By Tim Schmitt
For a guy who’d sparingly touched the scoresheet through his first three seasons, something about his senior year has given Ryan Olidis the chance to flourish.
Although the Niagara University men’s hockey team has yet to register a win in 10 starts heading into tonight’s non-league matchup with RPI at Dwyer Arena, Olidis continues to make huge strides as the team’s leader.
Olidis had just 21 points in his first 80 games on Monteagle Ridge. Since being paired with Chris Moran and Egor Mironov four games ago, he’s notched six points, including three goals.
“I know that in my role as a senior, as a senior captain, I had to step up and play a bigger role and be a leader on this team,” he said. “I just started taking it day by day. Control what you control. I’ve just worked hard and when you do that, you get rewarded.”
Olidis has often been the best Niagara player on the ice, and his effort against Michigan was one of his best. Following the close loss, in which he scored, Niagara coach Dave Burkholder tld scouts that he thinks Olidis could be worthy of a pro contract at the season’s conclusion.
“He was fast and he was a factor in the Michigan game. He did the same thing at UMass. There’s no question he’s still on track,” Burkholder said.
And while Olidis appreciates the attention, he’s more concerned with pulling the Purple Eagles out of the doldrums.
“We’re trying to keep it positive in the room, because in the big picture, it can’t get any worse than this,” Olidis said. “There’s only one way to go and that’s up from here. We’ve got to stay positive. Good things are going to happen once we get the first win. Once we do, we’re going to keep rolling.”
Burkholder agreed, although he knows tonight’s contest against an RPI team getting votes in the USCHO.com poll won’t be easy.
But in Olidis he’s got a bona fide leader, a guy who has come through the system and developed gradually.
“He’s had the skillset. He’s as fast as anyone. he’s got the pro body,” the coach said. “You were just hoping it would come together for him. I saw him last spring when our seniors were graduating and the team was coming back for workouts, he was one of the vocal guys. I knew he was going to be a go-to guy and a captain. I think that culminating with the C on him. He’s got confidence.
“He’s leading most nights and we’re following him.”
Contact sports editor Tim Schmitt at 282-2311, ext. 2266.
GAME NIGHT
RPI at Niagara
• WHEN: Men’s Hockey
• WHERE: Dwyer Arena
• RADIO: 1440-AM
• NOTES: Niagara comes in 0-8-2 after getting a tie and a loss against Robert Morris last weekend. ... NU has played just one other Wednesday night game, in 1997 against Hobart. ... RPI’s Chase Polacek leads the team in points (9 goals, 7 assists), but Brandon Pirri is one of the fastest players the Eagles will face this year.
