The 2005-2006 Illini club hockey team starts the season in the same place they finished last year: on top.

The Illini begin their defense of the American Collegiate Hockey Association National Championship ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll. They top the poll with 431 votes, followed closely by Penn State, the team they defeated to win their first-ever ACHA National Championship, with 417 votes.

But this year’s team will hit the ice with a much different look than last year’s. A younger look.

“We’re young and have to replace six seniors who were key leaders on last year’s team,” head coach Chad Cassel said. “Different players are going to have to step up and become leaders for this season.”

The young Illini won’t have the pleasure of starting the season off easy. They open against the 20th-ranked Delaware Blue Hens on Friday night at 7 p.m. at the Illinois Ice Arena. The two teams last met in the consolation game in the 2003 ACHA National Tournament with the Illini taking home the third-place trophy in a 4-3 victory over the Hens.

Replacing the winningest class in Illini hockey history will not be an easy task. But with senior forward Mike Roesch, ACHA Division-I Player of the Year, and junior goaltender Mike DeGeorge, last year’s ACHA Tournament Most Valuable Player, back in the line-up this season, the task gets a little easier.

“It all starts with goaltending and defense,” Cassel said. “If you can get strong goaltending and defense it can carry you a long way.”

Lucky for the Illini, they bring to the ice a defense and goaltender that are more than just strong.

In 48 career starts in net, DeGeorge boasts an outstanding 36-6-5 record, 92.25-percent save-percentage, and 2.07 goals against average, making him one of the best net minders in the country.

On defense, the Illini are led by one of the top defensemen in the county, senior Andrew Lubesnick, a player Cassel said he would not trade for any other player in the country.

With such a young team, the Illini will look to the leadership of players like Roesch, DeGeorge, Lubesnick and senior forward and captain Steve Krates to help the new freshmen with the transition to the collegiate level and the pressure of being the best team in the country.

“So far the rookies are doing a great job of following leadership,” DeGeorge said. “They will progress really well as the season goes on.”

Both Roesch and DeGeorge agree that getting to know and getting used to playing with the new faces on the team will take time. Having talented veterans, Roesch said, will divert opponents’ attention and open up opportunities for the newcomers to showcase their abilities.

“We’re just seeing where everyone is at and trying to get used to playing with new lines and new line mates for this year,” Roesch said. “If I have a target on my back after last year, it will open it up for everyone else on the team.”

What remains to be seen is how the young Illini will handle the pressure of being No. 1 in a game situation. Cassel is confident the youngsters will be able to handle the pressure that comes with being the best.

“They’ll do fine,” Cassel said. “Everyone’s going to be nervous come Friday night. But they have all played at high levels and in big games before.”