The Russ Report: Ole Miss Hockey Tryouts

By Russ Eddins

Journalism Student

The Ole Miss hockey team is in round two of tryouts. They reduced the game roster after the first three days of tryouts and could make more. However, the roster has plenty of room, so the coaches can pick the best available players and by positional needs.

The new guys have a lot of potential. I’ll go over several of the new players and discuss how they play the game and their good and potentially bad qualities.

Forwards

Mathew Baines

Baines’s best quality is his locker room presence. He is mature and determined. Something I find fascinating about him is that he was, and still might be, a Chicago firefighter. Head Coach Josh Herbert said as far as his talent on this ice goes, he is “not where he needs to be to compete at this level.” The coaches and Baines know that. I have a lot of hope for him and he still has time to develop into an excellent player. 

Aidan Kane

He has a lot of skill and is pretty fast. Kane is tall, but a little small for the CHS; however, plenty of players have been undersized and succeeded in the league. He has a decent shot and could scratch the lineup. At tryouts, my first impression of Kane was he seemed to be a “one-man-show,” but having said that, he was just trying to stand out so he held onto the puck for a little longer than he should have. For Kane to develop, he should work on his skating.

Evan Wenzel

Wenzel is 5’8″ but plays like he’s 6’2″. He probably will not overpower anyone, but he will try. Wenzel has good vision and is a gritty player. I like that Wenzel grinds for the puck; the team could use that skill.

Andrew Barrasso

Offense coach Blake Gray described Barrasso as a skilled player with good vision. He is physical and, like Wenzel, grinds for the puck. Barrasso is also quick and has good hands and a good shot. He just needs in-game reps, and he will be ready to play at the CHS level.

Luke Maher

Maher has one of the best shots and is possibly the fastest skater on the team. He is a top player for the Rebs. He has good hands and grinds for the puck.

Mike O’Malley

O’Malley is a sparkplug for the offense. He’s not as flashy as Barrasso or Maher but will get the job done.

Doyle Coughlin

He has excellent hands. He holds onto the puck a little too long for right now, but he will get better about that. Coughlin will be a good depth piece for the team this season.

Paul Talbot

Talbot could be a top player for Ole Miss. He told me he is better without the puck, and he can get himself into good positions on the ice. Talbot is a quick, shifty, and pass-first kind of player.

Defensemen

Aidan Emerson

Emerson is an excellent offensive defenseman. Although his primary job is to prevent goals, he can score and rack up points (goals plus assists). Defensemen have led the team in scoring the past few seasons. Emerson is the defenseman who could continue that trend.

Ian Selissen

Selissen is an undersized defenseman, but he is an outstanding hockey player. He stood out to me during tryouts. He is always where he needs to be. His shot, speed, and puck handling are all pretty good.

Robert Brozyna

Brozyna is a big guy. He has some experience at the club hockey level and transferred to Ole Miss from Xavier. His leadership will be key for the team.

Sam Davies

Sam is the brother of current team member Michael Davies. He is a bigger guy with a decent shot and is a physical player.

Goalies

 Philip Sears

Sears is on the smaller end of goalies. I look forward to seeing how he performs at the CHS level as an undersized goalie. The primary goalie is on the injured reserve until late September, so Sears will get his fair share of time in the crease.

Joshua Millman

Millman is the opposite of Sears. He is a bigger guy and should be fine with adjusting to shots at the CHS level.