As the temperature starts to drop and the ponds begin to freeze over, hockey season is upon us.

The Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team is preparing to get their '08-'09 season underway.

For these warriors on ice, it is more than just a season, it's what they've been looking forward to all year.

It's a time when the brutal two-hour practices and year-round agility workouts finally get put to the test, and with a single whistle and drop of the puck, the next five months of their life belong to the game of hockey.

The hockey team is no newcomer to success in the rink.

Last year, the Pioneers finished the season with a 17-21 overall record, getting them a bid for the playoffs.

After advancing to the Final Five, the team ended their season with a loss to Mercyhurst, who went on to play in the Atlantic Hockey Association championship game versus Air Force.

With last season a distant memory, the team is looking to build off of their loss in the post-season.

"Our team will come back and be successful because we have a great group returning with solid leadership," said junior defenseman Corey Laurysen. "We only lost a couple guys from last year's team and the incoming freshman seem to be adapting very well. Our team feels that we have something to prove to the league this year and we won't settle for anything less than the Atlantic Hockey title."

The Pioneers will look to prove to the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA) that they are here to compete, receiving a ranking of fourth overall in their conference in the AHA's preseason coaches' poll.

It will be tough to fill the skates of Scott Marchesi and Alexandre Parent, who graduated last spring, but the Pioneers are confident in their ability to work and play as a unit to replace these clutch leaders.

With senior Dave Grimson as captain, and fellow senior Bear Trapp and junior Matt Gordon as the new assistant captains at the helm of the team, the players look to improve and take their game to a new level.

"We have a great group of elected leaders on the team this year," said Gordon. "Grimson was an assistant captain last year, so he has the experience of being in charge and leading the team.  He is a well respected guy in the locker room and everyone listens to what he has to say.  The same goes for Trapp. He's been a coach to most guys in the past because he knows the game so well."

The Pioneers bring a powerful presence to the ice this year especially on the defensive side of the puck.

"As a team we are very close and have great players starting from our goaltending out," said Laurysen. "We work hard to try to limit the goals against. Individually, we have great seniors returning, including our goalie Stefan Drew and defenseman Dave Grimson and Paul Ferraro."

While defense is a crucial part of the Pioneers' game, they also boast a talented offensive core.

This season, the team will turn to juniors Dave Jarman and Nick Johnson, and seniors Eric Giosa, Bear Trapp and Kyle Tyll, to take control on offense.

"There hasn't been too many changes in the line-up, so we still have a lot of chemistry within the lines," said Jarman. "We've been working out on a consistent basis to make sure we stay injury free and still perform in March."

The Pioneers are aware that there are areas that they need to improve on if they want to go farther into the post-season and make a bigger name for themselves in the AHA.

"We need to improve mainly with our consistency," said forward Nick Johnson. "Last year, some games we looked like a championship caliber team, but other games we just didn't bring it. This year, only losing a few guys and everyone getting another year of experience in them, we will play with more consistency and confidence."

This upcoming season will prove to be a test for the Pioneers.

They have a tough schedule, as they will travel to Colorado twice to play conference champions Air Force and Colorado College, and also to South Bend, Ind., where the team will face off against the University of Notre Dame, who played in the NCAA Division I National Championship game last year.

The '08-'09 season will kick off tomorrow, as the Pioneers go head-to-head against Air Force at 7:05 p.m. at the Milford Ice Pavilion.

The Pioneers are excited about their season and won't accept anything less than success.

"As a team we have all the right pieces this year to win the Atlantic Hockey Association championship and go to the NCAA's," said Johnson.