GREAT ARTICLE ABOUT E.J. MCGUIRE

EJ McGuire, director of Central Scouting for the NHL, was, last year, the first hockey player/coach selected for Brockport's Athletic Hall of Fame. He was in WNY last week for the World Juniors and the Metro Community News of Buffalo ran this story about EJ...


EJ McGuire has seen his fare share of hockey talent over the years.

The director of Central Scouting for the National Hockey League, the First Ward native knows how to pick out the cream of the crop.

That’s why it was a treat for the Bishop Timon-St. Jude hockey team when McGuire came out to a recent practice to talk to the young men about what it takes to make it to the next level.

McGuire, however, just didn’t chat with the boys he also helped run practice – the same way the NHL teams run practice.

“I told my lifelong friend Gene (Overdorf) that I would like to get back on the ice. I haven’t been on the ice in a couple of years,” he said while taking a break from practice. “Last time I was at Caz there wasn’t a roof here. They were choosing ends for the wind end and the snow end. It’s a long time since I have been here and the first time I have been here since the roof was on.”

McGuire and Overdorf (Timon’s coach) go way back to the days of playing hockey at Brockport. After his playing days were over, McGuire took up coaching – first as a head coach with Brockport before landing a job as an assistant with Mike Keenan and the Philadelphia Flyers.

While with the Flyers, Keenan and his staff enjoyed success as the Flyers went to the Stanley Cup. They also dealt with tragedy with the death of star goaltender Pelle Lindbergh.

“I happened to meet a guy named Mike Keenan in Rochester and volunteered for him,” explained McGuire. “He gave me a call and said I just got hired by the Philadelphia Flyers would you like to be my assistant. That first year with a goalie named Pelle Lindbergh we were in the Stanley Cup finals in 1984. Pelle was killed in a drinking and driving incident that next November. A year later we were in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals with a guy named Ron Hextall.”

After taking assistant jobs with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators and Flyers (again) and head coaching jobs with the Maine Mariners, Guelph Storm and Hartford Wolfpack, McGuire took on a new task as vice president with the NHL.

There he is the director of NHL Central Scouting, the bureau that ranks prospects for the upcoming draft.

He usually has his input on the rankings and is a desired interfere by NHL media around the rankings time and the draft.

He says with the recent success of local kids like Tim Kennedy and Pat Kane people should expect big things from the city.

“I think the skies the limit for the city of Buffalo. For Western New York and extends right through Rochester,” explained McGuire. “I really think not only are more and more kids going to come out of here, but stay here longer. Believe me if a major junior program thinks a kid is good enough they will reach in here and grab them out of here. But the NCAA college programs are becoming more cognizant of good hockey players coming out of WNY. And I am proud to say that I am from WNY.”

While taking the time to give the Timon team some lessons, McGuire will still have his eye on the premier junior tournament that is taking place in Buffalo right now.

The World Junior Tournament is the best of the best the hockey world has to offer and Buffalo was the destination for the event.

He also has advice for the local kids who are starting to end up on everybody’s radar as the travel and high school seasons are in full swing.

“It may seem like a cop out but fit,” said McGuire. “The one that is appropriate for them. The skill level and where they want to play. I could have gone to the University of Michigan, but not play hockey. You have to go where you are going to get a lot of ice time. You have to do your homework so you know that you are going to get ice time. You have to get advice from coaches that who knows the skill level of where you are going to go. You don’t want to over shoot your boundary, because sitting on the bench at a high-powered program your improving your skills very much.”

Source: http://www.metrowny.com/news/673-Knowing_the_game_within_the_game.html

FINNERTY DOMINATES IN BROCKPORT'S 9-6 WIN

Last night’s game was just what the doctor ordered. Brockport woke from its offensive slumber and came out guns a blazing and put 52 shots on goal in an exciting 9-6 win over Western New England College.

The 300 fans in attendance (a low number as this is still winter break on campus) were able to see Brockport’s highest goal total since a 10-3 drubbing of Framingham State back in January of 2008.

You never would have guessed a final score so high after how the first period played out. Basically, the first half of that period was pretty eventless; fans with a passing interest in hockey might even say it was boring. But once Ian Finnerty lit the lamp at 11:09 things changed. The shots started pouring out from the Golden Eagles and they didn’t let up.

Ian was the best player on the ice last night. Statistically, he had a career night with 6 points on 2 goals and 4 assists. Outside of the box score, though, he was just as amazing: When the game was still a game in the first (that stanza ended 2-1) he was without a doubt the best defender on either team. On two penalty kills during the first he had two really exceptional plays, including one where he laid out and used his stick handle to deflect the puck away from the net. At one point while even strength in the first, he prevented a for-sure goal by knocking down a shot taken at the net from point-blank.

Bobby Conner, who was the second star of the game, netted Brockport’s second goal in the first with a pretty power play in which Tom Galiani and Finnerty were incredibly patient and mobile while closing in the diamond. It was a perfectly-orchestrated attack.

The second period saw Brockport score 4 goals while putting 23 shots on goal. WNEC managed only 1 goal which nearly didn’t happen. Goalie Joey Reagan made a brilliant glove save but may not have had total control of the puck for the ref never whistled the play dead. The puck trickled out of the glove and WNEC’s Connors scored on the ensuing confusion.

Bobby Conner’s second goal of the game – a nice pick-up of a rebound - came with just 9 seconds left in a power play opportunity. Brockport followed that up with Finnerty’s second goal, one where he deftly took advantage of 3 really confused WNEC players.

A few minutes later, James Cody (who had 3 assists on the night and has already surpassed the 20-point barrier) took a shot that left the WNEC goaltender reeling, blasting him right in the chin with an incredibly wicked slapshot from between the faceoff circles. It was at once frightening and entertaining (that latter being true only after knowing the goalie was okay).

Justin Noble proceeded to score at the 7:26 mark with a nicely-done goal, coming from behind the net to scoop in a puck that was briefly sitting in limbo...no one on the ice but he knew where it was.

Five minutes later Colby Spooner got his first collegiate goal. It was good to see him rewarded for his impressive efforts this year…he’s become a top-notch d-man who does an above average job of finishing his checks.

The third period was a wild one that saw WNEC score 4 times while Brockport found the back of the net 3 times. Chris Cangro became the third Golden Eagle to net 2 goals in this game scoring at the mid-way point and then again with less than 3 minutes left. On both occasions he out-muscled his defender to set himself up to collect rebounds. Adam Shoff got his second goal of the week with a fantastic power play goal. Brockport addressed one of its major weaknesses by going 5 for 10 on the power play against WNEC.

Jeremy Rossignolo spelled Joey Reagan 9:04 into the 3rd, the first action he has seen as a Golden Eagle over these past two seasons. He allowed 3 goals on 5 shots which can be attributed to his surprise ice time.

The Golden Eagles played lights-out all game. With 4 minutes left to play, as WNEC looked to be in comeback mode, Ian Chapman and Pat Hayden began knocking bodies down like it was going out of style. They were not going to lose!

You had to love the fans last night, too. A handful of folks from the Eagles Nest drove in from across New York State just to cheer on the Golden Eagles. One of them, Grant Voges, sang the national anthems again. No one sings "O Canada" quite like Grant…he’s a bilingual expert! Grant also got himself in hot water, throwing his green & gold wig onto the ice thinking a hat trick had been scored when it hadn’t. They obviously couldn’t kick out Brockport’s most vocal fan.

It was good to see the little rugrats getting into the spirit, too. About a dozen 10-year-olds cheered on every Brockport goal. In one of the more entertaining moments, after 2 female WNEC fans cheered their team's goals in the third, one of the kids turned around to the girls after a Brockport goal to talk smack with them. It was an impressive show of fan-demonium, but his dad made it a point to tell him to keep his attention on the ice and not the fans in the crowd. The kid has potential to be a future Eagle Nest Crazy :)

The battle continues today at 3:00, a rare matinee game. Here's to more fireworks!

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Box score:

http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/mbrcwne1.j07


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AD recap....

Junior Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) scored two goals and handed out four assists for six total points to lead The College at Brockport Hockey Team to a 9-6 victory over Western New England College Friday night in the first of a two-game series with the Golden Bears at the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Finnerty scored in each of the first two periods and had three assists in the first 40 minutes and then added his fourth assist and sixth pointy in the third period. Brockport (2-12-1) held a 2-1 lead after one period and outscored Western New England (3-7-3) 4-1 in the second stanza to take a 6-2 lead into the final period.

In a wild third period, the Golden Bears scored four times but Brockport added three goals to earn the victory.

Freshmen Bobby Connor (Lititz, PA) and Chris Cangro (Holbrook, NY) each scored twice for the Golden Eagles as Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT), Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) and Colby Spooner (Hilton, NY) each scored once for Brockport. Spooner’s goal was the first of his career for the sophomore defenseman.

Brockport scored five times on the power play with 10 attempts and held Western New England to one power play goal on eight opportunities.

Freshman Joe Reagan (Yonkers, NY) started for the Golden Eagles and made 19 saves before senior Jeremy Rossignolo (Rochester, NY) made his first career appearance for the Golden Eagles with nine minutes remaining and stopped two shots.

James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) had four assists and Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) added three assists for the Golden Eagles.

2 GAMES VS. WNEC THIS WEEKEND!

Brockport hits the ice at 7:00 Friday and 3:00 Saturday. Both are home games against Western New England College. See ya at the Tuttle North Ice Arena!

USCHO RECAP OF HOBART GAME

The gentlemen at USCHO offer this recap of last night's game:

The Hobart Statesmen, ranked No. 15 in this week’s USCHO.com Division III men’s poll, scored three goals in a 48-second span in the second period to take control of Tuesday night’s game against the Brockport Golden Eagles, winning 5–2.

“The first period went well for us but then we fell asleep for 48 seconds and it cost us a hockey game,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “It is disappointing that shift cost us a hockey game.”

Hobart got off to a sluggish start and Brockport almost took advantage in the first five minutes of the game. The Golden Eagles buzzed around the Statesmen net but couldn’t get anything past sophomore goaltender Martin Ausserhofer, who played in his first game this year.

“We probably slugged our way through the entire game,” Hobart coach Mark Taylor said. “There were some spurts where we jumped up a little bit, but that game was not us. Sometimes it can be healthy for you to win a game like that.”

The Statesmen (8–3–1) didn’t garner much offense at all until Brockport (1–12–1) went on its first power play of the night six minutes into the contest. Hobart scored on its second shot of the game at 7:31 while killing off that penalty. Christopher Bower intercepted a cross-ice pass near the Hobart blue line and carried it into the Brockport zone on a two-on-one breakaway.

Bower slid the puck over to Tommy Capalbo near the top of the crease, who tapped it in for the goal.

“We didn’t crumple,” Dickinson said. “When things aren’t going well, which they haven’t this year, you never know how you are going to respond.”

Brockport kept up the offensive pressure through the remainder of the period, outshooting Hobart 10–8 in the stanza, and the work paid dividends with 53 seconds remaining. Mike Hayward let go a blast of a slap shot from the top of the crease and Adam Shoff deflected the puck as it flew down the crease, sending it just under the crossbar to tie the game 1–1.

“We have worked hard since we got back on the urgency of getting up and down the ice against Hobart, probably the hardest working team we’ll face all year,” Dickinson said. “We did a good job of making them expend energy in their end of the ice a bit. We tried to take advantage and couldn’t get any clear chances until the end of the period.”

Hobart opened the flood gates early in the second period, scoring a trio of goals to take control of the game 4–1. Cam Miller started the fireworks at 6:24, finishing off a two-on-one breakaway off a pass from Danny Organ.

Just 23 seconds later, Ryan Corcoran redirected a wrist shot down the slot by Mike White. And then at 7:12, Gregory Ciciola poked in a rebound to finish off the flurry.

Dickinson called his timeout and put Joe Reagan into net to replace starting goaltender Oliver Wren. That stopped the fireworks but Hobart continued to slug along.

“Ausserhofer needed game time and I thought he got better as the game went on,” Taylor said. “I’m glad he got better as the game went on because I didn’t think we did.”

The Golden Eagles chipped away at Hobart’s lead early in the third period with a power-play goal at 3:20. The Statesmen failed to clear the puck from their defensive zone when given the chance. Ian Finnerty collected the puck just inside the Hobart blue line, skated through the right faceoff circle, and wristed the puck just inside the near post to narrow the Statesmen lead to 4–2.

Hobart’s Tommy Fiorentino slid in an empty-net goal with just under a minute remaining to finish off the 5–2 victory for the Statesmen.

Source:

http://www.uscho.com/recaps/2011/01/04/three-goal-flurry-carries-no-15-hobart-past-brockport/

BROCKPORT FALLS TO HOBART 5-2

Despite the notch in the “L” column and a brief deluge of goals, Brockport hung with 15th ranked Hobart for most of Tuesday’s game. The 5-2 score was bloated due to an empty-netter in the last minute of play, but overall it was performance the young team could take pride in, for Hobart has demolished some of the best teams in the nation and Brockport was more than game enough for them.

The first period ended 1-1 and it saw the Golden Eagles lead in shots on goal with 10, 2 more than Hobart’s deadly offense. Brockport showed its hardworking roots of the previous 2 seasons by attacking with zest the rebounds that poured off Hobart’s goaltender Ausserhofer. Those efforts paid off when Adam Shoff buried a rebound with under a minute to play in the first stanza.

The period had its share of drama. With 12:48 Gregg Amato had a hard slapshot that Ausserhofer had to make a brilliant glove save on. That shot was nicely set-up by James Cody who, even though he didn’t show up in the scoresheet, had a huge impact on the game. On this specific play he showed acrobatics and strength, driving around and through 3 Hobart Statesmen…a perfect display of what he brings to the game.

Seconds later, with 12:30 left to play, Amato’s turnover led to a frightening 2-on-1 with, but Oliver Wren was up to the task of stopping the shot that mirrored the goal that got by him minutes earlier. Then, with 6:43 left, Hobart came within inches of a short-handed goal when it bounced off the pipe.

The second period was more in Hobart’s favor. Ausserhofer must have received some insight during the intermission, because he better deflected away rebounds with his stick and skates, taking away what was Brockport’s best weapon to score goals. No doubt looking for new ways to put shots on the Hobart goal, Brockport was less attentive to defense for a while which led to 3 goals in less than a minute. Not all could be blamed on Wren because the Hobart scorers – especially on the last 2 goals – were left totally unmolested and were able to wind up and chose their target (the top of the net).

Subsequently, Wren was pulled, which also served as a wake-up call to the rest of the team. Brockport settled down and kept Hobart at bay. Joe Reagan was up to the task in net and made 20 saves through the rest of the game, not surrendering a goal. Among his best in the second was a point blank stop that was created by a Brockport defenseman’s turnover (a recurring theme).

The third period started 4-1 but less than 4 minutes into it Ian Finnerty got a power-play goal that really showcased his talents. He took it in on his own and with a sweet hesitation move capped off by patience, he slung the puck past Ausserhofer.

Brockport nearly had 2 more goals as Ausserhofer was helped by his best friend…the post. It made saves on shots by Ian Chapman and James Cody.

With 7:21 left, there was a questionable no-call as Cody took a huge shot that bounced off the goalie’s pad. Tom Galiani was Johnny-on-the-spot and was ready to chip in the puck that was just sitting there in no man’s land. A Hobart d-man proceeded to violently push Tom to the ice from behind, taking away that chance.

Joe Reagan was nothing short of brilliant in the 3rd period. There was a 20 second flurry with just under 14 minutes left when he turned away 5 shots, all of them pretty solid chances. He also broke up a breakaway goal with a nifty glove save with 5:31 left.

One fellow who impressed me throughout the game was Bobby Conner. Known for his offensive output, he played an exceptional defensive game and took the puck from Hobart on numerous occasions in the Brockport zone. An excellent two-way player.

All in all it was a good game. Take away the 3 goals burst in the second and it was a very competitive affair. The fans who came out to this rare Tuesday match-up were treated to a fine game.


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Box score:

http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/mbrchob1.j04


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Athletic Department recap:

Junior Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT) scored for The College at Brockport Hockey team with less than a minute to play in the first period to even the score at 1-1 but Hobart College, ranked No. 15 in the latest Division III national poll, responded with three goals in a span of 48 seconds early in the second period and went on to post a 5-2 victory over the Golden Eagles in a non-conference game Tuesday night at the Tuttle North Arena in Brockport.

The Golden Eagles, playing for the first time since the semester break, fell behind 1-0 midway through the first period as Hobart (8-3-1) scored on a short-handed situation. Shoff scored for the second time this season with 53 seconds left in the period to knot the score at 1-1.

In the second period, Hobart’s Cam Miller scored his fourth of the season at the 6:24 mark of the period and teammate Ryan Corcoran scored his fifth of the year 23 seconds later to give the Statesmen a 3-1 lead and Greg Ciciola added a third goal 25 second after that for a 4-1 lead.

Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) scored to close the gap to 4-2 with 3:20 gone in the third period with an unassisted goal eight seconds into a Brockport (1-12-1) power play opportunity.
The Golden Eagles applied pressure during the remainder of the third period but a late empty-net goal by Hobart made the final score 5-2.

Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) started and made eight saves for Brockport while freshman Joe Reagan (Yonkers, NY) finished the game and made 20 saves for the Golden Eagles.

BROCKPORT HOSTS 3 GAMES NEXT WEEK

Next week is a good week to be a Brockport hockey fan. The Golden Eagles host three home games, one on Tuesday the 4th (7:00), one on Friday the 7th (7:00) and another on Saturday the 8th (a rare 3:00 matinee).

Tuesday’s opponent is a tough one. Hobart is ranked 17th in the nation by the USCHO voters and is 6-3-1. They can be frightening, having put up plenty of goals against quality opponents, besting #1 Oswego 5-2 while downing Buffalo State 6-0, Neumann 7-2, and Elmira 6-5.

They have 3 scorers with 12 or more points, led by Matt Wallace (9 goals, 5 assists). He’s lightning quick as proved by his 4 shorthanded goals last season. Greg Cicola has 5 goals and 7 assists while Patrick Moriarty has 11 assists on the season. After those top 3, they have 3 defensemen in the 4th to 6th slots in team scoring, led by Ryan Corcoran and his 4 goals. So, they can score from anywhere.

Goaltender Nick Broadwater has played every minute of every game and has been lights out with a .927 save percentage which is even better than his excellent freshman campaign (.925%). With a goalie that talented, Hobart can certainly advance the puck and play aggressively.

Brockport will have their hands quite full against a team that beat them 4-1 last year.

That’s why it will good to take on Western New England College on Friday and Saturday.

The Golden Bears haven’t had a winning season since 1993-1994 and are currently 3-6-1.

It’s not for a lack of output, though. 5 men have 9 or more points, including Kory Grahl and Chris Connors who each have 17 points. To put that firepower into perspective, James Cody has 17 points…think of how good of a season he is having! Their leading goal scorer is Rory Hansen who has 7 on the year.

Defensively, it’s a different story for WNEC. 7 times they’ve allowed 5 or more goals this season, including 3 occasions where they allowed 7. Both of their goaltenders are sitting around a .875 saves percentage and they have been buried by shots…38 a game!! Brockport’s forwards, who are just getting on track, should put plenty of shots on goal. Friday’s and Saturday’s games should be very interesting.

None of the games will be heard on WBSU but they can be watched at www.FastHockey.com

OSWEGO JOINS IN SAVES FOR A CURE EFFORTS

The Oswego State Lakers Men's ice hockey team will be auctioning off gold jerseys that will be worn during the January 8 contest against Curry to help support Saves For A Cure. Saves For A Cure is a non-profit organization founded by former Brockport Men's ice hockey Goaltender Todd Sheridan aimed to help children with their battle against cancer in the Rochester, New York area.

Minimum bids start at $50. Bids begin Thursday, Dec. 30 and will be accepted through Sunday, Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with the winners announced on Monday, Jan. 11 at 9 a.m./ET on the Oswego State Athletics website.

Auction site:

http://athletics.oswego.edu/sports/2010/12/2/MHOCKEY_1202104552.aspx?id=154

POINT AFTER'S RECAP OF THE FIRST SEMESTER

Gary Efthemis, of WBSU's sports team, wrote this excellent analysis of the first half of the season for the Point After blog....


The Golden Eagles came into the 2010-2011 campaign having previously won 14 games their last two seasons. As it stands right now, Brockport is 1-11-1. With a slew of terrific recruits set to take to the ice, expectations were high coming into the season and their schedule reflected those lofty hopes.

“[It was] not being afraid to play anybody because we thought we’d be a little bit further along off the success of the last couple years,” said head coach Brian Dickinson. “Guys wanna play better competition and our schedule reflects that this year.”

Those out of conference games, which were extremely ambitious, have not turned out in the Golden Eagles’ favor. They lost to Utica, Elmira, Neumann, and Castleton State by a combined score of 21-9.

They are giving up 5 goals per game and scoring only 2.38 on the season. Compare that with last year when they were giving up 3.11 and scoring 3.04.

Special teams have also been a deep concern. Last year their powerplay operated at 23% efficiency and the penalty kill killed off 85.5% of penalties. The numbers are sobering this half of the year. The powerplay is at 13.8% efficiency and the penalty killing at 66.7%.

Two things that can be attributed to a sharp decline in performance are the loss of goalie Todd Sheridan to graduation and assistant coach Mark Digby to Oswego. Sheridan broke 11 goaltending records in his 4 years at Brockport and helped lead the turnaround of the program.

“He certainly was a stabilizing factor in where we were the year before he got here,” said Dickinson. “Todd came in and he was everything and more than what we thought he would give our program. What happened was because of his skill and his ability to stop the puck it gave our guys a little bit more confidence to be able to not play afraid.”

Mark Digby was also a key contributor to the turnaround of the program as Brockport’s only two home playoff games came under his assistance.

“His work ethic was second to none,” said Dickinson. “What I’m finding is he did more than what I even knew he was doing, I never had to ask him to go places. We had a tremendous amount of respect for each other and I think that’s why our coaching relationship bonded as quickly and as well it did.”

With those two gone, it was largely on the shoulders of the 10 freshmen joining the team and new assistant coaches, Chuck Dossier and Phil Roe.

Dossier, a former Golden Eagle player under head coach Brian Dickinson, joins the coaching staff after coaching the Greece Arcadia/Olympia Lightning for 8 years. Last year his team won the regular season championship for the west division. He brings an offensive expertise to the team and as such, commands the offense and the powerplay.

“He’s got that passion and that drive to want to be successful because it’s a reflection on him,” said Dickinson. “He has a passion for the game and he’s a good teacher of the game and he’s definitely learning the intricacies of learning to deal with college-age kids as opposed to high school-aged kids.”

Phil Roe, a former RIT Tiger when they were still in the D-III ranks, brings a defensive specialty to the Golden Eagles. Roe last was an assistant coach at the high school level as well, assisting at nearby Brockport high school.

“Phil played at a high level at RIT, knows the game and brings a wealth of knowledge to our program,” said Dickinson. “He’s done a great job of working with our young defensive corps to this point in the season.”

The Brockport freshman class was supposed to be one of the best in years. Defensemen Sean Wallace and Matt DeLuca, forwards Mike Baxter, Brendan Rothfuss and Bobby Connor and goalie Joe Reagan, lead the class of 2014. Some have lived up to their hype and some have yet to break out into the stars that they were brought in to be.

Bobby Connor is the most prolific on the stat sheet, netting 7 points through the 11 games he has played. Sean Wallace and Patrick Hayden have played a solid brand of defense for Brockport while Matt DeLuca has been the freshman defenseman contributing the most on the scoreboard with two goals. Finally, Joe Reagan has been the only goalie to pick up a win for Brockport this year and managed a shootout win as well (technically counted as a tie).

Even with the lack of success early on, there isn’t a sense of frustration from the young guns.

“We’re getting better as time goes on,” said Rothfuss. “It’s a learning curve… if we get frustrated over it we’re not gonna get anywhere with it.”

The learning curve he speaks of is one that is not apparent to those outside of division III hockey and those that think it’s an inferior level of play.

“It’s a lot faster here, you have to move your feet at all times,” said Rothfuss. “It’s a lot more physical I’ve noticed; you can get away with not finishing your checks in juniors but if you don’t finish your checks now you’re certainly not going to be on the ice.”

Coach Dossier backs up that statement and seems to be on the same page as the freshmen.

“You gotta go through the stepping stones as a new player having been there or done that already but the main thing is, you just have to stick with it,” said Dossier. “Would they all wanna be scoring more and doing more? Sure but the key thing is that they’re working hard.”

Through all the turmoil, turnover, and losing there has been a rock on the ice in these tough times. This rock happens to wear the No. 20 jersey; he is James Cody.

Cody leads the team in goals (7), assists (8), and points (15) and if they kept the stat, he would lead in big hits as well. He led the Golden Eagles in points every year he has been on campus and shows no signs of slowing down.

“He’s definitely a marquee player, if he was playing [at a bigger D-III school] he would be a Division III household name,” said Dickinson. “He’s a dominant player and he’s really a Division I talent right now, he’s evolved into that.”

The only game that Cody has played and been held pointless was Brockport’s only win of the season that came against Cortland. However, he is well aware of the impact that game could have on the second half of the season.

“It was huge,” said Cody. “It gives us a lot [of momentum] and really gets the freshman pumped… we had two score their first ever goals against Cortland and it gets them pumped to help with the win.”

At the end of the season Brockport loses 6 seniors including captain Justin Noble and assistant captain Ray Tremblay. This year the issue isn’t as pressing as in years past to get a slew of freshmen in the door.

“We’re in on some pretty talented kids, we’ve been concentrating on trying to find four forwards because we lose four,” said Dickinson. “We’re trying to still evaluate, ‘do we need to recruit a defenseman, do we need to recruit a couple of righty defensemen to get specific?’ We’re looking for a goaltender though just to come in and be happy to be a No. 3 guy, we’re not looking to push Wren or Reagan who we fully expect to be a two-headed, alternating type situation next year.”

It was unexpected, unwelcome, unpredictable, and almost inconceivable. It was the first half of the Brockport Golden Eagle hockey team’s season. Most importantly, however, it is not insurmountable.

Source:

http://thepointafter.org/2010/12/19/golden-eagle-hockey-half-season-recap/

THE FIRST SEMESTER BY THE NUMBERS

Brockport fans and players are in shock over how the first semester played out. Brockport is 1-11-1, just one loss short of last year’s total for the whole season. It’s a huge drop for a team that was 14-12-1 last year and one I thought would see similar success in ’10-’11.

What accounts for this?

Let’s see what the numbers tell us…

You can best judge a team on how it performs on special teams, the finer points of the game. If they can kill penalties and take advantage of their opponents’ penalties, then you know they’re going to rack up the wins.

Last year, Brockport was 12th in the nation on the power play with a robust 23% success rate. This year, they’ve fallen to 54th, scoring on 15.4% of their chances. Were they to be just as effective as they were last season, they would have scored 5 more goals.

The Golden Eagles also excelled on the penalty kill in 2009-2010, ranking 13th in the nation, keeping pucks out of the net during shorthanded situations 85.5% of the time. This year, they rank second-to-last in the nation in this category with a 67.9% kill rate. Were the PK just as good as it was last season, opponents would have allowed 10 fewer goals.

Last year’s goaltending squad stopped .909% of the shots they faced. This year’s duo has stopped .879% of them. At last year’s rate, 16 fewer goals would have been allowed this season.

Defensively, the team has allowed 5 goals a game, good for 67th in the nation. Last year, the Golden Eagles were 33rd in DIII with only 3.11 goals allowed per game. That’s 25 more goals allowed this season than would have been with last year’s success rate.

From a scoring standpoint, Brockport has found the net on fewer occasions this year. They are averaging 2.38 goals per game, compared to 3.04 last year. That’s 9 less goals in this first semester of play.

On a positive note, Brockport continues to remain one of the well-behaved teams of DIII. They are 64th in the nation with only 11.6 minutes per game, 3.2 minutes better than last year.

The Golden Eagles have recently showed some signs of turning around their game and their season. Let’s hope that trend continues. It should with the continued development of the freshmen and the return from injury of key guys like Ray Tremblay, Tyler Davis, and Ian Chapman.

I’m looking forward to the second semester and a reinvigorated Golden Eagles team that has the tools and the attitude to overcome their first semester woes. They have a major turnaround in their sights…and, yes, the playoffs, too. The SUNYAC is a mess with so many teams in contention that Brockport is not out of the race. They can make things really interesting in January and February. It's going to be an exciting time to be a Brockport hockey fan.

Enjoy the holiday break! May your Christmas and New Years be good ones!

CODY, DELUCA GET PRESS

This article ran in yesterday's Perkiomen Valley Patch....


Two Perkiomen natives thriving on the ice at Brockport
James Cody, Matt DeLuca, hope to be part of Golden Eagles' turnaround


Matt DeLuca and James Cody took different paths to get to Brockport. The Perkiomen Valley graduates are now enjoying success on the ice for the Golden Eagles hockey team.

DeLuca is a freshman who has been steady on the blue line in his first year as a defenseman. Cody is a junior who is leading the team in scoring. Both have been bright spots for a Brockport team going through a rebuilding season this winter.

DeLuca has played in all 13 games for the Golden Eagles this season. So far, he has had little trouble adjusting to both college hockey and college life.

"It's been a little easier than I thought," said DeLuca. "I'm getting all A's and B's and working hard at practice. When you play hockey for so long, it just becomes natural wherever you play."

It all began for DeLuca with the Valley Forge Minutemen and the Philadelphia Junior Flyers. He spent time on the ice at Perkiomen Valley and eventually moved onto the Syracuse Stars of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

"I was able to talk to the coaches at Brockport the first few weekends at Syracuse," DeLuca said. "I was fortunate enough that they liked the way they played and here I am."

The Golden Eagles picked up only one win in 13 games, but DeLuca is no stranger to being part of a program in need of a turnaround. He was part of one at Perkiomen Valley.

"I look back and think I'd give anything to have one more Friday night of hockey there," said DeLuca. "If you look at the hockey history at Perkiomen Valley, it was not good at all. Fortunately, our class came in and really helped turn that program around."

Cody is doing his part on the offensive end for the Golden Eagles. Through 13 games, Cody has eight goals and nine assists. While Cody is also a Perkiomen graduate, he didn't suit up for his high school team. He chose to travel to Pennsauken and play for a highly respected junior team.

"I went right to juniors," Cody said. "I was playing for the Philadelphia Little Flyers, so I never played high school hockey."

The Little Flyers play in the highly respected Atlantic Junior Hockey League that features 12 teams from Washington to Maine. Cody believes his experience with the Little Flyers prepared him for the intensity level of college hockey.

"It made me a much better player in general," said Cody. "The coaches there really helped me."

Cody is hoping to be part of the turnaround at Brockport. He has emerged as the team's top forward and is confident his success will continue as the season progresses.

"I've been trying my hardest on the ice and the goals have been coming for me," Cody said. "We haven't been doing as well in the early going. I've just been trying to step my game up and get us going. Hopefully, things are going to turn around for us."

If all goes well at Brockport and the hockey team does turn its fortunes around, it will have two Perkiomen Valley graduates to thank as the season progresses.


Source:

http://perkiomenvalley.patch.com/articles/two-perkiomen-natives-thriving-on-the-ice-at-brockport

BROCKPORT ALUMNUS GETS GREECE COACHING GIG

The Greece Messenger Post is reporting the following about a 1997 Brockport grad who was a defenseman for the Golden Eagles...


Rob Howell has certainly put his time in on the sidelines for local hockey teams. The former Greece, Jr. Monarchs and SUNY Brockport player has been an assistant at Geneseo High School (one year), the Greece Lightning (six years) and at Aquinas Institute (three years).

Now the Greece Olympia graduate is getting his shot.

Howell is the new coach for the Greece Lightning, replacing Chuck Dosier as the leader of the combined Arcadia/Olympia team.

“I have always wanted to be a head coach and this opportunity was great for me because of the tradition I have with the program as a player and coach,” he said.

Howell said he is currently in a feeling-out mode with the team as he was hired shortly before the season started. He didn’t have much time with the club before the first game so both parties have been getting to know each other daily.

He spoke with current assistant A.J. Maio and had the players fill out a questionnaire with goals and expectations for the upcoming season as a way to help acclimate himself with the team that went 17-3-2 last year and won the league title.

But most of that team has moved on as several players, including All Greater Rochester goalie Josh Opladen have graduated. The team also lost four underclassmen to Jr. hockey programs.

“We have a lot of returners but most of them are in new and expanded roles,” Howell said. “We lost a lot of offense and a top goaltender so we are feeling guys out and trying to get everyone in place.”

Howell, who also coaches football at Greece Olympia, will lean on guys like Shayne McGowan, Brad Reed and Kevin Forney to lead the offense but admits it has to be a team effort when it comes to scoring goals.

He has also been very happy with the play of goalie Chris Higgins who begins the year as a starter for the first time on varsity.

Howell said his team, which brings back seven seniors with experience, will be a hardworking one.

“One of the main things that I will stress is hard work,” Howell said. “We took a few shifts off in our early games and that is corrected real quick. We have to work for everything we have but I think we have a dedicated group of guys who want to be successful.”

The Lightning started the season off 1-3 as they beat Bishop Kearney/Eastridge but lost to the Greece Thunder, Brockport and Irondequoit.

“This is a team that has to take things one game at a time,” he said. “We just want to get better each time we take the ice. I could see things start to improve and come together in the Thunder game. That is what we are going to be looking for early on - improvement."

The Lightning will be in action again on Saturday at 3 p.m. against Hilton at Lakeshore.

Source:

http://www.greecepost.com/feature/x1167177157/Howell-is-the-new-leader-of-Greece-Lightning-Hockey

MIKE BAXTER GETS SOME PRESS

CottageCountryNow.ca is a website that offers news for Cottage Country, the area north of Toronto where Southern Ontarians like to vacation (hence "Cottage", from "Summer Cottage"). Last week, the website reported on the hockey adventures of one of its residents, Brockport's Mike Baxter...

Baxter finds a home with Brockport

BRACEBRIDGE - Mike Baxter spent years travelling the hockey wilderness before finally finding a home in upstate New York.

The former Bracebridge resident is currently in his freshman year with the Brockport College Golden Eagles in the NCAA’s Division III.

The team has struggled badly out of the gate with just a single win in its first nine games, but Baxter sees better days ahead.

“Unfortunately, our team hasn’t started the season well and we’ve had a tough time getting everyone on the same page,” he said. “But we’ve changed a lot of things recently and our team is definitely on the way up. Hopefully, we’ll be able to compete for a championship against some fierce competition.”

Born in Richmond Hill before moving as a youngster to the Skeleton Lake area, the 21-year-old has spent his hockey career bouncing from club to club. If you can name a local hockey organization, chances are Baxter laced up a pair of skates in their dressing room at one time or another.

Baxter played minor hockey in both Huntsville and Bracebridge and eventually played stints with the Huntsville Otters, Couchiching Terriers, Seguin Bruins, Thorold Blackhawks and Fort Erie Meteors. He also played six seasons with the North Central Ontario Predators AAA, where he won a championship in minor midget alongside fellow Bracebridge native and NHL prospect Blake Parlett.

Along the way, Baxter got his fair share of bumps and bruises both on and off the ice.

“I had a very rough junior career to say the least,” he said. “On top of a season-ending injury, I sat on the bench for entire games, as well as in the stands, thinking that I was at the end of my career.”

Baxter said he had always wanted to play in the NCAA, and the situation began to swing in his favour when he signed with the Fort Erie Meteors.

“I was really given a shot at fulfilling that goal, which I thank that organization immensely for, and I finally put up some points, scoring 32 goals and 29 assists on a team in a rebuilding phase,” he said. “Finally putting up some numbers I attracted the attention of numerous Division III schools, but Brockport was the best fit.”

Baxter said he loves playing NCAA hockey and finds it fast-paced, hard-hitting and as much fun to watch as it is to play.

“The fans and the support that teams get in the states is, unfortunately, a lot better than in Canada and that’s definitely one of my top reasons for jumping across the border to play here,” he said.

Baxter said the Golden Eagles have a lot of scoring talent that hasn’t been clicking thus far, but he remains confident that things will turn soon and “the barn doors are going to swing open.”

Baxter hopes to get his own offensive game back up to the level he was at last year, and hopefully make the case for a professional hockey career over the course of the next four years at Brockport.

The ups and downs of Baxter’s hockey career have taught him that with enough determination and a little luck, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“If I look back to my first year in junior hockey when I was getting a shift a game, I would’ve never thought I would end up here at Brockport, but I made it and I couldn’t be happier,” he said.

Source:

http://www.cottagecountrynow.ca/community/southmuskoka/article/914194

BROCKPORT FALLS TO NEUMANN, 5-3

The College at Brockport rallied from a third-period deficit against No. 11 Neumann University before surrendering the go-ahead goal with just 53 seconds remaining. Neumann added an empty net goal for a 5-3 non-conference win over the Golden Eagles Saturday night at the Ice Works Arena in Aston, Pa.

Junior James Cody’s (Schwenksville, PA/Philly Little Flyers) even-strength goal with 5:18 to play in the third pulled the Golden Eagles (1-11-1 overall) even at 3-all before Neumann scored twice in the game’s final 53 seconds to get the win.

Junior Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT/Port Colborne Sailors) staked Brockport to a 1-0 lead just four minutes in on a power-play goal, with an assist from senior Justin Noble (Georgetown, Ont./Guelph Dominators).

Neumann, ranked 11th in the latest U.S. College Hockey Online.com Division III poll, answered with the tying goal 63 seconds later.

Freshman Mike Hayward’s (Toronto, ONT/Vaughan Vipers) second goal of the season just 1:26 into the second reclaimed the lead for Brockport, but again, Neumann responded with the equalizer, this time knotting the score with 31 seconds remaining in the second.

Brockport trailed for the first time all game when Neumann scored with 13:28 to play in the game, but Cody’s team-leading eighth goal of the season tied the score at 3-all.

Junior Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA/Philly Little Flyers) had two assists for Brockport.

Junior Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT/Oakville Blades) stopped 30 of 35 shots for the Golden Eagles, who are off for the rest of the year before returning to action against Hobart College at 7 p.m. Jan. 4, 2011.

BROCKPORT TO PLAY NEUMANN

Brockport finishes out the season with a game on the road. This Saturday they take on the Neumann Knights in Aston, PA.

Neumann finished the 2008-2009 season as DIII champs after catching the hockey world off guard. A successful team the year prior, they weren’t known for playoff moxie, so when they got hot and stayed hot, no one saw it coming.

Now, they are respected..maybe over-respected. 15-9-3 last year, they are 6-3-1 this year and ranked 11th in the nation, higher than their record – or numbers- should permit. Their goaltenders have allowed 2.45 goals per game while the team has scored 35 goals (3.18/game).

Their playoff run was led by then-freshman goaltender Ross MacKinnon, who was lights out. He’s come down to Earth since then, but his .904 goals against average is still nothing to scoff at. Nonetheless, he’s not the impregnable wall he was as the toast of Lake Placid.

They are a team that has a strong core: After 11 games they have 4 guys with 8 or more points. Michael Rey has 7 goals while Jordan Zalba has 6.

If they have a weakness, it’s their tendency to commit penalties. They currently rank 14th in the nation in that category. Not good for them when they are 55th in the nation in the penalty kill. If James Cody – who was a PP beast last year - can capitalize on that, then Brockport has a chance to stage an upset. Wouldn’t that be a great way to end the semester!

Player to watch: Neumann's Andrew Love. The sophomore has played but 6 games and has only 2 points, but don’t let that throw you off about his importance to the team. Last weekend I overhead a Cortland parent raving about how Love dominated faceoffs, winning them like they were going out of style.

This game will NOT be heard on WBSU. The game will be broadcast on www.FastHockey.com

PHOTO OF GALIANI GOAL

Tom Galiani's goal against Cortland last weekend was the most exciting I've seen in quite some time. Rochester CC Photography perfectly caught the moment. Check out photo 53 of 130 here:

http://www.rochesterccphotography.com/SUNY-Bport-2010/Hockey/Brockport-v-Cortland-12-4-10/14955202_svyVs#1116804370_VBKfU

STYLUS REPORT ON OSWEGO, CORTLAND GAMES

From the pages of this week's Stylus...

Hockey nets first win
Andy Lipari

Finally. Brockport's hockey team can take a deep breath after picking up its first victory of the season with a 4-2 home-game victory over Cortland on Saturday, Dec. 4 at home. The win came after a 4-2 loss Friday, Dec. 3 to the No. 1 team in the nation, Oswego, on Friday, Dec. 3.

As Brendon Rothfuss put in the empty net goal for Brockport with 41 seconds left, the team and its fans let out a collective deep breath. Jarrett Gold had scored for Cortland to make it 3-2 just 50 seconds before. The win means the Golden Eagles can stop hearing "when are you going to win one" and they can move forward with the rest of their season.

Brockport captain Justin Noble said the team came into the weekend with a determined attitude.

"Week after week we try to look for a way to win," Noble said. "We came into this weekend with the mentality that we were going to get a win. We had a good effort against Oswego and an even better effort against Cortland where we were on the winning side."

Goaltending was the difference in this game. Freshman Joe Reagan had 39 saves for Brockport and Brittan Kuhlamn stopped 36 shots for Cortland. He also had a crucial misplay of the puck, which led to Brockport's second goal. Tom Galiani raced down the ice and Kuhlamn fanned on the puck to try and send it back to the other end. Galiani maneuvered around two defenders and put the puck in an open net to give Brockport a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Brockport Head Coach Brian Dickinson said both of his goalies are capable of being No. 1 goaltenders, but that this is what they thought they were getting when they recruited Reagan.

"It took Reagan a little while to catch up to the speed of the game and put himself in a position to succeed," Dickinson said. "Quite frankly, an injury gave Joe a chance to play some games and he played great in the tournament (last weekend).

"They both knew by Wednesday (Oliver) Wren was going to start against Oswego and Joe was going to start against Cortland, which gave them a chance to just focus on one game this weekend. I thought they both played very well."

Dickinson said either goalie could start the only game next weekend.

The diaper dandies continued to play well for Brockport. The game was tied 1-1 after the first period following a goal by Cortland's Joey Christiano and a goal from Brockport freshman Mike Baxter.

After Galiani scored, another freshman, Pat Hayden, made the lead 3-1 for Brockport in the third period. Brockport had five power plays in the third period. The man-up opportunities could have salted the game away, but they were unable to capitalize, so the game stayed close until the end.

Brockport players said the way they played against Oswego the night before helped them gain confidence for the win over Cortland. Junior James Cody said the team lost, but took away a lot from the Oswego game.

"We played them hard and tried to take the body to them as much as we could," Cody said. "We didn't come out with a win, but we came out with enthusiasm."

Cody has a team-high seven goals and has scored a point in 10 of 12 games Brockport has played thus far.

Friday's game with Oswego looked every bit like a winless team against one of the nation's best, as Brockport fell behind 3-0 in the first period. Oswego's Paul Rodriges, Chris Mulse and Luke Moodie all scored goals for the Lakers.

Brockport came out with much more intensity in the second and third periods. Galiani found the back of the net in the second period, but Moodie answered for Oswego to make the lead 4-1. Galiani scored again in the third.

Oliver Wren stopped 26 shots for Brockport and Paul Beckwith had to make only 15 saves for Oswego.

Brockport now stands at 1-10-1, and 1-7 in the SUNYAC conference. Dickinson said with the first win out of the way they can start making a run to get into a playoff position. They are only a game behind Cortland and Potsdam.

"Now our guys can loosen up and stop hearing about when are we going to win," Dickinson said. "We can focus on the things we are good at and springboard us into a successful second semester."

HAYDEN IS SUNYAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

The College at Brockport’s ice hockey team picked up its first win of the season Saturday night, recording a 4-2 home victory over Cortland at Tuttle North Ice Arena. Freshman defenseman Patrick Hayden (Springfield, PA/Philadelphia Little Flyers) netted the eventual winning goal early in the third period, and Hayden was honored by the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) as its ice hockey Rookie of the Week for the Nov. 29-Dec. 5 period.

Hayden’s goal just two minutes and 14 seconds into the final period staked the Golden Eagles (1-10-1 overall, 1-7 SUNYAC) to a 3-1 lead. Brockport would need that goal as Cortland cut the lead to one late in the game, but the Golden Eagles defense, led by Hayden, made the lead stand.

BROCKPORT GETS FIRST WIN OF SEASON

Brockport exorcised some demons last night. The Golden Eagles got their elusive first win of the 2010-2011 season.

Using some of the tactics that allowed them to hang with Oswego on Friday, they posted a 4-2 victory over the Cortland Red Dragons.

The first period saw Cortland take an early lead, beating Brockport’s goaltender Joe Regan on the glove side. After that, Brockport controlled the game. Mike Baxter got his first goal of the season (and NCAA career) after pocketing a sweet wrap around goal, something rarely seen out of the Golden Eagles.

A few minutes later Brockport nearly scored again when James Cody had a break away. Cortland’s goalie, Brittan Kuhlman, made an aggressive play, coming far out of the crease to challenge James.

Not to be bested by such a play, Joe Reagan – whom most home fans were seeing in action for the first time – had a great game, turning away 39 shots. His best save was a catlike boot with his pads in the air that was made necessary by being on his back on the initial save. He also had some “intellectual” stops, wisely using his stick to stop a breakaway in the first and, in the third, positioning himself nicely to stop a shorthanded breakaway.

The second period was an exciting one, It started off with a scare in the first minute as Chris Cangro flew headfirst into the boards, striking his temple against them. Thankfully, he recovered and saw no ill effects. I enjoyed watching him work in this game….he kept on trying to set up a series of plays and rushes like a chess match, showing that he’s a thinking man’s playmaker. It will be nice to see such forward thinking put to use once his linemates are acclimated to his style. There’s a reason he had such high point totals for the Bobcats and that was witnessed last night.

Mike Heyward, spending lots of time on the ice with Ian Chapman and Tyler Davis out with injuries, played well again and had some exceptional hits in the second and, also showed leadership by getting in the face of Cortland’s Jake Saville who slashed Joe Reagan.

Brockport fans were treated to a really exciting goal in the second when Tom Galiani (who had an great weekend) flew into the Cortland zone as Kuhlman come out to the face-off circle to handle the puck. Tom stole it from him and the speedster flew towards the net just as two defensemen closed in on him. With all 3 bodies falling like bowling pins, Tom acrobatically netted the beautiful goal.

The third period saw Patrick Hayden blast a line drive from the blue line that found the corner of the net. That complimented an excellent defensive performance that saw him break-up a potential goal following an ugly Brockport turnover in the second; hustling after the winger, he somehow got into his face and prevented the shot.

The third was chock-full of so many near goals. Three times Brockport clanged goals off the posts. Three!

Cortland made in interesting by adding a goal with under 2 minutes left, but Brockport’s Brendan Rothfuss put it out of reach with an exciting empty-net goal. It’s rare that you can call such a goal exciting, but he had a defenseman alongside him that forced him to head towards the boards (not the net) and make a coordinated shot across his body.

The first semester of SUNYAC play closes out with Brockport last in the conference. But, it’s not as scary as one might think. Brockport is only 4 points out of a playoff spot, meaning they could steal the final slot because Fredonia, Cortland, and Potsdam are really no more competitive and talented than the Golden Eagles. It will be an interesting second semester.


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Box score: http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/mbrccrt1.d04

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Here’s the report from the Athletic Department…

It was a night of firsts for The College at Brockport’s ice hockey team during Saturday night’s home game against Cortland.

Freshmen Mike Baxter (Bracebridge, ONT) and Patrick Hayden (Springfield, PA) each scored their first-ever collegiate goals against the Red Dragons in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game at Tuttle North Ice Arena.

But the Golden Eagles team accomplished something much more important than any individual accolades; after coming up short so far in the 2010-11 season, Brockport (1-10-1 overall, 1-7 SUNYAC) picked up its first win of the year, a thrilling 4-2 victory over Cortland before 500 Green and Gold-clad fans.

“I’m happy for the guys, it’s a great feeling to get that one in the win column,” Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson said.

“We battled all game long. It was typical Brockport/Cortland game and we were fortunate to get a couple more goals than they did. We knew they (Baxter and Hayden) could come in and compliment what we have, and they have been playing extremely well. It’s great for Baxter and Hayden to score those goals and help our team get this win.”

Against the Red Dragons (3-9-1, 2-6 SUNYAC), Brockport fell behind 1-0 on a power-play goal six minutes in, but the Golden Eagles showed resiliency and struck back with the tying goal with 10:29 left in the first period. Baxter netted the equalizer, collecting a rebound and scoring on a wraparound goal that caught Cortland’s goalie out of position. Freshmen Bobby Connor (Lititz, PA) and Chris Cangro (Holbrook, NY) assisted on Baxter’s score.

The Golden Eagles took the lead for good thanks to a goal from senior Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY). Galiani skated in on an open net and buried his third goal in the last two games for a 2-1 lead.

Hayden gave the Green and Gold an insurance goal for a 3-1 lead just 2:14 into the final period. Brockport had ample chances to extend its lead, especially during a 5-on-3 power play that saw the Golden Eagle skaters twice strike the post with good shots, but the score remained 3-1.

Cortland then trimmed Brockport’s lead to 3-2 on its second power-play goal of the game, but freshman Brendon Rothfuss (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) iced the game with 42 seconds remaining with his second goal of the year.

Freshman Joe Reagan (Yonkers, NY) stopped 13 shots in the first period, 15 in the second and finished with 39 saves to pick up his first collegiate win

BROCKPORT ROBBED IN LOSS TO OSWEGO

Reality says the score was 4-2.

Theory says the score was 3-3.

I’ve always thought that when a losing team or its fans blame bad officiating for a loss it’s truly a lame excuse because there were definitely other circumstances (lapses of good judgment, blown plays) that led to the loss.

This time, I’m making the rare exception to my own belief.

Brockport was at the top of their game last night and were ultra-competitive against the #1 team in the nation. They moved the puck well. The limited the number of shots by a potent offense. They stuck to their assignments like glue.

They did everything they could to win, but they weren’t allowed to: Officiating really did cost Brockport the game.

It all occurred in the second period.

With 11:00 minutes left, Brockport twice scored in a two-second span yet the referees failed to see either, much to the chagrin of the players and fans.

I was on the walkway behind the Brockport goal, so I had a prefect view of what transpired. The puck bounced off the crossbar and fell behind the goal line (goal!). It immediately bounced out and back in on a deflection, this time, Oswego goaltender Paul Beckwith had the puck in his glove, but put his glove hand behind him and the goal line, and onto the ice in an effort to stabilize himself (goal!), before quickly whipping the puck back out into traffic.

That would have made the game 3-2 at that time. Instead, we were left with 3-1.

Three minutes later, James Cody obliterated an Oswego player with a clean forearm shiver (the Oswego player had just released the puck). James was called for interference. That bad call allowed Luke Moodie to score a power play goal, making it 4-1 Oswego.

Those blown calls sullied an otherwise solid period for Brockport. Brockport played at more of an up tempo pace and they worked hard to attempt an upset. The Golden Eagles top line showed they deserve that title. Ian Finnerty was relentless all night on both ends of the ice and his linemate Tom Galiani was lights out. His first goal, fed by Ian was threaded through as small a spot as possible, right between Beckwith’s skate and the upright.

That line made good in the 3rd period, too, when Tom lit the lamp again. Coming off a fast break, he was well fed with a nifty pass from James Cody who was in the corner. Tom let it rip and badly beat Beckwith with a hard wrist shot.

Those final 2 periods were in stark contrast to the first when Brockport was outscored 3-0. Oswego looked brilliant in the first, like they deserved to be the top-ranked team. Unlike Laker teams of old that thrived off big, physical specimens possessed of great speed and wicked shots, this “smaller” team (they all looked similar in size to Brockport, a team they have historically towered over) they are now a team of discipline. Each line is like a well-oiled machine…they abandon personal plays and focus on the collective, rarely straying from orchestrated rushes and set-ups. If you like hockey, you have to admire it even though they are the enemy.

Oswego’s Paul Rodrigues looked sharp all night and he was everywhere. He scored the first goal that showed his talents: He used his strength to push off his defender and then blasted a seeing-eye puck through a 4-man screen. His play was rivaled by that of only Luke Moodie. Besides his PP goal, he had a jaw dropping blast in the first that looked like it wanted to tear right through the net. In his post-game interview on WBSU Coach Dickinson said Moodie is a DI talent playing DIII hockey. He looked like it.

But despite all the accolades and talent cast upon Oswego, Brockport really took it to the Lakers in the 2nd and 3rd. They deserved to tie, if not win. Had the refs been on their game, this morning we’d be talking about the upset of the season, and one of the biggest in Brockport’s history. Instead, we’re talking about a game that slipped away, through no fault of our team.

It’s a bummer.

But, nonetheless, the men can take pride in playing an excellent game.


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Box score: http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1011/boxes/mbrcosw1.d03

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Here’s what the Brockport Athletic Department reported about the 4-2 affair….


The College at Brockport outscored No. 1 ranked Oswego 2-1 over the final two periods, but fell to the Lakers 4-2 Friday night at Brockport’s Tuttle North Ice Arena.

Three first-period goals were too much for the Golden Eagles (0-10-1 Overall, 0-7 SUNYAC) to overcome. Oswego, the top-ranked team in the most recent U.S. College Hockey Online.com Division III poll, scored its first two goals 58 seconds apart early in the first period.

A third Oswego goal with 6:10 remaining in the period pushed the lead to 3-0 before Brockport answered back. Senior forward Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) scored the first of his two goals 6:01 into the second period. Junior goalie Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) started the rush, passing to junior forward Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA), who slipped a pass to Galiani, who buried the shot to slice Oswego’s lead to 3-1.

Oswego got another goal seven minutes later and took a 4-1 lead into the final period. Brockport pressured the Lakers (10-0 overall, 7-0 SUNYAC) and, with 11 minutes remaining, had a pair of solid looks from point-blank range, but the Green and Gold couldn’t draw any closer until Galiani’s second goal of the game, with 8:58 left to play. Sophomore defenseman Colby Spooner (Hilton, NY) started the break, hitting junior forward James Cody (Schwenksville, PA), who fed Galiani on a breakway. Galiani sent his fourth goal of the season past a diving Oswego goalie.

“We had them on the run there for a while, and I thought we did a fantastic job of just out-working them for the last two periods,” said Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson.

“I thought we put ourselves in a great position and had some great looks all night long. We played well without the puck tonight, I thought we moved the puck well, we worked hard … I’m pleased with the effort that we gave on finishing our checks tonight.”

Wren made 26 saves, including stopping 13 of 14 shots in the second period, for the Golden Eagles. Brockport returns to action with a 7 p.m. home game Saturday night against Cortland.

OSWEGO'S 10th OR BROCKPORT'S 1st?

If you're an serious NCAA hockey fan you follow the fan forum at USCHO. Each game night in DIII, a thread is started for posting updates and scores. Tonight's thread is entitled, "Friday, Dec. 3rd Scores: Oswego's 10th or Brockport's 1st?"

Let's hope it's the latter!!

http://board.uscho.com/forumdisplay.php?5-Men-s-Division-II-and-III

A LOOK AT TONIGHT'S GAME

The blog Steve Petty Sports offers this look at tonight's game...


The number one ranked team in the country according to the latest USCHO D-III polls, the Oswego State Lakers are at the Tuttle North Athletic Complex in Brockport, NY for a SUNYAC match-up against the Brockport Golden Eagles. Oswego earned 17 out of the possible 20 first place votes in the latest USCHO poll which was released this past Monday.

Oswego comes into the game at The College at Brockport with an overall record of 9-0-0 and a perfect 6-0-0 in Conference play. Offensively, the Lakers are lead by Senior Justin Fox (6 G 8 A = 14 points) and Junior Transfer Ian Boots (5 G 8 A = 13 points). Over the six conference games so far this season, Oswego has put 41 goals into the net setting up one of the most potent offenses in all of Division III Men's Ice Hockey. Oswego's defense and goaltending are key to their fast start so far this season. The Lakers have given up the fewest goals in conference this season with 13 with Paul Beckwith between the pipes. Beckwith has a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 1.45 and a save percentage of .947

Brockport comes into tonights home contest with an overall record of 0-9-1 and a conference record 0-6-0. The Golden Eagles last contests took place in the Rutland-Herald Invitational at Castleton State with Brockport getting a tie out of Tufts College 3-3 and losing the next night to host Castleton 5-1. The Golden Eagles have only scored a total of 22 goals in conference this season while giving up the most goals in conference with 54. On offense, Brockport is lead by Junior Right Winger James Cody (7 G 7 A = 14 pts.) and Junior Ian Finnerty with 8 points (3 G 5 A). Between the pipes for the Golden Eagles, Oliver Wren has gotten much of the load as he has a GAA of 5.42 and a .875 save percentage. Also, Freshmen Joe Reagan has played a handful of games and has a GAA of 4.84 and a save percentage of .885

Student media for both teams will be carrying coverage of this SUNYAC match up. Oswego fans, listen to WNYO-FM 88.9 as Countdown to Faceoff will begin at 6:30 with play by play underway at 7:00. For Brockport's call of the game, 89.1 the Point (WBSU-FM) will be having coverage underway tonight at 6:45.

VOLLEYBALL TEAM TO COLLECT DONATIONS AT HOCKEY GAMES

The holidays are a time to celebrate life’s joys with family and friends, but for our troops serving the United States overseas, the holidays can be a lonely time spent without their families and friends.

To provide the troops with some holiday cheer, as well as some essential supplies, members of The College at Brockport’s women’s volleyball team will collect items to go into a holiday care package before and during this Friday and Saturday night’s home ice hockey games.

The team is looking for help from the Brockport community to provide our soldiers serving overseas with essential items this holiday season. The team and its coaches will have a booth set up outside the Tuttle North Ice Arena before Friday night’s 7 p.m. game against Oswego, and again before Saturday night’s clash with Cortland. The team hopes to collect items such as deodorant, tooth brushes, disposable cameras, chewing gum, chapstick, magazines, books and DVD’s to ship in care packages for American soldiers serving overseas.

There will also be holiday greeting cards available for members of the Brockport community to send their well-wishes to our troops. In addition, donations are being collected to help defray the cost of shipping these items overseas, as well as to purchase additional essential supplies for the troops.

Head coach Kelly Greapentrog is among the members of the volleyball team who has friends and family members actively serving their country. She said it was an easy decision to band together and collect items for the troops.

“Everyone on this team knows someone ... that is serving or has served,” in the military, Greapentrog said.

“So many families will not get to spend the holidays with their loved ones. So if we can send some cards and items to those that are overseas, to thank them for making such amazing sacrifices for us and the country, then I think that is the least that we can do.”

The full list of acceptable items to be shipped for the soldiers includes: chewing gum, fruit snacks, propel packets, deodorant, beef jerky, peanuts, disposable cameras, wet wipes, tissues, tooth brushes, energy bars, chapstick, magazines, DVD’s and books, provided the magazines, DVD’s and books contain appropriate content.

Home-made baked goods, alcohol, fruit, live plants, hard-cover books and cash are among the items that are not acceptable for donation to the soldiers.

For more information on this project, contact Kelly Greapentrog, head women’s volleyball coach at The College at Brockport, by calling (585) 395-5841. The boxes will be shipped out by the end of next week.

Brockport hockey hosts Oswego at 7 p.m. Friday night, followed by a 7 p.m. faceoff against Cortland on Saturday.

BROCKPORT TO HOST OSWEGO, CORTLAND THIS WEEKEND

This is one of the most important weekends of the season for Brockport. It’s a SUNYAC weekend, which is always important, but this one takes on a special meaning.

It’s do or die. The Golden Eagles must beat Cortland on Saturday to get back in the conference mix. If they pull off a miracle upset of Oswego on Friday, then things start to get really interesting in the SUNYAC.

An upset would be tough against the #1 team in the nation. But, it’s not out of the question. As you read in an earlier post, Oswego knows Brockport is highly motivated. Add to that recent home successes against Oswego and you’re talking about a chance. These “successes” were not wins mind you, but they were very competitive games, much unlike the blowouts that the Golden Eagles typically suffer in the Lakers’ barn. If Brockport can score some goals and the goaltender (whoever it may be) plays like Joe Reagan did against Tufts or Oliver Wren did in the season opener, then we’re talking about a game.

Don’t let Sunday’s 1-goal output scare you: The offense could wake-up this weekend. There’s always James Cody, who’s having one of the finer seasons in team history. Ian Finnerty is really gaining steam and is looking like the playmaker of old. Tom Galiani can really benefit from that and the young man looks primed for lighting the lamp. Add to that the freshmen who are just getting shaking off the scoring cobwebs (and have scored at all levels of hockey) and you have a group that could feed of an electric home crowd.

To slay Goliath, Brockport’s David must face some tough characters on the ice. Netminder Paul Beckwith got H1N1 last year and played sparingly. This season, he’s healthy and after 9 games sports a stellar .928 save percentage and 1.45 GAA. To show you how defensive-minded they are, the Lakers have permitted only 243 shots on Beckwith (an average of 27 shots a game).

Senior Justin Fox has 6 goals while Ian Boots, Luke Moody, and Paul Rodrigues each have 5. That’s a team that can score and one that can really spread the wealth. Oswego has scored 4.56 goals per game this season.

Player to watch: Not a player, but an assistant coach. Oswego’s Mark Digby, who had a fine hockey career at Brockport (playing and coaching) returns to Tuttle North, having accepted the assistant role at Oswego over the summer. He may be the enemy now, but, nonetheless, he gave us many memories as a player and, behind the bench, he was instrumental in Brockport’s two playoff seasons. It will be good to see him.



Saturday’s game is less difficult.

Cortland is just ahead of Brockport in the conference with a 3-7-1 overall record. They won on Tuesday, having bested Hamilton. But, they were pounded 7-0 by Neumann on Saturday.

They play an interesting brand of hockey to say the least. There’s certain times when they seem to turn on a switch and play really physical hockey in hopes of wearing down the competition. Whereas Brockport teams of late have been physical, they’ve always played within the rules. Cortland’s players, though, don’t mind racking up the penalty minutes. This year they already have 3 men in double-digits for minutes and last season had 10 men with 25 or more minutes on the season.

They are a low-scoring team. Last year, they had three 20-point men. Two of them are gone. Remaining is Jarret Gold who had a decent year last season with 27 points. This year he sports a 2-4-6 line. Cortland’s leading scorer is Joey Christiano with 4 goals and 4 assists. The chap to keep on eye on, though, is Corey John who in only 6 games (5 less than the rest of the team) has 7 points on 2 goals and 5 assists.

Goaltending is by committee (just as it was last year) but Dan Jewell is a diamond in the rough. He has an impressive .914 save percentage.

If you like physical hockey, this will be the game for you. It will be chock full of aggression.

Player to watch: Cortland’s Chris Kaleta. His brother is the Buffalo Sabres Patrick Kaleta and you can tell they were raised in the same household. Like Patrick, he is not known for scoring (9 points last year), but he is known for penalties. Last year he had a mind-numbing 31 penalties for a total of 92 minutes (3.68/game). This year he’s been surprisingly tame (4 penalties, 8 minutes)….how long can that last?



Both games can be watched at www.FastHockey.com and heard on WBSU.

If you are planning to attend, get there early…the last home game sold out.

See you at Tuttle!

THE STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE

Otto Isenberg, a huge fan of Brockport hockey and one of the Eagles Nest masterminds, has a blog called Barrel of Sports at http://barrelofsports.blogspot.com/

In today's installment he further analyzed the strength of Brockport's schedule, which offers insight on how tough the hockey team has had -- and will have -- it this year. Here's what he wrote...


This is simply a follow up to a recent article on Brockporthockey.com regarding the strength of schedule that Brockport is playing this year. I decided to look into the strength of the schedule outside of the venomous SUNYAC conference schedule. Of the 15 different opponents that the Golden Eagles play this year only five of them currently have a sub .500 winning percentage. I would expect to see three of them, Fredonia, Elmira, and Hobart get back above that and for Potsdam to stay right in that range.

There are seven different teams on the schedule for Brockport that currently are in the top 15 for the USCHO poll or that have received votes. In order and the number of points they received this week:

Oswego 295

Neumann 137

Geneseo 122

Castleton 41

Buffalo State 37

Plattsburgh 27 (votes)

Elmira 3 (votes)

The SUNYAC in general must be one of the strongest conferences in the Nation; I have a hard time believing that there is a conference with more than 4 teams receiving votes. Brockport's schedule also must also be near the top since most schools cannot claim that nearly half their schedule receives votes in the poll.

OSWEGO DOESN'T TAKE BROCKPORT LIGHTLY

This article is in today's Palladium-Times (Oswego)...


Top-ranked Laker icemen to meet Brockport and Geneseo


OSWEGO – Being the top-ranked NCAA Division III hockey team in the nation has its good and bad points, Oswego State coach Ed Gosek said.

“It’s nice to be recognized this time of year, but being No. 1 now doesn’t mean anything,” Gosek said, referring to the latest USCHO.com poll. “It’s good for the school and recruiting, but we want to be No. 1 at the end of the year.”

The bad part about being ranked No. 1 is that it gives the Lakers “a big bull’s eye,” Gosek said.

“It gives teams added incentive to knock us off,” he said.

With that in mind, the Lakers are preparing for a couple of SUNY Athletic Conference road games this weekend.

Oswego State (6-0-0 SUNYAC, 9-0-0 overall) will play Friday at Brockport and Saturday at Geneseo. Here is a closer look at each game.

Oswego State at Brockport

Friday, 7 p.m.

Last-place Brockport (0-6-0 SUNYAC, 0-9-1 overall) has struggled, but figures to be psyched to pull off a huge upset of the top-ranked Lakers.

“They can change their season around by playing very well and getting a win against us,” Gosek said.

A fast start is important for the Lakers to quell any momentum the Eagles might have and take the crowd out of the game.

“The longer you let a team stick around, the more they think they can win,” Gosek said.

The plan for the Lakers is to continue to roll out their four deep forward lines and try to wear down Brockport. The Lakers’ balanced scoring attack is led by senior Justin Fox (6 goals, 8 assists), junior Ian Boots (5-8), sophomore Luke Moodie (5-6), and sophomore Paul Rodrigues (5-4).

Keeping the players’ minds on Brockport could be difficult with a matchup looming on Saturday against second-place Geneseo.

“We have to focus and put our attention on Brockport so we can play a good game and have momentum going into Geneseo,” Gosek said.

The Eagles are led in scoring by juniors James Cody (7-7) and Ian Finnerty (3-5) along with senior Tom Galiani (2-4).

Source:

http://www.palltimes.com/articles/2010/12/01/sports/doc4cf69f14e979d404030214.txt