Caruana's 11 even-strength goals shared the team
lead with prolific scorers Ted Cook and Les Reaney.
Key Statistics: Caruana
tied for the team lead in even-strength goals (11),
and is the only returning senior forward on the team.
He has missed just one game in three seasons. His offensive
numbers have improved in each of his three seasons from
16 to 36 to 38 points.
What He Does: He takes key faceoffs
in all three zones, playes on the power play, and is
on the top penalty-killing unit. He showed a flare for
the key moment early in the season against Holy Cross
with a late second-period goal to propel the Purps back
from a 4-1 deficit for an overtime win. He also had
a clutch goal and assist in 2-2 tie with rival Bemidji
State along with several other primary late-game assists
during the campaign.
The Bigger Picture: The senior will
be counted on this season to move on to the top power-play
unit in place of CHA Player of the Year Sean Bentivoglio,
who is now with the NY Islanders organization. The question
may not be whether or not he will mix with Ted Cook,
Les Reaney, and Chris Moran, but who will replace Caruana
on the second unit.
Niagara coach Dave Burkholder
on Caruana: “He’s the most complete
player we have, and has been dependable since his freshman
year. We will still be relatively young, so we look
for him to be one of the leaders in the locker room
and make his senior season special.”
