine men’s hockey team for the second straight season while senior centers Nolan Renwick and Harrison Scott and junior left wing Thomas Freel will serve as alternate captains.
Renwick was an alternate captain a year ago but this will be the first time for Scott and Freel.
They were chosen by the players with the coaches also weighing in.
Scott is in just his second season at UMaine after transferring from Bentley University (Massachusetts).
“They are all high-character guys,” said UMaine head coach Ben Barr, who is beginning his fourth season behind the Black Bear bench.
“Lynden, David and Nolan did a great job last year,” said Barr. “Harrison is a phenomenal leader with his work ethic and all he did last year. Same with Thomas.”
Barr said there could have been other captains as well because of all the high-character players on this season’s team.
Breen is coming off a season in which he had nine goals and a career-high 21 assists. He is Hockey East’s leader among active players in points (102), goals (42), assists (60), face-off wins (1,157) and shots on goal (362).
He is fourth among all active players from the 64 Division I schools in points, sixth in goals and 10th in assists. He is also tied for sixth in career shorthanded goals with four.
The Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick native has played 122 career games at UMaine.
Breazeale has played all 106 games during his first three seasons and has five goals, 33 assists and 115 blocked shots during his career. The native of Grandville, Michigan, had a single-season high of 43 blocked shots and 43 shots on goal a year ago.
Renwick, who is from Milestone, Saskatchewan, was limited to 25 games a year ago due to an ankle injury but will enter the season with 15 goals and 27 assists in 94 career games. He has won 54.9 percent of his faceoffs during his three seasons.
San Jose native Scott had a tremendous first season at UMaine as he set career single-season highs in points (27), goals (15), assists (12), face-off wins, shots on goal (102), face-off wins (396), power play goals (4) and game-winning goals (4). He was second in Hockey East in face-off wins and fourth in faceoff wins per game (10.7).
Freel, who was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, before moving to Ottawa, Ontario, is coming off his best season at UMaine with career-highs in points (22), goals (6) and assists (16). He has appeared in 73 games at UMaine and has eight goals and 29 assists.
UMaine, coming off a 23-12-2 season and its first trip to the Hockey East semifinals and NCAA Tournament since the 2011-12 season, will open the campaign against American International College (Massachusetts) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Alfond Arena.
