With the Christmas break upon us, it’s time to reflect
on the semester that was for some of the hockey players. The team has been
competitive due to the contributions of a lot of players. But, allow me to
reflect on just a few of the strong performers.
Let’s start with some of the forwards…
As in seasons past, the team’s success hinges on
that of Chase Nieuwendyk. He’s
following up his All-American season with one that is certainly worth such
consideration again. He already has 9 goals on the season, which is good for 6th
in the nation. Among those are 2 power play goals and a short-handed goal.
There have been some times when he’s truly carried the team on his back
(Morrisville and Potsdam) and his hunger for excellence, and the knowledge that
his college career ends next semester, should lead the team deep into the
playoffs.
Among the biggest surprises in the line-up is
freshman Tim Kielich, who is a
special talent. He has a point in 7 of the last 8 games and comes into the
second semester with 5 goals and 5 assists. Now that he’s eating up some
minutes, he might surpass 24 points on the season. Even though he’s far
surpassed his scoring pace from the Juniors, don’t look at him as a
flash-in-the-pan: The 6’, 175-pounder is a welcome addition to the line-up who
will give Brockport fans another 3 seasons of excitement. He’s crafty, he doesn’t
make mistakes, and he’s an excellent two-way player. I really like his upside.
Another youngster I like is sophomore Ryan Kangas. He has showed that his
exceptional freshman season was not a fluke. He hustles, is trustworthy in
defensive situations, and has excellent ice vision, as well as good hands. He
has 12 points on the season, a point in 8 games and 4 multi-point games. Don’t
be surprised if the kid is All-SUNYAC in his junior year.
Aidan
Verbeke has been top notch, too. He’s a playmaker with a 1-8-9 line that should
equate to a 20-point season when it’s all said and done. Despite those strong numbers,
don’t overlook what else he does, the things that don’t show in the box score.
He has 4 blocked shots on the season and is a hustler adept at stealing pucks
and breaking up passes. He doesn’t quit.
Now, let’s look at the d-men…
Chris Luker
has been playing like…well, Chris Luker. Once again he’s been a playmaker and
his .80 points per game have him in the top twenty nationally amongst
blueliners. He has but 1 goal, but he’s had some chances, and some very good
ones, and those blasts will find their way to the back of the net in the second
semester. The senior’s last semester should put a nice capstone on what has
been one of the finest – if not the finest -- careers among Brockport
defensemen.
I really like the high level that Chad Cummings has been performing at
this year. Earlier in the semester, I was commenting on how strong his motor was running this season –
he's flying on the ice and looks even bigger and stronger than in the past (which
is saying a lot for somebody already built that way). He is covering territory
well and really holding his own against the best players in the country.
Luckily, the rest of the fans and the Conference have caught on to his special
season, thanks his 3-goal breakout weekend heading into Thanksgiving. He might
find it difficult to maintain his current point pace (it’s not his style of
play), but he doesn’t need numbers to be considered one of best in SUNYAC. He’s
a defenseman’s defenseman who truly warrants All-SUNYAC consideration this
year.
