It’s not too often a freshmen comes out of High School tallying up 278 goals and 585 points in their four years played. However, the Yale incoming freshman, Ben Reeves has surely made a name for himself. And he hasn’t even played an NCAA game yet. With Reeves possibly pairing up with, senior, Conrad Oberbeck we can see the field of play open up tremendously.
This is a Bulldogs squad that is good – on the verge of great. Last season the Bulldogs went 9-5 overall with a 3-3 record in conference play. Under the microscope, Yale lost 4 out of their 5 games by just one goal. The other game, the Bulldogs only lost by two. This Yale team just needs something going into the season to push them over the top. Could the freshmen, Reeves, be enough?
Reeves put up 86 goals his senior year and 88 goals in his junior year. (Sportsfive.net) At the Division I level, those ridiculous numbers will surely come back to Earth. However, if Reeves gets solid playing time, as a freshman, I would expect him to be in the 25-30 goal range. But the most important thing for Yale this year will be opening up the field. Oberbeck, now a senior, was the team leader in goals last season with 38. Colin Flaherty, Jeff Cimballista, and Sean Shakespeare will also make a return this season as the three totaled 35 goals together.
Possibly, Reeves can step up early and try to form the role of All-American Brandon Mangan. Mangan put up 28 goals for the Bulldogs last season and is now playing in the MLL with the Lizards. Yes, the expectations of a freshman may be high but numbers don’t lie. Reeves teaming up with Conrad Oberbeck will be a driving force for Yale that should have them easily clinch a spot in the Ivy League Tournament and possibly a chance at the title.
