Emery-less Plattsburgh stuns Brockport

The College at Brockport ice hockey team takes a tough lose on the road against State University of New York Athletic Conference opponent (SUNYAC) Plattsburgh State by a final score of 5-1. The Golden Eagles drop to 9-9-1 (3-6-1 SUNYAC) on the season, where the Cardinals move to 10-8 (4-6).

Brockport came out in the first period stumbling giving Plattsburgh a power play 22 seconds into the contest. The Golden Eagles penalty kill locked down and only allowed one shot on frame. Both teams continued to battle it out for the remainder of the period, but the game remainder scoreless heading into the second.

The Green and Gold started the second period trailing when the Cardinals notched the first goal on the game two minutes into play. Brockport continued to suffer as Plattsburgh extended their lead, 2-0, 10 minutes later. The Golden Eagles earned a power play late in the second to try and cut the deficit, but fell short as they could not strike on the opportunity to have the score remain the same heading into the final period.

The deficit grew for Brockport as the Cardinals notched another quick goal in the third period. The Golden Eagles fought back and was able to convert a power play goal to set the score at 3-1. Casey Winn received the puck at the blue line and put a shot on net, to have Tim Kielich grab the rebound and lift the puck into the net. The game was put out of reach for Brockport, as Plattsburgh added two quick back-to-back goals to lose by a score of 5-1.

Kielich had the lone goal on the night for Brockport, where goalie Matt Schneider racked up 22 saves on the evening.

Besner commits to Brockport

Brockport's defensive core gets stronger as Hawkesbury Hawks defenseman Simon Besner has committed to the college.

Besner, 20, has played 39 games so far this season with 36 of those games being with the Navan Grads. He’s scored 3 goals while getting 23 assists so far this season. He's a powerhouse, coming in at a strapping 6'1" and 218 pounds, a physical presence that will pay huge dividends in the SUNYAC.

The Standard-Freeholder in Cornwall, Ontario featured a report on the young man's ice adventures 2 years ago:

http://www.standard-freeholder.com/2016/03/09/gradual-progression

Corey Tam commits to Brockport

Brockport's emphasis on high-character, high-performing hockey players continues as the team has recruited defenseman Corey Tam of the Nepean Raiders of the Central Canada Hockey League. Tam, 21, is currently the captain of the Nepean Raiders. In 44 games played, he has scored 3 goals and tallied 11 assists for his 2017-2018 season.

“Brockport was just the right fit me.” said Corey when asked on his decision. “They have the program I wanted and the hockey team carries itself like a division 1 program…Brockport is a great school and I’m very excited to be joining them next year!”

Tam will be joining his former defensive partner, Casey Winn, which Corey says was also a factor in his decision.

Here's a December CCHL interview with Corey. I like the way he carries himself:

Bengals shutout Golden Eagles

The College at Brockport ice hockey team drops a State University of New York Athletic Conference matchup against Buffalo State Saturday evening, losing by a final score of 3-0. The Golden Eagles falls to 9-8-1 (3-5-1) in 2018, where the Bengals move to 13-4-2 (6-2-2).

Both teams went toe-to-toe in the opening period as neither team could find the back of the net. Brockport slipped early in the first minute of play drawing a penalty to give Buffalo State a power play. The Golden Eagles penalty kill locked down and halted the Bengals man-up advantage. The best scoring chance for the Green and Gold came late in the first period when Zac Sikich received a pass in the slot, but was stoned by the Buffalo State goalie to keep the game scoreless going into the second.

Brockport opened the next period up on earning an early power play opportunity. The Golden Eagles man-up advantage struggled as they could not piece together a successful man-up advantage to have the score remain the same. The Green and Gold fell behind late in the second period as the Bengal's converted a goal to take a 1-0 lead. Brockport picked up the pressure, but found no luck in finding the back of the net to still be down going into the final period.

The third period was a hard-fought battle by the Green and Gold, but they fell short as they could not beat the keeper on any shot. The deficit was doubled as Buffalo State notched another goal to take a 2-0 lead. The Brockport offense picked up the pace as they ripped off 17 total shots throughout the period. The Golden Eagles made one last effort at the end of the game but fell short as Buffalo State tallied their third and final goal on an empty net.

Goalie Jake Moore stood strong in net as he finished the game with 18 saves.

The Blue Devils bedevil Brockport

The College at Brockport ice hockey team falls to conference opponent SUNY Fredonia Friday evening, losing by a final score of 3-1. The Golden Eagles drop to 9-7-1 (3-4-1) on the season, where the Blue Devils move to 8-5-3 (4-3).

Brockport trailed early in the opening period as Fredonia took a 1-0 lead three minutes into play. The Green and Gold's offense picked up the pace as they fired off six straight shots but could not find the back side of the cage. Midway through the period, the Blue Devils suffered a penalty which gave the Golden Eagles a power play opportunity.  Over the two-minute man-up advantage, Brockport rifled off eight shots but all of them were saved by the Fredonia goalie. The Blue Devils attempted to notch a late goal in the first period, but goaltender Jake Moore stopped all shots on frame to keep the score the same heading into the next period.

The deficit was doubled for Brockport early in the new period as the Blue Devils added their second goal of the game. The Golden Eagles continued to struggle as they allowed back-to-back power plays for Fredonia. The Brockport penalty kill proved why they are ranked first in the country, as they smothered all offense threats by the Blue Devils to have the score remain the same. The Green and Gold found some luck as they scored their first goal of the contest with 30 seconds left to go in the period on the power play. After a faceoff win, Aidan Verbeke hit Chris Pollini with the puck, then passed it over it Zac Sikich who ripped his shot past the keeper.

The third period was a hard-fought battle by both teams, but it was Fredonia who pulled away with the victory. Brockport fired off 14 shots on frame but could not convert any into goals. The gap was widened further for the Golden Eagles as Fredonia tallied a late goal to set the final score at 3-1.
 

Emery suspended for Brockport game

Brockport visits Plattsburgh on Friday, February 26th. The Cardinals will be without a familiar face for that game. The SUNYAC has suspended Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery for 3 games which include that weekend of SUNYAC play.

This suspension comes from an on-ice verbal confrontation with a linesman that happened after Saturday's game, a 6-2 loss to Williams College.

How good are these Golden Eagles?

How good is this team? Consider the following...

The Golden Eagles already have 9 wins with 9 games to go. Suppose they win 5 of those games which is certainly achievable when you look at the schedule. That would give them 14 wins (then there are still games to win in the playoffs).

14 wins have been achieved by Golden Eagle teams only 4 times:

2009-2010: 14-12-1
2008-2009: 14-10-3
1987-1988: 17-8-1
1973-1974: 15-7-0

Throw in some upsets and playoff games, 15, 16, 17 wins are real possibilities this year.

Savor every minute of every shift of this special team!

Youth hockey outreach is a hit

Players and fans -- and more importantly the kids -- have enjoyed the chance that kids have had to take the ice with the hockey team this season, just like young Geoffrey did last night.

Brockport shuts out Naz

The College at Brockport ice hockey team blanked Nazareth College Tuesday evening by a final score of 3-0. The Golden Eagles move to 9-6-1 in 2018, where the Golden Flyers drop to 8-7-1.

The Green and Gold came out red hot rifling off seven shots in the first two minutes of the first period. Brockport slipped as they suffered an early penalty to give Nazareth a man-up advantage. The Golden Eagles penalty kill shut down the Golden Flyers power play and didn't let up one shot during the man-down opportunity. Minutes later, Brockport found the back of the net to take a 1-0 advantage. Zac Sikich hit Aidan Verbeke with a pass, which then he passed it over to Connar Bass who smoked his shot off the pipe and in. Goalie Jake Moore made a few clutch saves throughout the opening period to keep the score the same as both teams headed into the second.

Brockport went to work early in the second period, doubling their lead two minutes into play. Ethan Solat received a long pass across the ice, in which he shot on frame, to have Brandon McMartin knock in the loose puck in front of the net for the second goal of the contest. The Golden Eagles dominated the remainder of the period but could not convert any more shots to hold a two-goal lead going into the final period.

The Green and Gold picked up where they previously left off, as they maintained complete control in the third period. The Brockport defense stepped up to completely shut out any offensive threats by the Golden Flyers. Verbeke tallied the final goal with .19 seconds remaining on an empty net, to set the score at 3-0.

The Brockport penalty kill played perfect throughout the contest allowing Nazareth to go 0-5 on the power play with six shots.

Verbeke led the charge with one goal and one assist, where Bass and McMartin accounted for a goal apiece. Sikich paced the offense by dishing out two apples on the game. Moore stays hot in net as he stopped all 22 shots on goal.

Brockport beats LVC

The College at Brockport ice hockey team score three goals in the third period to push past Lebanon Valley College, winning by a final score of 5-3. The Golden Eagles jump to 8-6-1 in 2018, where the Dutchmen drop to 5-7-1.

Brockport opened the first period with a penalty to give the Dutchmen an early power play opportunity. The Golden Eagle penalty kill locked down Lebanon Valley's offense as they could only get off one shot during their man-advantage. The Green and Gold had a solid scoring opportunity late in the opening period as they tallied off five straight shots, but could not convert any to keep the game scoreless.

Brockport found some trouble early in the second period as the Dutchmen notched a goal to take a 1-0 advantage. The Golden Eagles fought back to eventually tie the game up at 1-1 midway through the period. Aidan Verbeke collected the puck and hit a drop pass to Connar Bass, and he ripped his shot top corner far side. The Green and Gold slipped as Lebanon Valley answered seconds later to reclaim the lead at 2-1. The game was tied up minutes later on an offensive fast break by Brockport. Tim Kielich carried the puck up the ice and hit Doc Gentzler in front of the net to bury his shot and tie the game 2-2. The score remained the same as both teams went into the third and final period.

The Golden Eagles went to work in the third period notching three goals to help capture the win over the Dutchmen. Hunter Laslo was the first to cash in for the Green and Gold, as he converted his shot on the power play to take a 3-2 lead. The game was tied up 3-3 in the 12th minute as Lebanon Valley scored on the power play. Minutes later, Ethan Solat received a pass from Gentzler in front of the net and ripped a shot past the goalie to take a 4-3 lead over the Dutchmen. The last goal was tallied by Verbeke in the last moments on an empty net to set the final score at 5-3.

Verbeke and Gentzler led the Brockport offense with a goal and an assist a piece, while Kielich dished out two assists. Jake Moore stood strong in net finishing with 20 saves on the contest.
 

Brockport beats Stevenson in OT

The College at Brockport ice hockey team won in a hard-fought overtime battle over Stevenson University, Friday evening by a final score of 5-4. The Golden Eagles move to 7-6-1, where the Mustangs fall to 6-5-5 in 2018.

Brockport came out in the first period stumbling as they suffered an early penalty to give the Mustangs a power play opportunity. With the Golden Eagles being a man-down, Stevenson was able to capitalize and tally the first goal of the game. The deficit was double as the Mustangs found the back of the net to hold a 2-0 advantage over the Green and Gold. Things started to turn around after a Stevenson penalty to give Brockport a power play. Tim Kielich grabbed the puck in the corner of the offensive zone and sent a pass across the net to find Hunter Laslo as he put a quick shot past the goalie to now trail 2-1. The Golden Eagles kept rolling as they tied the score up 2-2 two minutes later. Brandon McMartin collected a pass at the blue line and ripped a shot wide of the cage, but the puck bounced back in front of the net where Dylan Shapiro was there to convert his shot. Both teams fought back and forth for the remainder of the period but the score stayed the same heading into the first break.

The Green and Gold kept the scoring going with a goal one minute into the second period to take a 3-2 lead over the Mustangs. Connor Hutchins stole the puck from the opposing team in the offensive zone and found a trailing Aidan Verbeke in the slot, and ripped his shot top corner. Brockport faced some adversity late in the second period as Stevenson notched two back-to-back goals to reclaim a 4-3 lead heading into the third period.

 The Golden Eagles came out fighting in the new period with constant pressure on the Mustang defense. The Green and Gold found no luck as they continuously rifled shots on frame but could not convert any of them. With less than a minute on the clock, Brockport pulled their goalie to give them a man-advantage to give them one last chance to tie the game up.  With 15 seconds left, Zac Sikich received a pass in the slot that he ripped on net. His shot was saved but Hutchins was there to score on the rebound to tie the game at 4-4 and force overtime.

The overtime period was dominated by the Green and Gold fired off 10 shots and didn't allow one shot on their own net. The game was ended as Kielich scored the game winning goal with a minute to spare to win by the eventual score.

Kielich led the Brockport offense with a goal and a pair of assists. Verbeke also contributed a goal and an assist, and McMartin dished out three assists. Jake Moore finished the game with 34 saves between the pipes.

Former opponent makes Olympic team

For longtime fans of Brockport hockey, it's time to turn on the "way back machine". Think way back to 2000-2001 to 2003-2004. There was a young man named Chris Lee who played for Potsdam. I think he hated Brockport -- or at least loved playing against us: In 7 games against the Golden Eagles he had 9 goals and 9 assists.

We'll, Chris is living the dream. He was chosen for Canada's Olympic team!

http://www.mpcourier.com/dco02/suny-potsdams-lee-named-to-canadian-olympic-hockey-team-20180111

Brockport falls to Williams in rare Tuesday affair

The College at Brockport ice hockey team dropped their first game of the new year against Williams College by a final score of 5-1. The Golden Eagles fall to 6-6-1 on the season, where the Ephs move to 8-4.

Brockport fell behind early in the opening period, as Williams notched the first goal of the match four minutes into play. The deficit was doubled minutes later, as the Ephs tallied their second goal to take a 2-0 lead over the Green and Gold. Brockport fought back but continued to struggle as they allowed another goal in the 12th minute of play to trail 3-0. The Golden Eagles offense picked up the pace but could not convert any goals as Tim Kielich hit the post and Danny Rock smoked the crossbar. The Green and Gold suffered a last-minute goal as they headed into the second period trailing 4-0.

Brockport came out in the new period rifling off three shots from Kielich, Ethan Solat, and Casey Winn to have all stopped by the Ephs goalie. The Golden Eagles continued to stumble as Williams scored another goal to have a 5-0 advantage. Both teams battled it out for the remainder of the period, as they score remained the same heading into the final period.

The Green and Gold came out fighting in the third period as they kept contest pressure on the Williams defense. Brockport found some trouble midway through the period as the Ephs were awarded a power play opportunity. The Golden Eagles penalty kill buckled down and converted a short-handed goal to cut the deficit to 5-1. Bryan Carville started the sequence as he hit Aidan Verbeke up the ice, as he carried the puck into their offensive zone. Verbeke then passed the puck to slot where Dylan Shapiro was there to rip hit shot top corner over the goalie's glove. Brockport get the intensity up, as moments later Verbeke intercepted a pass to have a one-on-one with the visiting keeper, but his shot was saved. The Green and Gold had one final push to get back into the game, but they fell short losing by the eventual score.

Brockport leads the country in the penalty kill with a conversion rate of .964 and continued their lockdown defense as they stopped all four power play efforts from Williams.

Jake Moore played 40 minutes in net and tallied up 12 saves, while Matt Schneider played 20 minutes between the pipes and ended with 11. 

Alumnus Gallivan gets new gig at WGRZ

Brockport hockey alumnus Pete Gallivan has been named as the co-anchor of WGRZ's Daybreak. That is one of the premier news desk positions in the Buffalo market -- it is the #1 rated morning news show! Congrats, Pete!

Golden Eagles are golden in the classroom

When it comes to DIII, they are student-athletes. Students first! Our Golden Eagles have excelled in that regard. The team achieved an overall grade point average of 3.259 for the fall semester. 11 guys made the Dean’s List of 3.40 or higher with another 5 guys attaining a 3.0 or higher. Keep up the great work!

Brockport wants for Christmas: Goals in the 2nd and 3rd

USCHO's East columnist Tim Costello penned a letter to Santa, which Brockport landed upon. Check it out here:

http://www.uscho.com/2017/12/14/d-iii-east-a-letter-to-santa/

The first semester by the numbers

As the first semester of play has come to a close, let's look at some key numbers:

RECORD: The Golden Eagles are 6-5-1 overall and 3-3-1 in the SUNYAC. They are fourth in the conference.

SCORING: The team has averaged 3.50 goals per game, the 23rd best output in the country. Aidan Verbeke and Zac Sikich share the team lead with 8 goals each. 7 Golden Eagles have scored 3 or more goals. Verbeke is the 35th-highest scoring player in the country, averaging 1.42 points per game. He is also third in the country in power play goals (3).

DEFENSE: The Golden Eagles have allowed 3.17 goals per game, which has them ranked 49th in the country. Goalie Matt Schneider sports a .905 save percentage and a 2.76 GAA.

SPECIAL TEAMS: It's a reversal of fortunes in special teams this year. The power play is ranked 55th in the country (15.4% success rate) after having consistently ranked in the Top 15 in that category since the 2013-2014 campaign. This year, the penalty kill unit is the best in the country, being successful 95.9% of the time. Last year, they were second-to-last in that category in 77th place. 

Brockport falls to Geneseo

The College at Brockport drops a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) contest against SUNY Geneseo Friday evening losing by a score of 6-2. The Golden Eagles fall to 6-5-1 (3-3-1 SUNYAC) on the season, where the Knights move to 8-3-1 (6-2-1 SUNYAC).

Both teams came out battling midway through the opening period, before Brockport suffered a penalty which lead to a Geneseo power play. The Green and Gold proved why they are ranked number one in the country for the penalty kill as they halted the Knights man-up advantage to keep the game scoreless in the first. The Golden Eagles fell behind in the 15th minute after Geneseo tallied the first goal of the match to lead 1-0 heading into the second period.

Brockport fell further behind as the Knights doubled their lead seven minutes into the second period. Moments later, Doc Gentzler for the Golden Eagles notched their first goal of the game to cut their deficit to 2-1. Gentzler collected a miss pass by Geneseo behind the opposing net, in which he wrapped the puck around to the front and sent his shot between the goalie's legs. The lead was extended for the Knights as they added two more goals throughout the second to take a 4-1 advantage. Brockport fought back in the last minutes of the period, as Ryan Romeo picked up a loose puck near the blue-line and took a one-time slap shot into the back of the net to bring the score to 4-2 as they headed into the final period.

The Green and Gold opened up the period on the power play but were unsuccessful on the man-advantage to still trail the Knights by two goals. Brockport slipped as Geneseo netted two back-to-back goals to take a 6-2 advantage. The Golden Eagles attempted to get back into the game but were unable to find the back of the cage for the remainder of the contest, as they lose by the eventual final score.

Gentzler and Romeo finished the night with one goal apiece, where goalie Matt Schneider ended with 27 saves between the pipes.

Brockport hosts Geneseo Friday

The first semester closes out this Friday when Brockport hosts our biggest rival -- Geneseo -- for a 7:00 match-up that is certain to be hard fought.

Geneseo is 7-3-1 while being 5-2-1 in conference. They are ranked #8 in the latest USCHO poll. They have allowed the 18th fewest goals-per-game in the country (only 2.09) while scoring at a clip of 4.00 goals-per-game (11th in the country).

Junior goalie Devin McDonald is showing the form of his freshman year, when he helped take the team to the Frozen Four. He has a .922 save percentage and a 1.99 goals against average.

In front of him are forwards and playmaking blueliners who spread the wealth -- 7 players have at least 3 goals, led by sophomores Conlan Keenan (9 goals) and Tyson Empey (8 goals). Two other sophomores already have double-digit assists -- forward Andrew Romano and defenseman Duggie Lagrone.

They are the team to beat in the SUNYAC and will be for at least a few seasons -- those are some talented second year players.

This will be an exciting game because of that -- and because of the bad blood this rivalry holds.

Hockey alumnus now Brockport's police chief

Mark Cuzzupoli -- who played hockey for the Golden Eagles -- has been named the next Chief of Police for the village of Brockport.

Here is the D&C's report:

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2017/12/06/brockport-names-new-police-chief/929365001/

Jeff Meredith picks up 400th win

Fredonia coach Jeff Meredith is a Brockport graduate and an all-around nice guy. Last week, he secured his 400th win. The Observer offers this report and interview about Meredith's hockey career:

http://www.observertoday.com/sports/local-sports/2017/12/400-wins-countless-friendships/

Oswego beats Brockport

The College at Brockport drops a tough State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) matchup against No. 5 /7 ranked Oswego Sate Saturday evening by a final score of 3-0. The Golden Eagles fall to 6-4-1 (3-2-1) on the season, where the Lakers jump to 6-1-1 (4-0-1).

Brockport found some trouble early in the first period on an Oswego power play within the first few minutes of play. The Golden Eagles penalty kill has had much success this season only allowing two goals all season, and continued their defensive statement by shutting out the Lakers on their first opportunity. The Green and Gold found their first scoring opportunity with a power play 12 minutes into the period. Tim Kielich and Zac Sikich ripped two shots a piece throughout the man-advantage but were unable to convert to keep the game scoreless in the first.

Brockport trailed early as the Lakers took a one goal advantage five minutes into the second period. The Golden Eagles found themselves on the power play in the 11th minute, but the Oswego penalty kill locked down and only allowed one shot. Moments later, Doc Gentzler carried the puck down the ride side of the boards into the offensive third and put a shot on net, to have Ethan Solat there to smack the puck out the air wide of the net. Both teams battled it out for the remainder of the second but the score remained in favor the Lakers, 1-0, heading into the final period.

The Green and Gold opened the third period earning a power play opportunity, but could not convert the three shots they took. The deficit grew for Brockport as Oswego tallied another goal shortly after the power play end. After two costly penalties for the Golden Eagles they were forced to play the last seven of the nine minutes remaining a man down. Once again, the Brockport penalty kill unit was successful and deterred any offensive threats by Oswego. The best scoring chance in the third was on a breakout pass to Shane Visnick after serving his penalty. He stepped onto the ice and received an across ice pass to have a one-on-one with the goalie, in which he could not convert. The game ended with Oswego tallying an empty net goal with time expiring to beat Brockport by a final score of 3-0.
 
Goaltender Matt Schneider finished the game with 23 saves in between the pipes.

Brockport beats Cortland

The College at Brockport ice hockey team defeated conference foe SUNY Cortland Friday evening by a final score of 3-1. The Golden Eagles move to 6-3-1 on the year, where the Red Dragons fall to 3-7.

Both teams went toe-to-toe in the first period but it was David Horan for the Green and Gold to get the scoring started in the 11th minute to take a 1-0 lead. Ryan Romeo hit Dylan Shapiro with a pass and crossed the blue line into the offense third, where he found a trailing Horan who ripped the shot passed the goalie. Brockport doubled their lead moments later when Shapiro collected a loose puck in front of the net, which he buried into the back of the goal. The Golden Eagles were tested late in the period on a Cortland power play, but goaltender Matt Schneider saved all shots on frame to keep the score 2-0 heading into the first break.

Brockport's lead was cut in the 10th minute of the second period when Cortland tallied their first goal of the game to bring the score to 2-1. The Green and Gold's offense picked up the pace and dominated the next seven minutes of play, which resulted in another Shapiro goal to extend the lead to 3-1. Aidan Verbeke carried the puck across the ice and took a shot on frame to have the rebound go right to Shapiro on the far side to then score on the open net.  Brockport had another scoring opportunity late in the second on the power play, but could not convert as the score stayed the same heading into the final period.

The Golden Eagles found some trouble early in the third period when Cortland was award a penalty shot opportunity. The Red Dragon player tried to deke Schneider to the right but was unsuccessful as the puck was poked away. Brockport played lock-down defense for the remainder of the period fending off two Cortland power plays to win the contest by the eventual score.

Shapiro led the offense for the Golden Eagles as he accounted for two goals and one assist, where Horan finished with one goal and Romeo dished out one assist. Schneider finished the contest with 26 saves in between the pipes.

Brockport plays Cortland and Oswego this weekend

Matt Winthrop looks ahead to this weekend's games:

http://www.rocsportsreport.com/brockport-continues-sunyac-play-with-games-against-cortland-and-oswego/

Kielich is Brockport Athlete of the Week

Tim Kielich has been selected as Brockport's Athlete of the Week. He led the offense this past weekend for the Golden Eagles at the WYSB / Catamount Radio Invitational, as he tallied up two goals, three assists, and a plus-two on ice over the course of two games. He dished out three assists in the 5-3 win over Tufts University, and accounted for the first two goals, with one being on the power play, in the 4-3 lose against Castleton. With his excellent play throughout the course of the weekend he was named to the All-Tournament team.