CODY IS THE CONFERENCE'S BEST!

The State University of New York Athletic Conference has announced the Coach of the Year, Herb Hammond (Player) of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards for the 2011-12 men’s ice hockey season. The awards are voted on by the conference coaches.

The Player of the Year award is named after Herb Hammond who coached at SUNY Oswego (1969-1980) and Plattsburgh (1981-83). At Oswego he compiled a 176-122-5 mark and at Plattsburgh a 52-17-4 record. He was named the 1982 Division III Coach of the Year. He also coached at Division I Brown University from 1983-88. He left coaching to become a National Hockey League score for 11 seasons before his death in 2009.

The 2012 Herb Hammond award goes to The College at Brockport senior forward James Cody (Schwenksville, PA). This is the first time a Brockport athlete has been voted the Player of the Year since the award began in 1983-84. Cody is a two time All-SUNYAC selection including first team honors this season. Cody scored 11 goals and had eight assists in 15 SUNYAC regular-season games. Overall, he ranked 22nd in points per game (1.42) in NCAA Division III with 19 goals and 15 assists. His 19 goals led the conference this season while his 34 points ranks fifth. During the 2011-12 season, Cody eclipsed the 100 points mark for his career as he finished with 116 career points (60 goals, 56 assists) and led the Golden Eagles in scoring three of his four years.

Fredonia forward Jared Wynia (Calgary, Alberta) has been selected the Rookie of the year. Wynia is the third Blue Devil to earn the honor and the first since Eric Preston in 1993-94. The other Fredonia rookie was Paul Kkwiatkowski (1988-89).

Wynia has played in 19 games this season and ranks fifth on the team with 15 points on nine goals and six assists. Six of his goals have been scored on the power play, ranking him third in the conference as Fredonia is effective 21.5 percent of the time. Wynia helped lead the Blue Devils to a No. 5 seed in the conference tournament with a league record of 6-7-3. Fredonia defeated fourth-seeded Geneseo in the quarterfinals, 4-1, and will face No. 1 Oswego in the semifinals for the second straight year on Feb. 25.

Plattsburgh State head coach Bob Emery has been named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year for the sixth time in his career. In his 23rd season behind the Cardinal bench, he has guided his team to a current 17-4-4 overall record and a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with a league mark of 12-3-1. During the season Emery became the 20th coach in NCAA history to attain 500 wins, and just the fifth to do it exclusively at the Division III level. The Cardinals are the second-seed for the sixth time in tournament history, making 21 consecutive trips to the SUNYAC post-season and 25th overall.

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NEWS STORY ABOUT BROCKPORT RECRUIT PFEFFER

Former SV Raider Pfeffer to play hockey at Brockport

The sport of ice hockey has taken former Seneca Valley forward Logan Pfeffer places. As a junior and again as a senior in high school, Pfeffer helped the Raiders get to the Penguins Cup finals.

From the high school ranks, he then was a factor in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Streetsville Derbys before moving on to play for the Dixie BeeHives. Pfeffer then caught on with the Mississauga Chargers, where he was third on the team in scoring with 22 points in 43 games.

Despite having played all over Canada, playing college hockey was always in the plans for Pfeffer at some point, and with the timing right, he accepted a scholarship from Brockport in New York, where he will play for the Golden Eagles for the next four years.

"I had six schools recruiting me, but when I visited most of them, they were missing something with either the academics or hockey," Pfeffer said. "But, Brockport was the whole package. Great academics, a nice campus, and the coaches told me how I would be a fit."

Pfeffer's scoring prowess was enticing to a team that will graduate a lot of firepower this year.

"They saw my speed and skill and said I would be a factor as a freshman," Pfeffer said. "They want me to play right away.

"And, I will be near Buffalo, so my family can come see me play sometimes."

Pfeffer could play a great deal, as he has seen a lot of action against Canada's finest players in the OJHL for two years.

Pfeffer said that a lot of freshmen coming into college are bigger and stronger because they play for a few years before committing to college.

"I am bigger, stronger and have more weight on me," he said. "I was playing against a high level of talent in junior hockey, and my overall game is better."

Pfeffer got a good vibe from the Golden Eagles when he visited, and said he liked the way the team supports one another.

In 93 OJHL games Pfeffer tallied 23 goals and 32 assists.

Source:

http://www.yourcranberry.com/news/article/former-sv-raider-pfeffer-play-hockey-brockport


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PHYSICAL FORWARD ZAGARI COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

Brockport has received a commitment from Michael Zagari of the Jamestown Ironmen of the NAHL. Michael is a 6'3 power forward that will open up the ice for his line mates. The Golden Eagles are very excited about having Michael on campus and a part of the team. He is a very intelligent young man -- a great student -- and a great personality. The coaches feel that with Michael's big frame and aggressive nature he will be a perfect fit on Brockport's forecheck. He is an intimidating force out on the ice and is very physical. He will create a lot of turnovers and punish the opposition's defense.




I checked out Zagari on the 'net and he's a real bruiser. Here are some highlights of his many fights that can be found online:

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SOME THOUGHTS ON THE SENIORS

Not to date myself, but I’ve been around campus for a long time, since the fall of 1993. Over that time, I’ve seen students come and go in a variety of sports. I must say that this batch of hockey seniors is certainly the most universally beloved of all the classes ever, not only in hockey but also in the sports that were always more “mainstream” on campus – like football and basketball.

This group has endeared themselves to the student body, campus community and the Brockport village residents with 4 years of successful and exciting hockey that made the sport mainstream both on campus and in town…finally! They’ve catapulted ice hockey to the most beloved team around.

For my first 15 years as a fan, the games were lightly attended and the team not-so-followed by Brockporters. But these men – with the help of other alumni of the playoff era (like Dave McNab and Todd Sheridan to name a couple) – made things happen on the ice that introduced scores of students and what seems like just as many local families to the joys of college hockey.

You can see the appreciation amongst the fans in Twitter posts, Facebook posts and newspaper articles that have come since the close of the season. Many of the fans are contemplative of these seniors’ careers and are truly saddened by their impending graduation. They value the memories – of great games, great plays and great community outreach – that these men have provided.

It’s a special group. Count me as among the many who are sad to see them go, but glad we got to see them in action for 4 years.

Thank you, gentlemen!

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ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT'S REPORT ON ALL-SUNYAC

Seniors James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) and Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) and junior Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT) of The College at Brockport Men's Hockey team have been named to the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) All-Conference team.

Cody has been named to the first-team All-SUNYAC after being named to the third team last season. Cody becomes the first Brockport player to earn first-team honors since goalie Todd Sheridan was named to the first-team in 2009-2010. Cody also becomes the first player to earn all-conference honors in two consecutive seasons since Sheridan accomplished the feat in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. During the 2011-2012 season, Cody eclipsed the 100 point mark for his career. The forward finished his Brockport career with 116 career points (60 goals, 56 assists) and led the Golden Eagles in scoring in three of his four years and goals all four years. Cody finished the 2011-2012 season with 34 points (19 goals, 15 assists), good enough for fourth place in the SUNYAC this season while his 19 goals led the league.

Finnerty has been named to the second-team All-SUNYAC. Finnerty earned his first All-SUNYAC selection after leading Brockport in scoring in 2011-2012 with 36 points. The 36 points were the third-most in the league this season. The senior scored 11 goals, including two game winners, and had 25 assists, which were second-most in the conference. Finnerty finished his Brockport career with 87 points (26 goals, 61 assists).

Hayward has also been selected as a second-team All-SUNYAC member. It is the first time Hayward has received a postseason accolade from the conference. Hayward tied for first place in the SUNYAC for goals by a defender with six and finished the season with 14 points. The six goals are also a career-high in a season. Hayward is the first Brockport defensive player to be named all-conference since the 2008-2009 when Mike Gershon was named to the second team.

It is the first time in Brockport school history that three players have earned all-conference selections. The last time Brockport had more than one player on any of the all-conference teams was in 2004-2005 when Mark Digby and Ian MacLean both earned third-team honors.

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CONGRATS TO OUR 3 ALL-SUNYAC PICKS!

What was one of the more exciting seasons for the Brockport Golden Eagles came about from the results of standout performances by a number of Golden Eagles, including 3 of them (an all-time high for the school's program) who were selected to one of the All-SUNYAC teams. Here are the results....


2011-12 SUNYAC Ice Hockey All-Conference Teams

First Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown

James Cody # Brockport F Sr. 6-2 210 Schwenksville, PA
Bryan Ross # Fredonia F Sr. 5-10 175 Livonia, MI
Jon Whitelaw Oswego F Jr. 5-9 170 Huntsville, ONT
Danny Scagnelli # Geneseo D Sr. 5-10 175 College Point, NY Mike Grace # Plattsburgh D Jr. 6-0 170 Rochester, NY
Mathieu Cadieux Plattsburgh G So. 6-1 205 Oshawa, ONT


Second Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown

Ian Finnerty Brockport F Sr. 6-0 180 Ardmore, PA
Paul Rodrigues Oswego F Jr. 5-10 185 Etobicoke, ONT
Sy Nutkevitch Potsdam F Sr. 6-0 170 Montreal, QUE
Michael Hayward Brockport D Jr. 6-2 210 Toronto, ONT
Zack Josepher Oswego D Jr. 6-0 190 Wantagh, NY
Kevin Carr # Buffalo State G So. 6-0 175 Unionville, ONT


Third Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown

Drew Klin Buffalo State F Jr. 5-9 175 Lancaster, NY
Zachary Vit ! Geneseo F So. 6-3 200 Villanova, PA
Kyle Kudroch Plattsburgh F Sr. 5-9 185 Cottam, ONT
Taylor Farris Oswego D Jr. 6-1 190 Oakville, ONT
Erick Ware Potsdam D Fr. 6-2 190 Huntsville, AL
Andrew Hare Oswego G Jr. 5-11 185 Burlington, ONT


# All-Conference 2010-11
! Rookie of the Year 2010-11

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THANKS TO THE SENIORS FOR A GREAT SEASON AND A GREAT 4 YEARS!

BROCKPORT'S PLAYOFF HOPES END IN SEASON FINALE

The recap of Saturday's game from the Brockport Athletic Department...


Sophomore Steve Sachman (Medford, NY) scored a first period goal to give The College at Brockport a 1-0 lead that held up until the third period before Morrisville tied the score and eventually won with 7.6 seconds left to play after a very questionable penalty call against the Golden Eagles Saturday night in Morrisville.

With the loss, Brockport (9-13-3 Overall, 5-9-2), finished the regular season in a tie with Potsdam for the sixth – and final playoff spot for the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament. The Bears, despite losing both games over the weekend, finished with 12 points but had more conference victories than Brockport and therefore earned the final playoff spot.

In the first period, Sachman picked up a loose puck in front of the Morrisville net and scored to give Brockport the lead.

After a scoreless second period, Morrisville tied the game early in the third period and the game remained tied until a chaotic final few minutes of the contest.

With less than four minutes remaining, sophomore Brendon Rothfuss (Webster, NY) was whistled for a check from behind for a five-minute major and a game misconduct. The penalty was not called until several minutes after the actual play as a Morrisville player was injured and required attention from the athletic training staff. The Golden Eagles played shorthanded for the final minutes of the game and were further handicapped with just 35 seconds left to play when Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) was called for a cross checking penalty to give the Mustangs a two-man advantage.

Just over 20 seconds later, Morrisville scored the go-ahead goal with 7.6 seconds left on the clock.

“I thought we played well for the most part,” said head coach Brian Dickinson. “It's just frustrating because (the call against Finnerty) didn't look like a penalty to me.”

The call put Brockport in a tough position late in the game but the Golden Eagles had chances to score earlier in the game that could have prevented the late-game calls.

“The bottom line is that we didn't do enough offensively to win the game,” said Dickinson. “You have to cash in on the opportunities when you have them especially when you have a 5-on-3 advantage.”

It was the final game for six seniors as Finnerty, Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT), Gregg Amato (Ocean Gate, NJ), Brett Jendra (Bolingbrook, IL) and Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) played for the final time. The sixth senior, James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) did not play after being assessed a one-game suspension for a hit in the Potsdam game.

“There are six guys that are obviously disappointed right now because they should have had a chance to play at least another game. They will be able to say that they played on a team that beat both Plattsburgh and Elmira in the same year and not many Brockport players can say that.”


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CORTLAND HOSTING SAVES FOR A CURE GAME THIS WEEKEND

The SUNY Cortland men’s ice hockey team will be holding its first annual “Saves For A Cure” night when the Red Dragons host SUNY Plattsburgh at Alumni Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.

The Red Dragons are raising money by accepting pledges for each save Cortland goaltenders register versus the Cardinals. All of the money raised will benefit “Saves for a Cure,” a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of helping children with their battle against cancer.

The organization was founded by former The College at Brockport goaltender Todd Sheridan, who successfully battled cancer himself, and over the past few years has made generous donations to the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., to help re-supply and reconstruct its children’s cancer facilities.

Businesses and individuals are welcome to pledge any dollar amount per save made by the Red Dragons. Straight donations are also welcomed.

In addition, the Cortland players will be wearing special custom-made jerseys during the game that feature the “Saves For A Cure” logo on them. An auction will be held for fans to purchase the jerseys, with all money raised from the auction also completely going to the “Saves For a Cure” foundation. Bidding on the jerseys will begin on Wednesday, Feb. 15, and will run through Sunday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. online.

To make donations or to learn more about supporting the cause, please contact Cortland senior goalie Mike Reilly or call (607) 745-5635.

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BREAKING DOWN THE PLAYOFF MESS

This week's SUNYAC column at USCHO is a detailed report on who gets into the playoffs based on a variety of win-lose scenarios this weekend. The article starts as...

This is it. The last weekend of the regular season. No more, “We’ll get ‘em next week.” No more, “We need some points next weekend.” No more, “We’ll learn from these lessons and apply them next week.”

For next week is the playoffs. This is your last chance to either get in them, host a game, or take a breather.

Let’s set the stage for what can happen when this weekend is over. Hopefully, your head won’t explode like mine did.

Before we begin, here are the tiebreaker rules as stated in the 2011-12 SUNYAC Handbook under the Ice Hockey Team Operating Codes and Tournament Information section.

1. The best record of tied teams against each other based on Conference play (tournament play will not be considered).
2. Number of total Conference wins over ties if points are equal.
3. Goal differential against each other in Conference play.
4. Goal differential against all other Conference teams.
5. Coin flip by Commissioner.

Read Jaslow's full report at:

http://www.uscho.com/2012/02/16/sunyac-playoff-jenga/

EAGLES NEST HIGHLIGHTS OF POTSDAM GAME

EAGLES NEST HIGHLIGHTS OF PLATTSBURGH GAME