Tonight is the most anticipated game of the season: Geneseo comes to town.
The Brockport-Geneseo rivalry has gone on to unprecedented heights in recent seasons and it is starting to carry just as much weight as the storied Plattsburgh-Oswego rivalry. The players and the fans are highly-competitive towards one another and it’s easy when the teams are basically in each other’s backyards, separated by only a 40-minute drive. Chances are good that such a commute will bring a hundred (or more) Geneseo fans to tonight’s game. You know their talented but grating pep band will be in attendance and sitting right beside the Eagles Nest. That same Eagles Nest crew has been promoting this game around campus in earnest and I would not be surprised if their efforts created a turnout exceeding the all-time high of 1,850. Is 2,000 (+) possible? I think so!
And, what a game it will be! Last season Brockport took both games from Geneseo. This season they can only hope for a split as the Ice Knight beat Brockport by a score of 2-1 at Ira Wilson Ice Arena in November. That game was tightly-played with Brockport putting 30 shots on goal and Geneseo 28. The Ice Kinghts are 10-10-2 and have a conference record identical to Brockport’s at 6-6-1. But, as you know, they are ineligible for postseason play for having given scholarships to their hockey players (which should make for some great “cheater” chants and signage from the Eagles Nest).
Geneseo is led by forwards Dan Brown (13 goals and 21 points), Stefan Decosse (21 points) and David Arduin (20 points). Defenseman Jake Yard has produced a solid 18 point season. As a team they’ve scored 3.45 goals/game (28th in the nation) and allowed 3.27 goals/game (39th). They don’t make a lot of penalties, being very close to last in the nation in penalty minutes. That’s unfortunate, because Brockport’s 11th-ranked power play unit will have fewer chances to take on Genseo’s penalty kill which is 63rd in the nation.
They are solid in goal with Adrian Rubeniuk getting most of the starts. The freshman has a stellar .913 saves percentage and 2.75 GAA. It would be nice, though, to see Cory Gershon – the brother of Brockport hockey alumnus Mike Gershon – get the start. He’s been in net in 9 contests and boats an .890 and a 3.70.
The game starts at 7:00. But, get there early to get a seat and a shirt: The first 350 students receive a Sea of Green t-shirt.
The game can be viewed at www.fasthockey.com. There is no WBSU coverage so you’ll have to listen to Geneseo’s WGSU at http://wgsu.geneseo.edu/
