Brockport has one game this weekend, heading to the unfriendly confines at Geneseo for a Friday night match-up that begins at 7:00 PM.
The game will be a learning experience for the youngest players. They’ll be facing a decent opponent and a crazy bunch of fans. Geneseo’s home ice advantage is just as good as that supported by Plattsburgh or Oswego. The fans are vocal. They know the sport. They know how to get under your skin. And, above all, there are plenty of them. The average attendance at a Geneseo’s three home games this season has exceeded 1,800. By comparison, Brockport’s first game of the season had an attendance of 1,500…by far the most in years.
This will be an extremely close match-up because the teams seem nearly identical here early in the season. Geneseo played Neumann (17-9 last year) tight this year, just like Brockport did a similar opponent (Hobart). Geneseo beat Lebanon Valley 4-1. Brockport beat them 3-0. The difference: It took OT for Geneseo to beat Morrisville 2-1. Brockport beat them 5-2.
Geneseo’s biggest threat this year is Casey Balog – a Brockport native – who has 7 points on the season. Last year, he had an unremarkable 6 points total, so his quick start is probably a mirage. Senior Kevin Galan is off to a slow start, but he chipped in 10 goals last year, so he’s one to watch. Another solid player is defensemen Casey Smith, who plays good “D” and is adept at helping out with the offense. Senior goaltender Pasemko is playing out of his mind (.954). He’s nowhere near that great –as a matter of fact he’s probably .880 material - so he can be beat.
If the Golden Eagles’ rookies can get past the noise and the distractions, they can beat Geneseo handily. I predict a 3-1 Brockport victory.
Normally, I’d make the road trip, but this time I can’t. Bummer. It will be a great game.
The game will be broadcast on 89.1 FM or online at www.891thepoint.com
