AN INTERVIEW WITH THE EAGLES NEST

For most of the time that I’ve followed the team the turnout was sparse in the stands. Up until a few years ago, 500 people at a game could have been considered a lot and 250 to 300 in attendance was common.

But, things have changed…and have they ever!

Now, more than 1,000 fans fill the stands each game, with most games nearing and even exceeding 1,500. That’s huge!

That’s a result of the team’s successes of the past few years. It’s also a result of the fans in the Eagles Nest. There are a few gents who lead the pack there and their style of FANdemonium is contagious and they get the students and the townies pumped up about the game and engaged through all three periods. It’s because of them that Brockport now has an honest-to-goodness home ice advantage.

These guys are wild enough that they take their brand of noise and smack-talking to most road games as well.

Many fans and parents wonder, just who are these guys? What makes them tick? To answer those questions and many more I recently interviewed three of the biggest fans…Grant Voges, Jay Baburchak, and Otto Isenberg.

I asked them a series of questions to which they all gave their own insight.



BOB: What inspired the Eagles Nest?

GRANT: I believe the story of the Eagle's Nest stems back to when Geneseo came to our barn, and cheered us out. Ever since then, I think it's just been an attempt to never have that happen again. Sort of like a pact between the hardcore hockey fans.

JAY: As far as I know the Eagle's Nest was around before any of us stepped foot on the campus of Brockport. As for myself, being a part of it started three years ago with my roommate Brian. Both of us grew up with hockey in our blood, once we got here and found out we had college hockey, we were sold. I live roughly 40 minutes away from Cornell, and thankfully they have been the biggest influence on my college hockey perspective. I went to a Cornell v Harvard game the year before I came to Brockport, and carried some of their chants with me up here. Brian and I have been coming to every home game for the last three years, and just started travelling to the games last year during the playoffs for the 7 hour trip to Platty. We really started recruiting people like Grant said, after getting cheered out by Geneseo and their band, because as everyone around Brockport knows, we HATE Geneseo.

OTTO: I've grown up around hockey, my dad taught in Minnesota (Bemidji state) and was always interested in it but never played. He started me when I was 2 on an outdoor rink and i've been playing ever since. All through my life i've been watching different levels UC, Colgate, Union, MVCC and when the UC program first started the student section was amazing. You watch tv and see a michigan crowd and that idea but its not the same as seeing them in action. UC had a crowd that had a chant for every whistle and every event in the game it made the games at the Aud fun to watch. After seeing this and coming to Brockport I always wished we had this. Ive been to all but a handful of Brockport games in my 4 years here. After meeting Jay and Brian last year is when i started being in the section and not behind it. Now its a dream come true to see the stands packed and the whole "Eagles Nest" standing for the entire WNE game.


BOB: At the turn of the century 250 to 400 was an average crowd. Since you guys have focused on filling the stands to give the team the support they deserve that number now exceeds 1,200/game. How have you attracted so many people to Tuttle North?

GRANT: We're kind of like a second fourth-line in this respect. ENERGY. Whether I'm standing out in the union square cheering to get people to go to the game, or Otto's out making copies of flyers, Brian's getting in the other team's head, or Jay's setting up places to stay during away game weekends we all expend a TON of energy trying to get support up and to the team. We hope others follow suit soon, and some have. We've got to lead by example.

JAY: I think we have brought many people into the games by the flyers, as well as the exceptional play as of the last couple of years by the team. Every one of the past three years, the fan base has grown significantly. Todd's charity, the home playoff game of last year, t-shirts during the Geneseo game in which they won, all of these have factored in to the fans showing up game after game and giving their support. The stylus has also played a nice role, Lawrence Foster constantly has great articles about the team.

OTTO: Facebook would have to be the key to getting people there. As you have seen the group, an event and a reminder about every other day keeps people reminded about the game. For the WNE game we made 115 flyers or so and took them all to res life and had them hang them around campus to inform people as well.



BOB: You're a loud bunch. Listening to the broadcasts from road games you're a presence there, too. How have the fans at the opponent's ice arenas treated you?

GRANT: Haha, well, the fans aren't so nice (and who can blame them?), but other administrators are. At Geneseo for instance, a very nice man who was running the show there gave us some rules to abide by, and asked if i had any problems to come and inform him. This is pretty much the norm around SUNYAC, even though the majority won't allow our noisemakers, and some have ridiculous rules (Cortland keeps all of the pucks that leave the playing surface...there isn't even a logo on them.) The biggest difference is we can't get away with the same kind of chants we can at home, on the road.

JAY: The opposing arenas haven't been too bad. I personally think that we are much worse to opposing fans in our barn than the people that razz us when we go to away games. Most of the time its a fun atmosphere and it just pumps us up more to get louder than the home team's fans. On occasion We'll have people that have a problem with us, but that is expected when you are the away team's fans. I would love to see one of the fan bases start a Cornell "Section O sucks" chant against us, I think I would just die laughing at it.

OTTO: We seem to be the tempo setter at most games. When we went to geneseo, despite the size of their crowd, no one cheered besides the band until we started a chant and they had to come back with one. Cortland we drew most of the students over to sit near us and they made a few comments that drew laughs from those of us that were there. Plattsburgh last year some of the older watchers started to heckle us because they didn't like our style of watching hockey apparently they were happier to sit in their seats and just watch. The staff is always polite gives us warnings and generally a guideline to follow which is fine as long as their fans are held to it as well.



BOB: Where did the rules of fan conduct come from?

JAY: The fan rules have come quite a bit from Cornell, but we have also taken some from Colgate (Otto's team) and Michigan (Brian's team). I myself am a huge Big Red fan, so I brought some of their chants with me from Ithaca. One thing I would love to see in the coming years is a pep band. I am 100% sure that if we had one, attendance would go up, and we would be able to have better, more creative chants and be able to sing along with the band.

OTTO: I got the idea of the handout from Colgate, which I sent to you last year, we finally got around to actually making it this year. Its a combination of Colgate cheers, Cornell, Michigan, and whatever else google could find for us. Just helped to unify the section, we plan to change it up and add ones that we use and take out ones we dont for the fall semester.



BOB: What are your thoughts on the fans?

GRANT: Our fans are getting better and better every game. According to USCHO Brockport is 6th overall in D-III attendance, and more and more of our fans are standing in the student section every game, for the WHOLE game. It's really rewarding when the new fans come up to me and say "This was my first hockey game here at Brockport, and I can't wait to come back." That's called building a fan base, this is exciting. It's also very rewarding to have the parents of the players tell us how much they enjoy having us.

JAY: The fans are coming around. The last game of the semester was HUGE. Great turn out, and an even better showing by the team to go back to Shutout City and have a big win. We are expanding every game with the people that will stand and cheer with us, I hope by the end of the season that we can get everyone in the Nest to stand up for the entire game.

One of the biggest compliments we have had came at the WNEC game. We brought my buddy Matt with us to the game, someone who had never been to a Brockport hockey game. Matt has gone to England numerous times and is a huge soccer fan. He said the only other environment he had been in that would compare to Tuttle North was a soccer match in England. I thought that was a HUGE compliment to us.

OTTO: It is great to see a growing fan base every game. We have heard a lot of people say that it was their first hockey game but they will be back for more without a doubt. I know i've walked around on campus with Grant a few times and people will come up and say hey your the kid with the drum from the hockey games so you know they see us and that we have their attention helps a lot hopefully it draws them back game after game.



BOB: What are your thoughts on the team?

GRANT: This team just oozes confidence right now. After a slower start than they would have liked, they believe they're as good as anyone right now, and can beat anyone. I'm right there with them in those feelings too! If these guys can improve upon the rough 3rd periods they've had...watch out. I smell another home playoff game.

JAY: The team is coming around after the slow start. You also have to look at how they opened it, with the trip up north. No easy task to start off the year. They bounced back, and looked like conditioning was a bit off on Saturday games. It seems as though that had changed in the last couple weeks of the semester. I for one am really looking forward to the 2nd half, and hopefully keeping the energy that Grant provided in the building.

OTTO: I think the team has turned a corner. I dont know how much the thanksgiving tournament did them as far as competition but I do know that it helped the confidence a great deal. Other then the Oswego game (which I believe will be interesting in Brockport) they have played outstanding since that tournament. As far as off the ice the team has been great as well. I will see players as i walk through campus, some who I don't recognize without their stuff on and they will come up and thank us for coming out and for what we do.



BOB: Grant, how did it feel to have the spotlight on you as you sang the national anthems in December (it was quite an accomplishment!)?

GRANT: It was simply amazing. I've sang the Anthems at many other events but i've always wanted to here. It was really cool of the team to come through and shake my hand after, saying thanks for all the support. According to the team, i'm not allowed to not sing whenever i'm there. It's fantastic!



BOB: Grant is in the military next semester and Otto and Jay graduate soon. Who will keep the Eagles Nest alive and vibrant when you 3 are away from Brockport?

GRANT: Well, Otto will be there all next year too! Next semester it's all Otto and Brian, next year It's all me and Otto. We're pretty good at converting close friends into big fans, and if we can keep the energy up, more students will step up (such as the trombone guy from the WNEC game.)

JAY: Its going to be tough losing Grant, he is a HUGE part of every game, we are just going to have to step up and be as outgoing as he was. I will be home in the spring semester, but the way my schedule looks as of now, I will be able to make the trek up to the Port for all of the home games, provided it doesn't interfere with student teaching. We should still have Otto, Brian, Eddie, and myself for this spring's games, but then its going to be Otto, Grant, and Eddie next year, hopefully we will be able to recruit some younger people to come and stand with us. So this is going out to anyone reading this, when you see us at games, come up and talk to us! We would love to have our group grow and continue to be around in the next 5-10 years, and hopefully even grow to fill up the entire side of the rink.

OTTO: Well luckily were keeping at least 2 of us here all the time (the next year and a half) and even though Grant wont be with us (physically, we know he will be in spirit) we should be able to keep it going strong. Hopefully making good friends with some of the younger supporters who we can pass it off to in a few years when we all graduate. Though a reunion is in the talks for the home Geneseo game yearly as long as we can get here.


Closing remarks…

GRANT: Our main goal is to simply make this the best school to play for in SUNYAC. If we can make this environment crazy, maybe some of the better D-III prospects will want to play here, creating a better team in the future. We want to create tradition so that students will chant every year, even after we're long gone. Plus, let's face it, these players deserve it, they work so hard for us, why can't we work hard for them?

JAY: This is hopefully our little way to better the College in future years, I hope it continues to have a positive influence on potential prospects as well as the fans that already come to bring more students with them. Lets pack the barn February 12th, hopefully we will have a little surprise for all the fans in the Eagle's Nest that night. The main thing is that we all have fun with it, nothing serious or personal attacks, just good old fashioned fun. And I would like to thank the team for the salute after every game, its something that tells us that they appreciate what we do for them.

OTTO: In the end were there because we love hockey and well its some of the best around. We could go to amerks games on the weekend but ill take watching our boys play and being rowdy in the stands any day. I'm just happy they boys go out and give it their all every time and let us have something to cheer about and have some fun with.

GERSHON GETS IHL WEEKLY HONORS

Brockport fan-favorite Mike Gershon, who graduated from the College last year, has earned Rookie of the Week honors on the IHL.

Here's the press release...


ROCHESTER, MI--- The International Hockey League (IHL) announced Monday that Port Huron left wing Mickael Bedard has been named the IHL Player of the Week, Port Huron defenseman Mike Gershon has been named the IHL Rookie of the Week and Dayton goaltender Ryan Mior has been named the IHL Goaltender of the Week for the period ending Sunday, December 20th, 2009.

Gershon finished Week Ten of his rookie season dishing out four assists in three games with a plus- four rating. It was the most productive week of the rookie defenseman's season so far. It was also the first week that he recorded points in three straight contests. Two of Gershon's assists came on the Icehawks power play, giving him his first points on the man advantage. The 25-year-old Sparta, New Jersey native currently has nine points (2 goals, 7 assists) in 22 games played with a plus-seven rating. His plus-seven ranks him third among IHL rookie defenseman and fifth overall in the rookie column.

A.D. LIN CASE TO RETIRE IN MAY

The Brockport News Bureau reports on the following development in Brockport Athletics...


The College at Brockport, State University of New York, announced today that Linda J. (Lin) Case ’89 will retire from her position as director of athletics as of May 31, 2010.

Case has led Golden Eagle Athletics since 1995, when she became the second female athletic director in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). A 1977 SUNY Cortland graduate, Case taught and coached at the Elmira Heights Central School District and worked at the Penfield Racquet Club prior to becoming the assistant athletic director at Brockport in 1987. She earned her master’s degree from Brockport in 1989 and became the college’s senior women’s administrator until she became athletic director in 1995.

“I will treasure my experience at Brockport. It has been a great ride!” said Case.

In her tenure, Case has been recognized as the ECAC Administrator of the Year, inducted into Cortland “C” Club Athletic Hall of Fame and the Canandaigua Academy Athletic Hall of Fame and truly left a legacy in Golden Eagle Athletics. She was the driving force behind the “College Athletes for a Winning Attitude,” a three-year drug and alcohol education program coordinated with the Brockport Central School District; the implementation of the NCAA CHAMPS Life Skills program; the creation of student-athlete appreciation programs; and built a tradition of student-athlete community service.

"I am indebted to Lin for everything she has accomplished for the College these many years," said Dr. Katy Wilson, vice president of enrollment management and student affairs. "She always has the best interest of our students at the heart of any decision."

SHERIDAN IS SUNYAC GOALIE OF THE WEEK

Senior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) recorded a 33-save effort in a 4-0 win over Western New England College over the weekend and was named the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Goalie of the Week as announced by the conference office Tuesday afternoon.

Sheridan stopped 33 shots to earn his 23rd career victory for the Golden Eagles. Sheridan also eclipsed the 1,500-career save milestone earlier this season and now has 1,579 saves. The shutout was the fourth of his career.

SHERIDAN IS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Senior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) was named the male athlete of the week after leading The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team to a 4-0 victory over Western New England College.

Sheridan made 33 saves to record his 23rd career victory and fourth career shutout. He stands in fifth place on the all-time Brockport career saves list with 1,579 saves.

VIDEO OF THE ANTHEMS

MID-SEASON REPORT

The first semester of the 2009-2010 season came to a close last night as the Golden Eagles beat WNEC by a score of 4-0. That’s their fourth win in the past five games and the second shutout since Thanksgiving. It’s a great way to end the semester as the victory puts the team at 6-6 in what has been a roller coaster first half of the season.

Things started off on the wrong foot in October. Without an exhibition game to shake off the cobwebs the team headed north on its first weekend of play to take on Potsdam and Plattsburgh, never a fun road trip. The Golden Eagles, in their first game, were stunned by the Bears 6-3, a team they beat 3-1 in the playoffs back in February. The next night they lost to then #1 Plattsburgh 4-1.

Then came a 2-3 stretch in which the team manhandled Morrisville and Buffalo State and lost to an always powerful Hobart and a surprising Fredonia team at Tuttle North. Geneseo was gamy on their home ice and hung a 2-1 loss on the Golden Eagles.

That’s when everything changed. Since then, the team has been a force to reckon with. Discounting the loss to Oswego last weekend (which is understandable given how out-of-this-world the Lakers are playing), Brockport has been sharp…really sharp…of late. They’ve played well in all facets of the game from special teams to offense to defense.

This tells us that good things are going to happen in the second semester when the Golden Eagles face their SUNYAC rivals all over again and can make up for their losses….that is, after 5 more non-conference games which will be a great warm-up.

Brockport is currently 3-5 in the SUNYAC and tied for fifth place. They are in position to claim fourth place by beating Potsdam when they come to town on January 22nd. From there, the Golden Eagles have 5 winnable SUNYAC contests which could land them in third place at the end of the season.

The best game of the year so far was the beating of Nichols, a team that won 26 games last year. In it, the team scored 5 power play goals and took the Skidmore Invitational crown. That game showed that Brockport has the ability to beat anybody. Anybody!

For a team that thrives off honest-to-goodness team hockey like Brockport, it’s difficult to determine a team MVP. Sean O’Malley leads the team with 6 goals (a lead he shares with Tom Galiani), including an OT game-winner against Morrisville and a performance in the Skidmore event that garnered him the MVP award and other accolades. James Cody has been a monster, once again leading the team in points and game-winning goals and hitting people so ferociously that 3 different players this semester have needed medical needed attention after getting rocked by him. Tyler Davis looks like a man possessed on the ice and he can be quite fearless. Gregg Amato leads all SUNYAC defensemen in scoring and is 20th in the nation among his peers. Ryan Silveira won the game against Buffalo State almost single-handedly with his hat trick. Justin Noble and Ray Tremblay have not disappointed in their leadership roles, working hard to make things happen on the ice while excelling defensively. Adam Shoff has been doing the little things that keep the team out of trouble. Todd Sheridan has been his usual slick self in goal, earning 2 shutouts in recent weeks. I could go on and on about individual performances. Let’s just say that everyone has contributed.

By the numbers, the team is 46th in the nation in scoring (an even 3 goals per game) and 38th in defense (3.33/game). The team has been well-behaved, ranking 59th in the nation in penalty minutes. When they have offended, they’ve been rock solid, having the 20th best penalty kill in the nation, keeping the puck out of the net 85.5% percent of the time. The power play makes good on 19.3% of its chances, 37th best in DIII.

All in all, a solid performance and one that is improving.

The second semester will be an extraordinary one. You have my word on it!

NATIONAL ANTHEMS

Kudos to super-fan Grant Voges and his enjoyable renditions of the US and Canadian national anthems last night. It took some guts to get into the spotlight like that and it took some skill to do most of O Canada in French! Bravo!

USCHO RECAP OF WNEC GAME

USCHO's Russel Jaslow was in the stands last night and penned this report...



Brockport ended their first semester of hockey with a 4-0 victory over visiting Western New England thanks to three power plays scores and 33 saves by Todd Sheridan. It’s the senior’s fourth career shutout.

“He’s been nothing short of outstanding in our net all year,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said of Sheridan. “Tonight he didn’t have to make a lot of saves but he made a couple of big ones when it was 1-0, 2-0. Even early in the third he made one through traffic that was pretty impressive. I think he’s so much more at ease this year.”

“I thought Sheridan played fantastic,” Western New England coach Greg Heffernan said.

Both goaltenders played very well as Brockport only managed a goal in each of the first two periods. The Golden Eagles needed a third power-play opportunity before finally breaking the ice at 16:26.

Gregg Amato from the left corner fed a wide open Justin Noble in the slot. Noble let loose a one-time blast that blew by Justin Richards.

However, Dickinson was not too happy with their first power-play attempt where they controlled the puck the entire time, but never came close to scoring.

“I was concerned that our power play that we worked so hard on this week, we didn’t do anything with it,” he said. “Essentially, we just passed it around a stationary box.”

The second period saw Western New England pick up their game, but still saw Brockport outshoot the Golden Bears. Richards was able to keep the score close.

“That’s the level of goaltending that we need night in and night out,” Heffernan said. “I thought he played a fantastic game. He played well. He certainly kept us in the game, and we missed on a couple of opportunities, like a 2-for-1, a couple of crossbars. That was the difference in the game right there.”

Brockport made it 2-0 at 12:11 of the second period with the only even strength tally of the night. Alan Liwush’s soft outside shot was saved by Richards. However, he left a big rebound. Jason Gorrie jumped on it, scooped it around the goalie, and easily placed it into the net.

The home team put the game away quickly in the third, 27 seconds in and eight seconds after a power play started. Ray Tremblay picked up a loose puck to the right of the goalie and flipped it into the net. The goal was a result of one of many won face offs for Brockport.

“We dominated the faceoff circle which is pretty impressive for us,” Dickinson said. “That’s a good step for us.”

Brockport wound up with three power play goals in seven attempts. The final coming at 8:04 of the third. Tremblay’s cross ice pass found Ian Finnerty off to the goalie’s left by the post. Finnerty stopped the puck with his skate and then smacked it in with his stick.

“As the game wore on, it felt we finally worked our system for 60 minutes,” Dickinson said. “I was really happy with getting pucks deep and outworking Western New England. I thought we played all three zones really well. All in all, a solid effort to end the first semester.”

Brockport goes to .500 with a 6-6-0 overall record at the break. They return to action on January 7 at Hobart.

“I thought Brockport competes like they always do,” Heffernan said. “They are always a tough team to compete against. I don’t think the score really reflects how we played. When you get 33 shots on goal against a team that works as hard as Brockport, I can’t even be mad at our guys. I think we played hard.”

Heffernan, who used to be the assistant coach at Fredonia, gets to face another familiar SUNYAC foe before they begin their break as Western New England (1-8-1) goes to Geneseo tomorrow night.


Source: http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20092010/m/12/11/wnec-brockst.php

BROCKPORT ICES WNEC 4-0

The Brockport Athletics Department reports on last night's impressive victory...



Junior Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) netted his first goal of the season and added an assist as The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team scored a 4-0 victory over the Western New England College Friday in the Tuttle South Arena.

Four different players scored for Brockport (6-6) in the victory with junior captain Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) scoring in the first period, followed by Jason Gorrie (Etobicoke, ONT) in the second and Tremblay and Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) scoring in the third for the 4-0 win.

Senior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) made 33 saves to record his 23rd career victory and fourth career shutout for Brockport.

The Golden Eagles scored three of their four goals on the power-play advantage. Noble opened the scoring at 16:26 of the first period on assists from Greg Amato (Ocean Gate, NJ) and Adam Schoff (Port Dover, ONT).

At 12:11 of the second period, Alan Liwush (Ontario, NY) ripped a shot that deflected off of Western New England goalkeeper Justin Richards’s pads onto the stick of Gorrie, who flipped the puck into the net for the 2-0 lead.

Tremblay extended the lead as he netted an unassisted goal just 27 seconds into the third period and eight seconds into the power play. Tremblay and Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT) connected on the next power play to find Finnerty at 8:10 to complete the scoring.

Brockport ends the first semester of play at .500 and will return to the ice after the winter holiday on January 7 when they travel to Hobart College.

BROCKPORT HOSTS WNE TONIGHT

The Golden Eagles close out the fall semester of play with a Friday night home contest against Western New England College who are travelling from Springfield, Massachusetts.

The Golden Bears are 1-7-1. Over those 9 games they have scored 26 goals (2.88/game) and allowed 49 (5.44/game). Their worst defeat was a 12-1 loss to Utica and their lone win occurred last weekend when they beat Salve Regina 5-2 (SR is also 1-7-1).

They are led by Kory Grahl who has 10 points on the season. Leading goal scorer is Rory Hansen who has netted 6 of them. They are not a high scoring team. Of the players on this year’s roster, none had more than Grahl’s 13 points last year (which was second-best on the team), hence their 3-20-2 finish last year.

In goal for the Bears will be Justin Richards who sports an .861 saves percentage and 5.24 GAA. Last year he had an .859 over 17 games.

They should not be taken for granted. When last they faced each other, back in January of this year, Brockport won by a score of 2-1 and it took overtime and a slick wrap-around goal by Ryan Silveira goal to win it.

The game starts at 7:00 PM and can be heard on 89.1 FM and online at www.891thepoint.com (the live stream is operational once again). You can also watch the game online at www.FastHockey.com

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: NICK SMYTH

On the night of Tuesday, October 17, 2000, the College at Brockport played one of its most exciting games in team history, an exhibition game against Humber College out of Toronto, Ontario. The sparse crowd of only 250 fans (I was one of them) saw a game of epic proportions. It was high-scoring affair eventually won by Brockport 9-7 thanks to a 6-goal flurry in the second. Amidst all that goal scoring was physical hockey like you’ve never seen. There were 29 penalties in the match-up, including three 10-minute misconducts and a game disqualification. In total the teams accounted for 96 minutes of penalties. I will always remember what happened after the game: During the post-game handshake a Brockport player had his helmet off and was innocently shaking hands when all of a sudden a Humber player blasted the unprotected and unsuspecting soul right in the nose, instantly bloodying his face.

You don’t see games like that too often….and you definitely don’t see a single player’s performance as we did that night very often.

Brockport’s Nick Smyth had the greatest game ever by a Brockport hockey player. In his first game for the Golden Eagles he scored a school-record 5 goals. An impressive total no doubt. What makes it even more extraordinary is that he accomplished the same feat that Oswego’s Neil Musselwhite did against Brockport last week, scoring a natural shorthanded hat trick!! How's that for a debut!

NCAA purists will say that Musselwhite’s was the first in NCAA DIII history being that it was a true NCAA game pitting two NCAA colleges against one another while the Brockport/Humber game was a US/Canada event featuring only one NCAA school. But, that’s semantics. Smyth’s was the first by a player at the DIII level of US collegiate hockey and he should be recognized for it.

Nick Smyth, #26, graduated in 2003 and over 75 games for Brockport he amassed 59 points on 31 goals and 28 assists. A solid career on the ice and an entertaining one to watch from the stands.

With Musselwhite’s goals being the buzz of DIII hockey this week I thought we should counter that and catch up with Nick to see what he’s been up to and to reflect on his time at Brockport….



Bob: In the game against Humber you had the hot hand. You had 5 goals on the night but the most amazing thing was you had a natural short-handed hat trick. Walk us through that stellar performance...

Nick: It was my first game at Brockport which made it even more memorable. I was just happy to get the first goal out of the way. I don’t even think I realized that the first 3 goals were a natural short-handed hat trick until Coach Evans brought it up at practice the next day. It was honestly one of those nights that you feel like you can’t do anything wrong and the puck just follows you around. It was a great way to start off the season for the team and hopefully I built respect with my teammates and coaches at the same time.



Bob: What other Brockport hockey moments do you cherish?

Nick: My most cherished moments were in my senior year when we made a late push for the final play-off spot. Unfortunately, we tied for that last spot and lost out to Cortland on Goals Against. Those final games were absolutely awesome especially beating a nationally ranked Oswego in their old barn.

Bob: What impact did the academic experience at Brockport have on your life?

Nick: Brockport was just an all around great experience. I was able to go to school to study what I wanted (Business) and was fortunate enough to be able to do what I love most by continuing to play hockey. Not to mention I made some great friends along the way.

Bob: What have you been up to since graduating?

Nick: After Brockport, I tried to continue playing hockey. I was drafted by the Miami Manatees of the WHA2. I played in one pre-season game before deciding to hang up the competitive skates. I now call the northwest suburbs of Chicago, IL home. This is where I met my wife of the past 3 years, Melanie. I currently work in Risk Management as an Account Executive at GE Commercial Distribution Finance. Today I am still playing hockey in a Men’s League at the Fox Valley Ice Arena as well as coaching Mite hockey out of the Leaf Centre in Dundee, IL.

SAVES FOR A CURE STORY IN STYLUS

From the pages of this week's Brockport Stylus...


Sheridan playing for more than the win
Amanda Seef

Todd Sheridan defends the Golden Eagle's ice hockey net from the opponent, not only as a goalie, but also as a cancer survivor. Saves for a Cure, the charity that he began after he went into remission, was officially named a state charity by the Board of Health last week.

During radiation, Sheridan was sitting in the waiting room of a Pennsylvania hospital where a little girl and her father sat. Originally, he assumed the balding father was the patient; the 8-year-old, his support network.

But as the names of patients were called, the small child stood and walked toward the door. With her back to Sheridan, he could see where her treatments caused a small balding spot on the back of her head.

Over the next few months, while they both received treatment, Sheridan bonded with the little girl, who gave him the "Fear Nothing" wristband he still wears today. Without knowing it, this 8-year-old girl inspired Saves for a Cure.

Though the charity has been in the works for three years, it has not been able to donate any of the funds to a hospital or organization.

Sheridan is hoping to donate hospital equipment or furniture to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester."A big part of beating cancer is keeping your spirits up," he said.

He hopes the donations from Saves for a Cure will be able to better the hospital environment for children going through treatment for cancer. He says the more comfortable and inviting the environment is, the higher the kids' spirits.

"It's tough for kids to have the mentality that 'the tumor is doing way worse than me,'" he said. "Kids will understand that there are people outside of their family that care."

The ice hockey team will host the second annual Saves for a Cure weekend in February. Last year's weekend raised more than $1,000 for the charity, auctioning off special jerseys of each player on the team.

"I wasn't supposed to be here, let alone play hockey," he said in a February interview with The Stylus. "With determination and support, you lift spirits and you can overcome obstacles."


Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2009/12/09/Sports/Sheridan.Playing.For.More.Than.The.Win-3847616.shtml

STYLUS RECAP OF LAST WEEKEND'S GAMES

From the pages of the Brockport Stylus...

Hockey ices Cortland
Andrew Lipari


For the second time this season, Brockport's ice hockey team faced the No. 1 team in the country, according to USCHO.com, as they faced Oswego Friday, Dec. 4.

Brockport got out to the early lead when Sean O'Malley scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season, on a power play. Unfortunately for Brockport, Oswego scored the final 10 goals, as they routed the Golden Eagles, 10-1.

Neil Musselwhite had a hat trick on the penalty kill alone, scoring three short-handed goals. He added another at even-strength for a total of four on the night. Brockport was out shot 20-5 in the first two periods, and 17-10 in the third. Kyle Gunn-Taylor had an easy night, making 14 stops for Oswego.

After O'Malley's opening goal, Chris Laganiere scored twice at 6:43 and 8:24. Musselwhite scored his even-strength goal at 12:51 and Oswego was up 3-1 after the first.Eric Selleck put in a power play goal at 9:01 in the second, and Musselwhite got two of his short-handed tallies within 11 seconds of each other in the final 30 seconds of the period. The third period picked up where the second left off with another short-handed Musselwhite goal at 2:36. Chris Muise scored his first of the year at 8:25, which made it 8-1, Oswego.

Sophomore Josh Roarke relieved Todd Sheridan in goal, but he didn't fair too well either in his first action of the season. Both Luke Moodie and Tyler Lyon got the puck passed Roarke, ending the 10-1 beat down. Roarke had eight saves after Sheridan's 19 on the night.

Brockport recovered Saturday and moved to 3-5 in SUNYAC with a 2-1 win at Cortland. The two teams played each other even for most of the game.

Both went 0-6 on the power play and Cortland out shot Brockport 37-31. After an awful game the night before, Sheridan had 36 saves in the win, their first conference win since Nov. 13 against Buffalo State. It only took Brockport 1:28 to get up on Cortland. Tom Galiani scored with assists from Tyler Davis and Ian Finnerty.

Jarrett Gold scored his ninth goal of the year for Cortland at 10:47. In the second, James Cody got the go-ahead goal at 17:26, with another assist from Finnerty. A scoreless third gave Brockport the 2-1 victory. In goal for Cortland, Brittan Kuhlman stopped 29 shots.

At 5-6, Brockport won't face another SUNYAC opponent for over a month, when they face Potsdam, Jan. 22, at home.



Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2009/12/09/Sports/Hockey.Ices.Cortland-3847619.shtml

ON THE OTHER END OF AN HISTORIC FEAT...

Sometimes fans and athletes need to reflect on -- and even marvel at -- the accomplishments of the competition. Things happen in a game that just leaving you saying, "Wow!".

Such is the case with what took place in Friday's game against Oswego.

At his blog, www.thevotl.com, Oswego Laker reporter Ryan Maloney wrote this interesting piece about Neil Musselwhite's preformance against Brockport....

When Neil Musselwhite scored his fourth goal against Brockport's Todd Sheridan on Friday night, all 2,436 Campus Center patrons knew they had just witnessed something special. Musselwhite, a senior forward, had just scored half of of his previous season best for goals in one game.

Even more impressive was the fact he netted three of his markers consecutively - all while on the penalty kill. Some, including the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, would say that's a shorthanded natural hat trick (others say you need to score all three goals in the same period).

Any way you slice it, three consecutive shorties doesn't happen that often. In fact, a little bit of Sunday morning internet research reveals that it had happened just twice before in NCAA history.

December 12, 1988: The Harvard Crimson Tide would win the National Championship in March of 1989, but they made headlines earlier in the season during a game against Dartmouth. Junior C.J. Young scored the fastest three goals in the history of the program that day when he lit the lamp three times in 49 seconds. The goals came at the end and then beginning of a period, but were scored in succession. Going by gospel of Wiki, that's the first-ever shorthanded natural hat trick in NCAA history.

October 17, 2008: Just shy of 20 years after Young's feat, Zach Harrison of Minnesota State achieved his own shorthanded natural hat trick against North Dakota. Again, the feat was accomplished over the course of two periods and took 26 minutes and 44 seconds to complete. Harrison's final man-down marker came on an empty net. The Hockey Hall of Fame was given Harrison's stick after the game and put it on display at their museum in Toronto.

December 4, 2009: The shorthanded natural hat trick is achieved at the Division III level for the first time in recorded history. Oswego State's Neil Musselwhite beats Brockport goalie Todd Sheridan four times, three of the goals coming while on the penalty kill. Those shorthanded tallies came in succession over a span of just 2 minutes of 59 seconds towards the end of the second and beginning of the third periods.




Source: http://www.thevotl.com/2009/12/neil-musselwhites-shorthanded-hat-trick.html

BROCKPORT RECRUITING VIDEOS

Video producer Cam Noble continues his great work of promoting the team. He has posted to YouTube 2 videos which are awesome recruiting tools for the Golden Eagles, offering a behind the scenes look at the Brockport facilities for prospective student-athletes.

BROCKPORT BEATS CORTLAND 2-1

The Brockport Athletics Department reports on last night's match-up....



Sophomore James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) scored the game-winning goal late in the second period and The College at Brockport Hockey team held on for a 2-1 win over SUNY Cortland Saturday night in Cortland.

Junior Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) added a goal for Brockport (5-6 overall, 3-5 SUNYAC), while sophomore Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) collected two assists and sophomore Tyler Davis (Queensbury, NY) chipped in with one assist.

Senior goalie Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) made 36 saves. The 36 saves moved Sheridan into fifth place on the all-time Brockport career saves list. He has 1,546 career saves for the Golden Eagles.

Galiani gave the Golden Eagles the lead just one minute, 28 seconds into the game, when he put a rebound past the Cortland (5-6, 3-5) goalie for his sixth goal of the season.

Cortland evened the score at the 10:47 mark with a wrap-around shot from behind the Brockport goal.

Cody netted the gamewinner at 17:26 of the second period, 21 seconds after Brockport killed off a Cortland power play. Finnerty forced a turnover at the left boards in neutral ice, carried the puck in and fed a pass to Cody, who scored on a wrister from the right face-off circle.

Late in the third period, Cortland went on the power play and pulled its goalie with 50 seconds remaining, but Sheridan made key saves in the closing minute to preserve the win.

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

In an effort to further spread the word about the team I have created a Facebook fan page so people can follow the Golden Eagles on that popular social networking tool. To become a fan, scroll down to the bottom of the tool bar on the left side of this blog.

LISTEN TO THE CORTLAND GAME

The streaming audio at 89thepoint.com is still down and won't be running again until next week. If you'd like to listen to audio of the game on your computer Cortland Internet Radio will be broadcasting tonight's game. Check it out at:

http://www.cortlandreddragons.com/sports/2007/12/17/internetradio.aspx?id=63

PALLADIUM-TIMES REPORT ON LAST NIGHT'S GAME

The report from Oswego's local newspaper...



OSWEGO — Oswego State senior Neil Musselwhite was a short-handed pain in the butt for the Brockport hockey team on Friday.

Musselwhite was involved in three consecutive short-handed goals and finished with a hat trick to ignite the Lakers in their 10-1 rout of Brockport in a SUNY Athletic Conference contest at Campus Center Ice Arena.

Eric Selleck’s unassisted power-play goal with 10:59 left in the second period gave the top-ranked Lakers a comfortable 4-1 margin.Musselwhite then went to work. On the ice with the penalty-killing unit in the final minute of the second period, Musselwhite stole the puck in the defensive zone and skated in on a breakaway. His shot picked the left side of the net with 23.7 seconds left, and it was 5-1.

Eleven seconds later, the margin grew to 6-1. Musselwhite passed to senior Brad Dormiedy for another short-handed goal.

Early in the third period, the Lakers’ Tyler Lyon went to the penalty box. Musselwhite took the ice and scored another short-handed marker with 17:24 to go in the game. This time, his sharp-angle shot from the left side beat Brockport starting goaltender Todd Sheridan high.

Oswego State (7-0-0 SUNYAC, 9-1-0 overall) dominated the Eagles (2-5-0, 4-6-0) after spotting Brockport the game’s first goal. Oswego State’s top goal scorer, junior Chris Laganiere, netted the tying and go-ahead goals. He tied it with 13:17 to go in the first period on a scramble in front of the net.

Musselwhite’s first goal of the game followed, and the hosts held a 3-1 lead after one period.

Selleck’s man-advantage goal in the middle stanza came on a sharp angle from the right side, and the Lakers’ short-handed frenzy followed.Senior goalie Kyle Gunn-Taylor improved to 6-0 on the season, making 14 saves.

Oswego State will host Geneseo at 7 p.m. Saturday at Campus Center Ice Arena.


Source: http://palltimes.com/articles/2009/12/04/sports/doc4b19d76993960969018803.txt

BROCKPORT FALLS TO OSWEGO 10-1

The recap of last night's game from the Brockport Athletics Department...



Senior Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH) netted his sixth goal of the year on a Brockport power play that gave the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead 3:16 into the first period, but SUNY Oswego scored three times in the first period and posted a 10-1 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory Friday night in Oswego.

Brockport (4-6, 2-4 SUNYAC) lost the shots-on-goal battle, 37-15, and senior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) was credited with 19 saves and was relieved by sophomore Josh Roarke (Massapequa, NY).


Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) and Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT) were credited with the assists on O’Malley’s goal.

Oswego (9-1, 7-0 SUNYAC), ranked No. 1 in the lastest USCHO.com national poll, tied the game 1-1 early in the first period on an even-strength goal. The Lakers scored two more times in the first period, three in the second and four in the final period.

Brockport travels to SUNY Cortland on Saturday for a 7 pm game.

O'MALLEY IS ROCHESTER ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Senior Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH/Greece Athena) is this week’s Rochester Area Collegiate Athlete (RACA) male athlete of the week for November 23-29. O’Malley led The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team to a pair of wins and the 2009 Championship of the Skidmore Invitational.

The senior forward scored the second goal in the 5-0 win over the University of New England and opened the scoring on a power play in the 6-3 win over Nichols College. On the weekend, O’Malley sparked a power play unit that accounted for five goals to earn the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

THIS WEEKEND'S GAMES

This weekend will be an important one for the Brockport Golden Eagles. They’ll be hitting the road for the last 2 SUNYAC games of the semester. The team is tied for sixth place in the conference with Morrisvile and Cortland at 4 points each. Brockport must come out of the weekend with at least 2 points or the second semester will be a rough one.

It won’t be easy on Friday night when they travel to Oswego to play the #1-ranked team in the nation. The Lakers are 8-1-0 and have been a powerhouse in DIII, demolishing some of the very best like Elmira (7-2 win) and Plattsburgh (5-2 win) for the first time in 10 games.

They’ve dominated all facets of the game: They’ve scored 55 goals (6.1/game) on the season while allowing only 19 (2.1/game)….all this despite losing 7 of the top 9 scorers from last year.

This season they’re led by Chris Langaniere (9 goals), Eric Selleck, and Justin Fox (6 goals) who already have 20 points each! Selleck averages a robust team-high 2.667 points per game. Even their #4 scorer Jon Whitelaw averages 1.6 points/game.

Their defense is tough and 4 of their defensemen have 12 or more penalty minutes, led by Kevin Huinink and his 25. Their goaltending is slick and is quickly positioning itself as the best unit in SUNYAC. Last year’s breakout goaltender (Paul Beckwith) sports a .930 saves percentage but actually shares time with Kyle Gunn-Taylor (.943 saves percentage).

It’s a scary team. But, the Golden Eagles are not afraid. As a matter of fact, they’re looking forward to it. After demolishing Nichols (winner of 26 games last year) in the Skidmore Tournament they’ve realized that they can beat anyone and that confidence (along with the hunger to beat Oswego) has been in the locker room all week. If any team is positioned to shock Oswego it’s Brockport.

There’s a good chance that Brockport could shock DIII on Friday night.

On Saturday the team heads to Cortland for what should be a victory.

The Red Dragons are 4-5-0 and actually beat Hobart 5-2 on Sunday. They’re a gamey team led by Patrick Palmisano and Jarret Gold who had 32 and 29 points, respectively, last season and are on pace to surpass those totals. Jarret has 8 goals while Patrick has 7. Forward Chris Kaleta (3 points), is the brother of the Buffalo Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta and represents the only physical fellow on the team. They are not a team to mix it up, so Brockport’s hard-hitting style should really throw off their game. Goaltending is done by committee and the Golden Eagles should be able to net at least 4 goals no matter the netminder.

Both games can be heard on WBSU at 89.1 FM and online at http://www.891thepoint.com/. You can also watch the games at http://www.fasthockey.com/

SKIDMORE INVITATIONAL PICTURE

Click the image below to enlarge....

O'MALLEY IS SUNYAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Sean O'Malley was selected as the SUNYAC player of the week for November 30th. Here's what the SUNYAC had to say about the Brockport senior...

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sean O'Malley, Brockport Senior Forward (Lakewood, OH/Syracuse Stars)

O'Malley led Brockport to a pair of wins and the 2009 championship at the Skidmore Invitational this past weekend. The senior forward scored two goals to earn Tournament MVP honors. O'Malley, who is on the power play unit, helped Brockport score 5 power play goals on the weekend.

DATES FOR DIII CHAMPIONSHIP IN PLACID

Since July it has been known that this season's DIII championship will again be held in Lake Placid...and since then the ORDA and NCAA websites have left us hanging with this scheduling notice:

The NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Committee recently announced that Lake Placid will host the 2010 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship March 19-20 or March 20-21, depending on the television broadcast schedule.

Well, I was curious whether the dates had been selected and I e-mailed the Olympic Regional Development Authority. Today I received an e-mail saying the final four will take place Friday, March 19th and Saturday, March 20th.

O'MALLEY IS BROCKPORT ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH) led The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team to a pair of wins and the 2009 Championship of the Skidmore Invitational to earn male athlete of the week honors.

The senior forward scored the second goal in the 5-0 win over the University of New England and opened the scoring on a power play in the 6-3 win over Nichols College. On the weekend, O’Malley sparked a power play unit that accounted for five goals to earn the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

SAVES FOR A CURE IS FINALLY HERE!

If you know Brockport hockey, you know about Todd Sheridan’s dream to make Saves For a Cure into a charity that will have a positive impact on Rochester area children who have been diagnosed with cancer. The organization will collect from donors $1 for every save that Brockport goaltenders make over the course of a season. All the proceeds will then go towards making the lives of the cancer patients and their families a little more comfortable at Golisano Children’s Hospital.

It’s something he’s been fighting for since the idea came to him years ago. Since originally filing a certificate of incorporation in March of 2008 he faced a variety of bureaucratic obstacles in state government that prevented him from going ahead with Saves For a Cure. You can read about these frustrating roadblocks in an April 2009 column I wrote for the local papers at:

http://www.lockportjournal.com/bobconfer/local_story_110122222.html

Things became so bad that even Governor Paterson’s office was stymied by the special interests in state government.

But, finally, there’s good news to report. VERY good news. Todd was notified today that Saves For a Cure was officially granted its corporate status in New York State and the non-profit can now go about its business of making the world a better place!

This is a huge moment in Todd's life and an even bigger moment for what will be hundreds, maybe thousands, of children in the area who struggle with cancer. Todd's efforts will give them a ray of hope among some of the darkest days of their very young lives.

For more information about Saves For a Cure and how you can help out, visit http://www.savesforacure.com/

BROCKPORT WINS SKIDMORE INVITATIONAL

The Brockport Athletics Department offers this report of last evening's huge victory...


Senior Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH) scored the first goal of the game and sparked a power play unit that accounted for five goals as The College at Brockport Hockey team cruised to a 6-3 victory Sunday night over Nichols College in the championship game of the Skidmore College Invitational Tournament in Saratoga Springs, NY.

O’Malley, who also scored a goal in the first game of the tournament, was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Freshman Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) who scored a goal and added an assist against the University of New England Saturday and then notched two goals and an assist in the championship, was named to the All-Tournament team as was senior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) who made 27 saves in the shutout win over New England Saturday.

Against Nichols, the Brockport (4-5) power play unit took advantage of a five-minute major penalty called against Nichols late in the first period and scored three times before the end of the man advantage. O’Malley opened the scoring as he scored on a wrap-around shot with 5:03 to play in the first period and just 23 seconds into the five-minute power play.

Less than a minute later, James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) scored with a slapshot from the top of the face-off circle to make it a 2-0 Brockport lead. With just over a minute remaining in the penalty, Jason Gorrie (Etobicoke, ONT) added a third power play goal giving the Golden Eagles a commanding 3-0 lead.

Two minutes into the second period, Galiani took a lead pass from Cody and raced in on a breakaway beating the Nichols goalie over the shoulder with a backhand shot for the eventual game-winning goal.

Galiani added another Brockport goal 2:13 later on another power play opportunity as Brockport took a 5-0 lead.Nichols (4-2-1) finally got on the scoreboard midway through the second period but Brockport’s Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) made it a 6-1 Brockport lead with his first goal of the season.

Nichols scored twice in the third period but could not get any closer and Brockport won the 6-3 decision.

Finnerty finished with a goal and two assists while Cody added his goal and three assists. Gorrie chipped in a goal and an assist for the Golden Eagles. Sophomore goalie Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) made 21 saves.

UNE'S RECAP OF LAST NIGHT'S GAME

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Five different players scored as The College at Brockport shutout the University of New England, 5-0, in the opening round of the Skidmore Men's Hockey Invitational Saturday evening at Saratoga City Rink.

The Golden Eagles (3-5) move on to play Nichols College in Sunday's 4 p.m. title game, after the Bison notched a 3-2 overtime win against host Skidmore College. The Nor'easters (0-4) will face the Thoroughbreds in the consolation match at 1 p.m.

Sophomore forward James Cody (Schwenksville, Pa.) got Brockport going at 5:35 of the opening period, and senior forward Sean O'Malley (Lakewood, Ohio) gave the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead at first intermission with a goal at the 9:16 mark.

Junior forward Justin Noble (Georgetown, Ontario) tallied the only goal of the second period to increase the cushion to three (3-0), finding the back of the net just 1:34 into the frame.

Forwards Dan and Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) added third period scores 21 seconds apart with a little over six minutes to play to provide the final margin.

Cody as well as both Galiani brothers registered three points on the night, while sophomore Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, Pa.) and first-year Adam Korol (Hurley, N.Y.) each tallied a pair of assists.

Senior netminder Todd Sheridan (Edison, N.J.) turned aside 27 shots for the Golden Eagles to earn his first shutout of the season.

Junior Mike Roper (New Glasgow, Nova Scotia) stopped 31 shots for UNE, which did not allow a power play goal for the second straight game.

BROCKPORT BEATS UNE 5-0

The Brockport Athletics Department offers this report on tonight's game...


Shutout Victory makes Brian Dickinson All-Time Wins Leader
Golden Eagles defeat University of New England 5-0
November 28, 2009

Head Coach Brian Dickinson won his 94th career victory as The College at Brockport Hockey team scored a 5-0 victory over the University of New England Friday in the first round of the Skidmore College Invitational Tournament in Saratoga Springs. The Golden Eagles will face Nichols College at 4 pm Sunday in the tournament championship game.

The 94 wins makes Dickinson the all-time winningest coach in Brockport history as he passed Bob Pederson’s 93 career victories.

Five different players scored for Brockport (3-5) in the victory with James Cody (Schwenksville, PA), and Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, OH) each scoring in the first period followed by junior captain Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) in the second period and brothers Dan and Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) scoring within 21 seconds of each other in the third period for the 5-0 win.

Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) and Adam Korol (Hurley, NY) contributed two assists each while each Galiani brother and Cody added a single assist for the Golden Eagles.

Senior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) made 27 saves to record his 21st career victory and third career shutout for Brockport.

BROCKPORT HEADS TO SKIDMORE THIS WEEKEND

While most students are away from Everything College during the long holiday weekend, the Golden Eagles ice hockey team will be representing Brockport this Saturday and Sunday at the Skidmore Invitational at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs.

The tourney begins at 2:00 Saturday with Skidmore taking on Nichols. Skidmore should win handily.

Brockport then takes on the University of New England Nor'easters at 5:00 PM Saturday. UNE's season has just started and they are 0-3-0 having lost to Salve Regina, Norwich, and St. Michael's. Not only is UNE's season young but so is its program. In the two previous seasons it was a club program, and it just became a varisty sport this season. The original program had disbanded back in the early 1980's following a rather successful run in the 1970's when the school was known as St. Francis. Despite UNE having won 14 games last season, there is a huge difference between club and varisty and Brockport will prove that with an easy win over the Nor'easters.

That would then put them in the 4:00 Sunday championship game against Skidmore. The Thoroughbreds have been a competitive team, going 13-10-3 last year and are 2-1-0 on this young season. Last year, they looked a lot like Brockport...a middle-of-the-road team in regards to scoring (their leading goal scorers had 10 goals each), but one that put it all together to win games with strong goaltending and a swarming defensive approach. These teams look equally matched and it should make for Brockport's most-exciting non-conference game of the season.

If any students are from the Capital Region, make it a point to stop by the tournament this weekend and cheer on the green and gold...well, our green and gold, NOT Skidmore's ;)

GENESEO BEATS BROCKPORT 2-1

Senior Sean O’Malley (Lakewood, ONT/Syracuse Stars) scored a third-period goal but The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team dropped a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) contest to SUNY Geneseo by a 2-1 score at Geneseo on Friday night.

Geneseo opened the scoring at 15:08 in the first period on a power play and extended its lead with a goal in the second period at 7:41.

In the third period, the Golden Eagles pulled goalie Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ/Sarnia Blast) on a power player and O’Malley scored at 18:21 with James Cody (Schwenksville, PA/Philly Little Flyers) and Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT/Vaughan Vipers) picking up the assists. Brockport had a number advantage on the ice with a Geneseo major penalty being served and Sheridan off the ice, but was unable to convert a second goal.

Brockport held a slight 30-28 advantage in shots.

The Golden Eagles return to the ice next weekend when they travel to the Skidmore Invitational where they will face the University of New England at 5pm on Nov. 28.

BROCKPORT TRAVELS TO GENESO TONIGHT

I'm sorry I was unable to provide my weekly preview. I've just been a little busy.

Regardless, I can provide you some info...


Brockport travels to Geneseo tonight for a 7:00 a match-up with Geneseo that can be heard on WBSU at 89.1 FM and www.891thepoint.com. You can also watch the video at www.fasthockey.com

USCHO's Russell Jaslow called this the game of the week in his weekly SUNYAC column for USCHO. He said...


The one we’re going to choose is Brockport at Geneseo. These teams are currently tied with identical 2-3-0 records. As is par for this season, every point is going to be so important with such a tight race. Last year, Brockport won both games against the Ice Knights, 7-2 and 5-2.

“We expect it to be a highly emotional game,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “I don’t think the teams like each other. We’re tied, so there are crucial points. We had the better of them last year, so I’m sure they will be talking about that in their locker room. It will be a hard fought, entertaining game."

BROCKPORT TEACHES HOCKEY SKILLS TO YOUTH

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle ran this great story in today's paper...



Youth hockey players learn from veterans
John Boccacino


BROCKPORT — Veterans Day is a time to reflect and to pay tribute to the sacrifices soldiers have made in the name of preserving freedom and the American way.

But for 16 of the younger members of the Tri-County Youth Hockey Golden Eagles, Veterans Day, like all school holidays, presented an opportunity to lace up their skates, grab a stick and learn about the game's fundamentals from college players who know what it's like to be young and searching for advice.

Flying around the Tuttle North Ice Arena's rink, these players learned about crossovers, stick-handling and accurate shooting from State University College at Brockport men's hockey coach Brian Dickinson and 12 of his players.

Playing on Tri-County's home ice, the youngsters, ranging from initiation level (ages 5-6), mites (ages 8 and younger) and squirts (younger than 10) took advantage of the opportunity, peppering the players with questions, picking up valuable pointers and, of course, having some fun.

The 90-minute clinic was the perfect way for Jack Skakuj, a member of Tri-County's Squirt 'A' team, to spend his school holiday. Normally a winger for Tri-County, Jack enjoyed working with the Golden Eagles and loved the thrill of stealing the puck away from the college players.

"They taught me some good dekes to score on goal, how to stick-handle better and pass better," said Jack, 8, of Hamlin, a third-grader at the Barclay Elementary School in Brockport.

"It felt great if any of us were able to steal the puck from the college guys. I thought they'd all be really fast and good with the puck, and they were, but I was able to poke it free a couple of times."

One of the most popular drills was a stick-handling exercise in which each player had to carefully maneuver their way through a series of cones while maintaining control of the puck.

The Tri-County players also learned about consistently making more accurate passes and putting just the right amount of zip on their passes. Properly receiving a pass was also stressed, as the Brockport players instructed the children to bring their sticks back and then gently forward to corral the puck.

Going head-to-head with the Golden Eagles was such a thrill for Hamlin's Matt Heyden, who is a fan of watching the Brockport team's games whenever possible.

"It was unreal and really cool playing with the Brockport guys, and I'll always remember the passing drills and tips," said Matt, 9, a third-grader at Barclay who plays left wing and defense for the Squirt 'A's'.

"They taught us a lot of the moves that they will use in their games. I'd love to play college hockey one day and this will make me a better, faster, stronger hockey player."

The partnership began last January, when a Tri-County parent called Dickinson and inquired about some holiday hockey lessons. Dickinson, in his 14th season coaching the Golden Eagles, agreed to help out and devised a lesson plan that emphasized 1-on-1 skill development and, most importantly, proper skating technique.

"These kids idolize our players and can't wait to come out, talk with them and work on their skills," Dickinson said. "But the college kids are having just as much fun and they're giving these youths something to shoot for, which is just as important as developing their hockey skills."

For much of the clinic, Carson Gapes was between the pipes, staving off the group's best shots. He used the practice to work with Todd Sheridan, Brockport's starting net minder, on making better reads on shots, improving his shuffles and perfecting the butterfly position.

"My favorite part was when all the kids and college players came in and shot on me. I was able to make some big saves, and that was really exciting," said Carson, 9, of Medina and a fourth-grader at Medina's Oak Orchard Elementary School.

"We were (in awe) of the college kids, definitely, because they've accomplished so much in the sport and we all have so much to learn from them."

As he headed into the locker room, Jack, already looking ahead to the three-day winter break "holiday fun camp" running Dec. 28-30, perfectly summed up how he spent his Veterans Day.

"This was a lot of fun, better than being in school!" Jack said with a big smile.



Go to the D&C's website for more information about the series and to see a 10-photo album from the event. Here's the link:

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20091117/SPORTS/911170317/1007/SPORTS/Youth-hockey-players-learn-from-veterans

STYLUS REPORT ON LAST WEEKEND'S GAMES

From the pages of this week's Brockport Stylus...

Silveira's hat trick leads Brockport
Andrew Lipari

Ryan Silveira's hat trick helped lift The College at Brockport past the Buffalo State Bengals Friday, Nov. 13 - something the Golden Eagles could have used the following day in the teams loss to Fredonia.

Buffalo State goalie Alan Fritch was coming into the game against Brockport giving more than four goals a game. It was no secret the gameplan for Brockport was to get the puck to the net. "We knew he was a big goalie and we tried to get as many shots on him as we could," Silveira said. "We tried to shoot low on him. My goals weren't spectacular, they were just random, low shots that went in."

With two minutes left, Buffalo State pulled Fritch but Silveira had two goals already and was looking for the third. A backhand shot from just inside the red line gave Silveira his third goal.

"It's always special to get a hat trick, and it's something you watch to see if they're going to pull the goalie," head coach Brian Dickinson said. "It was fortunate for him his line was up when they pulled the goalie. The players all know so they get it to the red line and put it in. Hat tricks don't come easy and that's a great memory for him. He's a talented player. To throw it up from the red line and have it go dead center takes some skill."

Buffalo State only had four defensemen dressed and Brockport wore them down as the game went on. Brockport scored three times in the last 30 minutes, while Buffalo State had five penalties in the same span. Dickinson didn't know why the Bengals were so thin, but it helped Brockport get the win. All four of Brockport's games have started with their opponent scoring first, and Buffalo State continued that trend, making the first five.

At 1:16, Jim Durham scored on a tipped puck Todd Sheridan lost, giving Buffalo State the early 1-0 lead.Brockport answered with three in a row. Tom Galiani snapped a shot just under the crossbar at 15:35 and Silveira batted in his first goal two minutes later. Brockport set up their power play well, which is a change considering their struggles, and Gregg Amato slapped a shot from the point to give Brockport a 3-1 lead after two periods. Buffalo State scored in the third when Nick Petriello was left in front of the net, making it 3-2. Silveira scored twice in the last eight minutes to get the win.

Sheridan had 36 saves for Brockport, while Fritch had 22 for Buffalo State.

Coming into the game against Brockport, Fredonia had been scoring nearly five goals a game. A 5-3 win Saturday was right on par with its season average. Fredonia's big guns, James Muscatello, Alex Morton and Jeff Aonso all came into the game with 11 points already in this young season. Muscatello and Morton have six goals a piece with five assists, while Aonso's 11 points are all assists. Fredonia crashed the net hard on every shot, and when they had space, they knew what to do with it. There were a few occasions a Blue Devil player went flying down the wing with the intent on putting the puck in the net, not looking for an extra pass.

"They got some big bodies that can skate," Dickinson said. "They are hard to control and our defense didn't do a good job, so they got second, third and fourth chances. We tweaked our fore check a little and didn't commit our third guy as quickly with their offense. We tried to get our guys to crash in hard, we were successful for half the game and half the game the second guy coasted like an alligator through the weeds, watching. That's not our style."

For the first time this season, Brockport got on the board first. Tyler Davis put in a backhand to give Brockport the lead 1-0.With a two-man-advantage, Chris de Bruyn put the puck in for Fredonia as Sheridan was crawling around on the ice trying to find the shooter. Adam Shoff scored on a hard angle down low to give Brockport a 2-1 lead after the first period.

James Muscatello started the scoring in the second period when he came down the right wing and blasted a laser passed Sheridan to tie the game at 2. Fredonia's Mat Hehr put in a rebound for his seventh goal of the year, and smashed against the glass in front of the Brockport student section, setting off a wave of groans.

On the power play in the third period, Justin Noble jammed the puck in to tie the game and returned the glass-smashing favor to the student section. Fredonia answered by scoring twice in the last seven minutes. After a Blue Devil goal was disallowed, Ian Cosgrove put in the go-ahead goal a minute later.

Bryan Ross iced it for Fredonia when he took a turnover and snapped the shot in the corner for give Fredonia the 5-3 win.

"We tried to do too much and we should have made the easy plays and get it to the blue line," Silveira said. "Costly turnovers were the difference in the game."

In the net, Sheridan stopped 35 shots and Pat Street had 26 saves for Fredonia.

The loss drops Brockport to 2-4 (2-3 in SUNAYC) which has them looking up at powerhouses Oswego and Plattsburgh in a tie at fourth place in the SUNAYC conference.


Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2009/11/18/Sports/Silveiras.Hat.Trick.Leads.Brockport-3834384.shtml

RAFFLE WINNERS

The winners of the team's raffle were announced on Saturday night. They are...

1st prize "Winter Classic Crosby": Michael Licata of Rochester, NY

2nd prize "Bobby Orr with Cup": Will Karker of Rochester, NY

3rd prize "Maris & Mantle": Ed Galiani (Tom/Dan's dad) of Lindenhurst, NY

DUNKIRK OBSERVER'S RECAP

The Dunkirk Observer ran this recap of the game in today's newspaper...

The Fredonia State hockey made it a SUNYAC sweep this weekend, claiming a 5-3 win at Brockport. They won at Geneseo the previous evening.

"We continued to get stronger as the game went on. Two of our goals came within the last six minutes," Fredonia State coach Jeff Merredith said.

Brockport scored first and held a 2-1 lead after the first period. A Chris de Bruyn power-play goal was sandwiched between a pair of Golden Eagle scores. Jordan Oye and Steve Rizer assisted.

"It was a top to bottom team effort. It was a physical dog fight all night long," Merredith said.

The Devils scored twice in the second period to take a 3-2 lead. James Muscatello scored unassisted at 9:08. It was his seventh goal of the season. Mat Hehr scored his sixth with 1:22 left in the second. Rizer and Oye both recorded their second assists of the evening.

"We just were battling to get to the front of the net and we are getting greasy goals," Merredith said.

Brockport tied the game 3-all 8:20 into the third period. The Devils closed the deal with a pair of scores as Ian Cosgrave and Bryan Ross found the back of the net to give the Devils a 5-3 victory. de Bruyn recorded an assist on both goals, giving him a four-point game.

"We scored to go ahead and the officials decided the net had came off. Our guys could have felt sorry for themselves, but they went out and two shifts later they buried one. It showed a lot of character," Merredith said.

Pat Street improved to 4-1 in goal for the Devils, making 26 saves. Brockport's Todd Sheridan gave up all five scores, while stopping 35 shots.

Both teams converted on one of six power plays.

The Devils improve to 5-3-0 overall, and 3-3-0 in SUNYAC play. Brockport falls to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference.

Source: http://www.observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/532226.html?nav=5010

BROCKPORT FALLS TO FREDONIA 5-3

The Athletic Department reports on last night's loss....

Junior Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) scored a power play goal for The College at Brockport Hockey team eight minutes into the third period but SUNY Fredonia scored twice in the final seven minutes for a 5-3 victory Saturday in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game in the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Brockport (2-4 Overall, 2-3) took an early lead as Noble and Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) worked the puck around to defenseman Tyler Davis (Queensbury, NY) who scored his first career goal for a 1-0 Golden Eagles lead 3:35 into the contest.

Six minutes later, Fredonia (5-3, 3-2) tied the score, with the help of a two-man advantage.

With 2:40 left to play in the first period, Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT) gave the lead back to the Golden Eagles with his first goal of the season with an unassisted tally.

Fredonia scored midway through the second period to knot the score at 2-2 and then took a 3-2 lead with 1:23 left in the period.

Noble tied the score with 8:20 elapsed in the final period with a power play goal assisted by Sean O’Malley (Lakeland, OH). Fredonia regained the lead at the 6:10 mark of the period and added a fifth goal with 2:12 remaining.

Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) stopped 35 shots for Brockport as Fredonia outshot Brockport by a 40-29 margin.

SILVEIRA HAS HAT TRICK IN 5-2 WIN

After working out some kinks after a rough opening stretch that saw them face the powerful Plattsburgh Cardinals and Hobart Statesman in their first four games, the Golden Eagles returned to form on Friday night and turned away a high-scoring SUNYAC important – the Buffalo State Bengals – at Tuttle North Ice Arena, crushing them 5-2.

They looked like the playoff-bound Golden Eagles of last year. The victory was a total team performance that, at the same time, featured two incredible singular performances, one by goaltender Todd Sheridan and the other by forward Ryan Silveira.

Todd was remarkable in goal, turning away 36 shots, many of them with high quality saves. With the Bengals rarely testing the top of the net (and only doing so from a distance), Todd found himself in Hasek-mode throughout the game, hitting the deck to turn away low shots that usually came two at a time. Most every save was of the exciting sort and if you were there you found yourself holding your breath amidst the chaos and brilliance. This game showcased why he is considered one of the very best in DIII.

But, the star of the game was Ryan. He has been known to have some big games in the past and none were bigger than this. It’s been years since a Brockport player last had a hat trick on home ice (quite frankly, I can’t remember the last time). His super game took skill and wherewithal. Ocassionally, perhaps in a hurry to put the game out of reach with the quick shot, the Golden Eagles seemed to abandon the style of play that got them goals last year (coming to the net) and, instead, ended up taking slap shots or wristers from nearly as far away as the blue line. Ryan maintained his composure and brought it to the net on his first two goals and he burned goaltender Alan Fritch on them. It wasn’t easy, numerous times Ryan had to plow through guys and out-muscle them. Even his empty-netter was smartly-played, taking the shot at the last possible second with a defender draped on him. It was a top-notch performance.

And, so was the team’s performance. Despite allowing 38 shots, Brockport seemed to do the little things of big importance throughout the game, whether forwards were blocking shots with their bodies (which happened 3 times), or Brockport forwards were swarming Buffalo State forwards, or defensemen (like Gregg Amato and Tyler Davis) were keeping Buff State forwards from the net, or defensemen were contributing offensively (Amato assisted on a goal and had a power play goal). It wasn’t as physical as the Buffalo games last year, but Brockport found different ways to control the tempo.

It was a great game that reassures you that Brockport is going places in the SUNYAC.

Here’s the athletic department’s report….

Junior Ryan Silveira (Brampton, ONT) scored three times with two goals coming in the third period to lead The College at Brockport Hockey team to a 5-2 victory over Buffalo State Friday night in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game at the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Buffalo State (1-4-1 Overall, 1-3 SUNYAC) scored first netting a goal 1:16 into the contest as a bouncing puck skipped over the stick of Brockport (2-3, 2-2) goalie Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) for the early 1-0 lead.

Late in the first period, junior Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) tied the score with his second goal of the year and less than two minutes later, Silveira scored his first of the night knocking home a loose puck from just inside the blue line as a clearing attempt by Buffalo State was intercepted by Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT) and tipped of the stick of sophomore Gregg Amato (Ocean Gate, NJ) over to Silveira to give Brockport the 2-1 lead at the end of the first period.

In the second period, Amato scored his first goal of the season with Brockport on a two-man advantage powerplay as Brockport worked the puck around the zone and Amato fired a slap shot from the point for the 3-1 Golden Eagles lead.

The Bengals narrowed the gap to 3-2 six minutes into the third period but Silveira added his second of the night at the 12:26 mark of the period and put the game away with an empty net goal with 1:15 left in the period for the 5-2 lead and to complete the hat trick.

Buffalo State had more shots with 38 to Brockport’s 27 but Sheridan came up with 36 saves for the victory. The win was his 20th career victory and the 36 saves give him over 1,400 in his Brockport career.

BROCKPORT HOSTS BUFF STATE & FREDONIA THIS WEEKEND

Brockport hosts two key SUNYAC games this weekend as the Western New York teams come to Tuttle North Ice Arena.

On Friday, the Golden Eagles host the Buffalo State Bengals. Typically, when people think of a Brockport rivalry, Geneseo comes to mind. I will make the case that that rivalry pales in comparison to Brockport/Buff State. Just look at last season’s games…

In December Brockport beat high-scoring Buffalo State by a score of 3-1. Brockport’s intensely physical play shut down the Bengals, making them look sloppy if not intimidated. That boiled into frustration and 2 fights broke out at mid-game and another one started towards the end (forcing a ref to flatten a Bengal).

In February, Buffalo State hosted Brockport and beat the Golden Eagles 4-1. Carrying over the bad blood from the first game, that was the most violent game I’ve ever seen at the DIII level : 4 ten-minute misconducts, 4 fights, and a disgusting high sticking attack. Even the opposing fans became aggressive with one another.

Expect more of the same this year, as most of Buffalo State’s top players return from last season. Gone is Justin Hill (who led the nation in assists) but remaining are Nick Petriello (He had 45 points in ’08-‘09 and has 7 points already in this young season) and his linemate Joel Sheppard (who had 25 points last year). They are joined by senior D’Arcy Thomas who has 3 goals so far and Tyler Soehner, a solid defenseman who had 23 points last year.

Buffalo State’s biggest strength is its number one line. The highly-skilled trio carried the team last year and the revamped line is doing so again this year. So far, the team is 1-3-1 and the Bengals have scored more than 2 goals only once, most production coming from that core. If Brockport can stop that line, Buffalo State has absolutely no chance. Tending the net for BS is Alan Fritch who has a 4.75 GAA and .874 saves percentage. His numbers belie his skills because he’s had the distinction of facing Hobart twice and Oswego once this year. As a freshman he had a decent record at 6-5-2 with a .909 saves percentage and 3.19 GAA. Coming in at 6’ 3” and 220 he’s a big boy who can really cover the goal.

On Saturday Brockport hosts Fredonia.

When Brockport last played the Blue Devils they lost 5-2 at Fredonia, with Jason Gorrie scoring both goals.

That followed a December match-up that saw the teams tied at 1-1 even after Brockport outshot the Devils 50-29. That game highlighted Fredonia’s best player, Pat Street, who ranks with Todd Sheridan as the top goaltenders in the SUNYAC. Street has had a stellar career with saves percentages of .908, .927, and .914. This season he’s just under .900.

If Brockport can solve Street they’ll win. But not without some trouble. Fredonia’s team is the same as last year…but then again, it’s not. Last season the Blue Devils had a very boring offense and scored 2 or fewer goals in 16 games. Things were so bad their leading goal scorer (Bryan Ross) netted only 9 and their leading point scorer (Jordan Oye) had only 17. This year, despite having basically the same team, they’ve scored goals a plenty. Over the first six games they have averaged 4.8 goals a game and James Muscatello already has 6 of them. Alex Morton is also on fire, averaging 1.5 points per game. It’s amazing the difference an off-season can make. Last year they finished a lowly eighth in the SUNYAC which is shocking by Fredonia’s standards. That forced their hand in making some changes in style of play, changes that are paying off. It should make for a high-scoring affair.

Both games begin at 7:00 and can be heard on WBSU and seen live on fasthockey.com