Experienced Saugus looks for smooth move to CAL

Saugus hockey coach Jeff Natalucci is hopeful the lessons the Sachems learned during their final, frustrating season in the Northeastern Conference lead to a productive transition to the Cape Ann League this winter.Saugus dressed only three seniors last year and a byproduct of its abundant youth was the inability to hold third-period leads during a 2-16-2 campaign.?There were too many times last year when we lost leads in the third period. The biggest thing for us is to learn how to win and not wait for bad things to happen. We have to get back to dictating play and making teams adjust to what we?re doing,” said Natalucci, who has 11 regulars back from last season.There is ample depth at forward, led by four-year varsity performer and senior captain Steve Kay (3-7-10) and senior captain Kyle Zabrowski (8 points).?Steve skated on the first line as a freshman. He has great speed and is very strong. Kyle is a gritty two-way player and they?re both working hard to set the tone for us,” Natalucci said.Junior center Chris Sanderson is a skilled distributor of the puck and, along with classmate Nik Straticos, possesses the type of speed that places a strain on opposing defenses. Senior John Morey also gained experience last season while freshmen Mike Sanacarro and Brendan Ronan could both step in and take regular shifts.?Our forwards can all go. Our speed is definitely a strength, so we?re going to be very aggressive on the forecheck,” Natalucci noted.Senior goalies David Aiken and Anthony Allen both saw considerable action last year and will once again compete for playing time. Aiken just returned from an injury and has been cleared to start skating.Juniors Joe Russo and Christian Patterson are the most experienced pair on the back line. In total, six returning defensemen and three freshmen are engaged in a healthy competition for the top four spots and regular ice time.Natalucci said it is imperative that the Sachems start strong.?There is no question we want to start fast and build our confidence and some momentum. We?ve had a good first few days of practice. We?ve got a lot of guys back with experience and hopefully they learned from what they went through last season,” he said.The shift to the Cape Ann League is bittersweet.?It?s certainly going to be a change. We (the coaches) all played at Saugus. We?ll miss the NEC but we?re certainly looking forward to the new challenge. We?re going into a very competitive league with programs like Newburyport, Triton and Lynnfield. And they had Masconomet, Amesbury and Pentucket all knocking on the (tournament) door last year, so we certainly have our work cut out for us,” he said.Saugus opens CAL play on the road Dec. 14 against Pentucket at Veterans Memorial Rink (Haverhill, 6 p.m.). Saugus has also maintained NEC ties with non-league games against both Swampscott and Winthrop.