Speaking of Duke’s senior class, the group is ready for their last run together and all eight members are active and healthy for the first time since their sophomore season. The class of 2004 has made great strides during its first three years and the bunch is hoping that the fourth is their best year yet. After all, few teams have a class that can match both the talent and the leadership that the Duke seniors bring to the table. The class of 2004 consists of First-Team All-ACCHL pick Jeff Lake, All-ACCHL honorable mention and 2002 Canes Cup MVP Brian Markowitz, team president and assistant captain Jesse Swanko, team vice president and webmaster David Bradley, All-ACCHL honorable mention Robert Fogarty and marketing manager Josh Wirth up front, with Second Team All-ACCHL selection Calvin Hui and partner Ben Peterson anchoring the blue line. This group will try to pick up where last year’s team captain and one of the top defenseman in Duke Hockey history, Luke Wolin, left off.

Also returning are skilled sophomores Steve Lake, Drew Evans, Eric Shepsman, Justin Bieber and Marc Roitman. Both Lake and Evans made the ACCHL All-Freshman Team last year and Lake was selected Second Team All-ACCHL as well. Roitman will compete for goaltending duties with law student Clayton Jernigan and several incoming freshman.

In addition to a full slate of games against traditional ACCHL opponents, the 2003-04 schedule will bring the Blue Devils back to Washington, D.C. for games against ACCHL newcomers George Mason and Georgetown, as well as another contest against non-league rival Maryland. The Duke home schedule will feature games against first time non-league opponents Vanderbilt, Richmond, and the College of New Jersey. Also coming to Durham will be powerful non-league rivals Georgia Tech and Kentucky. Finally, the Devils are expected to make at least two appearances at Raleigh’s RBC Center, home of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. One of those appearances will be for the third annual Canes Cup tournament featuring Duke, UNC, N.C. State and this year’s fourth team, Virginia Tech.

Overall, Duke is excited to be healthy again and the seniors are prepared for success in their final year. Last season, the squad was plagued by the injury bug as key players Brian Markowitz (lower body injury), Steve Lake (upper body injury), Drew Evans (lower body injury), Calvin Hui (lower body injury) and Josh Wirth (arm) missed numerous games. With those players healthy and the addition of the class of 2007, the team is in a good position to make a run at the ACCHL league crown. The whole team echoes team president Jesse Swanko’s sentiments as he said, “One if my fondest memories as a Duke student was holding up the 2002 Canes Cup at the RBC Center. For the seniors, this is our last chance to replicate those emotions and we will leave nothing on the ice in our attempt to claim both the 2004 Canes Cup and the 2004 ACCHL title.”