Sunday, February 28, 2010

PRESS-REPUBLICAN'S RECAP OF GAME






The North Country's newspaper, the Press-Republican, offers this analysis of last night's game..



PLATTSBURGH — For the last two decades, things have been pretty much the same this time of year in Cardinal Country.

This will be the 19th straight season the Plattsburgh State men's hockey team has reached the conference championship game, thanks to a 5-2 victory over Brockport Saturday night.

Dylan Clarke netted his second career hat trick and Matt Bessing scored twice in the semifinal win.

Brockport's James Cody cut Plattsburgh's lead to two goals just past the midway point of the third period, but Clarke iced the game with an empty-netter at 19:47 off a nice feed from Matty MacLeod.

"I saw Matty pick up the loose puck, and I just started busting," Clarke said. "(The hat trick) was a pretty good feeling, but my linemates were major contributors. It was a line hat trick."

Clarke and Bessing each scored in the first period to give Plattsburgh a two-goal advantage at the first intermission.

Clarke redirected a Ryan Corry shot from inside the blueline to go up by a score 35 seconds into the game, and Bessing roofed one over the shoulder of All-Conference goaltender Todd Sheridan at 11:41.

However, Plattsburgh hit a lull in the second period, giving up a goal by Brockport's Ryan Silveira and getting outshot 12-7.

The Cardinals had been losing the transition battle and turning the puck over in the neutral zone for much of the first half of the second period. So with the score still at 2-0, Emery called a timeout.

The break in the action did little to solve the Cardinals' problems, as Silveira found the back of the net shortly after.

"That's something we've focused on since the beginning of the season," Emery said. "I tried to correct it during the timeout, but the guys didn't listen and react. It was a waste of a timeout, I guess."

The Cardinals did, however, react in the third period.

Clarke scored his second on the power play 1:55 into the stanza, and Bessing scored less than a minute and a half later to put Plattsburgh up 4-1.

Plattsburgh goaltender Josh Leis was solid in net, stopping 24 of 26 shots.

Silveira's goal was the result of a good shot from inside the top of the right circle, and Brockport's second score got by Leis because the puck was redirected off of Cody's skate after a Tyler Davis shot.

On to Oswego

Oswego flirted with disaster Saturday night against Morrisville, falling to a 3-0 deficit early in the first period.

The Lakers, however, did manage to battle back, scoring eight of the game's next 10 goals to defeat the Mustangs, 8-5.

The Cardinals' only two conference losses this season have been against Oswego — a 5-2 defeat at home and a 3-2 decision at Oswego.

"Oswego is real good in their own barn," Clarke said. "It's going to be real tough. We've got to come to play."

Source:

http://www.pressrepublican.com/0300_sports/local_story_059060040.html




PLATTSBURGH ENDS BROCKPORT'S SEASON






Brockport Athletics' recap of Saturday's playoff game...


SUNY Plattsburgh used two early goals and two goals in the early part of the third period to fight off The College at Brockport Hockey team and posted a 5-2 victory over the Golden Eagles in the semifinal round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament Saturday in Plattsburgh.

In the first period, Plattsburgh wasted little time scoring in the first 35 seconds of the contest. A slapshot from the points was deflected in the high slot area and slid past Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) for the early 1-0 lead.

Later in the period, the Cardinals made it a 2-0 lead after a turnover in the Brockport defensive zone led to a Plattsburgh 2-on-1 and Matt Bessing finished the play. Plattsburgh held an 8-2 shots advantage after the first 20 minutes of action.

In the second period, the Brockport offense came out more aggressive as James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) fired a one-timer from the right side of the ice that sailed just high with 14 minutes and a minute later Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) raced up the left side of the ice and sent a hard shot off the shoulder of Plattsburgh goalie Josh Leis.

The aggression finally paid off as Silveira picked up the rebound of his own shot in the slot and fired a quick wrister over the shoulder of Leis. By the end of the second period the shots on goal difference was nullified as Brockport had a 12-6 advantage in the second period

Late in the period, Plattsburgh’s Matty MacLeod stole the puck in the neutral zone and raced in alone on Sheridan. He crossed in front of the net and Sheridan held his ground for the save with less than five seconds to play in the period. A tripping penalty was called on the play and Plattsburgh opened the third period with the man advantage.

Plattsburgh scored with three seconds left in the early-period power play as Clarke netted a slap shot from the top of the left face-off circle for a 3-1 lead. Two minutes later, Plattsburgh made it a 4-1 game after a battle for the puck in the corner to the left of Sheridan, the Cardinals came up with the puck and a centering pass slid through the crease to the far side of the goal where Bessing scored his second of the game.

Midway through the third period, Brockport cut the lead as Cody scored his 14th of the season as he redirected a shot from the point by Tyler Davis (Queensbury, NY).

Plattsburgh added an empty net goal for the final margin.

Sheridan finished with 24 saves including 12 in the third period while Leis also stopped 24 shots with 11 coming in each of the final two periods.




Friday, February 26, 2010

POINT AFTER RECAP OF POTSDAM GAME

The guys at the Point After have offered a nice recap of the Potsdam game on their blog. Their post features video of James Cody's exciting goal.

Check it out at:

http://thepointafter.org/2010/02/24/brockport-hockey-wins-second-home-playoff-game-with-hd-video/

PSU STORY ON PLAYOFF GAME

Cardinal Points is the student-run newspaper of Plattsburgh State. Here's their analysis of Saturday's game...



Brockport hits Stafford for hockey semifinals

The Plattsburgh State men’s hockey team, coming off a bye week, will take on the Brockport Golden Eagles in the SUNYAC semifinals at Stafford Ice Arena 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Cardinals (17-4-4) head into the postseason on a four-game winning streak and are ranked No. 4 in Division III. The Cardinals maintain a 7-1-1 home record, with a loss to Oswego in November and a tie against Potsdam Dec. 4 blemishing their perfect home record.

The matchup against Brockport is the third of the season. The Cards defeated the Golden Eagles, 4-1, in just the second game of the season at Stafford Ice Arena.

“Brockport is a very pesky, hard-working team,” PSUC Head Coach Bob Emery said. “I’m sure they’ll want to keep it close and pull off the victory in a low-scoring game.”

The Golden Eagles (14-11-1) come into Saturday’s game off a 3-0 shutout victory over Potsdam in the SUNYAC quarterfinals. They have won their last two games and could possibly be catching fire at the right time of the year.

Brockport’s James Cody leads the Golden Eagles in points with a 13-14-27 line for the season.

Brockport goaltender Todd Sheridan boasts a .913 save percentage with a 3.02 goals-against average.

“Brockport’s biggest strength is their goalie,” Emery said. “We need to maintain focus and play smart, especially on defense and take advantage of our chances when they arrive.”

In their first meeting of the season Oct. 31, the game went into the third period tied 1-all. The Cards finally pulled away in the third period, scoring three unanswered goals from Matt Bessing, Patrick Jobb and Kyle VanDermale to win, 4-1.

The Cards out-shot the Golden Eagles, 43-19, and went 1-for-6 on the power play.

The last time the two teams met, the Cardinals came away victorious in convincing fashion, winning 7-1 at Brockport Jan. 23. This game also saw quite a high number of penalties by both sides, with the Cards scoring two goals on the power play.

The Cards out-shot the Golden Eagles, 52-15.

Brockport Head Coach Brian Dickinson said his team can play a lot better this time around but knows it will be tough to get the upset victory.

“When they were here, we had trouble keeping up with them, which forced us into penalty trouble,” Dickinson said. “The Cardinals are a very dangerous team. They cycle the puck extremely well and are well-coached.”

But Dickinson has confidence that his team is capable of competing with the Cards.

“Staying out of the penalty box and not allowing their power play to get established will be a key to getting the win,” Dickinson said. “We will need to generate opportunities on their goaltenders and get people to the net for second and third opportunities.”

Win or lose, Dickinson is happy to see his team in this situation to begin with.

“I believe we’ve had a very successful season up to this point,” Dickinson said. “We’ve competed well within our conference and also played well in our non-league games resulting in us hosting a playoff game for the second straight year.”

Emery is pleased with where the Cards stand as they try to defend their SUNYAC Championship.

“We had a couple of ties which I believe should have been wins, but overall I’m happy with where the team is,” Emery said. “We had one of the toughest schedules in the country, and most of our top performances came on the road. With 12 freshmen on the team, we may have even overachieved a bit, but I believe the team is right where they should be.”

The winner of Saturday’s game will face the winner of the other semifinal game featuring Morrisville at Oswego for the SUNYAC championship.


Source:


http://www.cardinalpointsonline.com/sports/brockport-hits-stafford-for-hockey-semifinals-1.2170748

Thursday, February 25, 2010

THIS WEEK IN SUNYAC

Today's "This Week in SUNYAC" at USCHO.com discusses how Brockport won the playoff game against Potsdam and how well the Saves For a Cure fundraiser went. In the article, Russell Jaslow also offered this preview of Saturday's game..



Brockport (7-8-1 in SUNYAC, 14-11-1 overall) at Plattsburgh (13-2-1, 17-4-4)

Everybody was expecting to see Brockport in Oswego once they got past the play-in round. However, thanks to Morrisville’s surprise, the Golden Eagles once again go to Plattsburgh like last year.

Plattsburgh may not be the juggernaut they were a year ago, but this year’s version of the Cardinals is still intimidating and it’s never easy playing in Stafford.

The Cardinals play a very disciplined game: they are the least penalized team at 11.8 minutes per game. And when they do give up a penalty, they usually don’t get scored upon with the second best penalty kill at 84.7%. They have given up 11 power-play tallies while scoring four shorthanded goals.

Though Plattsburgh has struggled to score this year by their standards, they are still second best in conference play at 4.75 per game. They also have the second stingiest defense at 1.88 despite at times struggling goaltending amongst two freshman.

Ryan Williams seems to have taken the top spot, finishing up with a league best 1.64 goals against average and .927 save percentage.

Of course, on the other end, Brockport has both experience and the SUNYAC First Team goaltender in senior Todd Sheridan (3.50 GAA, .903 save pct.). Brockport doesn’t score much (2.69 per game), but they have been upping those numbers recently, getting 3.25 in the second half of the season.

Dickinson wasn’t too concerned about where he ultimately had to go.

“Wherever we go, we’ll go in and give our best effort,” he said. “I think the Friday game against Oswego [a 4-2 loss] really proved to our guys we can play with the big boys.”

They will have to perform at that level as they previously lost to Plattsburgh, 4-1 and 7-1, this season.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

SHERIDAN NAMED TO ALL-SUNYAC TEAM







Senior goaltender Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) was named 2009-2010 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) First Team as released by the conference office Wednesday.

Sheridan finished with a 6-8-1 and a 3.50 goals against average in conference play. He led the SUNYAC with 496 saves in net against conference foes for a .903 save percentage. For the second consecutive year, Sheridan led the Golden Eagles to the post-season as the No. 4 seed.

To date, Sheridan has 1,962 career saves ranking him third all time at Brockport. Overall this year he has an 11-10-1 record with a 3.02 goals against average as Brockport heads into the semifinals to face Plattsburgh.

Sheridan was a second team all-conference selection in 2008-09.






TEAM RAISES BIG BUCKS FOR SFAC







The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team dedicated last Friday’s game to the ‘Saves for a Cure’ charity started by senior goalie Todd Sheridan.

The team raised over $3400 dollars for the charity through a jersey auction, ticket sales and a 50/50 raffle. The money raised will be donated to help enhancing hospital stays for children undergoing cancer treatments at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center in Rochester.

This year, the Golden Eagles wore black jerseys with a white Saves for a Cure logo on the front that were auctioned off. The action raised $2590, with 14 winning bids of $100 or more. Senior goalie Todd Sheridan’s #35 jersey sold for $300.

Results of the auction can be found on the Jersey Auction page link at the top of the Brockport Hockey page at http://www.brockport.edu/athletics/jersey_auction_2010.php






BROCKPORT LOSES A FOE

For the past few years Brockport has played at least one game a season against Lebanon Valley College. Sadly, that match-up will be no more. DIII is losing them. Here's a news release from LVC...



ANNVILLE, Pa. - After a comprehensive review of the LVC men’s ice hockey program conducted by senior College officers and Rick Beard ’90, M’92, director of athletics, LVC President Stephen MacDonald has decided that beginning in 2010-11, the LVC ice hockey program will compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) rather than continue in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Men’s ice hockey will continue to be a fully-funded athletic program at LVC.

This change will reduce significantly the amount (and cost) of travel time and missed class time currently experienced by student-athletes. At present, LVC’s hockey team competes against just one Pennsylvania school; in contrast, the ACHA counts over 40 Pennsylvania institutions among its members and thus affords LVC the opportunity to build regional rivalries while reducing travel costs. The College leaders believe that this change also will be advantageous to LVC competitively. “We are confident that LVC hockey teams will be able to play competitively against other ACHA teams and afford our student-athletes the measure of success they have been unable to enjoy recently in NCAA Division III,” said Dr. MacDonald.

“The move to the ACHA will give our student-athletes greater opportunity for success academically, socially, and athletically,” said Greg Krikorian, LVC vice president for student affairs. “It will create a stronger student-athlete experience.”

“Men’s ice hockey will continue to be a fully funded and supported program at LVC including College funding for equipment, travel, and coaching. We will continue to compete and practice at Hersheypark Arena,” said Beard.

The ACHA was founded in 1991 with 15 charter members including The Pennsylvania State University and the U.S. Naval Academy. It has grown to over 350 members across the country and across three divisions. All ACHA teams are members of USA Hockey and the American Hockey Coaches Association






BROCKPORT BEATS POTSDAM 3-0 IN PLAYOFF GAME






I almost didn’t make it to last night’s game. I came very close to wrecking the truck on two deer on Route 31, but my truck made it to see another day thanks to some really slick driving. That’s how the evening began and, similarly, that’s how the evening went at Tuttle North: Brockport made it through Tuesday night to see another game thanks to some really slick play that left Potsdam with that stunned deer-in-the-headlights look.

The Golden Eagles, hosting their second home playoff game in as many years, dominated the Bears throughout the game, a 3-0 victory – a statement – that brought everything together for Brockport and produced a masterful performance.

Brockport came out of the gate intent on domination. During the first period Potsdam was allowed only 7 shots on goal. The defensemen and forwards limited Potsdam’s chances by forcing them far and outside and making them take shots they normally wouldn’t. Highlighting this approach to the game, the penalty kill unit was so good that during a PK in the final 5 minutes of the first Brockport allowed only one shot on goal and that was with All-Conference forward Connor Treacy on the ice.

Among the best performers on the ice in the first – and throughout the game - was freshman Adam Korol who had nothing but high-quality shifts all night long. On his first shift alone he put two shots on the Potsdam goal (one masterfully broken up by Potsdam’s Zack Juliano at the last second) and forced two turnovers. In his second shift he had one of the smartest plays of the night…he was sprawled out on the ice and the man he was covering had nothing but open space that he could have used to wrap around the net untouched. Adam, while lying on his stomach, reached for the puck with his hand on the forward’s stick and hand-passed it along the boards to a Brockport forward, preventing what could have been a huge play for Potsdam.

Brockport tallied one goal in the period and it was a beauty. At the Potsdam end Tyler Davis gained control of the puck and through the peripheral vision of his left eye saw a hard-charging Justin Noble blow past his defender and approach the net untouched. Tyler stopped on a dime and did a spin to the right, completing a backhand pass to Justin who let rip over Andy Groulx’s shoulder.

The second period was just as exciting for Brockport fans as the Golden Eagles exuded teamwork. The special teams unit did not allow one shot on goal during a penalty kill early in the period and Justin Noble came so close to getting a shorthanded goal during it after having executed a nice breakaway. During a penalty kill in the waning minutes of the period Adam Shoff had an excellent blocked shot (that look like it really hurt), just moments after Brett Jendra laid out to block a shot very near to the net that turned the puck over when Potsdam looked like it had momentarily gained control of the game’s tempo.

The power play unit, one of the best in the nation, had its chances this game but twice they had the unfortunate luck of pucks bouncing off the post, one by Justin Noble and the other by Ian Finnerty.

Brockport’s lone goal of the period looked like a scripted play. A 3-on-1, it was a pass from Todd Sheridan to Alan Liwush to Adam Shoff to James Cody that went off without a hitch and seemed to really catch Potsdam off guard. Cody’s shot was a hard one that Groulx had no chance of stopping.

The third period featured more of the same as Brockport allowed only 10 shots on goal. Team D was impressive once again with Adam Shoff making another fantastic body block half-way through the period that, like Jendra’s in the 2nd, put the momentum back in Brockport’s favor. Ian Finnerty had a solid period and he did well in keeping the Potsdam forwards at bay. James Cody scored the last goal in the final minute to seal the game and he deserved it: When Potsdam temporarily pulled their goalie the puck went to Connor Treacy (who Brockport did not want to see with the puck in such a key moment) who was alone along the boards. Cody closed in on him at high speed and checked him violently, putting their best threat right to the ice.

It was a team performance highlighted by many individual performances, including a top-notch one by goaltender Todd Sheridan. In what is probably the last home game of his college career he earned his third shutout of the season (the College’s new single-season record) and the first playoff shutout in Brockport history. He had many great saves, including 4 with the glove and spectacular series in the second when he was spread eagle and blocked 3 shots, including one in which he raised his mitt to block a shot that a Potsdam player had hoped to lift over his prostrate body.

It was a bittersweet moment after the game for Todd, his family and the fans. Arguably the best hockey player – and undoubtedly the most exciting player - in Brockport history, Todd, after the post-game salute, retreated to the net, a place he has called home the past 4 years, and stayed there, savoring the victory and many memories Tuttle North has given him. It took him a few minutes to get off the ice and he appeared emotional. I’ll admit I was a little saddened, too. He’s given me and the fans a lot of great memories on the ice and the things he’s done off the ice are extraordinary. He’ll be missed in a Golden Eagles uniform. Thanks for the memories, Todd!

And, thanks for the memories, 2009-2010 Golden Eagles! Thanks for making Tuttle North such an electric place: Last season was considered among the greatest in team history – with the 14 wins and the home playoff victory – and this year the team duplicated that feat. This season was full of exciting plays and thrilling games, all done with a hustling, hard-fought, team-first approach to hockey…hockey played the way it is supposed to be played. I’m proud of your accomplishments and I’m already looking forward to the start of next season…and a continuation of all the great things the team has done the past few years. Good luck on the road in the playoffs…I’ll be listening…and hoping that I can see you at the DIII Frozen Four in Lake Placid next month!



Here’s the Athletic Department’s recap of the game…


Sophomore James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) scored twice and senior Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) added the game-winning goal as The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team posted a 3-0 victory over SUNY Potsdam in the first round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament Tuesday night at the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Brockport (14-11-1) advances to play No. 2 seed SUNY Plattsburgh due to the upset in Fredonia as SUNY Morrisville posted a 3-2 overtime win over Fredonia and will face top-seeded SUNY Oswego. Both games are scheduled for 7 pm Saturday.

The Golden Eagles scored once in each period starting with Noble’s goal with less than a minute to play in the first period to give Brockport the 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

In the second period, Potsdam (9-14-2) killed of its first penalty of the game near the midpoint of the period but 13 seconds later, Cody fired a high shot over the shoulder of Andy Groulx for the 2-0 Brockport lead with 9:58 to play in the period.

The game remained close with both teams having scoring chances but Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) held his ground in the Brockport goal with 10 saves in the period. Late in the period, Cody stole the puck near the blue line and raced the length of the ice and tapped in an empty-net goal for the final margin.




Here’s USCHO’s recap of the game…




Brockport hosted Potsdam in a rematch of last year’s SUNYAC play-in game. Brockport scored three goals just like last year. Brockport played solid defense with excellent goaltending — just like last year. Brockport equaled their win total from last year. The only difference is this time Brockport got the shutout, defeating Potsdam, 3-0.

“I thought we controlled most of the tempo,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “When they did get going, we were able to keep their shots to the outside. I didn’t really feel Todd [Sheridan] had to make any bona fide Grade As. A lot of their shots were from the outside. A lot of their shots were blocked or deflected wide.

“Our goal was to make sure that big line didn’t get moving up through the middle of the ice. It was great for Todd to get a shutout because it’s a great memory for him, but really that was a team shutout.”

“For most of the game, the puck wouldn’t settle down,” Potsdam head coach Chris Bernard said.

“We didn’t carry enough territory. Credit them: they packed it in tight. It was tough to get pucks through. They battled hard for the rebounds that did get through.”

It appeared the first period would end scoreless until Brockport scored with 50 seconds left. Justin Noble down the left side fired a snap shot over the far shoulder of Andy Groulx.

“We were hoping to score early against the freshman and get him on his heels a little bit,” Dickinson said. “Any time you can score a goal in the last minute to get that momentum going, it’s certainly big. The pass went into Noble’s skate, and he did a great job getting it from skate to stick, one timer. Well placed.”

The first period saw just one penalty while the second had six calls made. Though the first Potsdam penalty expired, it eventually led to a Brockport goal to make it 2-0 at 10:02.

“We were calling for a change on a couple of guys because the power play mixed things up a bit,” Dickinson said who never saw the goal trying to pay attention to the line change.

It was a slow developing play to begin with, but quickly turned into a 3-on-1 down low. James Cody was left unmarked down the middle and he one-timed the pass from Adam Shoff right in front of the net.

Before the goal, Brockport nearly got their second goal early in the period while short-handed. The Golden Eagles had a two-on-none breakaway, but put the shot right into Groulx, who cut the angle down perfectly.

Potsdam finally got some consistent pressure on Brockport in the middle of the second period including a solid power play, but Sheridan was able to keep them at bay.

“He made those stops he needed to make,” Bernard said. “I think our power play was less than sharp early on. We got some movement later on.”

The third period was like the first period, a clean, quickly played game with just one penalty, not counting a frustration penalty in the waning seconds.

Potsdam pulled their goalie with a minute to go, but Brockport eventually cleared the zone, and Cody scored his second into the empty net from far over to the left side. Appropriately, Sheridan got an assist on the goal.

Potsdam (9-14-2) once again ends their season in Brockport. After a strong middle of the season, the Bears didn’t get the results down the stretch most expected.

Brockport (14-11-1) moves on to the SUNYAC semifinals Saturday evening. Instead of going to Oswego like everyone expected, they will instead travel to Plattsburgh because Morrisville stunned Fredonia in the other play-in game, 3-2, in overtime.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

POINT AFTER PREVIEW OF TONIGHT'S GAME

Gary Efthemis posted this analysis of tonight's game at the Point After's website...


With last weekend in the rearview mirror, Brockport hockey looks forward to their second-ever home playoff game. Last weekend was a good one for the Golden Eagles, playing terrifically in a loss to #1 Oswego and then taking it to the Cortland Red Dragons 4-2. In those games, as well as the previous weekend’s game against Geneseo, we were given a preview to what we can expect from the Golden Eagle faithful.

An average of about 1,500 people showed up at Tuttle North Ice Arena for these three games. When 1,500 people cram into such an intimate setting, with Tuttle North’s capacity capped at 2,000, there’s bound to be some noise produced. The “Eagle’s Nest” certainly did not disappoint. Brockport’s student section generated cheer after cheer, chant after chant, and most importantly, momentum for their team. During the Geneseo game, they managed to completely blow their pep band out of the rink! Quite an impressive feat when they’re matched up against a well-organized band complete with drums, trumpets, guitars, etc.

Not only does the student section generate noise, but rather something else that is immeasurable. That, my friends, is momentum. Talking with head coach of the Golden Eagles, Brian Dickinson, he had nothing but praise for the fans and raved about how much they contributed to their play on the ice. He even went so far as to call them, “the seventh man on the ice.” That is the impact a whole lot of noise and chants to get inside the heads of the opponents can have.

Back to the game at hand, Brockport will be facing the Potsdam Bears in what will be their third meeting this season. In the very first game of the season these two teams met, in Potsdam, and resulted in a 6-3 win for the Bears. This result may be somewhat skewed because Potsdam had a previous tune-up game and the fortune of not having to make a seven hour bus trip to play in their first game. When the playing field was leveled just a little bit more, when both teams had ample tune-up time, Brockport came out on top by a score of 4-2.

The third time will be the charm, the time when the game counts for the most. For one team, it will mean a date to dance with one of the heavy-hitters in the conference (Plattsburgh and Oswego) and the other, a long wait until next season starts.

As far as the stats go, Potsdam scores about three and a half goals per game while Brockport manages a little over three. However, Potsdam is giving up more than a goal per game more than Brockport. Where Brockport shines, and have all season long, is their special teams.

Unfortunately for Potsdam, that is where they falter.

Only a 17.4% power-play and 76.8% penalty-kill is no match for the Golden Eagles attack either a man up or man down. Brockport blows the Bears out of the water with a 23.6% power-play efficiency and an 85.4% penalty-kill rate. This just may be the deciding factor in the game. But, there’s a reason they play the game.

Here’s to hoping the fans come out in full force and cheer, chant, and scream their Golden Eagles to a victory. If you cannot be there in person, listen to 89.1 The Point on your radio or online at 891thepoint.com starting at 6:45 for exclusive coverage of Golden Eagle hockey.


Source:

http://thepointafter.org/2010/02/22/brockport-hockey-gears-up-for-post-season-run/#more-250

USCHO PREVIEW OF TONIGHT'S GAME






USCHO's Russel Jaslow did a mid-week report for their website, looking at tonight's play-in games. Here's what he said about the Brockport-Potsdam game...


Last year, Brockport hosted a playoff game for the first time, and then won their first ever playoff game. All against Potsdam. This year, Brockport hopes to repeat history as they host their second playoff game in school history looking for their second playoff win. Once again, against Potsdam.

The Bears, however, have other thoughts. To do so, they are going to have to overcome a dismal second half of the season after having a strong midyear performance. Potsdam finished 3-8, going 2-6 in SUNYAC play. They went from a potential third place position to just barely making the playoffs.

The teams split their series this year, each registering home victories: 6-3 for Potsdam and 4-2 for Brockport.

“First game against Potsdam, we learned we did things well for 30 minutes,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “Then they did things well for 30 minutes. For the second game, it was a good college hockey game. We definitely had the better goaltender, and we played well for 60 minutes.”

Brockport will once again have to rely on Todd Sheridan (3.50 goals against average, .903 save percentage), the senior goaltender who has been the foundation for their recent success.

“He is healthy,” Dickinson said. “Played great against Oswego.”

Leading Brockport in goals within the conference is assistant captain Sean O’Malley with nine. James Cody (six goals, six assists, 12 points), assistant captain Ray Tremblay (2-11-13), and captain Justin Noble (5-7-12) will also be looked at to get the offense going.

However, it is the defense that Brockport will have to rely on as they only score 2.69 goals per game, better than only one team. They gave up 3.56, fourth best in the league.

Potsdam doesn’t have trouble scoring: 3.50 per game, fourth best in the league. It’s giving up goals where the Bears are dismal, last at 4.62.

The offense is led by captain Connor Treacy (10-18-28), Todd Hosmer (11-10-21), and Fraser Smith (7-11-18). Though the goaltending has greatly improved this year, Trevor O’Neill and Andy Groulx have still let up a lot of goals, partly due to a defense prone to mistakes.

The key to beating Potsdam? Very simple, but difficult to execute, as Dickinson explains: “We definitely got to shut down their top three — Treacy, Hosmer, and Smith. We can’t let them get loose. We have to limit their chances.”

The key to beating Brockport? Beat Todd Sheridan. The only way to do that is to get him to move around in the net. If you simply take shots from outside giving him time to track the puck, it’s going to be a long night.

“Playoff hockey is pretty much the same when you get the four and five match up,” Dickinson said. “It’s always a close game.”



To read the rest of his report and see what he thinks about the Fredonia-Morrisville match-up, go to:

http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,18196





Monday, February 22, 2010

WBSU WILL COVER PLAYOFF GAME

WBSU will be covering the game in full on Tuesday night. Coverage will shift to basketball only during the intermissions. If you can't make it to the game, listen in at 89.1 FM or www.891thepoint.com

Sunday, February 21, 2010

THE PLAYOFFS COME TO TUTTLE THIS TUESDAY






Had it not been for Geneseo's scholarship problems and their subsequent exclusion from postseason play, Brockport would be playing at Geneseo on Tuesday night. Instead, Brockport is in fourth place by default and hosts only the second home playoff game in team history, playing host to the Potsdam Bears at 7:00. Fittingly, Brockport's first home playoff game occurred last season against Potsdam when Brockport dominated the Bears in a 3-1 victory.

This season, though, the teams have split contests. To start off the season Potsdam won by a score of 6-3. Last month, Brockport beat Potsdam on home ice by a score of 4-2 (well, really 3-2 because the fourth goal was an empty-netter).

Potsdam is 9-13-2 overall while Brockport is 13-11-1. Brockport has scored 77 goals on the season and Potsdam his lit the lamp 83 times. Brockport is much better defensively, allowing 79 scores on the year versus Potsdam's 105.

Their two best players are senior Connor Treacy (11 goals, 27 assists for a spectular 38 points) and sophomore Todd Hosmer who is having a huge season with 16 goals. Fraser Smith is a pretty solid player, too (26 points on 11 goals and 15 assists) who had a 16-goal season last year. Trevor O’Neill mans the net most of the time and posts an .863 saves percentage and 4.10 goals againt. In two of the last three games he has been beaten handily by Fredonia and Plattsburgh.

Brockport should be victorious on home ice but it will be a hard-fought game.

Per NCAA rules there is a cost to attend, $2 for students and $4 for non-students.

There will not be radio coverage by WBSU (other than token updates) as there are basketball playoffs on campus Tuesday as well. But, you can still watch the game on fasthockey.com






BROCKPORT BEATS CORTLAND 4-2 ON SENIOR NIGHT






Over the years I’ve seen 17 Senior Nights on campus, 17 groups of men who have said “good bye” to Brockport hockey and probably organized hockey as a whole. It’s always a bittersweet evening as the team, the fans and the parents see the last minutes of players who gave everyone 4 years of hockey memories. This year’s seniors are Jason Gorrie, Alan Liwush, Sean O’Malley, Todd Sheridan and Ryan Silveira, all who have had solid college hockey careers and their collection of personal shining moments.

The seniors could not have asked for a more entertaining conclusion to the regular season. Brockport and Cortland exchanged shots on goal and body all night long in a wild game that saw the Golden Eagles claim a 4-2 victory.

Cortland showed an interesting style of play to start the game, putting their biggest and slowest (yet strongest) players on ice for a good portion of the first in an attempt to push Brockport around. Bruisers like Mike Lysyj (6’4”), Chris Kaleta (6’2”), and Erik Nordqvist (6’4”) were unleashed on the team and Brockport returned the favor by bringing the hits right to them. It seemed to shock them as Cortland quickly abandoned all-out goon play and focused on a mix of skill and hitting to put 35 shots on goal over the game. Brockport was up to the task as well, peppering the Cortland goal with 39 shots.

Todd Sheridan manned the net for the first period, making 16 saves in total, and was pulled in an effort to rest and protect him for the playoffs. Oliver Wren took over and turned away 17 of 19 shots in the final two stanzas. The very first shot he faced took an exceptional save using the shaft of his stick to knock away a potential goal.

Brockport’s star of the game was Sean O’Malley who for the second night in a row had a 2-goal game. It should be noted he was only 4 inches from a hat trick, having taken a shot at the empty net in the final minute from the opposing corner…a long shot that was oh, so close. Both of his goals were the result of him muscling his way to the net. On the first one, while standing just outside the crease he collected a Liwush shot on goal to put it under Dan Jewel’s leg pads. On the second he forced himself to the net and flipped the puck over Jewel’s pads.

He paid the price for the second goal. Within a few seconds of the post-goal face-off, Lysyj absolutely leveled O’Malley by the boards with a cheap shot to the head. That began a minor fracas between the two teams which saw Justin Noble and Cortland’s Corey John tangle, both getting penalties. With two in the box for Cortland and one for Brockport that left Cortland one man down but Chris Kaleta (brother of the Buffalo Sabres Patrick Kaleta) got the short-handed goal.

Those were the last scores of the game for both teams as the third went scoreless. It was a fun period nonetheless with plenty of hits.

There were a lot of impressive shots on goal by the Golden Eagles throughout the game, and Jewel had to play out of his mind after allowing two goals in the first seven minutes of the game. James Cody had 6 quality shots turned away and Nick Panepinto had an exceptional hustling play at 13 minutes of the second which I had been hoping would have given him his first collegiate goal. It was nice to see Mike Hayward net the first goal of his stellar rookie season (one which has seen the defenseman have 13 assists) with a hard wrist shot from the face-off circle.

All in all, a really entertaining game.

Here’s what the Brockport Athletics Department had to say about it…



Senior Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH) scored two goals for the second consecutive night to lead The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team to a 4-2 victory over visiting SUNY Cortland Saturday night at the Tuttle North Ice Arena.

Brockport scored twice within two minutes at 5:01 and 6:51 of the first period for the early 2-0 lead. Junior Chris Berardini (Batavia, NY) netted his second goal of the season with assists credited to Jason Gorrie (Etobicoke, ONT) and Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT). Gorrie teamed up with Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) on the power play and found Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT) for the open shot.

O’Malley scored his first goal of the night at 6:15 of the second period to give Brockport the 3-0 lead. Cortland got on the scoreboard at 12:59 of the second but less than three minutes later O’Malley found the back of the goal again giving Brockport the three goal lead. The Red Dragons cut the deficit to two goals at 16:29 in the second on a short handed goal but the Golden Eagle defense held strong in the third period and limited Cortland to just six shots.

Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) made 16 saves in the first period before Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) minded the net in the second and third periods and made 17 saves.

Brockport earns the number four seed in the State University of New York Athletic Conference and will host No. 5 Potsdam in the first round on Tuesday, February 23. The two teams faced off last year in the first round game at Brockport with the Golden Eagles coming out on top with a 3-1 victory.



Saturday, February 20, 2010

JERSEY AUCTION HAS ENDED

Saves For a Cure jersey auction is now closed. Check out the winners at:

http://www.brockport.edu/athletics/jersey_auction_2010.php





BROCKPORT FALLS TO #1 OSWEGO 4-2






An intense media spotlight was cast on the Brockport Golden Eagles – and Todd Sheridan especially – this past week in the lead up to the Saves For a Cure game on Friday. With that much scrutiny it would be time for Brockport to shine.

And they did.

Even though they lost 4-2, they put one hell of a scare into Oswego.

The Oswego Lakers are the number one team in the nation and they came into the game with a 22-1 record and a 21 game unbeaten streak. A force to reckon with, their average scoring margin advantage over the season was almost 3 and two-thirds goals per game. It’s that sort of play that allowed them to bury Brockport 10-1 early in the season.

This time, things were different. In recent weeks the Golden Eagles have been playing some top-notch hockey and it showed in this game. They hung with Oswego the entire game. After one period of play Oswego was up 1-0. After two, they were up only 2-1.

Sporting the black SFAC jerseys (to be auctioned off today), they played hard and well both offensively and defensively in front of a huge crowd of 1,250.

I’ve often said that it’s rare that the goaltenders on the Plattsburghs and Oswegos of the world rarely get tested because of the incredible systems that play in front of them. But on Friday night, Oswego’s Gunn-Taylor had to stop a lot of high-quality shots. He had to make some really top-notch saves with both glove and leg pad.

The Golden Eagles tore through the Oswego defense in ways the Lakers had not seen this season. A lot of it was artistry. Brockport had crisp passing this game and they played some serious takeaway, consistently outworking Oswego for the puck. The skating was top notch, too. Justin Noble and Ray Tremblay each showed-off some really neat dekes that left your jaw dropping.

Offensively, bad luck befell the Eagles on a couple of shots in which the puck bounced off the post at odd angles. They could have easily been goals in Brockport's favor. People always say football is a game of inches. I will argue that hockey is more so as made evident by those exciting moments.

The goals that were scored were delivered by Sean O’Malley. With the senior’s college career in its waning moments it was great to see him deliver such a clutch performance. Both were long distance shots and the second one especially had some serious mustard on it. Oswego’s penalty kill is fourth in the nation, but Brockport’s power play – the best it has ever been at 9th in the nation – put up those two goals. It was the great versus the great and Brockport came out on top.

Defensively, I thought Mike Hayward played his best game of the season for the Golden Eagles. He was arguably the best defenseman of the night (on either team) and he did plenty –along with Tyler Davis and Adam Korol - to keep the Lakers confused and bottled up. They even managed to make Neal Musselwhite – the fastest skater in DIII – look absolutely human. Not once did we have the chance to see his quicksilver ways.

The man of the hour, Todd Sheridan, was on top of his game. He had to stop a lot of hard one-timers and a few screened shots. He showed quick leg reflexes on the low shots and a couple of times he sprawled out to make the extraordinary save while on his back, including one “snow angel” save in which the puck embedded in his armpit only an inch from the line. In total, he stopped 30 shots and the second goal allowed was undoubtedly questionable. The linesmen spent some time debating whether or not it was actually a score before ruling in Oswego’s favor.

The Golden Eagles should take a lot of pride in their performance and a lot of lessons that can be applied in their quest for the SUNY title: If Brockport wins their home playoff game on Tuesday they will be heading to Oswego on Saturday.

Prior to the game I had the privilege of dropping the ceremonial first puck. I would like to thank the team for that honor. The players and coaches are a quality group of guys who make it easy to be a dedicated fan. And I would like to thank those super-fans in the Eagles Nest for the chants while I was out there. You guys rock!



Here’s the athletic department’s recap of the game:

Senior Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH) scored a power play goal in the second and third period against nationally ranked #1 SUNY Oswego Friday night but it wasn’t enough as the Lakers came away with the 4-2 victory at the Tuttle North Ice Arena.

Oswego took an early 1-0 lead on the first power-play chance of the game 1:31 into the first period. Neither team put points on the board the rest of the frame as the Lakers held the advantage heading into the second period.

Brockport evened the game at 1-1 when O’Malley notched his eighth goal of the season at 8:19 after connecting with Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) and Adam Korol (Hurley, NY). Eight minutes later, the Lakers were back on top 2-1.

Oswego made it a two-goal contest 58 seconds into the third period and extended to a 4-1 lead with 5:49 to play. Brockport kept the pressure up and O’Malley netted his second goal of the night to pull the Golden Eagles within 4-2 with 1:59 left on the clock on a pass from James Cody (Schwenksville, PA). Brockport pulled goalie Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) for an extra attacker to try and notch another goal but were unable to find the net. Sheridan finished with 30 saves, including 14 in the third period.

Despite the loss, Brockport clinches fourth place in the State University of New York Athletic Conference as a result of a Potsdam loss to Plattsburgh. The Golden Eagles will host a home playoff game in the first round on Tuesday, February 23.





Friday, February 19, 2010

BYLINESPORTS COVERS SFAC





Bylinesports.com is a sports website hosted by YNN's sports anchor Bill Pucko. Today's installment features an article about Saves For a Cure...


Saves for a Cure for Cancer
by Matt Coller, Bylinesports.com 2/19/10

The college at Brockport’s goaltender Todd Sheridan beat tongue cancer. He didn’t survive it, he beat it. Cancer was a one-timer or a 2-on-1. Cancer was another puck he turned away. Only a few years after Sheridan stoned Cancer’s break-away (Dr.’s gave him 70 percent to live, which is the same percentage goalie’s stop on the break-away), Sheridan is working to help others taking on the same opponent.

It took two years for Sheridan’s foundation, Saves for a Cure (www.savesforacure.com), to become “legit.” The idea to start a foundation stemmed from an experience during chemo-therapy. While waiting to go in to a waiting room, Todd saw a man and a young girl waiting. He assumed the man was the one with cancer, but when the girl turned around he noticed a patch of hair missing.

“It was the only time I broke down during the entire experience,” Sheridan said. “I knew I needed to do something. I’m not raising money for a magic pill, I just want to help people going through this.”

All the leg work in creating the foundation has been done by Todd, his family and a few helpers at the annual salary of $0. Sheridan’s foundation gives 100 percent of money raised to children with cancer.

“Most foundations spend so much of the money on salaries,” Sheridan said. “I didn’t want it to be like that. It’s hard. It’s really hard. But, I can sleep at night knowing I did everything I could do to help children with cancer.”

This weekend, Feb. 19 and 20, Brockport will host Saves for a Cure Weekend. The money from tickets, a donation bucket and jersey auction will all go to Saves for a Cure. At last year’s Saves for a Cure Weekend, jersey sales alone totaled over $2,500. Additionally, several businesses donate money for each save Brockport goalies make. Money Sheridan wants to deliver himself.

“I know in my room at the hospital I had a couch, a TV and a DVD player,” Sheridan said. “It made things a lot more comfortable for me and that’s what I want to do for other children.”

Sheridan is starting on the micro level. His plan is to reach out to individual families and use the money he has raised in whatever he can to assist.

Sounds like he’s got everything figured out, huh. Not really. Todd needs help. His Web site admittedly needs work. He has little to no assistance to market his foundation and he has a budget of $0 to work with. Yes, it helps going out to the game and dropping a few dollars in the bucket, I will be there Friday night to support Todd and give to his cause, but he needs more than just money, he needs behind-the-scenes people.

Saves for a Cure will remain at Brockport after Todd Sheridan is finished playing, and Todd and his family will continue their efforts to make a difference. We can all help. Visit Todd’s Web site at www.savesforacure.com or e-mail him at Tsher1@brockport.edu.


Source:

http://bylinesports.com/Posts.aspx/ReadPost/dac76b47-a5fd-470c-a798-97bbebe2f2e1





ONE DAY LEFT IN AUCTION






Place your bids in the Saves For a Cure jersey auction. It ends Saturday at noon!

http://www.brockport.edu/athletics/jersey_auction_2010.php






WHAM 13'S COVERAGE OF SAVES FOR A CURE





Last night's news broadcasts on WHAM 13 featured a story about Todd Sheridan and Saves For a Cure. Watch the video here online:

http://www.13wham.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=211806@wokr.dayport.com&navCatId=5





Thursday, February 18, 2010

STYLUS RECAP OF THE GENESEO GAME

This week's Brockport Stylus looks at last weekend's game versus Geneseo...



It's amazing what a college kid will do for a free T-shirt. Brockport students filled Tuttle Arena against Geneseo for what was, by far, the largest crowd of the season, Friday, Feb. 12.

"I caught myself at one point in the third period just gazing over to the other side and chuckling to myself on how awesome this is," head coach Brian Dickinson said. "Our players were into it, the fans were into it, and it was a great atmosphere for a college hockey game."

Unfortunately, the crowd could not propel its hockey team to victory, as Brockport dropped its second game to Geneseo this year both by a 2-1 score.

Brockport out-shot and outplayed Geneseo for most of the game, but the scoreboard didn't reflect it. In the first period, Brockport won the shot battle 14-8, but Geneseo led 2-0.

"We out-played them, out-hit them, but we made a couple mistakes in the first period," Dickinson said. "It was one of those nights where the hockey Gods were not on our side, but I thought we controlled play in all three zones."

After Sebastian Panetta gave Geneseo a 1-0 lead, David Arduin made it 2-0 on a power play goal.

"That second goal was tough," goalie Todd Sheridan said. "The puck was bouncing around and he was able to find it and put a good shot on."

Brockport got on the board in the second period when Sean O'Malley wristed in a shot on the power play. The goal ended a 12 game goal-less streak for O'Malley. Brockport will need him to score more in the playoffs around the corner.

Brockport came close to scoring again when Brett Jendra fired a bullet from the blue line that sailed just above the crossbar. If it were inches lower, Jendra would have had Geneseo goalie, Cory Gershon, beat.

Gershon was the best player on the ice, stopping 29 shots. Sheridan made 27 saves for Brockport.

"The crowd was unbelievable the whole game," Sheridan said. "We knew it would be tough playing them because they had nothing to lose."

Sheridan was referring to the new sanctions against Geneseo and Buffalo State, who will be ineligible for the playoffs for awarding a high number of grants to student athletes. Geneseo is currently fourth in SUNYAC standings but will not have a postseason.

Brockport didn't have starting defenseman Gregg Amato, due to a shoulder injury. If he doesn't play next week, it's unfortunate because they will be playing the No.1 team in the country next week, Oswego.

It won't be just another game however, because next week is "Saves For A Cure" weekend. "Saves For A Cure" is a non-profit organization started by Sheridan three years ago after he survived a battle with cancer in 2005.

"When I was in for treatment I knew I was going to be fine, but seeing what the younger kids are going through was hard to watch," Sheridan said. "They are some of the bravest kids you could ever meet. I just want to make it more of a home environment for them as they go through the battle.

"We're not just giving it to the hospital, because that will just pay for salaries and we're not giving it for research to find the magic pill. Everyone is looking for the magic pill. We want to make the kids comfortable."

All the money raised will go to Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

The largest moneymaker for the charity comes from the jersey auction. Brockport will be wearing special black jerseys which will be given to the highest bidder after the game. This raised over $2,500 last year.

Local businesses have vowed they will donate for every save a Brockport goaltender makes this season.

"Technically, it's money for every save, but we'll just take money," Sheridan said. "We will take anything you want to give us because every little bit helps."



Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2010/02/17/Sports/Massive.Crowd.Sees.Ice.Hockey.Fall.Short-3872536-page2.shtml

TODD SHERIDAN & SAVES FOR A CURE IN D&C






The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle features a nice article about Todd Sheridan and Saves For a Cure....


Todd Sheridan sat in a room at University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia five years ago, waiting for another round of chemotherapy.

That's when he noticed the person who would change his life.

"There was a guy in his late 30s, early 40s, with a bald head," Sheridan recalls. "He had a little girl with him who was wearing a Mia Hamm jersey. She couldn't have been more than 8."

Sheridan assumed the man was undergoing cancer treatment, and was impressed his daughter had come to support him.

Then, a name was called and the little girl walked into the room reserved for chemo patients. Sheridan saw a bald patch on the back of her head as she disappeared into the room.

That's when he lost it.

"It's the only time during my whole cancer ordeal that I broke down," he said. "I felt so bad for her. It's burned into my memory forever."

Sheridan was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and underwent surgery that May to remove 72 lymph nodes and a piece of his tongue. A feeding tube was placed in his stomach, and doctors told him his hockey career was over because he'd never be able to move his right arm enough to play.

Sheridan defied the odds, and now is putting the finishing touches on a stellar hockey career at SUNY Brockport. He's third on the school's all-time career saves list with 1,889 and will finish with the program's four best goals-against averages. His current GAA is 3.18. He is already the career leader in goalie wins (28).

Even though Sheridan is cancer free, he hasn't forgotten that girl and all children who bravely battle cancer.

"For me, the hardest part was seeing kids go through it," Sheridan says. "In a lot of cases, they were the inspiring ones and the upbeat ones."

Three years ago, the New Jersey native founded Saves For A Cure, a nonprofit organization aimed at helping children in their battle against cancer. Close to $8,000 has been raised, but the money doesn't go toward research to cure cancer.

"I talk to people at the (James P.) Wilmot Center and decide what they need," says Sheridan, who is the foundation's CEO. "I talk to patients. What's going to make it an environment that keeps kids positive? Maybe a DVD player for rooms, or more comfortable seating.

"I wanted to make an actual difference."

The Golden Eagles will wear black jerseys which are being auctioned off online. The jerseys can be purchased at www.brockport.edu/athletics/icehockey/. Last year, the auction netted $2,582, and Sheridan's No. 35 jersey was the top seller ($250). All money — including gate receipts, donation buckets at Tuttle North Ice Arena and raffle proceeds — goes to the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.

Sheridan isn't in this alone. Bob Confer, a Brockport alum and vice president of Confer Plastics, bought Sheridan's Web page and has put "a lot of money and effort into it," Sheridan says. Confer is on the Saves For A Cure board of directors.

Golden Eagles coach Brian Dickinson and assistant coach Mark Digby also have been influential. Digby designed Friday's special uniforms.

Sheridan's philanthropy is why he's one of 18 finalists for the prestigious Humanitarian Award, which goes to college hockey's "finest citizen." It's his second nomination. The winner will be announced April 9 at the Frozen Four in Detroit.

"It would be quite an honor," he says. "I'd feel like 'Saves for a Cure' was the real winner, though.''

Sheridan, 25, would be the third player with Rochester ties to win the award. RIT's Kristine Pierce (Honeoye Falls-Lima), a fellow cancer survivor, won in 1999 and Cornell's Sam Paolini of Greece won in 2003.

Sheridan grew up in Edison, N.J., between Newark and Princeton. He left home at 20 to play for the Sarnia Blast of the Canada Junior B League. Early in 2005, he noticed "a pretty big lump" on the right side of his neck. His doctor dismissed it as a cyst or infected lymph node, but five months later the lump was still there and Sheridan's concern was growing.

That April, doctors removed a painful lymph node from his neck and diagnosed cancer. He was given a 70 percent chance of living, and a near-zero chance of playing hockey.

He endured six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, five days per week. His mother drove him 90 minutes each way to the University of Pennsylvania for treatment.

Three weeks after enduring his final radiation treatment, he rejoined his Junior B team in Ontario. Once considered a Division I prospect, he joined SUNY Brockport for the 2006-07 season and has started ever since.

Sheridan has one more year left at Brockport because he switched majors (from a double major of biology and chemistry to business). His hockey eligibility ends this season, but he plans to keep his foundation going after he's left the rink. Even though he is cancer free, the disease is his enemy.

"I took the cancer thing very personally," he says. "Every time I'm helping a kid beat it, it makes me happy. It's a great feeling beating cancer."


Source:

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100218/SPORTS09/2180334/1007/RSS02





Wednesday, February 17, 2010

OSWEGO LOOKING TO FINAL GAMES OF SEASON






Oswego comes to town on Friday night and the Palladium-Times of Oswego discusses the match-up...


Don’t mess with success.

That’s the plan for the Oswego State men’s hockey team this weekend. The top-ranked Lakers (14-0-0 SUNY Athletic Conference, 22-1-0 overall) aren’t going to change what they do just because they’ve already clinched the conference regular-season title.

“We don’t want to change our approach now. We don’t want to let bad habits slip in,” Oswego State coach Ed Gosek said. “We want to keep our focus and keep positive.”

The Lakers will close out their regular season this weekend with 7 p.m. games Friday at Brockport and Saturday at Geneseo.

Gosek said he was pleased with his team’s effort in its 21st consecutive win, a 5-3 decision at Morrisville on Saturday. But he said he won’t alter his lineup or make any dramatic changes for this weekend’s games.

“We want to continue to improve, and we’ve got two games to do it,” Gosek said. “We need to continue to work on our special teams and our defensive zone coverage.”

Here’s a closer look at this weekend’s games.

Oswego State at Brockport

Friday, 7 p.m.

Brockport (6-7-1 SUNYAC, 12-10-1 overall) is in line to get the fourth seed for the SUNYAC playoffs, and could wind up as the Lakers’ semifinal opponent on Feb. 27 at Campus Center Ice Arena.

The Lakers routed the Golden Eagles 10-1 earlier this season in Oswego. Gosek said he expects a much tougher game in Brockport.

“They’ve got (Todd) Sheridan, a senior goalie who can steal a game,” Gosek said. “This time of year, everyone’s gearing up for the playoffs. Brockport wants to keep its momentum going.”

The Eagles tied Fredonia 3-3 and lost to Geneseo 2-1 in their latest games. Sophomore James Cody leads Brockport in scoring with 11 goals and 13 assists. He is followed by junior Ray Tremblay (6-18) and sophomore Ian Finnerty (7-13).

Senior captain Tyler Lyon and senior goalie Kyle Gunn-Taylor (15-0-0, 1.68 goals-against average) anchor a Laker defense that has allowed just 40 goals this season.



Source:

http://palltimes.com/articles/2010/02/17/sports/doc4b7c57e0713b7088350378.txt




Tuesday, February 16, 2010

BOOKSTORE JOINS IN SFAC FUNDRAISING






The College at Brockport Bookstore will be donating 20% of the sales from any emblematic merchandise purchased between February 15 and 20, 2010 to Saves For a Cure.




FOLLOW TEAM USA





As you know, the Winter Olympic Games are in full swing right now in Vancouver. Athletes from Team USA, who have been training their entire lives have been taking the stage to represent our country. You can support Team USA by following their adventures online.

Anyone who registers on http://Teamusa.org will have access to the latest info and will receive exclusive updates throughout the games. All of that information and more is available at their social media website here: http://teamusanews.org






Monday, February 15, 2010

SAVES FOR A CURE JERSEY AUCTION IS ON




















The Saves For a Cure jersey auction is now underway!

Winners will be announced February 20, 2010 on the following webpage:

http://www.brockport.edu/athletics/jersey_auction_2010.php

Winning bidders will also be contacted via email to confirm delivery of the jersey.

When bidding on the jersey of your choice please use the highest price you are willing to pay for the jersey, similar to an Ebay auction. For example - if your bid is $100 and someone else bids $75, the high bid would be $80 (five dollars above the next highest bid).

Email your bids to Mark Digby and please include in the subject line of the email the jersey number you wish to bid on. In the body of the email please include your name. For more information about the auction please contact assistant coach Mark Digby at mdigby@brockport.edu

Thank you very much for your support of Brockport Hockey and Saves For a Cure.






Saturday, February 13, 2010

POINT AFTER RECAP OF THE GAME







Gary Efthemis of WBSU wrote a great piece for the Point After's blog today. Here it is...




The sea of green, a sight that truly needs to be experienced to fully appreciate. That was the Tuttle North Ice Arena on Friday night as 1,700 rabid fans packed the rink when Brockport hosted their biggest rivals, the Geneseo Knights. Riding the passion of their home crowd Brockport came out matching the intensity of their faithful. Unfortunately, the period didn’t come out in the favor of the home team.

Two goals in the period on essentially isolated incidents must have really been deflating for the Golden Eagles. They controlled every aspect of play in the first 20 minutes but we’re down by a pair. Sometimes justice is never served.

About half way through the first frame, and a solid minute of pressure in the offensive zone, a two on one chance for Geneseo turned into their first goal. Dan Brown and Sebastien Panetta came down into the Brockport zone and worked a crisp pass through the slot for the easy tap in.

The second goal came on a power play for the Knights a rarity for the Golden Eagles to give up. It has been mentioned before just how stout the Brockport penalty kill is and is worth mentioning a thousand times over. On this occasion, it bent on one out of the four chances in the game.

The problem with bending, it sometimes leads to breaking. That power play goal was the tally that broke the Eagles’ wings. One goal by Sean O’Malley early in the second period is all Brockport could muster against (younger brother of former Golden Eagle, Mike Gershon) Cory Gershon. Gershon played very well in the game especially in that middle frame when Brockport peppered him with 13 shots.

At the other end, no surprise that Todd Sheridan played just as well as his counterpart, however not much help was given to him on those goals. The only time the defense broke down were the times the puck beat Sheridan.

There is some joy that Brockport can take out of this game in the fact that no matter what Geneseo does for the remainder of the season, they will not be making the playoffs while the Golden Eagles will be soaring on their way to a first round home playoff game. If you’re just tuning in to the SUNYAC hockey season, Geneseo and Buffalo State were banned from this year’s post-season due to NCAA infractions.

With that being said, the Knights took the high road that Buffalo State did not. By nature, this game that is played two times a year between these warring factions is a nasty, physical match up. This game saw nothing outside of the ordinary and Geneseo must be commended for accepting their fate with grace and choosing to bow out with class.

In the next two SUNYAC games that Brockport will play, against Oswego and Cortland, they need but one point to sew up that home playoff berth. This would mark the second time the Tuttle North Ice Arena has seen a post-season game of puck and second in as many years. Seeing as these games are no cake walk, if Brockport should fail to pick up a single point they can hope for a single Potsdam loss which will also give Brockport the berth. Potsdam will face Buffalo State and their rivals, Plattsburgh in their final two games.

Next week Friday, Brockport hosts Oswego for their annual “Saves for a Cure” game. All ticket proceeds from the game go to the charity created by senior goalie and Hockey Humanitarian finalist, Todd Sheridan.



Source:

http://thepointafter.org/2010/02/13/bport-ice-hockey-falls-to-geneseo-in-front-of-nearly-sold-out-crowd/#more-167






REPORTER WRITES ABOUT THE LOVE OF THE GAME

Cassie Negley is a sports writer for the Brockport Stylus and she writes a blog called "Negley's Nook at http://negleysnook.blogspot.com/

Her most recent blog post comments on the joy of the fan experience...and what it means at Tuttle North. Here's what she wrote:



There is little to nothing that I don’t love about sports.

There is action, suspense, misery, and bliss. One day could be the best day in the entire world, and the next day you end up in the dumps.

Two seconds can change a game. Hey, one second can change a game.

And nothing is permanent. Being in the basement one year can turn into a ring the next.

More than any of this, though, is the excitement that comes with cheering on your favorite team. Or, better yet, cheering on your home team. I spend hours yelling at the TV. My room at home is in the basement, and my parents can still hear me at times.

A year ago I was dating a guy whose dad could have gotten us tickets to a Jets-Dolphins game in the Meadowlands. He was cautious to say the least about taking me. A very loud, in-your-face, say-whatever-she-wants Dolphins fan in the Jets section? I don’t think so. His brother agreed it might be a bad idea.

So easily one of the best parts of being a college student is sitting in the college section. Students run the game. The yelling, the cheers, the utter highs and the utter lows. All are prevalent in the student section.

Tonight, Brockport’s Golden Eagles took on the Geneseo Knight obrockport hockeyn the ice. It was a big game. Geneseo brought their pep band…so you know Brockport had to bring it. The house was packed, there was no one in the stands who wasn’t wearing a green t-shirt. And not one student was watching the game from his/her seat.

I yelled as loud as I could. I screamed cheers. I kept up the noise whenever it got quiet. The whole student section stepped it up tonight. We blew that pep band out of the arena—just the way it should be.

Another great thing about the student section? Nothing is off limits. They may call it unsportsmanlike, but in reality it is good clean fandom. Support for your school is everything.

It’s a good thing I am a writer and not a broadcaster. My voice is completely gone. I wouldn’t want it any other way, though. Tonight was exactly what sports are about. I loved every single second of it.

If you were curious, we lost 2-1. Still loved every second of it….

USCHO RECAP OF THE GENESEO GAME







BROCKPORT, N.Y. (Feb. 12) — Once Geneseo learned they were not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA infractions, their goal was simple — run the table. Geneseo is now 4-0-1 in their last five games after defeating Brockport, 2-1, on two first period goals.

“We’re a relaxed team now,” Geneseo head coach Chris Schultz said. “We’re just going out there playing the game. We’re not worried about anything. Everybody is paranoid about playoffs. That worry is not there right now. It’s so easy to coach these guys now. They just play the game for each other and they’re getting the job done. It’s very enjoyable.”

Brockport is also playing for a lot, trying to get a home playoff game for only the second time in school history. In front of a “Sea of Green” crowd, their largest of the season, the two teams put on a spirited, hard checking, action packed game.

“I told my guys that was a very good college hockey game,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “The proverbial unfortunate someone had to lose. Tonight it was us. I thought we did a good job for the most part of carrying play and had some pretty good looks. We didn’t score enough goals. Falling behind 2-0, I thought we showed a lot of character battling back making it 2-1 in the second.”

Despite Brockport coming out extremely strong, immediately taking the body, and controlling play, Geneseo weathered the storm and scored first.

“We knew coming into this they had the crowd going,” Schultz said. “They had all the energy here. We just had to hang on for the first five minutes. They came out very strong. They came out hitting and making good plays. We just had to hang on for the first wave. Once it got settled down, we got back into it a little more. They definitely took care of business the first five minutes and gave us a good scare.”

“We wanted to bang,” Dickinson said. “Watching their tape against Fredonia, I didn’t see a whole lot of contact. There was a lot of transition in that game. We were hoping we could bang them into mistakes especially their defensemen.”

However, it was Geneseo that forced mistakes. The first came at 9:18 when a late developing 2-on-1 enabled Dan Brown, from the left side, pass it across the crease to a wide open Sebastian Panetta. Panetta easily put the puck into the unguarded net as Todd Sheridan had no chance to move over in time.

“The only way you are going to beat him [Sheridan] is moving him laterally,” Schultz said. “You’re not going to see too many pucks go in the net off a clean shot. He’s a stud back there. He’s probably the best goalie in the league. You have to make him move side to side. If he does have a weakness, that’s probably where it is.”

“[James] Cody had the guy in the neutral zone, took him all the way back to the hash marks and then let him go,” Dickinson said. “Unfortunately, he got blocked and thought our defenseman came up with the puck and that the puck was going behind the net, so he released to go back check behind the net and get into position for that.”

Geneseo scored their lone power play goal in four chances at 18:19. A shot from the middle near the blueline was stopped. However, Brockport was unable to clear it, and David Arduin in the right slot area falling to his knees, put it past an out of position Sheridan.

“we just didn’t play the penalty kill as well as we’ve been working on all week,” Dickinson said. “We had a plan in place. Unfortunately, we had a breakdown. We let the guy up top with plenty of time to shoot. He got it through and the rebound goes into the net.”

Brockport got it back at 2:29 of the second period on one of their two power plays. After a couple of shots and a couple of saves and a couple of rebounds, Sean O’Malley finally put the puck past Cory Gershon up high.

Both teams continued to play hard, take the body, have good scoring chances, and made some great saves. Despite all that action and a very vocal, enthusiastic crowd, the red light never lit up again.

Brockport pulled their goalie with a minute left, but were never able to set anything up.

“What a great atmosphere to play in front of,” Dickinson said. “They [Geneseo] did a nice job. They came to play hard tonight. I give Schultz and their coaching staff a lot of credit for keeping those guys focused and playing hockey in lieu of their situation. It was a great college hockey game, and unfortunately, tonight we fell one goal short.”

Gershon wound up with 29 saves for the win while Sheridan stopped 27.

Both teams have the rest of the weekend off before hosting the same two teams next weekend, Oswego and Cortland.

Brockport (12-10-1 overall, 6-7-1 in SUNYAC) remains four points ahead of Potsdam for the last home-ice spot with four points remaining. Potsdam wins the tie-breaker between these two teams.



Read more: http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20092010/m/02/12/genst-brockst.php





BROCKPORT FALLS TO GENESEO 2-1





The Brockport Athletics Department reports...


Senior Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH) scored a power play goal early in the second period to cut a SUNY Geneseo lead to 2-1 but the Knights held on with a scoreless third period to defeat The College at Brockport Hockey team 2-1 Friday night in front of 1,700 fans at the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Brockport remained in fourth place in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) standings despite the loss and need just a single point in the final two games or a SUNY Potsdam loss in its final two games to clinch a home playoff game in the first round of the conference playoffs on Tuesday, February 23.

SUNY Geneseo (11-10-1 Overall, 7-6-1 SUNYAC) scored twice in the opening period with the first goal coming at the 9:18 mark of the period and the second coming with just 1:41 to play in the first period.

In the second period, Brockport (12-10-1, 6-7-1) used a power play advantage in the first couple minutes of the period to cut into the lead. O’Malley took a pass from Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) on the right side of the Geneseo goal and fired a quick shot over the glove of the Knight’s goalie.

Brockport applied pressure late in the game and pulled goalie Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) for the extra attacker for the final minute of the game but was unable to get a clear shot on goal in the closing seconds. Sheridan finished with 27 saves for Brockport.





Friday, February 12, 2010

PICS OF FAN OTTO ISENBERG'S PAD
































Editor's Note: The signs came down this morning as Otto and his roommates were forced to bring them down by Brockport administration citing the sign as not being in good taste.

That's really unfortunate. Otto and friends showed more school spirit in that once sign than most students show in their entire collegiate lives.

Brockport hockey has become incredibly popular in recent years for two reasons: One, the coaches have assembled a winning group of high-character players who play great hockey and two, the guys behind these signs have made the Eagles Nest at Tuttle North a happening place that really brings in fans both new and old.

To make that happen, they have introduced chants and noise to the games and promotions all over campus. This sign is one of those promotional pieces that motivates students to go to the games and keeps Tuttle North packed. It's team spirit! And, I'll go so far to say there's absolutely nothing classless about it. Otto and friends should be comended for doing things like this and not chided for it.





SAVES FOR A CURE VIDEO

Brett Jendra hosts and produced this video highlighting next weekend's Saves For a Cure game...