LIU Sharks 2022-2023 Season Preview

The Long Island University Men’s hockey team is gearing up for its third season as a Division I program, as their 2022-23 schedule kicks off this Saturday, Oct. 1 against no. 8 ranked Northeastern University. 

LIU head Coach Brett Riley is eager to lead this team into what hopefully will be a successful year for the Sharks. “We’re just really excited to play, it’s been a long time coming,” Coach Riley said.

For Riley and his squad, preparation is what is going to propel this LIU team.

“We just want to be the most competitive team we can come Saturday night, and that starts with a really good Monday [practice] with a high tempo day, a lot of competition,” Riley shared back on Monday.

The Sharks will see a lot of heavy competition this season, going against teams such as Northeastern this Saturday, and later on duels with Ohio State, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Quinnipiac, and more. Riley says he lets the hockey speak for itself and there is no real message to teams who underrate them as a young program.

“I think when we leave the rink, our goal is to gain the respect of the college hockey community as well as the opposition,” Riley said. “We certainly felt we did that at times last year, but it’s a new year with a new challenge.

“Our goal is to go in there and prove people wrong and turn some heads.”

Leading the way for the Sharks this season will be junior, and recently named captain Jack Quinn.

“It’s an honor to be picked by these guys to lead this team, and I think we have a great leadership group with the other assistant captains as well,” the first-year captain said.

Quinn netted four goals with five assists during 28 games in his sophomore season.

LIU will be relying heavily on Adam Goodsir, a graduate student transfer from Michigan State. The six-foot-one forward appeared in 131 games with Michigan State from 2018-22 with six goals, 12 assists, and 60 blocked shots.

“I think I’ve had a lot of experience playing college hockey, over 100 games,” Goodsir said in an exclusive interview with NYI Hockey Now. “A lot of my experience I want to bring to the team, the older guys but also the younger guys. I just want to bring my skill set.”

“I know what I need to do to be an impact player and I want to bring that to the team and help the team win.”

Goodsir was named one of this season’s alternate captains earlier this week. “It’s a huge honor. “ I think we have a very good leadership group that’s going to help carry this team and help us be successful,” the Michigan native said.

Returning for his sophomore year after a phenomenal rookie campaign is defenseman Spencer Cox. The Powell, Ohio native ranked third overall in points on the team as a freshman last season (7 goals, 13 assists) and was named LIU Rookie of the Year. 

His first-year success earned him an invite to Nashville Predators Development Camp this summer, and he hopes to carry what he learned with the Predators to here on Long Island.

“I learned a lot, meeting coaches and players learning all the little details… kind of what it takes to be a professional hockey player and it was awesome no complaints,” Cox said. “I want to take what I learned there, bring it into my season to better my teammates and better myself, and help our team get wins.”

A player to watch this season is freshmen Riley Wallack, a two-way forward who stands at 6’5, weighing 225 lbs. 

The Canadian native previously spent time with the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen last season, finishing with 22 goals and 21 assists in 38 regular-season games, as well as 10 goals in 15 playoff games. 

Speaking of Wallack 😂 https://t.co/Zo2NEhcokl pic.twitter.com/rzmZfzkPZL

— Joshua Linsenberg (@JoshLinsenberg) September 26, 2022

What makes LIU hockey so unique is that they don’t belong to any particular conference so they can play whoever they want.

“We love to play anytime, anywhere. As an independent program, we go as far west as Alaska, as far south as Arizona, and certainly love these trips up to Boston to play a top program like Northeastern so nothing but excitement from our group right now,” Coach Riley said.

Out of everyone on the team, Cox gave the best hockey analysis when asked about the chemistry in the Sharks locker room.

“The boys are buzzing.”

Only time will tell if the boys are truly buzzing. While LIU is set to open up their 22-23’ season on the road, you can catch the Sharks at Northwell Health Ice Center for all home games, with their home opener set for October 28th at 7:45 P.M against Nebraska-Omaha. 

Notable 2022-23 Games

#9 Northeastern Oct 1. 7:30 P.M (ESPN+) / Dec 18. 7:15 P.M:

Talk about starting the season off with a bang! Northeastern is a very dangerous team with one of, if not the best NCAA goalie in the country, with Buffalo Sabres prospect Devon Levi. Last season Levi put up some insane stats:

• Ranked first in save percentage in Hockey East (95%), first in total saves (952), first in total shutouts (10), first in goals against average (1.54), and first in wins (21).
• Nationally, he was ranked first in save percentage, sixth in total saves, tied in second in total shutouts, third in goals-against average, and seventh in wins.

Among other things, Levi competed for Canada at the 2022 Bejing Olympics, made the 2021 Canada National Junior Team, and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist last season.

Levi also has some great support behind him and in front of him with former NHL goalie Mike Condon serving as a volunteer assistant goalie coach, along with NHL prospects Jack Hughes (LAK), Jayden Struble (MTL), Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (NSH), Sam Colangelo (ANA), Aidan McDonough (VAN) and more.

Needless to say, the Sharks will have their work cut out for them up in Beantown.

#7 Quinnipiac Oct.9th, 2 P.M / Jan.14th, 7 P.M:

The Quinnipiac Bobcats will meet the Long Island University Sharks in week 2 of NCAA Hockey for LIU. Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey was named No. 1 in the 2022-23 ECAC Hockey Men’s Preseason Coaches Poll.

Captain of the Quinnipiac Bobcats, Zach Metsa led the nation’s defensemen in assists, points, power-play assists (11), and power-play points (14) last season. He also isn’t afraid to take a puck for the team, the Wisconsin native led Quinnipiac with 31 blocked shots last season.

The Connecticut-based program is led by Rand Pecknold who is entering his 29th year as head coach of the Bobcats and will be behind the bench for Team USA’s 2023 National Junior team in late December.

Michigan State, Oct. 21, 7 P.M / Oct. 22, 6 P.M (B1G+):

Most people know Michigan State as a football or basketball school, but Michigan State’s hockey program is underrated having produced well-known defensive-minded NHL players such as Torey Krug, Ryan Miller, Duncan Keith, Rod Brind’Amour, Anson Carter, and more.

Junior forward Erik Middendorf is the player to watch as he was ranked third on the team with 20 points last season. The 6’2 forward led the squad with 12 goals and was tied for fifth in the Big Ten with four game-winning goals.

This series however will have a New York Islanders prospect hitting the ice in defenseman Christian Krygier (2018, 7th rd). Krygier led MSU with 48 shots blocked last season.

Nebraska-Omaha, Oct. 28, 7:45 P.M / Oct. 29, 7:00 P.M:

After a six-game road trip to kick off their season, the Long Island University Sharks welcome Nebraska-Omaha for their home opener.

Another New York Islanders prospect faces local LIU, in sophomore Cameron Berg (2021, rd. 4).

The Minnesota native saw some good ice time his freshmen year in the midwest, with eight goals and 15 assists (23 points) in 37 games.

As for other players who may pose a threat to LIU in this series, Matt Miller may be a name to keep an eye on, especially with the loss of the program’s two top goal scorers in Taylor Ward and Kevin Conley.

Ohio State, Nov. 25, 7:45 P.M / Nov. 26, 8:00 P.M

The biggest home series will go down following Thanksgiving on Black Friday with the Ohio State Buckeyes coming to East Meadow, NY.

The Buckeyes have a talented roster that includes NHL prospects Mason Lohrei (BOS), Jake Wise (CHI), Jakub Dobeš (MTL), and Stephen Halliday (OTT).

Mason Lohrei is coming off of a red-hot freshman year in Ohio. The defensemen ranked in the top eight in the NCAA in assists per game overall, points per game among defensemen, and stood sixth in points and points per game among NCAA freshmen last season.

Needless to say, the kid is a physical and high-energy player.

Brett Riley and LIU are familiar with Ohio State as they met twice last season (two losses).

College Rankings courtesy of USA Today.