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Icecats seek 1st national championship since 1985

Arizona Summer Wildcat

Dorn, Harris led team offensively

Something just feels right about the 2000 Icecat hockey season.

The UA club hockey team, host of the 2000 American Collegiate Hockey Association tournament, is poised to match or improve its 1999 record of 23-3-2.

After a disappointing fifth-place finish at the 1999 ACHA tournament, Icecats head coach Leo Golembiewski can hardly wait to get back on the ice.

"We're excited about the upcoming season," he said. "I'd like to say that I have that good feeling. I'm hoping very much that it could work out for us."

The Icecats will attempt to replace departed goaltender Mark Meister with junior Jason Morgan.

Morgan, who played in 17 of the team's 28 games in 1999, finally appears to have the job to himself after platooning with Meister for the last two seasons.

According to Golembiewski, however, nothing is a given.

"The goalie situation is wide open," he said. "We're bringing in a couple of goalie recruits, one from Illinois and another from British Columbia. There are jobs to be won and jobs to be lost. If anything, there's more pressure on him than last year."

Morgan allowed just 2.22 goals per game in 1999, good for a 91.6 save percentage.

Offensively, the Icecats return the team's two top scorers - Paul Dorn and Marc Harris - who will carry the load in the new season.

Dorn, a senior and one of the more clutch scorers in program history, had 36 goals last season, bringing his career total to 110. His 86 total points last season were the best of his Icecat career.

Center Marc Harris, also a senior, led all Icecats with 40 goals last season and will be one of the cornerstone of next season's offensive attack.

"When you talk about Dorn and Harris, you talk about solid hockey players and solid kids," Golembiewski said. "They're both great kids in both the locker room and classroom. They're very hungry because they're seniors. Very obviously, it's a big plus for a coach."

Harris, Dorn and senior defenseman Ty Brush have been named co-captains for the upcoming season.

According to freshman goaltender Jeff Binder, the three seniors should lead by example.

"We're pumped," he said. "We've got a lot of returning guys coming back. Dorny, (senior Ed) Carfora, Harris and Brush will definitely get us excited about the new season."

The 2000 season, sadly, will be dedicated to former teammate Brad Downing

Downing was killed while visiting Phoenix March 13 when he was broad-sided by a truck that ran a red light. Chandler police believe that the truck, which was stolen, was going over 100 miles per hour.

"Everyone around him thought that he was a great guy," Binder said. "We're all going to give it a little extra this season. We know that's the way Brad would have played."

Downing's number, 23, will be retired for the 2000 season. The Icecats will also wear a patch in his honor on their jerseys.

Golembiewski feels that the loss has given the team a dose of perspective.

"Any time that such a tragic thing happens, it puts more emphasis on what's more important," he said. "It can only serve as a positive message, but in a very sad way."

Binder has his own way of paying tribute to his teammate.

"I keep a picture of him inside my mask," he said. "That way, every time I play, I see him."