Russell Jaslow's weekly SUNYAC report for USCHO.com speaks of Brockport's defense...
True, Brockport only got one point from the weekend, losing to Plattsburgh, 5-0, and tying Potsdam, 2-2. Look a little closer, and there’s still something very impressive about the Golden Eagles — their stingy defense.
Against Plattsburgh, only one of those five goals came when the teams were skating five aside. Ditto for the Potsdam game. In six games overall this year, Brockport has allowed just 14 goals. That’s 2.33 goals per game. However, now consider this — only five of those goals were let up when both teams were playing at full strength. That’s 0.83 a game.
If you are going to score against Brockport, you better do it when you’re on the power play or when teams are skating four-on-four (they have not allowed a shorthanded score). Otherwise, you’re just skating in circles.
Part of the reason is the play of Todd Sheridan who has never been healthier, and it’s showing with a 2.16 goals against average (GAA) and a .935 save percentage. That translates to the team willing to take more offensive chances, and thus keeping the puck out of their zone more so than in years past.
“He’s steady as a rock back there, and our guys appreciate having him back there,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “It gives them some chances to go on the offense.”
What’s keeping Brockport from having a better record with defensive stats like those is their own inability to score. They scored 19 goals in those six games for an average of 3.16 per game. But they too have not scored much while five-on-five — nine goals for an average of 1.50 per game.
If Brockport’s offense comes alive, and they are skating very well but not converting, watch out. The Golden Eagles could be in for a better season than anyone expected.
You should read the rest of Jaslow's report. It looks at...
* The always tense Buff State - Fredonia game
* Morrisville's shocking of Oswego
* Brockport/Oswego as one of the games to watch
You can read his column here:
http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,16101
