BROCKPORT BEATS GENESEO 5-2

Friday’s game was one of the most important in Brockport hockey’s history. Not only was it against regional rival Geneseo (who have dominated the series 52-20-1 over the years), but both teams were striving for third place in the SUNYAC, and therefore a home playoff game.

Brockport was more than up for the task, beating the Ice Knights by a score of 5-2 and gaining control of third place with 12 conference points (5-3-2 on the season), versus the 11 points of Geneseo.

It was a different style of play for Brockport last night, which was quite interesting. Rather than emphasizing brutality and intimidation as they have so often this year, they turned it down on a notch in the physical department and focused more on puck control and stick-handling, making the game have a faster, coast-to-coast tempo.

The first period was pretty tame as it seemed like both teams were feeling each other out before turning up the pressure. In total there were only 16 shots on goal in the first. But, it still had its special moments, including Andrew Simmons goal from the blue line and a monster defensive play from Aaron Boyer who pulled the puck away from an offender, just inches from the net.

There was also a scary moment in the first when Geneseo’s #25 (Andy Rygiel) flew into Todd Sheridan, knocking him backward and hitting the back of his head on the ice quite violently. Dave McNab proved to be the great captain he is and throttled the Geneseo player until the ref peeled him off the kid.

Luckily, Todd was able to shake that hit off and the second period was the greatest display of goaltending that I’ve ever seen (and I saw an out-of-this-world Kyle Jones play in the DIII finals last year). Geneseo put 17 shots on goal, scoring only once. Todd had 8 brilliant saves in the period. Yes, 8 saves that could have easily been goals. His first was a save off his shoulder, followed by an amazing tumbling saving four minutes into the period, followed by a similar save 1 minute later. Then, Geneseo had a two-man advantage against which Todd shined with 4 great saves, the best of which included a split stop and a glove save. When the clock said 8:30 he had what I consider was the best save of the year: While Todd was lying flat on his back an offender took a hard wrist shot at the net. Todd stabbed at it with his glove, catching it and preventing the goal.

Obviously frustrated by Todd, Geneseo got cheap and #15 (Phil Rose) struck Todd and chirped for a while after the cheap shot, attempting to goad Todd into a fight.

Brockport put some pressure on Geneseo as well in the second, taking 13 shots and scoring once (Justin Noble). Noble’s goal came after a flurry of four, quick-fire shots on the goaltender Cory Gershon (Mike’s brother), which left me screaming, “you’ve got to be kidding me!!” Gershon showed some amazing reflexes on those shots, but his failure to maintain control of the rebounds finally caught up with him.

Brockport could have scored another goal in the second but Geneseo defenseman Sean Hayden was in the back of the crease (over a lying Gershon) and a shot hit him right in the chest. A great play by the defenseman.

Between the second and third, Todd was visibly in pain, agonizing over his groin. Based on the look of incredible pain on his face, I was sure he wasn’t coming back into the game. But, heroically he did and was able to stop 7 of 8 shots, despite the trauma. He had a clutch save with 1:50 left in the game when it was 4-2. Had he missed that it would have been 4-3 and the last minute could have played out quite differently.

Mike Gershon had a memorable goal, one that he’ll be able to brag about at family get-togethers. He took a hard, spiraling shot from the point that beat his brother Cory in goal, putting Brockport up 3-1. That’s the second goal he’s scored on his kid brother this year. Sadly, being that Mike’s a senior, it’s the last one he’ll ever score on him (unless they face each other in the playoffs).

James Cody had an impressive third period, putting on some sick checks, including one that forced a kid’s skull into the boards (I’ll give the kid credit, most players would have been loopy after such a hit). James’ goal was a very long slap shot while on the power play. It was a bullet.

All in all, a great performance by the team. This season is really something special.

The fans knew the importance of this game, too, and they turned out in droves. Screaming, cheering, taunting, emotional…it was a crowd like I’ve never seen there and it seemed like the players really loved the support. The unofficial box score at USCHO.com said there were 1,000 fans in attendance. I don’t think so. The capacity in the stands is 1,800 and I know that had you taken everyone on the walkways and put them in the stands, you’re talking near-capacity. The student section was definitely elbow-to-elbow and the bleachers behind the players’ benches were stuffed as well. I’ll say there were at least 1,650 fans at the game. Totally amazing.

USCHO.com also covered this game. You can read the recap here:

http://www.uscho.com/recaps/20082009/m/01/30/genst-brockst.php


Here’s what the Athletic Department reports:

Senior Mike Gershon (Sparta, NJ) and freshman James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) each contributed a goal and an assist to lead The College at Brockport Hockey team a 5-2 victory over SUNY Geneseo in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game Friday night at the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Brockport (11-5-3 Overall, 5-3-1 SUNYAC) won its 11th game of the season for the most wins in a season since the 1997-98 year when the Golden Eagles finished 11-14-1 in head coach Brian Dickinson’s second season behind the bench for Brockport. The win moved the Golden Eagles into sole possession of third place in the SUNYAC standings while extending their unbeaten streak to 10 games and winning streak to four games.

Freshman Andrew Simmons (Middleburgh, NY) scored the initial goal of the game with less than five minutes remaining in the first period for Brockport when his shot from the blue line deflected off a Geneseo defenseman and found the back of the net. Brockport made it a 2-0 lead with five minutes left in the second period as Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) scored a power play goal with a centering pass from Cody. The goal give Noble at least one point in seven of the last eight games.

Three minutes later, Geneseo (10-8-1, 5-4-1) cut the lead to 2-1 as Kevin Galan scored for the Knights. It was the first shot Geneseo could get past senior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) who finished with 29 saves including 16 in the second period.

Early in the third period, Gershon scored on a wrist shot from the point beating his brother, Cory Gershon giving Brockport a 3-1 lead. Cody made it a 4-1 game with one second left in a two-man advantage for the Golden Eagles as Gershon made a nice pass to start the play and Jason Gorrie (Etobicoke, ONT) sent a centering pass to the stick of Cody for the three-goal advantage.

Less than a minute later, Geneseo answered with a Clint Wilson short handed goal to shave the lead to 4-2 but sophomore Chris Berardini (Batavia, NY) sealed the victory with 1:16 to play with his second goal of the year.

THIS WEEK IN SUNYAC

Russell Jaslow, the SUNYAC beat reporter for USCHO.com, for his column this week writes that the Brockport/Geneseo game is the SUNYAC game of the week:


Instead, it’s going to be the battle of Rochester, which once again means something. After the stunning loss to Morrisville, Geneseo is just one point ahead of a resurgent Brockport team for third place. This game in Brockport is not just for position, but to try and strengthen a home playoff spot for the play-in round. It also might decide which team still has a shot at chasing down Oswego for second place.

“The attitude of our players is one of excitement,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “They are really starting to get a feel for the special-ness of this season. They can easily get up for a Geneseo game, but knowing they will be coming in well prepared for us after what happened last time, makes our guys even more ready.”

The campus of Brockport has not anticipated a game like this in a long time.

“It’s been pretty neat knowing that the school is riding a nine game unbeaten streak, the longest in our school history, and now we have a chance to host a playoff game,” Dickinson said. “In the past, we’re always beating ourselves up just trying to make the playoffs. Now, we can do better than that.”

Special promotions are being held for this game including a green shirt giveaway for the first 500 fans, as they attempt a “greenout.” It would be great to see a huge partisan crowd in the Tuttle North Ice Arena.

“Everybody is excited to jump on board to support the guys the best they can,” Dickinson said. “There’s a lot of buzz around campus.”


Russell also wrote about Morrisville - a team I saw as a welcome addition to SUNYAC - having some problems in being a full-fledged SUNYAC team. Check it out, it's an interesting read and a thorough study:

http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,16513

BROCKPORT'S WBSU TO BROADCAST THE GAME 1 DAY LATER

I just got this message from Dale at the Point....

While basketball is on Friday, I will be with my broadcast partner at Fridays game. We will be calling the action like we're on the air and will take the recording back to the studio to podcast it and then we will re-broadcast the game Saturday at 4:45pm.

LISTEN TO THE BROCKPORT/GENESEO GAME

If you can't make it to the game-of-the-year this Friday, you can still listen to coverage. But...from the enemy.

Due to Golden Eagles' basketball coverage, WBSU will not be covering the game. But, WGSU (Geneseo's station) will.

You can listen on-air at 89.3 FM or online at http://wgsu.geneseo.edu/

TODD SHERIDAN IS SUNYAC GOALIE OF THE WEEK

Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) was named the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) goalie of the week.

The junior goalie recorded a pair of victories this past week with a 2-1 over Western New England and 3-2 win over SUNY Morrisville. Sheridan made 51 saves over the week while allowing just three goals.

On the season Sheridan has a 7-1-3 record to go along with a .930 save percentage.

THE GAME OF THE YEAR THIS FRIDAY!

Brockport and Geneseo hate each other. And, I mean they REALLY hate each other.

Their rivalry is among the greatest in DIII hockey. Thanks to their proximity to one another (only 45 minutes apart by road) it comes down to an issue of Rochester-area bragging rights. One team wants to dominate the other and lay claim to being the better of the SUNYAC teams in the region.

Their fans always join-in on this battle, the visiting team always having a faithful fan base at their matchups, ruining the sanctity of the home ice advantage. Back in the day, Geneseo used to have a traveling bunch of fat students who would rip their shirts off following a Geneseo goal. Nowadays, they have a boisterous bunch who know how to get under the skin of the opponents and their fans. Geneseo always takes it one step further by bringing their incredibly bothersome (yet gifted) pep band to Brockport, adding a soundtrack to all of Geneseo’s little victories within the game.

This rivalry is going to another level this Friday. It’s the game of the year, without a doubt. This will probably be one of the most competitive games you’ll ever see, both teams out for blood and the win. It will be a battle for third place in the SUNYAC. Currently, Geneseo sits in third with 11 points, while Brockport is in fourth place with 10.

It’s a close match-up. Geneseo is 10-7-1 while Brockport is 10-5-3.

Geneseo’s greatest strength is their ability to score goals. They have six guys with 5 or more goals, led by forwards Brown (8), Redlick (7), and Galan (7). They have 9 players with 10 or more points, led by Panetta (17). They can focus on offense like that – and let their defenses down - with goaltenders like Pasemko and Corey Gershon (Mike’s brother) in net. They sport .901 and .916 save percentages respectively. But, they cannot save everything, hence their 2.80 and 2.69 GAAs

But, don’t be misled by their impressive scoring stats…they are nowhere near as balanced as Brockport. The Golden Eagles have only 4 players with 5 or more goals and 8 guys with 10 points, but they are in the top 30 in DIII with 3.50 goals a game compared to 3.17 for Geneseo. Brockport plays with a total-team effort and everyone has a chance to contribute…and that’s why the team has had so many different heroes this season. With Geneseo, if you stifle their top line, the team is toast. And, Brockport’s defensive ways are up for that task.

When last they played in November, Brockport beat the Ice Knights 7-2 in Geneseo. Do I envision another blowout like that? No. But I do see Brockport winning in style and taking over third place in the SUNYAC.

The doors open at 6:30 Friday for this 7:00 match-up. The first 500 students through the door get a free t-shirt. If you can’t make the game – you had better be there! – it will not be carried on WBSU.

I’m looking forward to this game. See you at the arena!!

SILVEIRA IS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Ryan Silveira (Brampton, Ont) is this week’s male athlete of the week at SUNY Brockport.

The sophomore center added a pair of game-winning goals in helping lead the Golden Eagles to a perfect 2-0 week, and adding to the school-record 9-game unbeaten streak (7-0-2).

On Wednesday night, Silveira scored the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Golden Eagles to a 2-1 victory over Western New England. On Saturday evening, he would also score the game-winning goal with 11 minutes left in third period to help defeat Morrisville 3-2.

THE SEA OF GREEN GAME

It was announced at Saturday's game that this Friday's match-up versus Geneseo will be the "Sea of Green" game.

The first 500 students showing a valid student ID will receive a free T-shirt, courtesy of www.mycollegesuites.com

Doors open at 6:30, so get there early to get your shirt!

BROCKPORT BEATS MORRISVILLE 3-2

Random thoughts and observations from last night’s game…

As expected, Brockport had their hands full with Morrisville last night, just like most teams in the SUNYAC have. They brought their “A” game and were in it until Brockport went up 3-1 with seven minutes remaining. Prior to that, it was basically a 1-1 game until 8 minutes into the third period.

The fans couldn’t ask for a more dramatic game. It had waves of high tempo…just when you thought the game was slowing up a bit, both team turned it up a notch and went out for blood. It was such an exciting game that the Zamboni malfunction and subsequent 10-minute delay in the second intermission went unnoticed.

You knew it was going to be a physical game when, in the first 10 seconds of the game, Dave McNab took a backhander at the Morrisville net and a Mustang player grabbed Dave’s head from behind and slammed it into the back of the net, almost putting Dave’s forehead in the crossbar. That was a cheap shot that really had the potential to mess someone up…a cheap shot that set the tempo for the game.

The hit of the game occurred moments later in the first when Tom Galiani checked Morrisville’s #11 (Garrett Leigh) into the old penalty box, laying the kid out. Poor Leigh must have had a bull’s eye on him because Justin Noble put him on the ice with an open-ice hit in the second.

After going up 1-0 in the first, Morrisville had a very good chance of making it 2-0 just a few minutes later. MS’s #28 (Bobby Cass) broke loose on a breakaway and saw his chance ruined by a great defensive play. Andrew Simmons caught up with him and his angle of pursuit allowed him to get in front of Cass…Simmons then punched Cass in the chest just as he fired away, sending the puck into no man’s land.

The already-aggressive Golden Eagles seemed to pick up even more emotion during the first intermission and came in guns-a-blazing as the second period started. Dave McNab tied the game with a goal that had some nice touch on it, going over the goaltender’s shoulder. They controlled the tempo in the second (15 shots to 5) but Morrisville’s goaltender was up to the task.

The third period was a game within the game. Morrisville found their way and finally poured it on, putting 16 shots on goal to Brockport’s 17. They had a hard time beating Todd, and their only goal of the third occurred when they had an extra attacker after emptying their net in the final minute. He made three really great saves in the third that most goalies could not make…one was a sprawling contortion following a deflection off his mask and another was a Hasek-like roll with three attackers on top of him. The other brilliant save was about as close to a goal as you can get. The shot came in from the side, went behind his legs and nearly broke the plane, but, while upright, he reached behind himself and deflected it with his glove hand. Not an easy save to make.

It was a shot-heavy period but a violent period, too, both team checking like there was no tomorrow. Dave McNab had the best of the bunch, flattening MS’s #16 (Sgarbossa) who hobbled off the ice. I thought for sure the kid was not coming back to the game they way he was skating/hopping back to the bench. But he did, fortunately, come back.

After winning the Western New England game for Brockport, Ryan Silveira was Mr. Clutch again. In the third he put Brockport up 2-1. He’s on a nice tear…three goals in three game.

Gregg Amato added a nice power play goal with 7 minutes left, getting the goal just as the Morrisville penalty hit 00:00. That goal was much-needed as Morrisville got their second with 9 seconds left in the game.

After watching this game and reading about how they’ve scared and beat other teams, it’s obvious that the competitive Mustangs bring yet another interesting dimension to the already-competitive SUNYAC. Now, not a single team in the conference can be looked at as a pushover. Find me a stronger conference in DIII. You can’t.

Brockport is now 10-5-3. A double-digit win season…awesome!

The attendance at last night’s game was listed at 500. I don’t know. It really filled up in the second period. I would have pegged it closer to 750.


The athletic department's report....

Freshman Gregg Amato (Ocean Gate, NJ) scored with seven miutes to play in the third period to propel The College at Brockport Hockey team to a 3-2 victory over SUNY Morrisville in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game Saturday evening at Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

The victory extends the school-record unbeaten streak to nine games as the Golden Eagles (10-5-3 Overall, 4-3-2 SUNYAC) are 7-0-2 during the streak.

After Morrisville scored in the first period to take an early 1-0 lead, Brockport answered with the tying goal early in the second period as senior Dave McNab (Hamilton, ONT) took a centering pass and slipped a quick shot past the Morrisville (5-13-1, 1-8-1) goalie with just 50 seconds elapsed in the period.

In the third period, Ryan Silveira (Brampton, ONT) skated past three defenders and scored the go-ahead goal with 11 minutes to play in the period. Four minutes later, Amato scored what seemed to be an insurance goal on a slap shot from the point on a power play but with nine seconds left in the game, Morrisville scored with the extra attacker on the ice to trim the lead to 3-2.

Senior Tim Crowley (Brasher Falls, NY) had two assists in the game and goalie Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) made 27 saves for his seventh win of the season.

BEWARE OF MORRISVILLE

I mentioned that Morrisville cannot be taken for granted in tonight's game because they bring it for all three periods. Last night, they beat the Geneseo Ice Knights 7-5 on Geneseo's home ice. Geneseo is currently third in the SUNYAC and in the DIII poll last week they appeared in the top twenty. So, the Mustangs can be a force to reckon with. They'll make tonight's game exciting...and it has quickly become evident that next Friday's Brockport/Geneseo match-up will be the game of the year.

BROCKPORT HOSTS MORRISVILLE ON SATURDAY

Brockport plays its first SUNYAC game of the second semester this Saturday when the Golden Eagles play host to the Morrisville Mustangs in a 7:00 PM match-up. This game –like all remaining games – is a must-win for Brockport if they hope to maintain their hold of 4th place in the conference (or improve their place in the standings). The last five weeks of the season are extremely exciting because, basically, every game is a playoff game. Great drama for players and fans alike!

It was a good thing that the Eagles had played a few non-conference games prior to this event, because they wound up being tested by two of the worst teams in DIII, having to go into OT against Framingham and Western New England College. Fortunately, they didn’t lose and it gave them a chance to work out the kinks and clear out the cobwebs after the winter break.

The Golden Eagles skate into this game on a school record 8 game unbeaten streak, which is the fourth best current streak in the nation. They’ll definitely maintain that streak because they couldn’t ask for a better team to start the SUNYAC series against than Morrisville. The doormat of the SUNYAC, they sport a 4-12-1 record overall and they’re 0-7-1 in the conference. Just last Saturday they got pounded by Elmira 10-1, exemplifying their great weakness…defense. The team allows 33 shots on goal a game and, when you do that, you’re going to get scored on.

Even so, the Mustangs cannot be looked at as pushovers. They’re a competitive bunch of kids and they pulled off one of the shockers of the year, tying Oswego on Oswego’s revered home ice. They can put a lot of shots on goal, and when they last faced Brockport Todd Sheridan had to knock away 44 shots in Brockport’s 5-2 win. Morrisville has some decent athletes in Dana Calderone (10 goals), Rob Sgarbossa (11 assists), and Any Alarie (14 points), guys who hustle and are always moving.

It will be a tight and exciting game, and I predict that Brockport wins by 2.

I’ll see you at the Arena!

SABRES ALUMNI COMING TO CAMPUS IN APRIL

Who: The Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association vs. The College at Brockport Faculty/Staff

What: A basketball game fundraising event for the American Cancer Society

When: Tuesday April 7, 2009 at 8 p.m. doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Where: The College at Brockport State University of New York, Brockport, NY, Tuttle North Gymnasium

Why: To raise awareness and donations for the American Cancer Society. This will also be a chance to see your favorite Sabres players and old classmates on the court. Concessions will be provided along with an autograph session, raffle giveaways, and entertainment by local talent during halftime.

Ticket Information...

Pre-sale for students: March 9th-13th: $3 for ANY student with a valid id

March 13th – April 7th: $5 for ANY student with id$8 for faculty/staff/general publicFree for children 12 and under

Parking will be available in Lot U

For more information, please contact Lacie White at lwhi1213@brockport.edu

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH DICKINSON

Congratulations to Brian Dickinson. Last night's win was a milestone...the 100th win of his Brockport coaching career!

Brian not only became the first Brockport hockey coach to surpass the century mark, but earlier this year he assumed the #1 spot in coaching victories, besting the 93 that Bob Pedersen had as the varsity coach.

With 3 more wins the team will surpass Dickinson's single-season high of 11 in the 1997-1998 season.

With the team performing as well as it is, there's a very good chance he'll receive his third SUNYAC Coach of the Year award this season. He deserves it!

BROCKPORT BEATS W.N.E. 2-1 IN OVERTIME

From the Brockport Athletic Department...

Sophomore Ryan Silveira (Brampton, ONT) scored his second goal in as many games and just his third goal of the season in overtime to give The College at Brockport Hockey team a 2-1 victory over Western New England College in the final non-conference game of the season for the Golden Eagles Wednesday night in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Brockport (9-5-3) extended its school-record unbeaten streak to eight games (6-0-2) with the win and return to State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play over the weekend hosting SUNY Morrisville Saturday night in Tuttle North Arena.

The win was also head coach Brian Dickinson’s 100th career victory and the nine victories on the season is tied for the second-most wins in a season under Dickinson in his 12th season.

Western New England (1-13-1) scored in the first period to take a 1-0 lead and Brockport tied the score in the second period with a goal by Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) who has scored at least one point in six of the last seven games after being held scoreless in each of the first 10 games of the year.

In overtime, Western New England had the first scoring chance as junior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) made a sliding save on a tough shot and senior defenseman Mike Gershon (Sparta, NJ) cleared the puck away from the net within the first minute of the overtime period.

A short time later, senior Dave McNab (Hamilton, ONT) and a Western New England player were sent to the penalty box for coincidental penalties and 10 seconds later Silveira took a pass from freshman Tyler Davis (Queensbury, NY) behind the Western New England goal and Silveira used a backhand shot on a wrap-around play to tuck the puck into the corner of the net for the winning goal.

SAVES FOR A CURE WEEKEND: FEB. 13 - 14

Great news from Mark Digby...

Saves For A Cure weekend will be February 13-14 vs. Oswego and Cortland. The team will be wearing a special jersey which will be auctioned off after the weekend. Details to follow on how the auction will be conducted, most likely via internet though.

BROCKPORT TO PLAY WESTERN NEW ENGLAND ON WEDNESDAY

Brockport's easy road season continues this week as the Golden Eagles travel to Sprinfield, Massachusetts to take on the Western New England Golden Bears for a rare Wednesday match-up.

Brockport will definitely add to their win total because the Golden Bears might be the weakest team that Brockport will face this season. They are 1-12-1 and rank 67th or worse nationally in all the major categories including scoring, penalty kill and power play. Only two guys on the roster have scored more than 2 goals...and both of them have netted only 3. Their goaltending is done by a committee of three with saves percentages of .834, .806, and .797.

It should be a cakewalk for the Golden Eagles.

The game starts at 7:20 PM Wednesday and can be heard on WBSU at 89.1 FM or http://wbsu.com

BROCKPORT BESTS FRAMINGHAM 5-3

From the Brockport Athletic Department...

Five different players scored goals for The College at Brockport Hockey team as the Golden Eagles skated to a 5-3 victory over Framingham State Saturday afternoon in Framingham, Massachusetts. The win extended the Golden Eagles unbeaten streak to seven games (5-0-2).

Brockport (8-5-3) scored twice in the first period and then added three more goals in the third for the win as Framingham (0-13-2) scored once in each period.

Sophomore Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) scored six minutes into the contest for the early lead and freshman James Cody (Middleburgh, NY) increased the lead to 2-0 with his sixth goal of the year a little over seven minutes later. Framingham closed the gap to 2-1 late in the period with the first of three power play goals for the Rams.

In the second period, Framingham tied the score at 2-2 with another power play goal and kept the Golden Eagles off the board.Early in the final period, Brockport took the lead for good as Lucas Schott (Erin, ONT) scored with the teams in a 4-on-4 situation after a Framingham penalty negated a Rams power play. Less than two minutes later, Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) scored the eventual game-winning goal with his fourth goal of the season.

With seven minutes to play in the period, Framingham made it interesting and cut the Brockport lead to a single goal at 4-3 but Ryan Silveira (Brampton, ONT) scored an empty-net goal on a turn-around back hander with less than two minutes left in the game.

Josh Roarke (Massapequa, NY) made his second career start and posted the win to improve to 2-0 with 31 saves.

Box score:

http://www.uscho.com/box/?date=20090117&vis=brockst&home=framst&gender=m

BROCKPORT TIES FRAMINGHAM 5-5

From the Brockport Athletic Department...

Senior Tim Crowley (Brasher Falls, NY) and freshman James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) each scored goals in the final 1:15 of the third period to tie the game as The College at Brockport Hockey team salvaged a 5-5 tie with Framingham (MA) State Friday night in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Brockport (7-5-3) extended its unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2) with the tie and will play the same Framingham State team at 2:30 pm Saturday.

The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead near the end of the first period as Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) took a quick pass from Cody after a face off win by Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) and beat the Framingham goalie with two minutes to play in the opening period.

In the second period, Framingham scored three times to take a 3-1 lead but Brockpoirt battled back at the end of the period for a pair of goals to take a 3-3 tie into the second intermission. Andrew Simmons (Middleburg, NY) and Jason Gorrie (Etobicoke, ONT) each scored for the Golden Eagles in the period.Framingham regained the lead early in the third period with a goal 28 seconds into the final period and took a 5-3 lead midway through the period with the teams playing 4-on-4 hockey.

With less than two minutes to go in the third period, goalie Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) was pulled for the extra attacker and it paid off as Rick Stanek (Clinton, NY) took a high shot that deflected off the glass behind the net and onto the stick of Crowley near the side of the net and the senior jammed the puck into the corner of the goal to cut the lkead to 5-4.

With 45 seconds left in the period, Cody controlled the loose puck near the blue line and fired a hard slapshot toward the goal that beat the Framingham goalie with 39 seconds left for the game-tying goal.

In overtime, Brockport controlled the play with a 6-1 shots advantage but could not find the back of the net and the Golden Eagles settled for the 5-5 tie.

Box Score:

http://www.uscho.com/box/?date=20090116&vis=brockst&home=framst&gender=m

SUNYAC MID-SEASON AWARDS

USCHO's SUNYAC columnist Russell Jaslow has issued his mid-season awards in this week's piece.

For MVP he picked Plattsburgh's Bryan Hince. He goes on to write about the next in line...

Runner up is another easy choice, and it goes to Todd Sheridan of Brockport. Sheridan actually has better numbers (1.80 GAA, .940 save pct.) than Hince, though arguably against weaker non-conference play. However, out of five Brockport losses, Sheridan has been in net for only one of them. When healthy, Sheridan is the main reason the Golden Eagles not only didn’t stumble after their large class graduated, but have actually had a resurgence.

James Cody is mentioned as a candidate for ROY.

To read Jaslow's excellent column, go here:

http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,16406

BOTH GAMES ON WBSU

I just got word from WBSU's hockey man, Dale Budziszewski, that both games at Framingham will be carried on 89.1 FM and http://891thepoint.com

On the amusing side, Framingham's "arena" is a little outdated and does not have a phone line for broadcasters. So, Dale will have to use his cell phone and WBSU's new cellphone board.

I'll be listening!

A LOOK AT THE NEW UNIFORMS

Photos of the new "old school" jerseys, courtesy of Katie Schepler...

BROCKPORT TO PLAY FRAMINGHAM THIS WEEKEND

The Golden Eagles had an easy go of it last weekend and this weekend looks to be a repeat of that as the team hits the road to play Framingham State College in Massachusetts for two games.

The Framingham Rams are tied for dead-last in the 14 team ECAC, sporting a 0-11-2 record. Over the last four years they are 8-71-5. In 13 games this season the Rams have allowed 4 or more goals and on 8 occasions they allowed 6 or more goals. They’ve scored only 29 goals (2.2/game) this season, and you can’t win with a goal differential like that.

Their ice cold offense is led by junior Joe Hurley and his 6 goals. He’s followed by Sean MaGuire (4 goals) and Josh Williams (3). No one else on the roster has 3. Their goaltending is suspect, too. Their #1 netman, Andy Joyce, has only a .857 save percentage and a robust 5.84 GAA.

Brockport will dominate both games and a 10-goal breakout performance is not out of the question with this team.

The Friday game starts at 7:20 and Saturday’s game starts at 2:30.

If you can’t attend the games and would like to listen in…you might have a chance to catch them on WBSU. But there's also a chance that one of the games will not be broadcast.

The Point is scheduled to cover basketball, but if the Men's Basketball team loses today, then hockey WILL be on the radio this Friday. WBSU will only carry basketball coverage in the Chase Tourney until our teams lose. Hockey should be on Saturday afternoon regardless if the Women's Basketball Team makes the final as that game is played at night.

To listen in, turn your dial to 89.1 FM or listen online at www.891thepoint.com

SCHOTT IS BROCKPORT'S MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Lucas Schott (Erin, Ont) is this week’s male athlete of the week.

The senior leftwinger scored one goal and had three assists on Friday evening in a 7-0 victory over Worcester State. Schott added a goal and a pair of assists the following afternoon in a 7-3 victory over Worcester state. He helped lead the Golden Eagles to there third straight win, and kept their unbeaten streak at five.

Schott now has three goals and six assists on the season.

SHOFF IS SUNYAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK FOR 1/12

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Adam Shoff - Brockport Forward
Freshman (Port Dover, Ont.)

Shoff scored his first collegiate points in two games against Worcester State, picking up three goals and two assists.

BROCKPORT BEATS WORCESTER 7-3

After putting up 7 against Worcester State on Friday, Brockport did the same on Saturday, besting the Lancers by a score of 7-3.

Wearing their “old school” away jerseys - featuring horizontal gold bands on a green background – the Golden Eagles brought an old school style of play. They were much more physical on Saturday than what they were on Friday, really plastering some of the WS players against the boards and not letting up with that aggressive style for the entire game. That did not detract from their puck control at all. As a matter of fact, they put 62 shots on the Worcester goal!

It was another great performance by Brockport. Some of my random observations from the game…

Adam Shoff had better be recognized as the SUNYAC Rookie of the Week. After getting his first goal and assists of the season on Friday, he netted two more goals on Saturday. An awesome weekend for the freshman!

Lucas Schott also had a great weekend, one worthy of SUNYAC Player of the Week. With a goal and two assists on Saturday he finished the weekend with a robust 7 points. I don’t think any SUNY players have rivaled that this weekend. Beyond just the numbers alone, he was all over the ice this weekend, hustling and making things happen.

Congrats to Oliver Wren on his first win. He stopped 20 shots and one of the goals was just Worcester luck, bouncing in off the post.

Lots of awesome hits in the game. James Cody had 4 great ones, knocking guys silly in each period. McNab, Justin Noble, and Mike Gershon had a handful of great hits as well (one of Mike’s forearm shivers caused a WS player to have an over-acting performance worthy of an Oscar). Everyone chipped in with a powerful check of their own. That sort of dominance bodes well for SUNYAC play later this month and next. If they bring this style of play to Plattsburgh, I know the Golden Eagles can upset the Cardinals on their home ice.

Dave McNab got a “DIII Gordie Howe Hat trick”. In the NHL such a hat trick, the combination of skill and toughness, consists of a goal, an assist, and a fight. I’ve been thinking of a DIII version…since fights are basically not allowed in the NCAA, knocking someone to the ice with a vicious hit will take its place…and Dave did just that while assisting on a goal and taking over the team lead in goals with his slapper in the third.

I was quite disappointed with the Worcester kids who were not in uniform and watching from the walkway. During the national anthems three of the kids in that group leaned against the edging up there, drank their beverages and ate their food, showing absolutely no respect or attention for either the Canadian or American flag. I guess that lack of discipline and general disrespect for all things proper is a good indicator of why they were 2-22-0 last year. Punks.

Being that it was out of semester, attendance was sparse. Friday’s game had 300 while Saturday saw only 200 fans.

Here’s the athletic department’s report…..


Freshmen Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT) scored two goals and seniors Lucas Schott (Erin, ONT) and Dave McNab (Hamilton, NOT) added a goal and two assists each as The College at Brockport Hockey team scored a 7-3 victory over Worcester (MA) State Saturday afternoon in the second game of the weekend against the Lancers at Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Brockport (7-5-2) improved its unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1) on the strength of a four-goal outburst in the opening period. The Golden Eagles added a goal in the second and two more insurance goals in the final period while Worcester State (3-8) scored once in the first period and twice in the second but were held scoreless in the third period for the final margin.

Shoff scored both of his goals in the first 6:35 of the contest including a goal with just 30 seconds elapsed in the game. After Shoff gave the Golden Eagles the early 1-0 lead, the Lancers evened the score at the 6:11 mark of the period. Shoff answered with his second goal of the game just 24 seconds later to recapture the lead for Brockport.

Before the period ended, junior Rick Stanek (Clinton, NY) scored his first goal of the season and sophomore Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) added a goal with less than four minutes to play in the period and Brockport went into the first intermission with a 4-1 lead.

In the second period, Worcester scored to cut the lead to 4-2. Brockport senior Aaron Boyer (Calgary, ALB) regained the three-goal lead two minutes later and with less than a minute left in the second period, Worcester scored to make it a 5-3 game after 40 minutes of play.

In the third period, the teams racked up 57 penalty minutes and Brockport scored twice in the final period with McNab and Schott each scoring within a span of two minutes midway through the period. McNab scored Brockport’s third power play goal of the game at the 8:00 mark of the period and Schott added his goal for his seventh point of the weekend at the 9:20 mark.

Brockport freshman Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) made 20 saves for his first career victory.

ATHLETIC DEPT.'S RECAP OF FRIDAY'S GAME

Freshmen Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT), Gregg Amato (Ocean Gate, NJ) and Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) each scored their first career goals to propel The College at Brockport Hockey team to a convincing 7-0 victory over Worcester (MA) State Friday night at the Tuttle North Ice Arena in the first game of the second semester for the Golden Eagles.

Brockport (6-5-2) remained unbeaten in its last four games (3-0-1) with three goals in the second period after a scoreless first period and added four more goals in the third period.

Shoff opened the scoring with his first career goal four minutes into the second period after a scoreless, but lopsided first period of action. In the first period, Brockport controlled the play and held a 25-5 shots advantage but went into the first intermission with a 0-0 tie.

Midway through the second period, sophomore Chris Berardini (Batavia, NY) scored his first goal of the season on a power play for the Golden Eagles and then late in the period, Amato netted his first career goal to give Brockport a 3-0 lead at the end of two periods.In the third, senior Lucas Schott (Erin, ONT) scored to make it a 4-0 lead with an assist credited to Shoff. Shoff added a second assist seven minutes later feeding senior Tim Crowley (Brasher Falls, NY) for a 5-0 Brockport advantage.

Freshman James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) scored with nine minutes to play as the teams played 4-on-4 hockey after matching penalties. Three minutes later, Finnerty scored for the first time in his career to give Brockport the final 7-0 victory.

Shoff finished with a goal and two assists as did Amato. Schott led Brockport with a goal and three assists while Cody and Crowley each added a goal and an assist to the scoring outburst.

Junior Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) finished with 14 saves and his second career shutout and improving his record to 5-1-2 this season. He also recorded his 1000th career save and now has 1010 in his three seasons with Brockport.

BROCKPORT DEMOLISHES WORCESTER 7-0

What a way to start the second semester!

Coming off a 5-week layoff a team wants to do two things: 1) work out any cobwebs from such an extended break and 2) experiment with things a little in hopes of improving the team for the playoff push.

The Golden Eagles did both on Friday, beating Worcester State 7-0.

I was really impressed with what Coach Dickinson and the team had going last night. The team was playing at a subdued and controlled yet effective pace. Not as physical as usual, the guys focused more on moving the puck and dominating the flow of the game. That they did, putting 46 shots on goal while allowing only 14 shots on their net.

With that style of play, 7 different players scored goals. 3 of them put the puck into the net for the first time in their NCAA careers: Adam Shoff, Gregg Amato and Ian Finnerty.

Shoff, who has been a hard-worker all season, got his first two assists of his career, too, and finished with a 3 point night. There was a lot of joy on the bench when he netted his goal.

Amato, whose goal came the far end of the Eagle logo, also had a 3-point night while Lucas Schott had a 4-point breakout performance, leading the team. It was nice to see the senior have such a big game.

Tim Crowley continued his scoring streak and now shares the team lead in goals and points. His goal was a nice one…after nearly getting a Gretzky-wrap-around, he picked up his own rebound and put it in.

Todd Sheridan had an easy game in goal, getting tested only once from a blown coverage that resulted in a hard shot at point-blank. When all was said and done he had the second shutout of his Brockport career (and season). He now has a .940 saves percentage and a 1.80 GAA. Never did I think I’d see a Brockport goaltender with a sub-2.00 GAA, so this is something special.

BROCKPORT TO PLAY WORCESTER STATE THIS WEEKEND

This weekend the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles return to the ice after a holiday hiatus that lasted nearly 5 weeks. On Friday and Saturday they’re hosting the Worcester State Lancers of Massachusetts.

You couldn’t ask for a better way to start the second semester.

The Lancers are 3-6-0 and last season they were a sad 2-22-0. Their suspect defensive play is their greatest weakness. They’ve allowed 4 or more goals in two-thirds of their games played this year and last season they allowed 6 or more goals in 17 games!

Andy Evans, their starting goaltender, is usually buried under a flurry of shots, so his .895 saves percentage has no way of saving the team. Brian Robinson the back-up (who we might see in net on Saturday since this is a non-conference game) sports a paltry .844 percentage. The team’s lone star is Andy Orsini. The forward has 11 points in 9 games.

This series will offer Brockport a great chance to fine tune some of their offensive play (before the return to SUNYAC games) and to continue their strong defensive performance. The Golden Eagles should handily win both games. Friday’s game starts at 7:00 and will be carried on WBSU at 89.1 FM and online at www.891thepoint.com

Saturday’s game starts at 3:00 (note the special time!) and won’t be carried on the station.

I’m looking forward to the games and I even passed up free NHL tickets so I could attend Friday’s match-up.

ALUMNI GAME: JANUARY 24th

The Jimmy Mac Alumni Game will be held on Saturday, January 24th at 3pm, prior to the men's ice hockey game at 7pm against Morrisville. After the game the alumni will do as they have in the past and get together at Flash's Tavern. Any alumni interested in taking to the ice should contact Mark Digby at mdigby@brockport.edu