John Spetz returning for fifth season

For the second year in a row, UConn men’s hockey will have two fifth-year seniors back in the fold. On Tuesday, the Huskies announced that defenseman John Spetz will return for his final season of eligibility, joining forward Hudson Schandor.

Spetz will help shore up a defensive corps that set to turn over this offseason. Andrew Lucas, Jake Flynn and Harrison Rees all exhausted their eligibility, so UConn will have to replace half its blue line.

Through four seasons, Spetz has been steady with 47 career points while playing in 129 of 130 possible games. He’ll also provide some much-needed leadership with just two seniors projected on the roster in Schandor and Jake Veilleux.

With the Oak Ridge, New Jersey native back in the fold, the Huskies have four of six spots on defense accounted for. Spetz will be the veteran alongside Princeton transfer Nick Carabin, while rising juniors Tom Messineo and Jack Pascucci are also locks. That leaves rising sophomore Owen Simpson and Bauer Swift as well as freshmen Kai Janviriya, Kevin Fitzgerald and Trey Scott to compete for the final two spots.

Spetz and Schandor will be UConn’s only returning fifth-years. Forward Nick Capone is expected to turn pro after four seasons with the Huskies.