The season opener is just a month away!

The season opener is just a month away! After spring and summer's long off season, this blog and our Facebook page, like our Golden Eagles, will be back in full-time hockey mode. So, stay tuned for regular updates as we head into the season. We can't wait for the opening face-off!

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Thank you to Warren Kozireski for scanning this image from the 1962 SAGA Yearbook. It shows the first Brockport club hockey team. That club started it all and served as the precursor to the varsity team. The photo features Brockport Athletics hall of famer Don Kwak ('63), who went on to become one of the top off-ice officials in the NHL.

LUKER SIGNS WITH RIVERKINGS

Mississippi RiverKings Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations announced that the team has signed rookie defenseman Chris Luker. Terms and conditions were not released.

Luker, 24, joins the RiverKings after a four-year career at SUNY-Brockport. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound blueliner finished his senior season sixth on the team in points with 17 (4G, 13A), second-most amongst defenseman. The New Hartford, New York native appeared in 100 games during his collegiate career, recording 19 goals and 47 assists.

"Chris is a big, solid offensive defenseman who is coming off of a really good college career," said Landmesser. "I am looking forward to seeing him here in Mississippi as he makes the transition to the pro game."

"I've heard nothing but good things about the RiverKings organization," said Luker. "The RiverKings were one of the first teams that reached out to me and I'm excited about coming to this storied franchise."

The RiverKings begin their 25th anniversary season on Friday, October 21 when they take on the expansion Evansville Thunderbolts at 7:30 p.m. at the Landers Center in Southaven. The RiverKings are supported by community partners, season ticket holders, fans, and grants from Maddox Foundation, an independent private foundation based in Hernando, Miss. To find out more about the RiverKings, call 662.342.1755 or visit www.riverkings.com.

KOMETS PICK UP NIEUWENDYK

The Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL announced Monday that four players have been added to the preseason roster. Defenseman Curtis Leonard and forward Mason Baptista have agreed to terms and will be returning to the Fort Wayne fold for 2016-17. Also rookie forwards Daniel Erlich and Chase Nieuwendyk have inked agreements to make their pro debuts with the Komets.

Nieuwendyk, 25, finished a four-year NCAA-III collegiate career with Brockport in the SUNYAC (State University of New York Athletic Conference) last season leading Brockport for the second straight year in goals with 14. The rookie forward also led the team with 37 points for the third consecutive season.

Nieuwendyk is a nephew of NHL Hall-of-Famer Joe Nieuwendyk and began his juniors career in 2008-09 with Brampton in the OJHL. The Georgetown, Ontario native led Brampton with 24 goals in 2009-10 and completed his juniors career in 2011-12 skating 49 games with Trenton, leading the golden Hawks with 27 goals and 57 points.

GOLF TOURNAMENT TO BENEFIT BROCKPORT HOCKEY

Click on the images below to expand their size...

MALLARO TO BECOME KING'S FIRST ICE HOCKEY COACH

As a collegiate ice hockey player, Stephen Mallaro helped lead Oswego State University in upstate New York to back-to-back NCAA Division III National Tournament "Frozen Four" appearances in 2010 and 2011. Now, five years later, four as a collegiate assistant coach, Mallaro will take on the most unique opportunity of his career after being named the head coach of the new men's ice hockey program at King's College. Mallaro will start his new position on August 1 according to King's Director of Athletics Cheryl Ish.

On February 25, King's announced the addition of both men's and women's ice hockey programs with each sport slated to open competition in 2017-18. With head coaches of both sports scheduled to be hired this summer, King's will provide both the men's and women's programs with a full year of recruiting before entering competition. Mallaro is the first of the two head coaches to be hired and will take on the task of building the Monarchs from the ground up.

"We are thrilled to welcome Stephen Mallaro as the very first men's head ice hockey coach at King's College," Ish stated.  "Stephen came across as a great fit for King's the moment he stepped on our campus and that sentiment just grew throughout the entire interview process.  His commitment to the Division III philosophy, combined with his experience and a very competitive spirit, resonated with the search committee.  I am confident that Stephen will do an outstanding job with our men's ice hockey program.  He will have a busy year ahead in recruiting our first team of student-athletes, but I know he will represent King's in a first-class manner. We feel confident he is the person with the vision and work-ethic to build our program from square-one. With Stephen leading the program, we are all excited about this new chapter in King's College Athletics. We really feel we found an outstanding young coach in Stephen Mallaro and are thrilled he will become a part of the King's Community."

Mallaro comes to King's after spending the last two years as the assistant coach at NCAA Division III member Brockport State University, Brockport, NY.  Mallaro, who coached the Golden Eagles special teams and defense, helped Brockport to a combined 24-23-6 mark and two straight years of for qualifying post-season tournament play in the nationally-respected State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).

Now, at 29 years of age, Mallaro will have the rare challenge of building a collegiate ice hockey program from the ground up. Revolution Ice Center in nearby Pittston will serve as King's primary venue for practice and games.

"It's a dream come true," Mallaro said of being named King's first head coach. "To be able to start your own program and put your stamp on something is very special. I know the coaching business is not an easy mountain to climb, but with the support of good people, good things will happen. King's College is a very unique place. The campus is a very tight-knit community where you feel at home and everyone knows one another. The athletic department is fully supportive of the new ice hockey program and everyone I had contact with is excited to bring hockey to King's. I was very impressed with the people that I met on my visit and the values that they help bring to King's. I was able to interact with a number of administrators and coaches that are proud to be a part of the King's College family and that has me excited about joining their family. I would also like to thank Cheryl (Ish) and the search committee for putting their faith in me and giving me this tremendous opportunity."

As a collegiate player, Mallaro enjoyed a distinguished career as a four-year letterman and two-year starter at nationally-recognized Oswego State.

As a junior in 2009-10, he was a starting defenseman for the Lakers, who finished 26-3 overall and 15-1 in the SUNYAC, while winning the conference championship. Oswego earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Tournament and advanced to the Frozen Four where the Lakers fell to St. Norberts 4-3. Mallaro was the top-scoring defender for the Lakers that season, registering 17 points on seven goals and 10 assists.

As a senior team captain in 2010-11, Mallaro helped lead Oswego to a 23-5 record while again going 15-1 in the SUNYAC. After being upset in the SUNYAC Tournament semi-finals, Oswego received an NCAA national tournament at-large bid and once again advanced to the national semi-final round, dropping a 5-3 decision to Adrian College of Michigan. Mallaro again topped all Laker defensemen with 19 points on four goals and 15 assists.

Over the course of his four-year career at Oswego, Mallaro played in 68 games and totaled 38 points on 11 goals and 27 assists.  He was a first-team All-SUNYAC selection in 2010, then was named second-team all-conference as a senior in 2011.

After graduating from Oswego, Mallaro enjoyed a brief professional playing career. He played in the ECHL with the Elmira Jackals, the Trenton Titans, and finished the 2011-12 season as a member of the Gwinnett Gladiators, helping the team to a first-place finish in the Southern Division of the ECHL and a second place finish in the Eastern Conference. He also had a 10-day stint with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Mallaro then began his coaching career as a two-year graduate assistant coach at Manhattanville College, earning his Master's degree in Sports Management in 2014, before joining the staff at Brockport State. At Manhattanville, he coached ECAC West "Co-Defensive Player of the Year" Anton Racklin, who went on to earn third-team Division III All-American honors in 2014.

As a first time head coach at a brand new program, Mallaro is well aware of the many responsibilities that will be necessitated by not only developing a program, but recruiting the right student-athletes who will become part of building a tradition at King's.

"I will be looking for student-athletes who will be the right fit for King's," Mallaro noted. "As a coach you never sacrifice character and we will know exactly what we are looking for.  We want to recruit elite people who are highly-competitive and want to be a part of the King's College culture. Academically, we will look for good students who will excel in the classroom and be good role models representing King's. Coaching is all about the process of developing people and we want quality student-athletes that want to be a part of the journey.  It is important to create an identity for the program and to familiarize the hockey world with the King's College brand.  I also am looking forward to meeting other coaches and staff members at King's and building a professional relationship with them."

Mallaro was practically born on the ice as he began skating at age three and first played competitive hockey at four years old. After continuing through the youth ranks he played three years of ice hockey at West Genesee High School in Syracuse, NY. before moving on to play at Northwood Prep in Lake Placid, N.Y. from 2004-06. He then spent a year playing junior hockey with the Nepean Raiders in Nepean, Ontario before moving on to his collegiate career at Oswego State in 2007-08. For Mallaro, each step along the way helped shape him for his first head coaching job.

"I have to thank my family for all the support they have given me over the years, Mallaro concluded. "I know it wasn't easy on my brother and sisters all the times my parents would be taking me to hockey games all over the country. I especially have to thank my mother for all the love and support she has given me throughout, not only during my playing days, but also my entire coaching career. To my dad, he always believed in me. I would also like to thank Frank Colabufo and Scott McDonald, my high school hockey coaches at West Genesee, for the development and encouragement to continue to get better every day. Thanks also go out to close friend and mentor David McNab, the Vice President of Hockey Operations of the Anaheim Ducks, for believing in my character, and to Mark Morris, my coach at Northwood who is now the head coach at St. Lawrence University, for influencing my style of coaching and passion for the game. I also want to thank Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek for recruiting me and giving me the opportunity to play college hockey, as well as Coach Arlen Marshall at Manhattanville and Coach Brian Dickinson at Brockport for providing me with coaching opportunities that led to this moment. Manhattanville director of athletics Keith Levinthal was also another person who did a great deal to help me. To all the people who have helped my coaching career move in the right direction and continue to encourage and support me, thank you. There are so many people that have been such a positive influence on my career and I am grateful for everything they have done for me."

When ice hockey officially begins play, King's will field one of only four NCAA Division III men's and women's programs in the entire state of Pennsylvania.  King's will join Neumann University, located in Aston in the Philadelphia area, Lebanon Valley College in Annville, and Chatham University in Pittsburgh as NCAA Division III varsity ice hockey members.  Chatham has had a women's program since 1996 but will be adding men's ice hockey in 2017-18.

"With the popularity of our own Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the influx of local high school programs, we at King's are thrilled to be part of the growth of ice hockey in Northeastern Pennsylvania," Ish concluded. "Being the first local college to field a varsity ice hockey program is exciting and there has definitely been a buzz since we announced we were adding the sport back in February. We look forward to starting this new chapter in King's College history."

According to the NCAA, during the 2015-16 season a total of 76 men's varsity programs competed in Division III while 58 women's varsity programs also took to the ice.

King's conference affiliation for both men and women's teams have yet to be finalized.

2016-2017 SCHEDULE

One of the days that Brockport hockey fans look forward to every year is the release of the schedule for the upcoming season. It gives them a chance to mark their calendars, plan their road trips, and get excited about the promise that comes with every season.

2016-2017 is another exceptional slate of games. Once again, the team is following the "max attendance" model; that is, scheduling 1 home game per weekend so as to maximize fan turnout -- sometimes, 2 games per weekend can be tough for fans. Counting the green and white game, there are 9 stand alone home games and there are another 4 games total that occur as Friday/Saturday home affairs.

Here are what I would consider the five "can't miss" home games this year:

Oswego on November 4th: It's the home opener...which is like Christmas morning to hockey fans

Buffalo State on December 2nd: The Bengals and Golden Eagles have shared some bad blood in recent years so this game promises to be chock full of hard hits and chippy play

Hobart on January 17th: Hobart and Brockport games are always competitive and this one falls on a Tuesday. Tuesday night games are always a neat way to break up your workweek.

Geneseo on February 3rd: It's Geneseo...need I say more

Plattsburgh on February 18th: The last game of the regular season...Plattsburgh and Brockport could be jockeying for playoff positioning. It promises to be hard fought

BROCKPORT ALUMNUS MONDOUX SECURES ICE RAYS ROLE

Mike Mondoux, who played for Brockport in the 1997-1998 and 1998-1999 seasons (and was a one-time SUNYAC Rookie of the Week), has secured a new role with the Corpus Christi IceRays becoming their Director of Scouting and Player Development.

Here is the report from JuniorHockey.com:

http://www.juniorhockey.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=91032

POSSIBLE CHANGES TO OVERTIME

The folks at D3Hockey.com are reporting that the NCAA Hockey Rules Committee has proposed some changes to overtime that could hopefully eliminate ties in regular season play.

You can read their report here: 

http://d3hockey.com/notables/2015-16/160610-rules-committee-proposes-4v4-overtime

GOLDEN EAGLES EXCEL IN THE CLASSROOM

The Brockport Golden Eagles performed exceptionally well on the ice this past season. And, more importantly, they did the same in the classroom. Check out these absolutely outstanding academic accomplishments.

Spring 2016

Perfect 4.0 GPA

Andrew Parks

James Ryan

Dean’s List (3.40 or higher)

Connar Bass

Chad Cummings

Jeremy DeFazio

Jon Demme

David Horan

Brian Hurlimann

Jared Lockhurst

Jamie Lukas

Matt Meredith

Nick Palumbo

Andrew Parks

James Ryan

Dylan Shapiro

Trevor Simonick

SUNYAC All Academic ( 3.30 or higher)

Connar Bass

Chad Cummings

Jeremy DeFazio

Jon Demme

David Horan

Brian Hurlimann

Jared Lockhurst

Jamie Lukas

Chris Luker

Matt Meredith

Chase Nieuwendyk

Nick Palumbo

Andrew Parks

James Ryan

Dylan Shapiro

Trevor Simonick

Team Spring 2016 GPA:  3.36

Team Overall GPA for 2015-2016 academic year: 3.29

HUTCHINS COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

The Brookings Blizzard, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are proud to announce that forward Connor Hutchins, the 2015-16 Captain, has made his NCAA Division III commitment to play hockey at The College of Brockport New York (SUNY-Brockport). 

Hutchins, a North Richland Hills, Texas native, played in 55 of 60 games this season and finished with 14 points (8 goals, 6 assists) while being second on the team in power play goals. Hutchins, 21, played in 110 games over the past two seasons with the Blizzard finishing with 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists).

"Connor was a great leader that came ready to play every day. He will be missed by the team and by the town of Brookings,” stated Dan Daikawa, Brookings Blizzard Head Coach.

 

"I'm excited to be able to continue my hockey career at Brockport. The program there is on the rise and it's an exciting time to be a part of it. When it came down to it, Brockport was the best fit for me athletically and academically. I can't think the Blizzard organization and my teammates enough for all of their support. Being able to play in Brookings for two years and serve as Captain was an honor and an experience I'll never forget. I'd also like to thank my family who has been there since day one and supported me through this entire process,” said Hutchins.

GOOD LUCK, GRADUATES

Brockport's commencement ceremonies will take place this weekend. It's always a bittersweet time as the graduates welcome new adventures but close the book on a fun and formative time of their lives.

The following hockey players are graduating from Brockport this weekend. I say to them: "Thanks for all the awesome hockey memories and good luck in your post-Brockport lives. Continue to make the Golden Eagle community proud in everything you do!"

Chad Cummings
Jeremy DeFazio
Jonathan Demme
Jesse Facchini
Jared Lockhurst
Chris Luker
Chase Nieuwendyk
James Ryan

BROCKPORT HOCKEY RECRUITMENT VIDEO

RYAN MAKES THE GRADE

Longtime readers of this blog know I value the performance of the hockey team in the classroom more so than on the ice. They are, after all, student athletes. That's why I value what young James Ryan accomplished. Last week, the power play machine was awarded the Scholar Athlete Award from the College at the "BESPY Awards" which stands for Brockport's Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards. James was honored for posting a 3.75 grade point average, while standing out as an accounting major.

2016 AWARD WINNERS

Pictured left to right: Verbeke, DeFazio, Nieuwendyk, Kielich, Cummings (Simonick not pictured)

Last week the Golden Eagles ice hockey team held their annual end-of-the-year break up dinner at which they handed out their season ending awards.

Brian Cavanaugh Most Valuable Player Award—Chase Nieuwendyk

Chris Palin Rookie of the Year Award—Tim Kielich

EJ McGuire 7th Player Award—Aidan Verbeke

Bob Pedersen Coaches Award—Chad Cummings

Jimmy Mac Most Improved Player Award—Trevor Simonick

Tim Panek Award—Jeremy DeFazio

NIEUWENDYK PICKS UP D3HOCKEY.COM HONORS

Senior forward Chase Nieuwendyk of The College at Brockport ice hockey team earned All-Region honors from D3Hockey.com, being named to the East Third Team, as announced by the website Thursday.

Among all Division III teams, Nieuwendyk ranked seventh in the nation this season with 1.42 points per game.  Nieuwendyk tabbed 14 goals and 23 assists in 26 games.  On the season, the Georgetown, Ontario native had 12 multi-point games including a hat trick in a 8-7 win over Morrisville State.  Nieuwendyk had a 12 game point streak this season from Nov. 27 to Jan. 29.  The senior proved that home ice matters, scoring nine goals and 11 assists in the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Nieuwendyk broke into the Brockport record books this season and is tied for eighth in career goals with 45.  The senior eclipsed 100 career points in the final weekend of the regular season and now sits at 101 points off of 45 goals and 56 assists.  Nieuwendyk is the 11th Golden Eagle to reach the milestone.

A State University of New York Athletic Conference First-Team selection, Nieuwendyk led the conference in scoring with 23 points off of nine goals and 14 assists in conference games this season.

BURACK HIGHLIGHT VIDEO

Here is a highlight video looking at some of Cole Burack's greatest saves of the past season..

SENIORS ARE RECOGNIZED

The College at Brockport Athletics Department held its 15th Annual Senior Student-Athlete Luncheon today to honor its 113 seniors.

NIEUWENDYK IS ALL-AMERICAN

Senior forward Chase Nieuwendyk brought home All-America honors for The College at Brockport ice hockey team, being named to the American Hockey Coaches Association CCM East Second-Team.  Nieuwendyk is the first player in the history of Brockport ice hockey to earn the title of All-America twice.

Among all Division III teams, Nieuwendyk ranked seventh in the nation this season with 1.42 points per game.  Nieuwendyk tabbed 14 goals and 23 assists in 26 games.  On the season, the Georgetown, Ontario native had 12 multi-point games including a hat trick in a 8-7 win over Morrisville State.  Nieuwendyk had a 12 game point streak this season from Nov. 27 to Jan. 29.  The senior proved that home ice matters, scoring nine goals and 11 assists in the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Nieuwendyk broke into the Brockport record books this season and is tied for eighth in career goals with 45.  The senior eclipsed 100 career points in the final weekend of the regular season and now sits at 101 points off of 45 goals and 56 assists.  Nieuwendyk is the 11th Golden Eagle to reach the milestone.

A State University of New York Athletic Conference First-Team selection, Nieuwendyk led the conference in scoring with 23 points off of nine goals and 14 assists in conference games this season.

SCHNEIDER COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

The Florida Eels have announced that goaltender Matthew Schneider has made a commitment to play at Brockport. Here is their news release...

Matthew Schneider was one of the if not the top goalie all year long in the USPHL Elite division. His numbers speak for themselves by leading the league in several categories, most notably wins with 21 and a save percentage of .945%. He was even better during the playoffs. He led playoffs in wins with 6 and goals-against posting a 1.43 GAA. He also led the playoffs in shutouts with 2. He was second in minutes played with 420.00 and save percentage with a .948%.

GM Frank Scarpaci opined that he has been one of our strongest recruited players this season. Matthew was in the unenviable position to have a number of strong NCAA Division 3 college coaches recruit him throughout our season for the next four years. But there was no question Brockport was his first choice. Matt looks forward to playing for the Golden Eagles under coach Brian Dickinson  who has been at the helm of SUNY Brockport since the 1996-97 season. 

Matthew said he looks forward to playing in the very prestigious SUNY conference. Coach Dickinson and his assistant coach Stephen Mallaro have done a very impressive job building the hockey program at SUNY Brockport and he looks forward to becoming part of their team and making a solid contribution to the program. 

The following is the scouting report on Matthew:

Matt’s speed and ability to read the game are his two biggest assets. His ability to read the game allows him to shutdown odd man rushes and penalty situations. His positioning plays allows him to track pucks to his body making it easier to control rebounds. Matt’s compete level is very high which allows him to steal games for his team. He has great vision to see and track the puck. He communicates very well with his defenseman.”  Matthew has consistently been one of the top netminders in the USPHL over the last several years. 

"Matthew is a top notch player and an even better person, he will be able to adjust and excel on the ice and in the class room very quickly. Matthew is very focused and mentally driven to succeed at anything he chooses.” Coach Bloomingburg states.  

GM Scarpaci states that we scouted Matthew for two seasons and when he became available we were sure and quick to sign him last season. We are very glad we did and trust the coaching staff at SUNY Brockport see the same tangible and intangible qualities as we saw in him. We are very proud of Matthew and wish him the best in his college endeavors. He is not only a solid goaltender but also an extremely bright young man with a tremendous future in whatever career path he chooses. 

GOOD LUCK, GENESEO

At this week's NCAA DIII Frozen Four in Lake Placid I'll be cheering on Geneseo, something that I'd never thought I'd say in 23 seasons of being a Brockport hockey fan. But these guys are something special to get this far after having a teammate (Jay Stephanik) see his career come to an end in November due to a traumatic brain injury and, then, losing their beloved Matt Hutchinson to murder in January. You often hear the term "team of destiny" bandied about in sports conversations -- Geneseo's hockey team might be one of them. If you don't believe in that sort of hooey, they surely are the definition of a "team", playing as one and overcoming adversity. Good luck, Ice Knights -- you truly deserve to be champions

GOLDEN EAGLES DOMINATE ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

USCHO.com has posted it's annual All-Rookie Team for the conference. While not officially endorsed by the SUNYAC, the awards are still selected by SUNYAC coaches.

As if you needed any more proof that the future of Brockport hockey is in good hands, consider this: Brockport landed 3 players on the squad.

Tim Kielich, who had the highest point total by a Brockport freshman in 20 years, secured 1 of the 3 forward positions.

And this is awesome: BOTH defenseman positions were filled by Golden Eagles -- Connar Bass and Nicholas Palumbo.

Check out the roster here: http://www.uscho.com/2016/03/05/brockport-places-trio-on-sunyac-all-rookie-team/

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PLAYOFF LOSS

Not that most Brockport fans want to relive the goals of the playoff loss to Oswego, but if you do, here's the highlight reel from WTOP TV 10...

POLLINI COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

With All-SUNYAC picks Chad Cummings and Chris Luker graduating, Brockport has to stock up on defensemen. The team is doing just that with the recruiting of Chris Pollini. The 6'1", 192 blueliner from Wolfeboro, New Hampshire spent the last 2 seasons with the NH Junior Monarchs of the EHL.

For the 2015-2016 campaign he has 1 goal and 15 assists in 39 games played. One thing that you like to see out of a defenseman is smart, mistake-free play. You can see that in Chris's penalty minutes -- he has only 16 of them on the season, excellent numbers for a hard-hitting defenseman.

BROCKPORT BY THE NUMBERS

With Brockport's season having come to an end, we can look at the statistical accomplishments of the team. These national rankings reflect the standings as of February 25th. There will be some changes by the end of the playoffs because you'll have a few teams picking up some extra games over the next few weeks, but, overall they won't change too much. For the individuals, we will look at those who cracked the Top 50.

Chase Nieuwendyk was the biggest standout performer. His 1.42 points per game ranked 10th in the nation. His 0.54 goals per game broke into the Top 50, coming in at 48th. His 0.88 assists per game were 11th best.

Tim Kielich broke into the Top 30 in the country in scoring, with 1.19 points per game (good for 29th). His assists (0.73/game) had him at 31st. His 5 power play goals were the fifth highest total in the country. Among rookies, he was fourth in the nation in points.

Ryan Kangas and Jesse Facchinni each had 3 game winning goals which were the 3rd highest total in the country.

Among defensemen, Chris Luker was 27th in the country with 0.68 points per game. Chad Cummings was 30th with 0.65 per game.

Brockport's offense was potent, coming in at 3.50 goals per game, good for 22nd best in DIII (of 76 teams). Defensively, the team allowed 3.69 goals per game, which was 61st.

Brockport was the least penalized team in all of DIII, with only 7.3 penalty minutes per game.

The power play was 16th best at 22.3%.

The penalty kill was 40th best at 81.8%.