What a way to end the semester! The fans could not have asked for a better game from the home team, Brockport beating up on Buffalo State in more ways than one and skating away with a physical 3-1 victory. Not only was the game great, so was the outcome in the standings.
Random thoughts and observations…
Prior to the start of the season Coach Dickinson emphasized getting points early in the season so the team had an easier go of it in the second semester. The team has done just that and, going into the break, Brockport now stands alone in fourth place in SUNYAC, holding a 3-3-2 conference record. Overall the team is 5-5-2, much better than the SUNYAC coaches at large or anyone else outside of the Brockport community had anticipated. Way to go, guys!
As a testament to the team’s defensive ways, they held a high scoring Buffalo State team (3.75 goals/game coming in to Saturday) to only 1 goal. BS did not look like the same team that scored six or more goals four times this season. The Golden Eagles' physical ways and swarming skating gave the Bengals a serious case of alligator arms and they often looked fearful to collect a pass or take a shot. Their arms and stick handling became rigid more often than not in anticipation of getting slammed.
It was nice to see Tim Crowley pick up two goals. The goal in the third was all him, a fast breakaway ending with a wrister that went through the Buff State goaltender’s armpit.
Justin Noble’s goal, Brockport’s first of the game, was entertaining. He looked like Mike Bossy flying in and sliding through.
The second goal of the game was probably the slowest moving goal I’ve ever seen. The puck took its sweet time getting to the line once it made it past the goaltender and it nearly didn’t make it in. It seemed to be in limbo for an eternity.
Todd Sheridan had another huge game and he should be the SUNYAC goalie of the week if you ask me: Two SUNYAC foes, both held to one goal each. He had quite a few entertaining saves. The most enjoyable play he had, though, was not a save, but rather his Hasek-like move in the first, coming out of the net nearly all the way to the blue line to push the puck away, all with a Buff State player beside him.
Todd is now eighth in the nation with a .936 saves percentage. Once again, if you only look at guys who have faced 100 or more shots, he’s fourth in the nation.
What really excited the fans (including yours truly) was the amount of violence in the game. After Lucas Schott absolutely crushed a BS skater with a check from behind (from which I temporarily thought the kid was dead or crippled) a series of fights ensued with guys exchanging a bunch of nice punches. That brotherly love returned towards the end of the third near the Buffalo bench with a couple more fights starting and the referee providing some excitement, too, by throwing a Buff State player to the ice like a rag doll.
All in all, a fun game to watch.
Here's what the Atheletic Department says....
Senior Tim Crowley (Brasher Falls, NY) scored goals in each of the final two periods as The College at Brockport Hockey team defeated Buffalo State by a 3-1 score in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game Saturday at the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.
Brockport (5-5-2 Overall, 3-3-2 SUNYAC) earned three points over the weekend with a tie against SUNY Fredonia on Friday and the victory over Buffalo State Saturday to move into sole possession of fourth place in the SUNYAC standings.
Sophomore Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) poked in a rebound off a long shot by James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) early in the first period to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead.
In the second period, Crowley scored his first of the game with 58 seconds left in the period to increase the Brockport lead to 2-0. Midway through the third period, Crowley scored again to make it a 3-0 Brockport lead.
Buffalo State (4-8-1, 2-4-2) scored a powerplay goal with just over six minutes left in the game for the final 3-1 score.
Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) finished with 31 saves including 14 in the third period alone.
