Wakita named captain, 5 others to rotate as assistants

Today at the team's Media Day Coach Nate Leaman announced that senior defenseman Mike Wakita has been elected captain by his teammates and will be wearing the "C" this season. He also announced that there will be a rotation of five players as alternate captains this season. These five are senior forward Jason Walters, senior defenseman Mike Schreiber, junior forward Andrew Buote, junior defenseman Brock Matheson, and junior forward Adam Presizniuk.

I feel that Wakita is a great choice for captain. He brings so much heart and determination on and off the ice. Even though his presence isn't felt on the score sheet (eight points over three years), he is definitely noticed through out the game with his great defensive presence and bone crushing hits. He is definitely a fan favorite, and now it is obvious that he is a locker room favorite as well.

Schreiber and Walters are also great choices. Both are four-year letter-winners and they have made huge impacts on the offensive side of the puck. Walters has helped pace the Union offense over his years having scored 26 goals and posting 49 assists in 105 games, while Schreiber has helped the offense from the blueline having posted nine goals and 40 assists in 108 games. Both are also major presences on the power play.

Presizniuk is a pretty obvious choice in my eyes. He is one of the greatest forwards this program has seen and last year's stats prove that. He set the school for points in a season with 38, and has been the leading scorer on the team for the past two years. Usually just out of respect the best player is given at least an "A."

The opposite is to be said about Buote and Matheson as they are not big time point getters. Buote has five goals and two assists in 69 games, while Matheson one goal and six assists in 62 games. These guys are barely recognized for their actions on the ice, but they both play crucial roles for the Dutchmen. Buote is an excellent penalty killer and has a knack for scoring big goals, while Matheson is a great stay-at-home defenseman who has bailed out the defense numerous amount of times. Now with "A"'s on their chests they will be noticed more and appreciated for their dirty work.

See Ken Schott's video discussing the new captains with Coach Leaman, Wakita, and Presizniuk:
http://www.dailygazette.com/videos/2009/oct/05/267/