OVERVIEW: After back-to-back 8-6 seasons, head coach Lars Tiffany has turned Brown into a potential national champion contender in 2015, going 12-5 on the year and winning their first five games and eight of their first nine. But teams caught on to Brown’s quick transition play, and the Bears went 4-4 to end the season. The Bears return the majority of their roster from last season. They lose an attacker in Nick Piroli, who is now a graduate student at Syracuse, two defensemen defenseman, and a few midfielders. Dylan Molloy and his 92 points return to lead the attack unit, along with seniors Henry Blynn and Kylor Bellistri. Senior Brendan Caputo leads the midfield, while junior Larken Kemp remains a threat at the LSM position, and senior Jack Kelly returns to the cage.
STRENGTH: Scoring – Duh. Their top four scorers return to Rhode Island, and the Bears had the fifth highest scoring offense in the country in 2015. And their quick transition game is deadly, as Larken Kemp is a weapon as a long-stick midfielder.
WEAKNESS: Defense – Outside of Jack Kelly, the Bears were ranked 38th in Division I in scoring defense. They lost defensemen Stephen Loudon and Will Swindell to graduation, who started every game in 2015. They also lost defensive midfielders Corbin Booker and Nick Weeden as well. Alec Tulett will be the sole starter on defense returning, with a ton of sophomores waiting for their chance to grab a starting spot as well.
TOP RETURNEE: Dylan Molloy – He was in the top five in goals and points, and if Brown plays like they did last year, he should be in the top five again. He led Brown in scoring in his freshman year with…39 points. I expect him to finish around 70-80 points this season.
BREAKTHROUGH PLAYER: Alec Tullett – Jack Kelly had a splendid year in net, and Larken Kemp is a threat on both sides of the ball. But if Brown wants to be serious title contenders and not a bubble team for the NCAA Tournament come May, Tullett will have to be a big anchor for the defense to help some of the sophomore poles. Also at midfield, look for Ted Ottens, Brewster Warble, and Steve Hudak to play supporting roles for the Bears.
