The Edwardsville hockey team has a new head coach, but he's hardly a stranger to the Tigers' program.
Longtime assistant Jason Walker will take the coaching reins this winter. He succeeds Kevin Klette, who remains on the staff.
Walker and Edwardsville opened the season with a 7-3 win against Alton on Nov. 1.
"Kevin has a lot going, so we swapped titles, which means I'll be doing a little more in an administrative role," Walker said. "He and I have coached together for the last nine years."
Last season, the Tigers were 14-7-1 overall, including an 11-5-1 regular season mark in the Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association. Edwardsville lost to Granite City in the North Division finals.
"We lost 12 seniors from that team, so we may have some growing pains," Walker said. "But it's exciting for the kids who have a chance to fill those roles."
Top returning players include a trio of seniors -- goalie Loren Sawyer (11-7-1, 2.13 goals-against average), defenseman Tyler Krapf (seven goals, eight assists) and forward Max Cobb (nine goals, 13 assists).
"Loren worked a lot over the summer, and he's only going to get better," Walker said. "This is the fourth varsity season for Tyler, and he's one of the top defensemen in the league.
"Max is also one of the best players in the league, and he had a huge game against Alton (three goals and three assists). There are going to be nights like that where he's tough to stop."
Forwards Brad Ringwold (nine goals, five assists), Marshall Gevers (six goals, six assists) and Jon Weisner are counted on for key contributions. Same for Cory Johnson, a player who will play a bigger role this year.
"Last year we had a full roster, with 20-plus players. Some of the guys who didn't play a lot of varsity still practiced with the team and sat on the bench during games, so they're familiar with the atmosphere."
Edwardsville was scheduled to play Tuesday at Granite City. The Tigers return to action Nov. 15 against O'Fallon at East Alton.
"One of our goals is to win the North Division championship, which would set us up well for the playoffs," Walker said. "Our ultimate goal is to win the league championship, but we have to take that first step."
