Playing in his final Big Green season, Retter has carved out quite an image of himself in the ECAC. The senior captain is not only regarded as a quality scorer, but also as one of the most intimidating players in the conference.

"I think that reputation is accurate, because I feel that anytime I can bring that to the ice and get the team playing more physical, it's going to help us with what we're trying to do," said Retter, whose brother, Charlie, is a junior forward on the team. "I find that when I play more physical, it improves my game and creates a lot of opportunities for our team."

According to head coach Roger Demment, Retter's hard-nosed hustle was perfectly illustrated in Dartmouth's 3-2 upset victory at No. 8 Colgate on Nov. 15.

"Going into the Colgate game, we said that one of the things we had to do that night was finish our checks," Demment said. "And in our big win, Brent led the team with 12 checks ¯ which is enormous for a player in a 60-minute hockey game."

The 5-11, 192-pound forward was tied for fifth on the team in scoring last year, accumulating five goals and eight assists. But along with the rest of the team, Retter realizes that his play on the boards is just as important as his contributions in front of the net.

"He sees himself as being a leader on the team in that department," assistant coach Rob Abel said. "No doubt about it ¯ he's the hardest hitter on our team. Yet, he doesn't let his physical play take away from his offensive ability."

And Retter would be the first to tell you that he takes as much pride in his offensive and defensive abilities as he does in delivering glass-rattling checks.

"The ultimate goal for me is to be an all-around player, and that means being solid in all aspects of play," said Retter, who assisted a goal by his brother in the opening night win against Army. "But if the physical aspect needs to be stepped up to liven our team, I'll neglect all others to try to get things going."

His yeoman-like work ethic has made Retter a role-model to his teammates, as indicated by the "C" sewn on his sweater.

"I think Brent will be one of the best captains that we've had here," Demment said. "He's inspirational on the ice by the nature of his play, and he's also inspirational in the locker room in the sense that he speaks his mind and helps make sure that everybody gets their job done."

With Retter as the leader, it is becoming apparent that the Big Green players have adapted to his style.

"Other teams do get intimidated when they play us," said Retter with a smile on his face. "We kept the hits in all our games last year, and I can't remember one when we had less hits that the other team. And that has an impact, because opponents will have that in mind when they come to play us this year."

As for his personal play, Retter is prepared for his final collegiate season.

"I worked very hard this past summer, both on the ice and in the weight room," he said, "and hopefully it will pay off."

A reminder to ECAC opponents: make "checks" payable to Brent W.L. Retter.