Last year was set to be perhaps the best in the history of the Peabody High hockey team. After going 17-3-0 in the regular season, the Tanners earned the No. 2 seed and looked to be one of the favorites to win the Division 2 North title.Unfortunately for the Tanners, they ran into a buzzsaw named Lincoln-Sudbury and were eliminated, 4-1, in the quarterfinals.This season the Tanners return 17 skaters from that club and coach Mark Leonard knows his team is going to be in the mix again.”We will do some damage I think,” Leonard said. “We’re gonna be in the mix and should be competitive every night.”The Tanners will have to replace a huge chunk of their goal scoring from last season with the graduation of Elijah Cohen’s 28 markers. Fortunately for Peabody, they will have a trio of talented snipers to rely on.Midway through last season, Leonard jumbled his lines and reunited childhood friends Andrew Bucci, Derrik Pereira and Matt Rodgers and the Tanners took flight. The “Three Amigos” as they became known finished with 47, 46 and 26 points respectively.”Having those three back is a big thing,” Leonard said. “We’ve got some talent.”Another place where the Tanners will be strong is on the backline where Leonard returns three blueliners who saw a regular shift last season.Mike Broughton and Eric Muise, who had 17 and 11 points respectively, will be joined by Nico DiSalvo, Mike Quealy and Ryan Noftle to form the defense core.Those five will be in front of junior Derek Savage, who posted a sterling 2.25 goals against average and a 16-4 record in huis first season as a starter.”Derek is a little older and a little bigger this year,” Leonard said. “He has the confidence and he really came to play every day last year.”Steve Hatchouel will center Connor Purcell and Pete Sucharewicz on the second line whule Eric Costa, Rob Houghton and Mike Chiappini will comprise the third line.”A lot of the kids didn’t play a big role last year so they are hungry and motivated,” Leonard said.The schedule makers didn’t do any favors for the Tanners to begin the 2009-10 campaign as they hit the road Wednesday to take on reigning NEC North champion Winthrop. They follow that with a home game against always tough Gloucester and face Division 3 North power Concord-Carlisle right before Christmas.”We are going to see what were about this year with our schedule,” Leonard said.Peabody also will take on Division 2 North heavyweights Masconomet, Wilmington and Bishop Fenwick while also having a January 20 rematch with L-S on home ice.