STYLUS LOOKS AT WEEKEND THAT WAS & WEEKEND THAT WILL BE

In this week's Brockport Stylus there is an article by hockey writer Brandon Wood about last weekend's games as well as the playoff scenario that exists for this weekend's regular season finale...

Captain Mike Hayward guaranteed his team’s return last week to the SUNYAC ice hockey playoffs this season. However, after being swept on a road trip in Upstate New York, the Golden Eagles no longer control their own destiny.

They need to beat Morrisville at home and need a lot of help from other SUNYAC teams if they are to make the postseason tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

Brockport (5-16-2 overall, 4-10-1 SUNYAC) opened its weekend of SUNYAC play Friday, Feb. 8 at Potsdam, who sat at the bottom of the conference entering the weekend.

With no scoring in the first period of the game, the Eagles struck first on the power play when Chase Nieuwendyk scored the third goal of his injury-shortened season seven minutes into the second period. The Bears answered back six minutes later to even the score at one.

Shane Cavalieri gave Brockport the lead once again just 22 seconds into the third period for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Cavalieri is seventh in freshman scoring in the SUNYAC with 13 points.

“If you had asked me back in September who would be leading the team, Shane wouldn’t have been at the top but he would have been near the top,” Head Coach Brian Dickinson said. “We brought in Shane because we knew he is a goal scorer. I think that all of our freshmen have done a great job of coming in and trying to get better.”

Brockport’s lead held up until seven minutes remained in regulation, when Potsdam tied the game at two on a goal from its leading scorer Mike Arnold.

Brockport took its third lead of the game 41 seconds later when freshman Jeremy DeFazio scored his fourth of the season to make the score 3-2 Eagles.

In overtime, the Eagles never got a shot on goal. Potsdam outshot them 4-0. Billy Pascalli scored the game-winning goal two minutes into overtime to give the Bears the two crucial conference points. Jared Lockhurst made 37 saves in goal for the Eagles.

“It’s tough to lose a game like that,” Dickinson said. “It’s heart-wrenching to give up a game-tying goal with four seconds left.”

In its second game of the weekend Saturday, Feb. 9, the Eagles faced No. 9 Plattsburgh on the road. 

Once again, the Eagles held the lead only to have it erased. Freshman Jesse Facchini scored his third goal of the season four minutes into the game, but Plattsburgh answered to tie the game one minute later.

Ten minutes later, Dillan Fox gave Plattsburgh the 2-1 lead when he beat senior Aaron Green. Green got the start over Lockhurst against Plattsburgh.

“We just felt like a night off for [Jared] would be beneficial after what happened the night before,” Dickinson said.

Green made 33 saves, including 16 in the second period when the Cardinals had their only two power plays of the game.

Brockport’s penalty kill was one of the bright spots throughout the weekend, as it did not give up a goal while shorthanded in five total kills. The Eagles have the fourth best penalty kill in the SUNYAC, stopping their opponents 81.1 percent of the time.

Plattsburgh scored the game’s final goal midway through the third period, as Brockport’s offense struggled in the last period of the game, when it managed just five shots on goal.

The Eagles have one game remaining in SUNYAC play as they host Morrisville Friday, Feb. 15 at Tuttle North Ice Arena. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. They have a game at home Saturday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. against Franklin Pierce for Senior Night that will have no effect on the SUNYAC playoff race.

Morrisville kept Brockport from making the SUNYAC playoffs in the season’s final game last year, and has a chance to repeat that feat this season. Whichever team loses this game will be eliminated from SUNYAC playoff contention.

“You never totally forget about what happened in the past, but at the end of the day we need to focus on playing a solid game against Morrisville,” Dickinson said. “If we play with a passion like we played in Plattsburgh, we win those hockey games against any other team [in the SUNYAC] that isn’t Plattsburgh or Potsdam.”

If Brockport does win, that doesn’t mean they will make the playoffs, as Potsdam upset No. 14 Geneseo in overtime Saturday, Feb. 9 and now controls its own fate. If Potsdam wins either of its remaining two home games, the Eagles cannot make the postseason.

“We told them going into Saturday we couldn’t control anything in any arena but the one we are in,” Dickinson said. “There’s a reason why we play the games and upsets happen.”



Source:

http://www.thestylus.net/sports/brockport-hockey-captain-s-guarantee-in-jeopardy-1.2988828?pagereq=1#.UR4JPWd0hwZ

SAVES FOR A CURE BENEFIT LUNCHEON

There will be a chicken BBQ dinner benefiting Saves For a Cure this Saturday afternoon, February 16th, at 58 Main Restaurant and Smokin' BBQ in Brockport, just north of the lift bridge. The BBQ is available from 11:30 to 2:30.

Dinner tickets are available from any of the hockey players and will also be on sale at Friday's game. The tickets are $10 each and meals can be dine in or take out.

The meal will be served by the Golden Eagles hockey team.

The Facebook event page can be found here:


https://www.facebook.com/events/525171004193665/

TAYLOR COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

Lindsay Muskies forward Jake Taylor (photo credit - Andy Corneau/OJHL Images) has confirmed his commitment to join The College at Brockport Golden Eagles beginning with the 2013-14 SUNYAC season.

The Port Perry, Ontario native is currently completing his fifth OJHL season after joining the league as a 16-year old member of the Port Hope Predators in 2008-09.  After recording 10 points in 30 games played as a rookie, Taylor joined the Peterborough Stars in 2009-10 and would up his offensive output to 7 goals and 15 points in 34 gams played, while also getting his first taste of OJHL playoff action.  Year three saw Taylor as one of the Stars leaders, finishing second on the club in scoring by notching 50 points in 38 games played, but he would be on the move to Whitby following the 2010-11 season.  After 15 points in 23 games with the Fury, he would be traded to Lindsay, finishing sixth on the Muskies in scoring with 14 goals and 34 points in 40 games played.  Despite missing a large portion of the season, Taylor has already tied his career-high with 15 goals and sits seventh on the club in scoring with 27 points in 24 contests.

HOCKEY TO HOST SAVES FOR A CURE GAME FRIDAY

Five years ago an idea was hatched to hold a charity game and fundraising weekend around the Saves for a Cure organization that was started by former Golden Eagles goalie Todd Sheridan. Next weekend marks the fifth annual Saves for a Cure game as the Golden Eagles face Morrisville at 7 pm Friday February 15 in the Tuttle North Ice Arena.

Since its inception, the charity events have raised over $20,000 with a majority of that money being donated to the Golisano Children's Hospital in Rochester.

The Brockport Department of Athletics will donate all of the ticket proceeds from the game and the commemorative jerseys worn by the Golden Eagles will be auctioned off for the charity as well. New in 2013 is a chicken BBQ dinner Saturday afternoon held at 58 Main Restaurant and Smokin' BBQ. Dinner tickets are available from any of the hockey players and will also be on sale the night of the game. The tickets are $10 each and meals can be dine in or take out.

The jerseys are currently being auctioned off until 8 am on Feb. 17. The jerseys are usually the biggest portion of money raised, including last years' total of nearly $2,500. Winners of the auction will be announced Sunday and contacted via e-mail.

A representative and two young cancer patients from the Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester was chosen for a celebrity puck drop to kick-off the game.

 

Jersey auction website: 

http://www.gobrockport.com/sports/2011/1/24/MHOCKEY_0124110742.aspx?id=37

PLATTSBURGH BEATS BROCKPORT

Freshman Jesse Facchini (Mississauga, ONT/Mississauga Chargers) scored four minutes into the game for The College at Brockport Hockey team but Plattsburgh answered less than a minute later and went on to post a 3-1 victory Saturday night in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game at Stafford Arena in Plattsburgh.

The Plattsburgh win coupled with an overtime victory for Potsdam over Geneseo clinched at least second place in the SUNYAC standings for the Cardinals and bumped the Golden Eagles to seventh place in the standings just a single point behind Potsdam. Brockport finishes the SUNYAC schedule Friday with a home game against Morrisville while Potsdam plays home games against Oswego and Cortland needing a win to clinch the final SUNYAC Tournament playoff spot.

Junior Chris Cangro (Holbrook, NY/NY Bobcats) started the scoring play for Brockport (5-16-2 Overall, 4-10-1 SUNYAC) sending the puck into the Plattsburgh (16-6-1, 11-2-1) zone off the back wall and collected the loose puck to the right of the Cardinal goal. Cangro passed the puck between his legs back to a waiting Facchini who sent a shot over the glove hand of the goalie into the top corner of the net for the early Brockport lead.

Less than a minute later, Plattsburgh scored with a crossing pass through the slot and to an open player on the corner of the goal to redirect the puck into the open side of the goal to knot the game at 1-1.

The score remained tied until late in the first period with the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead after stuffing in a loose puck after goalie Aaron Green (Mt. Albert, ONT/St. Michaels Buzzers) had made the first two saves on the play. It looked as though Green had covered up the loose puck but referees ruled that the puck was still loose when the final shot was taken.

After a scoreless second period in which Green made 16 saves with several coming on good scoring chances for the Cardinals, Plattsburgh made it a 3-1 lead midway through the third period. The shot from 10 feet inside the blue line and along the boards deflected off a couple different legs in front of the net and the redirected puck slid past Green into the back of the net.

Green finished with 33 saves as Plattsburgh held a 36-25 shots advantage.

POTSDAM OUTLASTS BROCKPORT IN OT

A late goal in regulation from Potsdam erased a Brockport lead and the Bears stole a 4-3 overtime victory over the Golden Eagles on Friday night at the Maxcy Ice Arena in Potsdam, NY. The Golden Eagles fall to 4-9-1 in the State University of New York Athletic Conference while Potsdam improves to 4-9.

Brockport held three separate leads on the night, including a 3-2 lead with four seconds remaining in regulation when the Bears found the back of the net to force an extra five minutes. Potsdam scored the game-winner at the 2:17 mark of overtime to clinch the conference victory.

The Golden Eagles sit in sixth place in the SUNYAC standings with nine points while the Bears earn a crucial two points and are in seventh place with eight. Brockport looks to clinch up a playoff berth with two more conference games remaining, including a 7:00 pm matchup at Plattsburgh tomorrow night. The Golden Eagles will host Morrisville for the SUNYAC finale on Feb. 15.

After a scoreless first period, Chase Nieuwendyk (Georgetown, ONT/Trenton Golden Hawks) picked up the game's first score on a power play 7:28 into the second period for his third goal of the year. Chris Cangro (Holbrook, NY/NY Bobcats) and Troy Polino (Limerick, PA/NY Bobcats) each earned an assist on the play. Potsdam answered back six minutes later to even the game at one.

Shane Cavalieri (Richmond Hill, ONT/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots) scored just 22 seconds into the third period to regain the lead for Brockport. The goal was Cavalieri's team-leading eighth score of the year. Cavalieri scored with helpers from James Ryan (Richmond Hill, ONT/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots) and Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT/Vaughan Vipers). Brockport held the lead one goal lead for almost 13 minutes until the Bears netted the equalizer once again.

Potsdam's lead lasted only seconds though, as Jeremy DeFazio (Oakville, ONT/Georgetown Raiders) scored at the 13:52 mark of the third, 41 seconds after Potsdam's score to go up 3-2. Jesse Facchini (Mississauga, ONT/Mississauga Chargers) was credited with his team-leading 14^th assist on the year.

Brockport was seconds away from a critical SUNYAC victory until Potsdam tied the game at three. The Bears called a timeout at the 19:14 mark and pulled their goal four seconds later. Brockport held off the extra attacker until the 19:56 mark. Potsdam sent the game into overtime and outshot the Golden Eagles 4-0 in the extra session.

Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, ONT/Wellington Dukes) recorded 37 saves on the night. The freshman registered 11 saves in the first period, 15 in the second, eight in the third, and three in the overtime period.

Plattsburgh currently sits in third place in the SUNYAC after beating Geneseo 6-1 on Friday night.

STYLUS ARTICLE ABOUT BROCKPORT'S PLAYOFF HOPES

In this week's edition of the Stylus, Brandon Wood looks at the team's playoff chances...



Captain Mike Hayward and forward Colby Spooner. They are the only two names on the current Golden Eagles ice hockey roster who have played in the SUNYAC tournament for the College at Brockport.

If the SUNYAC ice hockey playoffs were to start today, Brockport would find itself playing a postseason game for the first time since the 2009-10 season. However, the Golden Eagles have only a one-point cushion over Morrisville for the final SUNYAC playoff spot after a 3-1 loss Friday, Feb. 1 at Geneseo.

Geneseo jumped out to an early lead just under five minutes into the game on a goal from senior Garry Childerhose, the first of his career. Brockport (5-14-2 overall, 4-8-1 SUNYAC) tied the game just over a minute later when freshman James Ryan scored his third goal of the season on the power play.

The Ice Knights kept the pressure on Brockport’s freshman goalie Jared Lockhurst and took a 2-1 lead with 10 minutes left in the first period. They didn’t look back. Lockhurst made 40 saves on the night and still boasts the fifth best save percentage in all of SUNYAC despite the losing effort.

“Jared is a very talented young goalie,” Hayward wrote in an email. “He consistently makes huge saves game in and game out. Having a solid goaltender back there gives the whole team confidence and reassurance knowing he’s there to bail you out.”

The Golden Eagles had a tough time putting shots on Lockhurst’s opposition, Bryan Haude, who only had to make seven saves outside of the second period when Brockport had 18 shots on goal.

“[In the] second period I thought we were really good,” Brockport Head Coach Brian Dickinson said.

“It was chaos around the Geneseo net. There were a lot of bodies and mad scrambles out in front. We hit a post and we had a few two-on-one opportunities. We generated quite a few chances and unfortunately couldn’t get one past Haude.”

Brockport has the second- worst scoring offense in the SUNYAC, scoring just 49 goals in its 21 games this season.

Geneseo made it 3-1 two minutes into the third period for the final goal of the game. With the loss, the Golden Eagles have just three SUNYAC contests remaining on their schedule.

Brockport plays two more road games in its SUNYAC schedule at Potsdam Friday, Feb. 8 and at No. 9 Plattsburgh Saturday, Feb. 9. The Golden Eagles wrap up SUNYAC play Feb. 15 at home against Morrisville, the team that kept them out of the playoffs last season.

“Everybody that’s associated with our program knows what happened in the last game last year and that left us with a bad taste in our mouths,” Dickinson said. “For us, a win by us over them will pretty much seal their playoff fate regardless of what happens this weekend to us. We’d definitely like to return the favor to them and knock them out.”

Oswego State, Geneseo and Plattsburgh have all clinched playoff births to this year’s SUNYAC tournament. The other six teams are within five points of each other. Teams earn two conference points for a win over a SUNYAC opponent and one for a tie.

Buffalo State and Fredonia have 11 points in fourth and fifth place, respectively, and Brockport currently holds the final playoff spot with nine points. Morrisville sits in seventh with eight points, Cortland has seven points and Potsdam sits at the bottom of the conference with six points.

The Golden Eagles have earned just three conference points in their last eight conference games, but Hayward is sure that this season is the one they will return to the playoffs.

“I know we are going to make the SUNYAC playoffs this year,” he wrote. “It’s a very close race and it’s going to come down to the last weekend, but everyone is on the same page. We all have the same goal so there is no doubt in my mind that we will make it.”

Brockport defeated Potsdam at home 4-3 earlier this season in overtime on a game-winning goal by freshman Shane Cavalieri, but has not won in Potsdam since the 2008-09 season. The Golden Eagles lost to Morrisville on the road 5-4 in their final game before winter break.



Source: http://www.thestylus.net/sports/eagles-cling-to-final-playoff-spot-1.2983117#.URN6oWd0hwZ

SAVES FOR A CURE JERSEY AUCTION UNDERWAY

The College at Brockport will host the sixth annual Saves For a Cure game on Friday, February 15th when Morrisville comes to Tuttle north.

Saves for a Cure is a non-profit, charitable organization started by Todd Sheridan ('11), a former Brockport goalie -- and one of Brockport's all-time greatest players --  and the College's all-time leader in goals-against average (3.07), career wins (29) and saves percentage (.904). He also holds the 4 best single season goals-against-averages for Brockport.

In 2005 Todd was diagnosed with cancer, given a 70% chance of survival and told he’d never play hockey again. Todd beat cancer and the odds and then had quite the career at Brockport, as made evident by his career numbers and the team's only 2 playoff seasons -- both of which occurred while he was in net.

With his success story as its backdrop, Saves For a Cure oversees a variety of fundraisers, including the annual Saves For a Cure game. All proceeds from any Saves For a Cure event or activity go to the children’s cancer clinic at Strong Memorial Hospital.

The highlight of the game is an auction whereby fans can bid on the special jerseys being worn during the game. The auction has begun and will continue through 8 am (Eastern), Sunday, February 17, 2013. The winners will be listed on the auction web page and will be notified via email. Bids will be updated as often as possible on the auction page.

If you would like to support Saves for a Cure and get your own Brockport hockey jersey, the auction webpage is:

http://www.gobrockport.com/sports/2011/1/24/MHOCKEY_0124110742.aspx?path=mhockey

Email your bids to Kelly Vergin at: kvergin@brockport.edu with "2012-2013 Jersey Auction" in the subject line and indicate the jersey number and the dollar amount your are pledging.

Thank you for your support!

BROCKPORT FALLS TO RIVAL GENESEO 3-1

Freshman James Ryan (Richmond Hill, ONT/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots) scored a power play goal in the first period to tie the score at 1-1 for The College at Brockport Hockey team but Geneseo added a second goal in the opening period and went on to post a 3-1 victory Friday night in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game in Geneseo.

The Knights (14-6-1 Overall, 10-2-1 SUNYAC), currently in the also receiving votes section of the USCHO.com national poll, opened the scoring with an extra man goal in the first five minutes of the contest.

Just over a minute later, after an interference penalty gave the Golden Eagles (5-14-2, 4-8-1) a power play, Ryan evened the score at 1-1 with his third goal of the year. Assists were awarded to Shane Cavalieri (Richmond Hill, ONT/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots) and junior Chris Cangro (Holbrook, NY/NY Bobcats).

Nearly three minutes later, Geneseo took the 2-1 lead and neither team scored again for the next 30 minutes of action. There was no scoring in the second period but two minutes into the final period, Geneseo added a third goal and held on the for the victory tightening up the defense to prevent Brockport from managing a quality scoring opportunity.

Freshman Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, ONT/Wellington Dukes) made 40 saves in the Brockport goal and now has nearly 400 saves on the season averaging over 32 saves per game played.

Brockport returns to action next Friday with a trip to the North Country to face Potsdam at 7 pm in a game that will be played at the Massena Arena in Massena, NY due to construction on the arena on the Potsdam campus. The following night, Brockport will face off against Plattsburgh.

BROCKPORT HEADS TO GENESEO ON FRIDAY

One can only imagine that it was an emotional roller-coaster for the Golden Eagles this past weekend. After getting drubbed by the Oswego Lakers 5-1 on Friday night, there certainly had to be some weary minds on the bench and in the locker room Saturday when a beatable Cortland team built up what seemed to be an insurmountable 3-1 lead early in the game. In the backs of their minds, some of the Eagles had to see the season slipping away and thoughts of the playoffs being set aside for another day, another season.  

But, sometimes the heart trumps the mind.

The Golden Eagles as a team re-committed themselves and came out of the first intermission guns a’blazin’. In a weekend that was like much like this season – stunning lows and equally stunning highs – the Golden Eagles proved triumphant, besting Cortland 6-4 and, in a development that seemed so impossible 40 minutes earlier, skated away with possession of fourth place in the conference, which, had the season ended Saturday would have had Brockport hosting a home playoff game.

Like I said earlier this season….don’t count out this freshman-heavy team! Sure, they may have some difficulty finding the back of the net (they’ve been shut out 4 times), but they play smart hockey that keeps games close. Give them time to mature (a maturity they showed this past weekend) and they’ll make things – good things – happen!

If you look at the schedule, there’s no reason why Brockport shouldn’t keep fourth place – Morrisville and Potsdam are winnable games. Plattsburgh? Not so much. But, the Golden Eagles did it last year, so why shouldn’t it be achievable again now that they’ve gotten the monkey off their back?

All of this makes this Friday’s game against the College’s biggest rival AT the College’s biggest rival – Geneseo – even more exciting. In order to guarantee fourth place they have to beat Geneseo, which has become a behemoth at 13-6-2 and a stunning 9-2-1 in conference play.

Geneseo can really pour on the goals and they do so by spreading the wealth. The leader in goals is Corbin Rosmarin with 10 lamplighters, but oddly enough, he’s sixth on the team in points! Jack Cardonna leads with a 2-18-20 line while the talented Zach Vit sports a 5-14-19 stat line. Cardonna is defensemen, no less, so you’re likely looking at a first-team SUNYAC selection. They have in total 11 guys with 10 or more points. Impressive.

Equally impressive is their stable of goaltenders. Senior Adrian Rubeniuk has a killer .908 saves percentage. Sophomore Bryan Haude has been pressing him of late with a great .922 percentage.

Brockport can counter with their own netminder(s). Coach Dickinson is the (un)enviable position of choosing from 2 great goalies himself. Jared Lockhurst has come down to Earth after his out-of-this world start that saw a sustained .940. Even so, he’s at .919, which would set a Brockport record. Aaron Green has been hot and showed that in coming off the bench and securing the win on Saturday. If you take away the Opening Day jitters when Nazareth hung 7 on him, his save percentage on the season is .907.  Who do you go with?

Someone else to keep an eye on is Shane Cavalieri. The young buck has 7 goals on the season (which leads Brockport) and he is on pace for 10. If he gets there, he will be the rare Golden Eagle who reaches double digits in goals in his freshman year. There’s only been 1 this century --- the incomparable James Cody.

Cavalieri, Green, Lockhurst and crew will have their work cut out for them. But, that’s been the theme for this young team all season. If they make good on their potential and show the same heart they did on Saturday, they should be able to pull off one of the great upsets of the season.

Let’s hope they do. I’d love to see another playoff game at Tuttle North.

Wouldn’t you?

OSWEGO'S VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS FROM FRIDAY'S GAME

BROCKPORT BEATS CORTLAND; EAGLE NOW IN 4th PLACE

Sophomore Aaron Green (Mt. Albert, ONT/St. Michaels Buzzers) did not make the start Saturday night against Cortland but he was the difference entering the game with The College at Brockport Hockey team down 3-1 to the Red Dragons and sparking a comeback as the Golden Eagles scored twice in the third period to post a 6-4 victory in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game at Alumni Arena in Cortland.

The key conference road win for Brockport (5-13-2 Overall, 4-7-1 SUNYAC) puts the Golden Eagles in a tie for fourth place in the conference standings with Buffalo State.

Cortland (6-12-2, 2-8-1) took the early lead and held a 3-1 advantage in the first period before starter Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, ONT/Wellington Dukes) was replaced in goal by Green. The change seemed to spark the Golden Eagles offense and Brockport came out in the second period scoring three times to knot the score at 4-4 after two periods of play.

In the third period, Brockport killed off a long powerplay opportunity for Cortland and three minutes into the period, Chris Cangro (Holbrook, NY/NY Bobcats) scored with assists from Jonathan Demme (Brampton, ONT/Orangeville Flyers) and Jesse Facchini (Mississauga, ONT/Mississauga Chargers) for the first Brockport lead of the game.

Less than five minutes later, Michael Zagari (McKees Rocks, PA/Jamestown Ironmen) scored his second goal of the game to give Brockport an important two-goal advantage at the 7:41 mark of the period. Assists on the goal were credited to Troy Polino (Limerick, PA/NY Bobcats) and Steve Sachman (Medford, NY/NY Bobcats).

Green played the final two periods making 20 saves in the second period and adding 13 in the third for a total of 33.

Brendon Rothfuss (Webster, NY/Syracuse Stars) scored Brockport's lone goal in the first period. Facchini started the rally in the second period with a powerplay goal at 5:35 of the period. At the 9:58 mark, Zagari scored to tie the game at 3-3 but the Red Dragons answered 1:33 later with its fourth goal of the game for a 4-3 lead. At the 17:08 mark of the second period, Rothfuss scored his first goal of the game to tie the score again at 4-4.

Late in the period, Chris Luker (New Hartford, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres) was whistled for a five-minute major for hitting from behind and was also assessed a game misconduct. The five-minute powerplay carried over to the third period.

Two minutes into the third, a series of roughing penalties erased the extra-man opportunity for Cortland and 39 seconds later Cangro scored to give Brockport the lead for good.

OSWEGO BESTS BROCKPORT; 5-1

Kody Vaisanen (Dundalk, ONT/North York Rangers) tallied a third period goal for The College at Brockport Men's Ice Hockey team but the Golden Eagles could not catch up to the No. 4 nationally ranked Oswego Lakers on Friday night as Brockport dropped the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) contest 5-1.

Brockport (4-13-2, 3-7-1) gave up a goal in each period before Vaisanen tacked on a shorthanded goal at the 13:16 mark of the final stanza. Oswego, leading 3-1 at the time, added two late goals in the final 2:05 of action. Oswego improves to 16-3-0 overall and 9-1-0 in the SUNYAC.

Oswego entered the game averaging almost six goals a game in its last three contests but the Golden Eagles managed to keep the Lakers off the scoreboard for almost the entire first period. Oswego scored with 33 seconds remaining to take a 1-0 lead. Brockport held the 1-0 deficit until Oswego struck late again, this time coming with 2:13 to play in the second period.

The Lakers extended their lead to 3-0 five minutes into the third period and maintained the lead until Vaisanen put Brockport on the board. Luke Colavecchia (Brampton, ONT/North York Rangers) was credited with the assist on the play.

Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, ONT/Wellington Dukes) played all 60 minutes in net for the Golden Eagles, registering 22 saves on the night. Lockhurst allowed five goals, two coming on the power play.

The Golden Eagles were outshot 27-21 on the night, but the Lakers entered the game averaging almost 40 shots a game over its last three contests. Brockport committed six penalties on the night compared to just three for Oswego.

Brockport continues its SUNYAC road trip tomorrow with a 7:00 pm matchup against Cortland.

CAVALIERI NETS SUNYAC HONORS

Freshman Shane Cavalieri (Richmond Hill, ONT/Toronto Lakeshore) has been named the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Rookie of the Week for the week ending January 20.

Cavalieri single-handedly kept Brockport in a close 3-2 loss to Buffalo State on Friday night as the freshman scored both goals against the Bengals. Cavalieri collected a rebound in front of the Buffalo State net with just 14 seconds remaining in the first period to give Brockport a 1-0 lead.

Six minutes after the Bengals tied the game, Cavalieri struck again. The rookie was on the doorstep again to bury a rebound and put Brockport up 2-1. The Golden Eagles allowed two third period goals to drop the SUNYAC matchup.

Against Fredonia on Saturday, Cavalieri won four out of six faceoffs as the Golden Eagles skated to a 1-1 tie with the Blue Devils.

Cavalieri leads all Brockport players with seven goals on the year and is third on the team with nine points. Cavalieri's seven goals are second most among all rookies in the SUNYAC.

Cavalieri becomes to second Golden Eagle to earn the Hockey Rookie of the Week award this year after Chase Nieuwendyk (Georgetown, ONT/Trenton Golden Hawks) earned the award on Nov. 26.

The Golden Eagles will take to the road this weekend for a pair of conference matchups against Oswego on Friday night and Cortland on Saturday night.

BROCKPORT, FREDONIA SKATE TO A TIE

Freshman James Ryan (Richmond Hill, ONT/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots) scored midway through the third period to give The College at Brockport Hockey team a 1-0 lead but Fredonia battled back and tied the game three minutes later and the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game ended in a 1-1 tie Saturday night in Brockport.

After two scoreless periods of play, Ryan finally put the Golden Eagles (4-12-2, 3-6-1 SUNYAC) on the board sending the puck into the back of the net after a shot and save left several players in front of the Fredonia net. Jesse Facchini (Mississauga, ONT/Mississauga Chargers) and Chris Cangro (Holbrook, NY/NY Bobcats) were credited with assists on the play.

Exactly three minutes later, Fredonia tied the game on a play in close to Brockport goalie Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, ONT/Wellington Dukes). Mat Hehr scored the goal for Fredonia.

Brockport had scoring chances late in the third period and also held a 5-1 shots advantage in the five minute overtime period but could not find the back of the net.

Lockhurst finished with 37 saves while Mark Friesen stopped 40 shots for Fredonia.

Brockport and Fredonia remain tied for the sixth and final playoff spot in the SUNYAC standings. The Golden Eagles return to action Friday with a trip to Oswego that starts a string of five consecutive road games before returning home Feb. 15 for the Fifth Annual Saves for a Cure Night game against Morrisville.

USCHO RECAP OF FRIDAY'S GAME

USCHO reporter Russell Jaslow was at Tuttle North on Friday and submitted a report for USCHO.com...


Buffalo State withstood a strong first period by Brockport and then took advantage of a five-minute power play to score twice for a come-from-behind 3-2 victory.

“I thought we were very sloppy in the first period,” Buffalo State coach Nick Carriere said. “The second period we got a little better. Lots of power plays and penalty kills. We executed on a couple of big ones that we needed. We showed some resilience coming back from a deficit. [Goalie] Kevin Carr played well.”

“I thought we came out with a lot of jump. We took it to them,” added Brockport coach Brian Dickinson. “I thought we controlled the play for the first 20 minutes. As the game wore on, the penalties took us out of rhythm. The five-minute major discombobulated our lines.”

Brockport has had numerous problems scoring goals this year and came out in the first period determined to right that ship, controlling most of the play in the Bengals’ zone. They outshot Buffalo State 13-4 with numerous other chances missing the net entirely.

“We barely did [weather the storm],” Carriere said. “They absolutely out competed us in the first period. They were playing at a pace which were pinning our ears back.”

Read the entire article here:

http://www.uscho.com/recaps/2013/01/18/buffalo-state-rallies-to-down-brockport-as-carr-turns-aside-27-shots/

STYLUS RECAP OF FRIDAY'S GAME

Brandon Wood wrote this report about Friday's game for the Stylus website...


The Brockport Golden Eagles hockey team had nine penalties, one player ejected, gave up two power play goals, and twice found themselves down two men in the last two periods of play during a 3-2 loss Friday against Buffalo State.

Brockport (4-12-1 overall, 3-6 SUNYAC) held a 1-0 lead after a first period where it dominated possession and scored a power play goal by freshman Shane Cavalieri in the waning seconds of the period. Then, early in the second period, Jeremy DeFazio received a penalty for boarding, and the Golden Eagles began to lose their composure.

“I thought we played extremely well [in the first period] and with a lot of energy,” Brockport Head Coach Brian Dickinson said. “We were happy with that and then the penalties took us out of it. We went eight penalties to their zero [to finish the game] and that’s tough to swallow.”

Buffalo State’s first goal came just 11 seconds after DeFazio’s penalty ended on a shot from the top of the left circle by Trevor McKinney to tie the game.

Cavalieri scored his second goal of the night six minutes later, giving Brockport the lead back. This was Cavalieri’s team leading seventh goal for the Golden Eagles.

“I thought he skated hard, he played physical, and he moved the puck while he had the chance,” Dickinson said. “Get to the net with the puck, and good things happen. He got rewarded for it.”

Freshman Michael Zagari was ejected with three minutes left and Brockport was assessed a five minute major penalty for hitting from behind. The Golden Eagles killed off the first three minutes of the penalty, but with 24 seconds left in the second period, Buffalo State’s Nick Melligan beat freshman Jared Lockhurst stick side to tie the game at two.

Just 15 seconds later, Brendon Rothfuss was sent to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct, leaving Brockport down two men for just under two minutes heading into the third.

“When you’re killing a penalty, I’ve never seen a guy [complain to an] official and not get a ten minute misconduct,” Dickinson said. “Officials are usually taught to not penalize the team, but penalize the player instead. This official decided to penalize the team by putting us down two men.”

While up two men, Buffalo State was able to score what would be the game winning goal on the stick of Brett Hope.

Brockport was called for four more penalties during the third period including a second five-on-three opportunity for Buffalo State, but did give up another goal. The Brockport penalty kill, which is fourth best in the league, killed off five of seven Buffalo State power-play opportunities.

“The team’s been doing well on the penalty kill all season,” said Brockport captain Mike Hayward. “You have to keep the guys confidence up on the bench, but it’s tough when you keep taking penalties like that.”

Lockhurst, who finished the game with 40 saves, spoke highly of his defenders play in front of him.

“I can’t say enough about how they’ve played this year for me,” Lockhurst said. “We knew that offense was going to be a little tough to find this year. But guys have been playing extremely well for me, back-checking hard, and keeping the shots to the outside of the net.”

Despite not playing in nine games this season, many due to a high ankle sprain he suffered in Nov. against Elmira, Lockhurst finds himself second in the SUNYAC in save percentage, having made 285 saves and allowing just 22 this season.

Lockhurst was heavily recruited to play for Oswego State, among other teams, but says he does not regret choosing to come to Brockport to play for the Golden Eagles.

“We’ve got a great up and coming team here,” Lockhurst said. “Our record doesn’t indicate the team we have here. We’ve got a lot of freshman here in the lineup, and I think teams are going to start being worried about us in the next couple of years.”

Brockport is still in the hunt for a SUNYAC playoff spot, and it is currently tied for sixth with Fredonia, the team it hosts Saturday night at 7 p.m.  The top six teams make it to the SUNYAC playoffs.

Coach Dickinson stressed the importance of his team getting a result against Fredonia, as they only have two home SUNYAC contests remaining on their schedule. Fredonia lost Friday against Geneseo 5-0.

“We wanted to put ourselves in a position during the first part of our schedule while we were at home to have as many points as possible,” Dickinson said. “Coming into this weekend, we had ourselves in a playoff spot but we’re going to have to find a way to battle against team’s we know we’re going to fight against for a playoff spot.

“[Fredonia] will be another big test with a team that’s similar to us. Then we’re going to have to go on the road and find a way to get points. I think it’s going to take at least four wins, if not four wins and a tie to get a playoff spot. We need to come out tomorrow, play well, and hopefully get some momentum on our side before we hit the road.”

Source:
http://www.thestylus.net/brockport-hockey-can-t-stay-out-of-penalty-box-falls-to-buffalo-state-1.2973603#.UPqb6VH_3nR

BUFF STATE TRUMPS BROCKPORT, 3-2

The Sports Information Desk offers this report of last night's affair...


Freshman Shane Cavalieri (Richmond Hill, ONT/Toronto Lakeshore Patriots) scored a goal in each of the first two periods for The College at Brockport Hockey team but Buffalo State took advantage of nine power plays and scored two extra-man goals to post a 3-2 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory Friday night at the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

The Golden Eagles (4-12-1, 3-6 SUNYAC) opened the scoring as they dominated a majority of the first 20 minutes of action. Cavalieri picked up the rebound of a shot from the point by Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT/Vaughan Vipers) and pushed a shot past Buffalo State (9-7-2, 4-4-1) goalie Kevin Carr with just 14 seconds remaining in the opening period for a 1-0 lead.

Early in the second period and just seconds after Brockport successfully killed off a penalty, Buffalo State knotted the score on a weak shot from the point that seemed to flutter in the air and was mishandled by Brockport goalie Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, ONT/Wellington Dukes).

Cavalieri scored again with less than nine minutes remaining in the second period to give Brockport another lead. Jeremy DeFazio (Oakville, ONT/Georgetown Raiders) slipped a pass under the Bengals goalie and Cavalieri found himself on the doorstep with an open side of the goal and scored to give Brockport the 2-1 advantage.

Late in the second period, Brockport's Michael Zagari (McKees Rocks, PA/Jamestown Ironmen) was assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for checking from behind and Buffalo State took advantage of the long power play with the tying goal with 24 seconds remaining in the period.

Early in the third period, the Bengals added another power play goal with a two-man advantage for the final goal of the game.

Buffalo State was whistled for just two penalties in the contest for four minutes while Brockport was sent to the penalty box nine times for 21 minutes. After a first period when Brockport held a 13-4 shots advantage, Buffalo State fired 39 shots at Lockhurst for the final 40 minutes while Brockport was limited to 16 shots in the final two periods.

Lockhurst finished with 40 saves while Carr stopped 27 Brockport shots.

REFLECTING ON 20 YEARS AS A FAN

I was just reflecting on the fact that here we are, heading into the second semester of my TWENTIETH season as a fan of the team.

I'd like to take a moment to thank all of the current players and all of those who were fortunate enough to grace a Golden Eagles jersey before them -- it's players like you, in the greatest sport in the world, who play for the love of the game that make NCAA DIII hockey -- and especially Brockport hockey --- so awesome.

Because of you, I have 20 years of memories of Friday and Saturday nights shared with friends and family, watching everything from nail-biting games to exciting goals to brilliant saves to explosive hits. At 38 years of age it's still just as entertaining of a game and bunch of guys as it was when I first started spending some of my winter evenings at Tuttle North as a wide-eyed  18 year old freshman. I still look forward to the start of every season like it's Christmas and I still enjoy making the 40-minute drive to campus in anticipation of seeing something memorable happening.

Thank you for the two decades of exciting and hard-played hockey. I look forward to many more decades of the same. You have a fan for life.

BROCKPORT WILL HOST BUFFALO STATE & FREDONIA THIS WEEKEND

After a prolonged winter break that saw its end with the northeast road trip over the past weekend, the Golden Eagles return to home ice this coming weekend, albeit in a nearly empty Tuttle North with most students still on break.

For those lucky enough to still be around, there’s no better cure for the winter blues than a weekend of SUNYAC hockey!

Brockport hosts Buffalo State on Friday. The Bengals are a solid 8-7-2 on the season and sit in fourth place in the conference on the strength of a 3-4-1 SUNYAC record (while Brockport is 3-5). Among their highlights: a 3-0 exhibition win over Penn State’s new DI team and a 7-3 thumping of Fredonia. When they faced Brockport in October our men came out on top 4-2.

They have some very good players and their best may be goaltender Kevin Carr, who was a second-team selection for last season’s All-SUNYAC team. He might repeat that thanks to a .924 save percentage and 2.61 goals against average. He’s been a real workhorse as no one else has seen any time in the crease!

In front of him is a solid array of players. Nick Melligan has been lights-out with 21 points in 16 games. Trevor McKinney, who had 30 points last season, has a 9-6-15 line.

Their best forward this season has been the explosive Mike Zannella who already has 13 goals on the season. He looks like a league MVP.

Someone to watch out for: Drew Klin was third-team SUNYAC last season thanks to a 13-12-25 line. This year he has been pretty quiet, with a 0-5-5 line in 16 games. He’s due for a big game.

It will be a tough game for Brockport, who have had some difficulty in lighting the lamp and may not be able to keep up with the Bengals’ fireworks. A strong game from a Brockport goalie could be the difference maker, though, as Lockhurst and Green have shown brilliance throughout the season. If the Golden Eagles dabble in the lines played around with in the WNEC game, that could prove to help the team, too.

Brockport will have an easier go of it Saturday and will likely skate away with 2 points as Fredonia is only 5-11-1 on the season and stuck in the 3-5 SUNYAC logjam with Brockport and Potsdam. When last they played it was a defensive affair, the Blue Devils ending up with a 1-0 victory. Fredonia has had a season light on highlights although they did shock Elmira 4-2.

Their #1 goalie is Mark Friesen who leads the trio of backstops with a .883 saves percentage and 3.33 GAA. Their offensive output is lower than Brockport’s. Their leading scorer (5-6-11) is Matt Herr. The next point totals on the roster are 8, 6, 6, and 5 (Brockport’s top 5 are 12, 11, 8, 8, and 8). Jared Wynia is their special teamer to watch as he has 3 power play goals on the season.

There’s no reason why Brockport shouldn’t go to bed Saturday night being in sole possession of 5^th or 6^th place with Fredonia being out of the playoff picture (were the season to end Saturday night). To get there, though, the team must play aggressively and put a lot of shots on Fredonia’s net. Let’s hope for goals a-plenty!

See you at the Arena!!

BROCKPORT FALLS TO SUFFOLK; 4-1

The College at Brockport Hockey team held a convincing 42-24 advantage in shots on gal but Suffolk University converted four f its 24 shots and posted a 4-1 victory Saturday afternoon in a non-conference game played in Boston.

Brockport (4-11-1) scored in the third period as junior Brendon Rothfuss (Webster, NY/Syracuse Stars) scored his third goal of the weekend t cut the lead to 3-1 but Suffolk (5-6-3) scored an empty net goal at the end of the period for the final margin of victory.

The Rams scored two goals in the span of just over two minutes early in the first period for the early lead. The goals came at the 5:00 and 7:05 marks of the period.

After a scoreless second period, Suffolk took a 3-0 lead with a goal six minutes into the final period. Rothfuss scored 2:47 later with assists from Jesse Facchini (Mississauga, ONT/Mississauga Chargers) and Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT/Vaughan Vipers).


Brockport was outshot 12-8 in the opening period but rattled off 34 shots in the final two periods while limiting the Rams to just 12 shots over the same period of time. Suffolk goalie Brandon Smolarek stopped 41 shots. Aaron Green (Mt. Albert, ONT/St. Michaels Buzzers) was credited with 20 saves for Brockport.

VIDEO CLIPS FROM NICHOLS GAME

NICHOLS BEATS BROCKPORT 5-2

 The official recap from the Sports Information Desk...

Junior Brendon Rothfuss (Webster, NY/Syracuse Stars) scored early in the second period and added a goal late in the third period but those were the only two goals of the game for The College at Brockport Hockey team in a 5-2 loss to Nichols College Friday night in a non-confe4rence game at Levy Rink in Burrillville, Rhode Island.

Rothfuss scored 39 seconds into the second period after a scoreless first period to put the Golden Eagles (4-10-1) up 1-0. The goal was set up by Freshman Chase Nieuwendyk (Georgetown, ONT/Trenton Golden Hawks) and fellow freshman Jess Facchini (Mississauga, ONT/Mississauga Chargers).

Nichols (10-5-0) answered with two goals in a span of less than three minutes midway through the second period to take a 2-1 lead. The Bisons scored at 8:37 and again at 11:11 for the lead.

In the third period, Nichols extended the lead with another two goals in a short span with one at the 8:04 mark of the period and the second less than five minutes later at 12:54 to take a 4-1 advantage. Less than three minutes later and with 4:22 remaining in the period, Rothfuss scored his second goal of the game with an assist from senior Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT/Vaughan Vipers).

Nichols added an empty net goal with one second remaining for the final outcome.

Freshman Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, ONT/Wellington Dukes) returned to the goal for the Golden Eagles having not played since November 10 and made 41 saves including 17 in the second period.

Brockport continues the New England road trip with a game at Suffolk University at 4:25 pm Saturday in a game scheduled to be played at Steriti Rink in Boston, Massachusetts.

WATCH TONIGHT'S GAME ONLINE

Brockport plays Nichols tonight at 7:40 PM. You can watch the action live online here:

http://nicholshockey.tv/broadcasts/index.cfm?fuseaction=usrbrd&broadcasterid=59066&mobi=0