On Feb. 1, 2025, former Curry College forward Marko Giourof scored his first career goal in a 4-0 victory against Suffolk University. Nobody could have predicted that just one year later, he would be ranked first in goals scored in the Conference of New England as a Ram.
Giourof played in just six games for Curry last season before transferring to Suffolk. Since transferring, he has made an immediate impact on a Rams team that’s currently ranked first in the CNE.
Noting that Curry wasn’t a good fit for him, Giourof explained that he feels like this team has really set him up to be successful.
“I feel like the environment around hockey, the mindset is better. It helps me play better having everyone on board and everyone having my back,” said Giourof.
Going from playing six games last season to being an everyday starter on the first line is a big adjustment, but the faith the team has placed in him has seemingly paid off.
Senior co-captain Ryan Webb noted how much of an impact their new and improved first line featuring Giourof has made on the team.
“He’s been huge for us,” said Webb. “He’s scored some big goals when we’ve been down and not playing well. This whole first unit this year, with Nolan Leonard, Aidan O’Connell, they’ve been a sparkplug for us.”
With 13 goals scored and 12 assists through 18 games as a Ram, Giourof has made the most of the opportunity presented by transferring to Suffolk from a nationally-ranked Curry College hockey program.
His 25 points scored this season currently lead for most in the conference.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself, I’ve been playing since I was three. I know what type of player I am. I feel like the coaching has been incredible, giving me the opportunity to play everything,” said Giourof.
Webb credited coach Shawn McEachern for creating a program where the whole team has an opportunity to shine through hard work and dedication to the game.
“The systems we’ve instilled with coach, everyone’s working hard. Marko’s got an incredible skillset on our team. Putting him in that system has allowed his skills to come out in the offense,” said Webb.
Senior co-captain Thomas Dempsey expanded on Giourof’s skillset, which has powered him to become one of the CNE’s premier scorers.
“He skates extremely well, he sees the ice extremely well, he’s a true goal scorer,” said Dempsey.
The scoring impact Giourof has had on this year’s team has been pivotal, being one of the major additions to a team that had just graduated their program centerpiece goalie CJ Hapward after a program-history setting playoff run.
Last year’s squad ranked last in the conference in goals scored per game at 2.15; this year, the offense has taken a major step up with Giourof in the first line. With the addition of Giourof to the first line, Suffolk has jumped to fourth in the conference in goals scored per game at 3.61.
The most apparent difference between this year’s team and last year’s team is the difference in points scored each game.
Despite allowing slightly more goals-per-game this year, the offense blossomed into one of the conference’s best.
Suffolk’s offense has exploded at over 9.5 points per game, nearly double their average from last season. They rank top-four in the CNE in nearly every meaningful offensive metric, sitting in first place with a 10-3-1 conference record.
With such a large scoring disparity over last year, this looks to be an almost entirely different team from the one that just made history last season, hosting a home playoff game.
Dempsey praised the entire first line, consisting of Giourof, Aidan O’Connell and Nolan Leonard, for being gamechangers on the ice for this team. O’Connell, also a transfer this season, recently earned CNE Player of the Week after scoring four goals against Wentworth College in a 5-0 rout.
“The three of them have each had a tremendous year. Their chemistry is definitely developed. They play off each other, they’re an incredibly speedy line together. They’ve been lighting it up,” said Dempsey.
Splitting series with two nationally ranked programs in Endicott College and the University of New England, the Rams have proven to be legitimate contenders as they head into the last month of regular-season play.
Dempsey noted that while the team made program history last season, this year they’re looking to take it even further with their new additions and the valued leadership of McEachern.
“We’re currently first in the conference, this is the first time since I’ve been at Suffolk that we’ve been first. We’re looking to make the playoffs, win the CNE and make a run at the national championship,” said Dempsey.
Before thinking about the playoffs, however, the end of the regular season looms on the horizon. The Rams will play Giourof’s former team back-to-back in their regular-season finale. He had just two words to say about that.
“Unfinished business.”
