This season, the hockey team is blessed with the return of one of the best defenders in the East Coast Athletic Conference. Senior tri-captain Dan Mahoney - All-League and All-New England last year - should be one of the top players in the region.

"I expect him to be one of the best players in the league," coach Brian Murphy said. "He's going to play a lot, and play in many different situations as he has the past few years. We expect a lot of him."

In the 67 games that Mahoney has played in over the past three years, he has accumulated 13 goals and 30 assists, good for 43 career points. Last season, Mahoney anchored a defensive unit that allowed just 2.60 goals per game against league opponents and 3.65 overall. In addition, he was the team's leading scorer from the blue line and sixth on the team with five goals and 14 assists for 19 points in the 1999-2000 campaign. An ECAC Northeast Division All-Star first team member, he scored four goals on the power play and was an EAC Player of the Year candidate for his steady play both ways. Additionally, last year, he earned the Hockey Writer's All-Star Award.

A Tewksbury native, Mahoney has been skating year round for 16 years. When he was merely five, he began playing for Tewksbury Youth Hockey League and "fell in love with the game from the start."

Mahoney began his career on the front line, but because he was tall for his age, the now 6'0, 190 lb. stalwart was switched to defense after a few seasons. Upon reaching high school, his coach placed him on the JV squad at Tewksbury High, which was something of a disappointment for Mahoney. However, his luck turned towards the end of his rookie season, when he was promoted to the varsity as a forward.

"I had no idea what I was doing at that point, I was just excited to be up there," Mahoney said. "But by the end of sophomore year I was back on defense, and I've been there ever since."

As a freshman at Tufts, Mahoney earned a fair amount of playing time. "The coach said I would play every now and again," he said. "I knew that I only had four years to play and I wanted to play as much as I could."

Mahoney's drive to play, and his skills on the ice, earned him team Rookie of the Year honors, and provided him with the incentive to keep improving.

A two-year captain, Mahoney is a strong leader both on and off the ice. "Clearly the guys respect him and have voted him in," Murphy said. "He's a terrific leader and he leads by example both on and off the ice."

Mahoney's teammates agree.

"He's great, because you can always talk to him about anything… not just hockey," junior forward Jordan Karp said.

Although he does not have the hardest shot and doesn't score the most goals, Mahoney's strengths lie in his skating abilities and his overall knowledge and awareness of the game.

"I think I have a pretty good sense of what's going on," Mahoney said. "My skating really helps me… I can get up to offense when I need to, and when I make a stupid play, I can recover pretty quickly."

Murphy is simply impressed with Mahoney's overall game. "Dan's strength is that he is good at many different things," Murphy said. "He handles the puck well, skates well, creates offense, and is a big, strong, physical player. When put all together, that's what you look for in a player."

Stepping on the ice, Mahoney's instinct each game is to control the defensive zone and settle the game down. "My main focus is to get the puck up to offense and let them do what they can with it," he said. "And, of course I like to get involved sometimes."

Mahoney's teammates have the utmost confidence in his defending abilities not only because of the deterrent he serves as, but also for his overall composure on the ice. "He's one of the best defensemen I've ever played with," Karp said. "He kind of controls offense and defense… he's that good. He's vital to our success… every game."

Balancing a rigorous hockey schedule, the Economics major boasts a 3.2 GPA and is a member of Theta Delta Chi. "Dan's somebody that takes everything he does very seriously… academics, preseason workouts, games…anything he does he takes seriously and wants to get better at," Murhpy said. "There's not a lot of coaching to do with Dan."

Mahoney's family, specifically his father, have played a major role in his hockey career. "My father is probably the biggest influence in my life," he said. "And it might sound a little bit odd, because he never even skated…he played basketball. But he's never pushed me… he always let me do what I wanted in hockey. I learned most of my values from him, and instilled them in hockey."

Upon graduating, Mahoney dreams of playing hockey for a year in Europe. He is currently involved in a job search, hoping to work in financial consulting. However, Mahoney is sentimental about leaving Tufts in the spring.

"I couldn't be happier here," he said. "Hockey has been amazing, I've had a great educational experience, and I've met awesome people. I wouldn't change it for anything."

For now, though, he is focusing on the onset of another great season. Last year, the squad reached the semi-final round of the ECAC tournament, and this season, Mahoney feels his team will fare even better. "I think we're going to do very well," he said. "I'd like to lead the league in scoring as a defenseman… but most importantly I hope to set a good example as captain."