EASTON, Mass. (September 22, 2026) – Head Coach David Berard of the Stonehill College men's hockey program has announced the leadership group for the 2026-27 campaign. Senior Charlie Banquier and junior Zachary Aben will serve as co-captains, while seniors JJ Grainda and Matthew Romer, along with junior Leo Chambers, have been named assistant captains.

Aben moves into the captaincy after serving as an assistant captain during the 2025-26 season. The junior forward returns to the ice this season after battling injuries last year. Throughout his career, Aben has appeared in 32 games, recording 11 points on three goals and eight assists.

Banquier will serve as captain during his final season in purple and white, having been a consistent presence on the Skyhawks' defensive pairings. The Moorestown, N.J., native has appeared in 82 games over his three seasons at Stonehill, registering 26 points on seven goals and 19 assists, while blocking 119 shots.

Chambers joins fellow junior Aben in the 2026-27 leadership group as an assistant captain. The Toronto, Ontario, native enjoyed a career season in 2025-26, recording 10 points on two goals and eight assists, while registering 36 shots. Over his collegiate career, Chambers has appeared in 55 games, totaling 16 points on four goals and 12 assists, along with 230 career faceoff wins.

Grainda, a native of Carmel, Ind., enjoyed a breakout junior season, ranking second on the squad with 11 goals and finishing the year with 15 points on 11 goals and four assists. Additionally, Grainda became the first Skyhawk in program history to record a hat trick against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Romer, a second-year Skyhawk after transferring from Northern Michigan, made an immediate impact during the 2025-26 season, leading the team with 22 points on 15 goals and seven assists. The Carpentersville, Ill., native will don an 'A' on his sweater this season as one of three assistant captains. Romer also led the team with five power-play goals and two game-winning goals.

Stonehill opens the 2026-27 campaign with an exhibition at Providence College on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m., before kicking off the regular season on Friday, Oct. 9, against Colgate at Warrior Ice Arena at 7 p.m.

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