By Warren Kozireski —
Wherever Bauer Morrissey has played hockey of late, his second season has been much better than the first. He jumped from seven to 31 points in his second season with the Rochester Coalition and from 22 to 37 in two campaigns with Cranbrook in the BCHL.
Hobart can only hope recent history repeats itself after the 5’9”, 183 lb. defenseman was named New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) Rooke of the Year after putting up four goals with 22 points over 24 games. Sand that’s prior to the nationally top-ranked Statesmen entering the NCAA playoffs.
“It’s an honor but we’re really only looking at winning a national championship so that’s most important,” Morrissey said on the final weekend of the regular season.
“We have a great culture here with (head coach) Mark Taylor and ten seniors have done a great job integrating the freshmen into the culture and every day we build on that…and get better.”
“We had high expectations because he’s got a great head and great hands and knew he was a great kid with a lot of (Hobart) roots going into his background,” Hobert head coach Mark Taylor said. “You get somebody with good talent and good character and he’s probably going to have some success.
“We know we have to live with some things when they come in first semester, but by the second semester the senior out there and on the bench doesn’t care if you’re a freshman or a sophomore or a junior, they just want you to play good.”
Born in Leesburg, Virginia, Morrissey moved with his family to Skaneateles when he was 15 years old. He played two seasons with Skaneateles High before leaving home for two years with Millbrook Prep School and two more with Cranbrook before heading to Geneva.
His father played with Taylor at Elmira. His grandmother, Louise Six, graduated from William Smith in 1963 while his uncle, Matt Kerwick, graduated from Hobart in 1990, was an All-American lacrosse player for the Statesmen and was the Statesmen’s head coach for seven seasons.
Like his other family members, Morrissey has fit in seamlessly.
“Honestly I didn’t know what to expect, but because the seniors are so great to us I felt really comfortable coming in and (the coaching staff) let me do my thing and play my game. I think it does take half a year or a year to get your feet wet and get to know who you’re playing with, get to know the level you’re at.
“I decided to go back for my overage year in junior…so coming in I was 21 (years old). I felt like I needed to mature my game because I still have some holes in my game and that couple of years to develop really helped me.
“They (family) always stayed in my ear about Hobart and, if things fell through for Division I, then this would be the next best option which it has been.”
(Photos provided by Hobart Athletics/Men’s Hockey Team)
