MORE ON THE WEEKEND THAT WAS

For those who could not make it to the games this weekend, here are some more observations...

Brockport sported new jerseys this weekend. Gone are the home jerseys of the previous two seasons that showed the "mean eagle" emblem on the breast plate (the same logo shown in the left toolbar of this website).

They've been replaced with jerseys that can best be called interesting. The sweaters are green-and-gold striped below the sternum and the breast plate is an old-fashioned and elaborate letter B (as shown in this photo courtesy of James Cody).

The back of the uniform features large numbers in white and -- for the first time that I can recollect in all the years I've been watching Brockport hockey -- the player's last name. That's definitely a nice touch as a majority of opponents over the years have identified their players by name. It's good to give the men individual recognition.

The turnout at Saturday's game was listed at 650 though it looked more like 775 to me. The bleachers were not filled as they were late last year and the year prior, but the season's young and we still have to get the freshman class indoctrinated to the hockey mystique. I expect 1,000 (+) turnouts later this season and definitely at the Geneseo game.

One thing that may have tempered student interest was news of the "shrunken" arena. The SERC construction did have a huge impact on comfort at Tuttle North. In the picture below from Otto Isenberg you'll notice that the top rows of the west bleachers were chained off and made inaccessible (although you will notice some rule breakers). On top of that, no one was allowed to stand above the west bleachers or stand in the observation deck in the southwest corner of the arena. It made the west side look like somewhat empty in spots.

But, that didn't stop the Eagles Nest Crazies from being at full strength. I was pondering their decorum today and wished that more sports fans at all levels of athletics would learn from them. They maintained incredible energy all game long (even in last night's blowout) and proudly supported and cheered on the team. Not once did they get down on them and they made it a point to cheer them till the end. That's what sportsmanship and team pride are all about.

The hockey team should be proud to have fans -- and friends -- like them.

PRESS-REPUBLICAN STORY ABOUT PLATTSBURGH GAME

Cardinals bounce back

BROCKPORT — Everything wasn't quite back to normal for the Plattsburgh State men's hockey team Saturday night.

The Cardinals, bouncing back from Friday's season-opening 7-3 loss at Geneseo, did pepper Brockport goalie Oliver Wren with 56 shots on goal and skated to a 7-3 victory in State University of New York Athletic Conference play.

Cardinals' head coach Bob Emery, however, felt there was plenty of room for improvement.

"We came out with a win and the best thing about Friday's loss was having a game on Saturday," he said. "Our offense was good.

"But, we had a lot of veterans guys who didn't play great tonight. We're still turning the puck over too much in our own end. We still have a lot to learn. We'll go back to work on Monday and watch the tape."

Vick Schlueter, on a powerplay, Kyle VanDermale and Dan Sliasis scored goals in the first period to stake the Cardinals (1-1, 1-1) to a 3-0 lead.

The Cardinals then had a letdown early in the second and the Golden Eagles (0-3, 0-2) took advantage, cutting their deficit to 3-2 on goals by Ray Tremblay and Ian Finnerty.

Plattsburgh State, however, regained the momentum when Kyle Kudroch and Ian DeLong, on a powerplay, scored in the final five minutes of the stanza to put the Cardinals back up by three, at 5-2.

The Plattsburgh State lead reached 7-2 on goals by Nick Jensen, his first as a Cardinal, and Dylan Clarke in the third.

Brockport's James Cody closed out the scoring with 34 seconds left in the contest.

Defenseman Mike Grace added three assists and Eric Satim two in the victory.

Ryan Williams stopped 19 of 22 shots in the Plattsburgh State nets and Wren finished with 49 stops for the Golden Eagles.

"The first goal and the first win of the season is always the hardest," said Emery. "We're in a tough stretch in the season for us with four games in a row on the road.

"We have our work cut out for us — we have to get smarter in our own end."


Source: http://pressrepublican.com/0300_sports/x1048513785/Cardinals-bounce-back

PLATTSBURGH HANDS BROCKPORT A 7-3 LOSS

Observations and thoughts about tonight’s 7-3 loss to Plattsburgh…

· The season is not lost. Look back at last season: In the first 2 games of SUNYAC play Brockport fell 6-3 to Potsdam and 4-1 to Plattsburgh. This year really isn’t much different. The Plattsburgh game was a little more lopsided tonight, but they were motivated to destroy Brockport after having been upset by Geneseo on Friday

· Even though the score and statistics were worse than last night’s, the Golden Eagles performed at a higher level tonight than they did on Friday. They definitely eliminated some of Friday’s problems. It was just that tonight they were facing what is arguably one of the top three teams in DIII. Plattsburgh is good. Damn good

· Goaltender Oliver Wren had his work cut out for him and played pretty well. He faced 56 shots and of the 7 that got by him, only 2 were goaltending errors (which are going to happen when facing so many shots). The other 5 were caused by either Brockport defensive lapses or some incredible skill by Plattsburgh. He made plenty of nifty saves…the best was a sprawling kick in the first where he used his foot – and great coordination - to bat away a rebound shot. 9 out of 10 times that would go in on any goalie

· I am really liking the calmness that I am seeing out of Oliver…he’s been in everyone’s sights the past 3 games (125 shots on goal…or 42 shots/game), but he seems unfazed by the incredible workload. A lot of guys would get a little frenzied and frazzled if they were in his position

· Brendan Rothfuss could end up having a nice season once he gets further acclimated to the NCAA. He assisted on a goal and shows goal scoring potential having had 3 of Brockport’s 19 shots on goal. He showed excellent separation from anyone covering him

· Freshman Pat Hayden looked good the past 2 nights, too. He’s not afraid to mix it up and he’s aggressive at chasing the puck

· One of the better defensive plays of the night was Mike Hayward’s break-up of a Dylan Clarke break-away that was looking to be a for-sure goal. Clarke rarely loses on such chances

· Ray Tremblay’s goal was a nice one-timer over then Cardinal goalie’s shoulder that showed great speed on the release. It was a difficult angle that demanded force and accuracy. He showed both

·Ian Finnerty’s bouncing goal was his first point of the season. I still think he’s good for 30 points. Goodness knows James Cody is…he added another goal and assist tonight and has 5 points after 3. Not too shabby



Here’s what the Athletic Department reported about the game…

Junior James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) and senior Ray Tremblay (Peachland, BC) each scored one goal and each added an assist for The College at Brockport Hockey team but and early 3-0 lead by Plattsburgh led to a 7-3 victory over the Golden Eagles in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game Saturday at the Tuttle North Arena in Brockport.

Plattsburgh (1-1 Overall, 1-1 SUNYAC) scored three times in the first period with the first coming 20 seconds into the first power play of the game. The Cardinals held the 3-0 lead after the first period.

In the second period, Brockport (0-3, 0-2) jumped right back into the game with two quick goals to start the period as Tremblay scored his first goal of the season 2:33 into the period and Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) added his first of the year exactly 2:33 later and the Golden Eagles had cut the lead to 3-2.

Late in the period, Plattsburgh added two goals – both by Kyle Kudroch – to regain the three-goal advantage. In the third period, the Cardinals scored 2:38 into the stanza for a 6-2 advantage and made it a 7-2 game with 2:28 to play in the final period.

Cody scored his second of the season with 34 seconds remaining for the final score.

Plattsburgh was successful on three-of-six power play opportunities and fired 56 shots at junior Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT). Brockport had just three extra-man opportunities and were limited to 22 shots on goal.

BROCKPORT TROUNCED BY POTSDAM, 5-2

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


Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY/New York Bobcats) and Mike Hayward (Toronto, Ont./Vaughan Vipers) each scored off assists from James Cody (Schwenksville, PA/Philly Little Flyers) but The College at Brockport fell in its home opener 5-2 to Potsdam Friday night on the ice inside Tuttle North Ice Arena.

For the second straight game, Brockport (0-2 Overall, 0-1 SUNYAC) scored first, but for the second straight game the Golden Eagles couldn’t hold the early lead.

Galiani, a senior forward, staked the Golden Eagles to a 1-0 lead 7:45 into the first period. Galiani took a between-the-legs pass from Cody, faked to his right and scored into an open net for his first goal of the year.

Potsdam (1-0 Overall, 1-0 SUNYAC) responded nearly seven minutes later on the first of Colin MacLennan’s three goals. Potsdam would add two second-period goals and two third-period scores before Hayward’s first goal of the year with 2:34 remaining.

“One of the good things (from tonight) was we scored first, which in the past has definitely been our Achilles heel,” said Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson.

“We just have to make some changes on both ends of the ice. Defensively we let them take too many good shots, and offensively, we created some good looks, but we just weren’t able to convert when we needed to.”

Junior Oliver Wren (Oakville, Ont./Oakville Blades) made 28 saves, including 14 in the first when Potsdam was peppering the Brockport goalie with plenty of point-blank shots.

Brockport hosts Plattsburgh at 7 p.m. Saturday night. The Cardinals lost to Geneseo 7-3 on Friday night.




USCHO's Russel Jaslow was in attendance and he penned this report....




BROCKPORT, N.Y. — Perhaps it’s appropriate Potsdam chose the Halloween weekend as the time to exorcise their recent demons at Brockport. The Tuttle North Ice Arena was where the Bears season came to an end the past two seasons in the playoffs.

Led by a Colin MacLennan hat trick, 26 saves by Trevor O’Neill, and a controversial goal that turned the tide, Potsdam defeated Brockport, 5–2, to open the 2010-11 SUNYAC campaign.

“O’Neill was very strong tonight. He was on time as we like to say with key stops at key moments of the game,” Potsdam head coach Chris Bernard said. “I thought it was a solid team effort all the way around. We had good puck pursuit. We had good contributions all the way up and down the lineup. So we are pleased. They are a good hockey club. They pushed us hard. It’s good to get points on the road.”

“We did not play well in the second period,” Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson said. They really took it to us. They kept pouring it on. They outworked us.”

The key moment of the game came early in the second period with the score tied, 1–1. Fraser Smith took a shot that smacked the underside of the crossbar, came down, and was covered up by Oliver Wren on the goal line. The referee, who was right on the line on the side of the net where the shot went, initially did not call the goal when it hit the crossbar, but did so when it came down. The refs then checked with the goal judge to confirm their call. Wren strongly argued.

“From my angle, that’s a bar and down,” Bernard said who had the bench closest to that net. “It was in the net. Obviously, the ref was in a great position. He called it right away as a goal. If you were on the other side of that, you want to make an argument. From our end of the rink, from our vantage point, I felt it was a real sound shot and found the back of the net.”

“I don’t thinks it was in,” Dickinson said. “I really don’t think it was in. Ollie didn’t think it was in. From my angle, it clearly hit the bar and came straight down into the crease. The official agreed, but he felt our goalie carried it into the net. It was under his pads, so I’m not sure how he could rule that. Integral part of the

That came at 4:30 and about nine minutes later freshman Brandon Couto made it 3–1 with his first collegiate goal. It came after intense pressure by Potsdam kept the puck in Brockport’s zone for an extended period of time. Finally, with a number of tries up close, Wren appeared to either lose sight of the puck or thought it was already in. Couto, standing at the post, stuffed the loose puck in.

Brockport’s one and only strong chance in the second period came on a two-on-one, but the Golden Eagle player whiffed on the one-timer.

Brockport came out in the third period trying to mount a comeback, but O’Neill turned them away each time. The Bears finally got the insurance goal at 11:06 when MacLennan in the slot, redirected a shot by Matt Miller past Wren.

Just over two minutes later, MacLennan made it 5–1 with his hat trick. From the right side, he received a cross-ice pass from David Carr and one-timed a blast into the net.

Mike Hayward got one back for the home team on the power play at 17:26 off a rebound from in close.

The first period was Brockport’s strongest stanza, as they used all the ice spreading the game out.

“We’re trying to learn to play without the puck,” Dickinson said.

The Golden Eagles got on the board first for the second game in a row at 12:15 on a beautiful finesse play. James Cody danced around one defender, then dropped it down low to Tom Galiani. O’Neill was overaggressive on the play, and Galiani skated around him and easily deposited it into the open net.

Brockport nearly made it 2–0 when Brett Jundra went in on a clean breakaway. O’Neill stood his ground to make the save. The rebound came out to Hayward, but the net had been knocked off, so his shot that went in did not count.

Just before the period ended at 18:56, Potsdam tied the game on a four-on-three power play. It was MacLennan’s first goal, once again one timing a cross-crease pass, this time from Sy Nutkevitch.

Wren wound up with 28 saves.

“I don’t think he’s our problem,” Dickinson said. “We obviously have to score more goals. Wren over two games has been nothing short of spectacular for us.”

Brockport (1–1, 0–1) stays home to face Plattsburgh, who lost to Geneseo tonight, 76–3.

Potsdam (1–0) travels to Geneseo to face the Ice Knights.



Source: http://www.uscho.com/recaps/2010/10/29/potsdam-dominates-brockport/

USCHO LOOK AHEAD AT THE SEASON

If I've said it once I've said it a million times: USCHO's SUNYAC beat reporter, Russel Jaslow, is an asset to DIII hockey and our conference specifically. He does a great job covering the SUNYAC in detail.

His first report of the season came out last night and in it he offers very thorough synopses for each of the teams. You can read the reports here and get a great feel for what the Golden Eagles are up against this year (click on the team names to be taken to the reports):

http://www.uscho.com/2010/10/28/expect-two-team-races-in-sunyac/

What did he say about Brockport?


Brockport backed up their 2008–9 season with another home playoff game and another playoff victory, and for the grand slam of repeats, Brockport’s win was again versus Potsdam, and then the Golden Eagles repeated their semifinal loss to Plattsburgh.

“I think last year was a successful season for us just to prove to ourselves we turned the corner,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “To back up that season with a 14-win season, another home playoff game, another playoff victory.”

Looking back, it shouldn’t be so surprising. Their star goalie, Todd Sheridan, was healthy for both years, and not only carried the team at times, but gave his teammates the confidence to push the play in the opponents zone, knowing Sheridan can bail them out.

Not anymore. Sheridan is back, but as an assistant coach, his playing eligibility having run out. No matter how you slice it, Brockport is in for a huge transition year, both in its approach on the ice and in its mental approach to the game.

Empty Lockers: So, how do you replace Sheridan? Quite frankly, you don’t. However, Dickinson is fully aware you have to move on.

“We feel real confident Oliver Wren can handle the pressure and step in,” he said. “We recruited him to take over for Sheridan. He gets better every day. He’s the hardest worker on the ice. At the same time, we’re paying more attention to our D-zone. The guys have to realize we don’t have Sheridan back there anymore to bail them out.”

Also gone is their fourth leading scorer, Sean O’Mally, as well as Jason Gorrie and defenseman Alan Liwush.

The Core: “We got James Cody, Dan Galiani, and Ian Finnerty on the same line,” Dickinson said. “We expect them to continue to produce for us.”

Justin Noble and Ray Tremblay will continue to help the offense. Mike Hayward and Gregg Amato are two offensive-minded defenseman.

New Gear: Dickinson is very happy with his recruiting, which includes 10 new faces. Bobby Connor is solid, strong on his feet with great hands. Also keep an eye on Mike Baxter, Steve Sachman, and Brendan Rothfuss to raise their offensive output.

“We wanted to improve offensively,” Dickinson said. “We were only like 3.05 goals-per-game last year, and that’s not enough in the SUNYAC. We want to get to four-to-five per game. We want to get away from those 2–1, 3–2 nail biters.”

On the blue line, Matt DeLuca should help anchor the defense.

Key Question: Obviously, the key question is how quickly can Brockport overcome the Sheridan hangover. No matter how good Sheridan was, Brockport could not have found the success they did the past two years without a strong supporting cast. That supporting cast was much improved the past two years compared to the years prior.

Now, the supporting cast will have to pick it up some more in order to fulfill Dickinson’s lofty goals.

“We have high expectations,” he said. “Our team has gelled quickly together. We don’t want to just fight for a playoff spot, we want to contend for the championship.”

Mark Your Calendar Game: November 19 vs. Geneseo.

Those 2–1 nail biters Dickinson mentioned? Well, that was the score Brockport lost both times to their Rochester area rivals, Geneseo. Brockport would like nothing more than to find more goals to beat Geneseo when they host them for their first meeting this season.

Source: http://www.uscho.com/2010/10/28/brockport-will-be-challenged-to-overcome-key-loss/

WEEKEND PREVIEW: POTSDAM & PLATTSBURGH

This Friday and Saturday mark the home opening weekend of the 46th year of Brockport hockey. Despite it being so early in the season, it’s destined to have a playoff feel…full bleachers, rowdy crowds, and the Golden Eagles’ playoff opponents of the past 2 seasons. The Potsdam Bears will be in town on Friday followed by the Plattsburgh Cardinals on Saturday.

Potsdam was the last opponent Brockport faced on home ice when the Golden Eagles dominated the Bears 3-0 in the SUNYAC playoff game last February. That defensive performance was a major statement by Brockport. Potsdam may have been 9-14-2 last season, but it was not for an inability to score goals; it was their inability to stop them. The team allowed nearly 4.6 goals per game in conference play and goaltenders O’Neill (.4.09 GAA) and Groulx (3.68) were peppered by quality shots all season long.

Such is the case when offense is your forte. Potsdam can be a really explosive, actually scary when clicking on all cylinders. Even with Connor Treacy having graduated, the team supports a killer set of forwards in Hosmer (16 goals), Smith (28 points), Nutkevitch (21 points) and MacLennan (20).

They will give Brockport a run for their money, but I see Brockport’s defensive spirit feeding off the crowd and tempering the Potsdam offense in a close affair.

Player to watch: Brockport’s James Cody…he’s a Bear killer. In his 2 playoff games against Potsdam he has scored a pair of goals in each.


Saturday’s visitor is Plattsburgh. The Cardinals always rank amongst the best in DIII (not just the SUNYAC) based on Bob Emery’s take-no-prisoners attitude…not only with opponents but with his own players. He’s always in control and he makes sure his teams excel on both ends of the ice. The man is 465-146-48 as Plattsburgh’s head honcho.

Brockport fell to them 5-2 in February’s playoff game, a marked improvement over the 7-2 postseason loss to end the 2008-2009 campaign. But, only one month before, Plattsburgh crushed Brockport 7-1 at Tuttle North with a jaw dropping 2nd and 3rd period when they allowed only 10 shots on goal and outscored Brockport 6-1.

In that game, Brockport swarmed Plattsburgh in the first and made the Cardinals take unusually sloppy shots in frustration. Skating into intermission with “only” a 1-0 lead, Emery must have lit a fire under their butts.

Even though it wound up a drubbing, it offers a glimmer of hope for Brockport: If they swarm, play defense, hit hard and get under Plattsburgh’s skin, they can control the tempo of the game. But, it takes 3 periods of that style of play and not one single mistake. It would be nothing short of a miracle if Brockport beat Plattsburgh, but it is possible. A close game (4-3?) is definitely in the Cards, one that show Brockport means business this year.

Player to watch: Plattsburgh’s Eric Satim. He amassed 1.29 points per game last year and had he not missed 8 games would have led the team in scoring (he was only 3 points back). The 5’9” wunderkind had 11 goals and 16 assists in just 21 games. He’s fast with an equally-fast shot.


The gentlemen in the Eagles Nest note the following about this weekend’s games:

Friday - join us for tailgating from 530 to 630 brought to you by Brockport Rec Club. They will be hosting a noisemaker making event as well as face painting and other events in the lobby before the doors open. Feel free to bring your own signs and noisemakers. We need to keep Tuttle rocking as it has the last 2 years maintaining the home ice advantage for the team

WEAR GREEN to the game as Brockport hosts Potsdam in the home opener. The puck drops at 7 but capacity of the arena as been reduced so expect the game to sell and be there by 6:30 if you want a spot to stand on the bleachers.

Saturday - BLACK OUT THE RINK! Wear black to the game as Brockport hosts Plattsburgh. Once again get there early to make sure you get a seat.


Both games can be heard on air at 89.1 FM, online at www.891thepoint.com and watched online at www.fasthockey.com

See ya at the Arena!

STYLUS COLUMNIST ADDRESSES HOME ICE ADVANTAGE

Stylus columnist discusses the construction issue at Tuttle North and how we can still maintain the home ice advantage...

Negley's Nook: Hockey team losing the seventh man
Cassie Negley

"Sea-of-Green" T-shirt: Check.

Eagles Nest Crazies: Check.

Room for a packed house: Yeah, about that…

Hockey is the biggest sport on campus, absolutely no doubt about it. I haven't been to a single athletic event that could even begin to rival the atmosphere at Brockport Golden Eagles hockey games. The football team's "Game On" season opener is the closest, but there were only a few people really getting into the game. Most people went for T-shirts and left by the second quarter. Fifteen minutes of attendance doesn't count as a good atmosphere.

If you've somehow never been to a hockey game here - whether that be because you're a freshman or just a downright, not-cool type of crazy - I'll paint you a picture of the Arena on any given Friday or Saturday night home game.

The most common situation is a "Sea-of-Green" game, which is how Brockport will kick off its 2010-11 home opener Friday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. Students file into the Arena in forest green T-shirts that say "Sea of Green." At the top row of the student section, five to six guys in crazy yellow and green wigs and school-themed, hodge-podge outfits lead the entire Arena in chants. The second a moment of silence bestows itself on the place, the Eagles Nest Crazies are cranking the noise level back up again.

The observation level holds people at almost every square inch of cement space looking down on the ice. No speck of bleacher can be seen through the mass of standing, screaming supporters. If you leave Tuttle after games with a voice, you obviously weren't doing your part.

The result is an intimidating atmosphere that drives opponents crazy. On more than one occasion in the measly one year that I've been here, teams that come to play against us on our ice have been visibly shaken by Brockport's one and only seventh man: the awesome crowd.

It also results in an impressive home ice advantage. One of the Eagles Nest Crazy leaders, Grant Voges, pointed out the scores of Brockport's games against opponents away compared to here in Tuttle. Oswego: 10-1 loss away, 4-2 loss at home. Potsdam: 6-3 loss away, 4-2 win at home. The home games were late in the season, after the teams had already faced off once, but there's no way the crowd didn't have anything to do with these differences in scores.

The decrease in the arena's capacity will dwindle the seventh man's role down to the role of the sixth-and-a-half man, if that.

No longer will the west side have students crammed in like candy in a trick-or-treat pumpkin. No longer will opponents like Geneseo look up into the stands and see nothing but heads poking out of that hated green with hundreds of voices yelling down at them. No longer will the Arena feel full.

It's a sticky situation. A new building is being put next to Tuttle - one that will be a great asset to the Athletic Department - resulting in back emergency exits that are useless. Useless, that is, unless one wants to escape the potential danger inside by falling 30 feet to potential danger outside. Then it's like getting exactly what you wanted for Christmas.

Taking out the top rows of bleachers were found to be the best option. It makes sense, but it doesn't make it OK. For two years, two entire hockey seasons, the west side will be half full. The arena will look like the stands at football games - utterly empty and extraordinarily unintimidating.

There is a solution. Just make some fast friends and fit as many people as possible in those bottom stands. Pack in people like you pack in Jimmy Z's in a drunken Thursday night. It may not look the same, but we can still make it sound the same. We can make it sound even louder than before. We have a pep band now to add to our growing list of Eagle Nest Crazies. We don't need those bleachers. We'll do fine without them.

So put on your hockey T-shirt, put together a fun outfit - I suggest morphsuits, possibly with some cool boxers on and a nice wig - and join the Eagles Nest Crazies to support the hockey team. We may be losing bleachers, but that doesn't mean we can't still pack the house.

Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2010/10/27/Sports/Negleys.Nook.Hockey.Team.Losing.The.Seventh.Man-3949812.shtml

STYLUS REPORT ON CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION

This article from the Stylus discusses the impact that construction will have on the home ice advantage this year...


Construction obstruction at Tuttle
Cassie Negley

Brockport students escape the cold, winter nights by going to a place where it's possibly just as cold: Tuttle North Ice Arena. This Friday, Oct. 29 won't be the same as past years, though.

Unlike the previous few years, the stands at the Arena won't be packed full of green-clad students.

It won't be packed full at all.

Due to the construction of the Special Events and Recreation Center (SERC) on the west side of the Tuttle Athletic Complex, the ice arena will experience reduced seating for the next two years. The top five rows of 11 total rows of bleachers on the west side - the student section side - will be blocked off for the 2010-11 season and the 2011-12 season, Director of Recreational Services Scott Haines said.

The two emergency exit doors are blocked by a screwed-in two-by-four and covered with a tarp, unable to be used. The steps leading to the ground from the exits were taken out to start work on SERC, which is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

"There will be emergency exits along ice level instead of dropping 30 feet from the top exits," Sport Information Director Kelly Vergin said.

By taking out the top levels of bleachers, students and fans will be closer to the ice so that in case of an emergency, everyone will be able to get out safely, Vergin said.

Bleacher capacity was only addressed on the west side of the arena because it was the one side affected by the lack of emergency exits. The east side, the "team" side, will not be affected.

Neither Haines nor Vergin could put a specific number on the amount of seating that will be lost. Since the seating is bleachers and not individual seats, it is unable to be determined exactly how many less fans will be able to attend home games.

"The short-term inconvenience we all feel is allowing for Brockport to put an exciting new facility on campus that will benefit the college for a long time to come," Haines said.

The loss of fan seating hits the most followed sport on campus. According to the Brockport athletic website, hockey home games regularly bring in more than 1,500 fans. Excluding the two games over winter break and the last two games of the season (the last of which was a playoff game on a Tuesday night when many have meetings and night classes), games last year averaged 1,350 people. The arena held about 1,700 excited and noisy fans for a big February meeting against SUNY Geneseo.

The "Eagle Nest Crazies" dominate the student section. The group, currently led by seniors Otto Isenberg and Grant Voges, works hard to bring out big crowds and keep up the noise level at each and every game. Their Facebook group of the same name creates events for every home game weeks in advance and advertise the game as much as possible.

"It's a shame the closest followed sport on campus has been reduced in seating for this construction plan," Voges said. "It doesn't seem like any attempts were made to remedy the situation."

Haines and the department have known about the situation since last spring and believe blocking off a section of the bleachers is the best way to go about dealing with it.

"Coach (Brian) Dickinson and I worked closely with our code officials and architects, asking the what-ifs, and ultimately figured out the best layout of the facility within safety code," Haines said.

The look of the arena will be quite different than in years past. With five empty rows of bleachers, the arena has the potential to look empty and less intimidating than the thick, forest green sea that usually occupies the entire west side during Brockport's hockey games.

"Part of the intimidation factor was how full the arena looked with everyone decked out in green and filling the bleachers," Voges said. "Now there will be empty space, which isn't very visually appealing."

Hockey players are disappointed in the reduced seating at their games, but insist it will not affect their play and that it is what had to be done.

"I like a challenge," Voges said. "I guess I'll just have to be louder. Drum, horn, chants and anything else we can come up with."

There may be less seating, but that doesn't mean there has to be less noise.

Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2010/10/27/Sports/Construction.Obstruction.At.Tuttle-3949804.shtml

STYLUS PREVIEWS THE SEASON

This week's Stylus has 3 different articles about the hockey team. The first one discusses the outlook for the season...


Hockey grows in 2010
Andy Lipari

The last two seasons have ended the same way for the Brockport hockey team. They have beaten Potsdam in the first round of the SUNYAC tournament and lost to Plattsburgh in the semifinals.

The 2010-2011 season will be the newest chapter in the growth of the Brockport hockey program. They had their first trip to the playoffs two seasons ago and the team is growing in confidence and pride by knowing that they are a contender every year.

The changes to Brockport's team are most notable between the pipes. Former goaltender Todd Sheridan has graduated and the job now belongs to junior Oliver Wren.

Wren has started 11 games, but most of them were non-conference games. Brockport Head Coach Brian Dickinson said his goaltending and the defense will be a strength of this team.

"I think most people are going to think it will be a weakness because Todd has graduated, but Wren is definitely ready to step into the number one roll," Dickinson said.

Dickinson also said he thinks the leadership on the team will be a strength. Brockport is returning its two captains from last year, including head captain Justin Noble.

"I really like the fact we are going to have some veteran leadership," Dickinson said. "I think our leadership will lead us to some big things this year."

Brockport will also miss Sean O'Malley. He was tied for the team lead in goals during the 2010-2011 regular season with 11. It's especially bad news because Dickinson said the offense is what needs to improve the most.

"We obviously have to score more goals this year," he said. "We scored just over three a game last season and we need to get that up into the four or four-and-a-half range. I think if we can do that we can compete with Plattsburgh and Oswego."

However, Brockport is returning a lot of its scoring threats, including James Cody. He tied O'Malley for the team-lead with 11 goals in the regular season and added three in the playoffs. He will be lined up with Tom Galiani and Ian Finnerty on a line Dickinson is happy to have. Ray Tremblay will return for his senior season after leading the team in assists during his junior year with 19.

Brockport opened its season against Utica on Friday, Oct. 22; a game they lost 3-1. Cody scored the first goal of the season in the first period, but it wasn't enough as the potent Utica offense couldn't be stopped in the later periods.

Brockport's first home game will be Friday, Oct. 29 against Potsdam in the Tuttle North Ice Arena.

Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2010/10/27/Sports/Hockey.Grows.In.2010-3949797.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition

WREN IS SUNYAC GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Junior Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) was named the Ice Hockey Goalie of the Week by the State University of New York Athletic Conference.

Wren, in his first game as the Golden Eagles’ full-time starting goalie, made 34 saves, including several point-blank stops, during Friday’s season-opening 3-1 road loss to Utica College.

Wren made 14 saves apiece in both the first and second periods, and he finished with a .944 save percentage. In his first game since taking over for the graduated Todd Sheridan, who posted the program’s top three goals-against averages in school history, Wren allowed a second-period power-play goal and also a goal in the third period to keep Brockport in the game against Utica.

WKTV NEWS: VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE UTICA GAME

GOLDEN EAGLE SOCIETY IS BACK

The Golden Eagle Society is a donor organization that helps to fund Brockport Athletics. This week, the college introduced a revamped GES under the direction of the new athletics director, Noah LeFevre.

The new system features 7 levels of giving which, depending on how much you invest, includes everything from two tickets to sporting events to admission in the Athletics golf tournament.

For years, hockey parents and non-student fans have used the GES to get a pass that admits 2 to every game. At $25/year it was a steal since each game normally costs $4/attendee. Now, the minimum level of giving to get the tickets is $75.

But, that's still a steal to the money-conscious: There are 12 home games and if a couple went to each game that's $96...plus, you can still get into any other sporting event (basketball, football, etc).

What I like about the new GES set-up is that it features something that it hasn't in years: You can now choose which sport receives your monetary donation. Needless to say, I chose ice hockey.

For anyone interested in signing up, you can download an application here (in PDF format):

http://www.brockport.edu/athletics/GES/Golden_Eagle_Society_2010_11.pdf

UTICA'S WKTV'S REPORT ON THE GAME

UTICA, N.Y. - The Utica College men's hockey team netted the game's final three goals en route to a hard fought, 3-1, season-opening victory over Brockport State in front of 3,805 fans at the Utica Memorial Auditorium Friday night. Sophomore forward Evan Chlanda netted one goal and added one assist for the Pioneers, while senior captain Tim Coffman also tallied his first goal of the year.

"This was a big win for us in front of a great crowd on opening night. When we needed an answer - we got one from our captain - and our guys really turned it up in the final 25 minutes," said tenth year Head Coach Gary Heenan. "We came out a little sluggish in the first period and their goalie was lights out for the first 35 minutes of the game."

The visitors came out of the gates hot with a power-play goal, 11 minutes into the contest, from the stick of junior forward James Cody which gave the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead. Brockport junior goalie Oliver Wren made several sprawling saves in the first period to thwart all 13 of the Pioneers attempts on goal as the Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Coffman got the anxious crowd on its feet with just over one minute to go in the second period, on the power-play, when he rebounded his 37th career goal into the top right corner past the outstretched reach of Wren as the Pioneers' knotted the contest at 1-1. Chlanda and Clinton's Jordan Hobaica were each credited with an assist on the Pioneers' first goal of the season.

"Coffman was in the right place at the right time on that one. We had a shot on net that went off the post and Coffman was crashing the net for the rebound," says Heenan. "We needed that power-play goal to pick us up a little bit."

Chlanda went on to net the game-winner just 5:07 into the third period. Freshman forward Ridge Garbutt centered a pass that was collected by Chlanda, who threw a low shot on net, and the puck slipped between the legs of Wren to put UC on top 2-1. Freshman Adam Graff also earned an assist on Chlanda’s second point of the night.

The Pioneers added an empty net insurance goal with one minute to go to seal the victory. Freshman Jon Gaffney wristed his first collegiate goal from the blue line to close out the scoring on the evening with the Pioneers ahead 3-1.

"We got solid play from both of our goalies tonight and the guys are who are supposed to score - scored," said Heenan.

UC's freshmen goalies Nick Therrien and Evan Smith split the game right down the middle in net, just as Coach Heenan had planned to do, and they combined for 33 saves. Therrien stopped 22 shots, but gave up one goal, while Smith made 11 saves in preserving the victory. Wren made 34 saves in the loss for Brockport.

“We worked some kinks out tonight and we came out on top,” says Heenan. “It wasn’t pretty at times but Brockport is a good team and we got to see how our young players would respond to adversity.”

UC returns to action next Friday night for its annual AmeriCU Pink the Rink event as the Pioneers host Franklin Peirce at 7 p.m. The Pioneers will dawn pink jersey’s, which are currently being auctioned off, in support of the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Foundation of Central New York.

BROCKPORT DROPS SEASON OPENER 3-1 TO UTICA

The official report by Brockport Athletics...


Junior James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) took a centering pass from senior Tom Galiani (Lindenhurst, NY) and tapped in his first goal of the season for The College at Brockport Hockey team but Utica College battled back with three goals to post a 3-1 win over the Golden Eagles in a non-conference season opener Friday night in Utica.

Cody’s goal, with just two seconds left on a Brockport (0-1) power play, started when the Golden Eagles won the faceoff in the Utica (1-0) zone and fought to get the puck in front of the net where Galiani worked the puck free from a Utica defenseman and fed Cody in front of the net for the goal with nine minutes left in the first period.

In the second period, Utica scored late in the period on its fifth power play opportunity of the game to tie the game with 1:08 left in the period. The Pioneer took the lead five minutes into the third period. The third Utica goal came late in the period into the empty net after Brockport had pulled goalie Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) for the extra attacker.

“We found out a lot about ourselves tonight,” said head coach Brian Dickinson. “We played a tough team very hard and just made a few early-season mistakes. Overall I was pleased with the effort.”

Wren made several big saves and finished with 34 stops.

Brockport will open the home portion of its schedule at 7 pm Friday night with a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game against Potsdam and complete the first full weekend of action with a 7 pm Saturday game against Plattsburgh.

WBSU BROADCAST SCHEDULE

10/22 @ Utica
10/29 vs. Potsdam
10/30 vs. Plattsburgh
11/05 @ Morrisville
11/12 @ Buff St.
11/13 @ Fredonia
11/19 vs. Geneseo
11/20 @ Elmira
11/27 @ Tufts (Castleton Tourney)
11/28 @ (Castleton Tourney)
12/03 vs. Oswego
12/04 vs. Cortland
01/21 @ Potsdam
01/22 @ Plattsburgh
01/29 vs. Neumann
02/04 vs. Buff St.
02/05 vs. Fredonia
02/18 @ Oswego
02/19 @ Cortland

INTERESTING QUOTE REGARDING TONIGHT'S GAME

The city of Utica really takes their Utica College hockey seriously, hence almost unlimited media coverage.

Today's Utica Daily News features a story about tonight's game and it had this quote from Utica's coach which really interests me. It makes me wonder two things: One, is Brockport being looked at as a lesser opponent, or two, will Brockport truly dominate a team in experimentation mode tonight?....

"We're focused on our team," he said. "To be honest, we've done little-to-no scouting on Brockport. We're just trying to play the best we can play, making sure our young guys are all on spot."

Source:

http://uticadailynews.com/mobile/utica_daily_focus/17789-expands-recruiting-Canada-hopes-turnaround.html

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT LOOKS AT TREMBLAY, THIS YEAR'S TEAM

This great article from the Sports Information Department looks at Ray Tremblay's success story as well as what's in the cards for the Golden Eagles' this season...

As The College at Brockport’s ice hockey team prepares to open its 2010-11 season Friday night on the road against Utica College, senior forward Ray Tremblay (Peachland, British Columbia/Beaver Valley Nitehawks) is optimistic the Golden Eagles can win the school’s first State University of New York Athletic Conference title.

But while wins and losses are nice, as the season begins, Tremblay’s mind drifts back to that fateful day, Dec. 25, 2006, when his whole world came to a crossroads.

While visiting his grandparents’ house in the village of Midway, British Columbia, located 140 miles north of Spokane, Wash. along the US/Canadian border, Tremblay and his cousins were out back enjoying a toboggan ride along the frozen Kettle River. Tremblay was wrapping up his final season of junior hockey before embarking on a career he Tremblay hoped would have him playing collegiate and, eventually, professional hockey.

During his first of what promised to be many toboggan runs with his younger family members, Tremblay caught some hang-time and, while in the seated position, landed awkwardly on the snow-covered ground. Tremblay was able to get up and walk away from the incident, but not without pain. And the pain persisted.

Suddenly, everything Tremblay had worked so hard for was on the brink. His once promising hockey career seemed derailed after doctors revealed the forward had suffered compression fractures on two of his vertebrates during the tobogganing accident.

Tremblay was faced with two choices: either opt for surgery, which would limit his mobility and force him to abandon hockey, or give his body the necessary time to heal, which meant spending nearly 23 hours a day in bed during the first three months of rehabilitation.

For Tremblay, a lifelong hockey player, the decision was easy.

“The option of not playing hockey ever again didn’t seem very good for me. I’ve dedicated pretty much my whole life to the game and I knew I’d be able to get through rehab,” said Tremblay, who lists Brockport’s 3-1 SUNYAC quarterfinal home win over Potsdam in 2009 as his career highlight.

“I just wasn’t done playing yet, I knew I wanted to come to college to play hockey and maybe even further beyond that. It was my drive, I wasn’t done playing yet.”

The only time Tremblay was able to walk, he had to wear a cumbersome back brace to ensure his vertebrae didn’t shift out of place. Tremblay’s body could only handle 15-minute spurts of walking; the rest of his days, he was bed-ridden. Following three “very difficult” months, Tremblay and his doctor noticed some improvements, and the brace was removed so Tremblay could test his body while walking around the house.

But just because he was able to walk, didn’t mean Tremblay’s arduous rehab was complete. It took another three months until Tremblay was able to rejoin his teammates on the ice, and even then, Tremblay “felt awkward, and my body felt pretty delicate,” while gliding up and down the ice.

Eventually his body was able to handle the rigors of playing competitive collegiate hockey, and Tremblay scored three goals with seven assists in 27 games during his freshman season at Northland (Wis.) College.

After just one season at Northland, the former junior hockey standout who received looks from seven NCAA schools decided to transfer to Brockport, opting for the Golden Eagles because of the school’s nationally-known physical education program, as well as the chance to help improve Brockport’s hockey team.

Prior to Tremblay’s arrival, the Golden Eagles hadn’t posted consecutive double-digit win seasons since the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons. During Tremblay’s sophomore and junior seasons, Brockport won a combined 28 games, the highest two-year total in the school’s 37-year varsity history.

On the eve of his final season with the Green and Gold, Tremblay now has his priorities in place, and knows that while playing hockey is a fun hobby, he will need a solid education if he’s going to succeed off the ice and in life.

It might not have seemed apparent at the time, but Tremblay received one of the best Christmas gifts back on that Christmas Day: a fresh perspective.

“I don’t want to take things for granted. After (the injury), as I’m lying there in bed, all I could think about was how you can’t take things for granted,” said Tremblay, who hopes to get into coaching hockey once his playing days are over. “So many times I’d be playing (hockey) and I’d get upset about what’s going on in the game. I learned you have to take a step back and get some perspective. Hockey’s a fun game, but it’s just a game.”

Offensively, the Golden Eagles return Tremblay, the team’s returning leading assist man (19), as well as seniors Justin Noble (10G, 9A) and Tom Galiani (9G, 6A) and juniors James Cody (14 goals, 14 assists), Ian Finnerty (7G, 17A) and Gregg Amato (3G, 15A).

Defensively, Brockport must replace Todd Sheridan, the first-team All-SUNYAC goalie whose 3.07 career goals-against average is tops in school history. Junior Oliver Wren, who started three games last year and posted a 3-1 record and a 2.51 GAA, should give the Golden Eagles a steady presence in goal.

“We have so many good recruits that guys will be fighting for their jobs on the ice,” said Tremblay. “We have to set the bar high. The last two years we’ve definitely improved the program, but we want to win more, and I think a SUNYAC championship is a great possibility for our team.”

Source: http://www.brockport.edu/athletics/news.php?id=2089

BROCKPORT DISRESPECTED (AGAIN) IN COACHES POLL

Longtime fans of the program know how Brockport has been slighted in the eyes of other coaches, other fans, and the media across DIII and especially in SUNYAC. They have looked at Brockport as a doormat and in the past two seasons they predicted Brockport to do poorly in conference play and miss the playoffs. As you know, the end result was entirely different.

Well, they haven't learned their lesson. Yesterday, the SUNYAC released their pre-season coaches poll and, once again, Brockport is looked at as a weak opponent.

Here's the official news release...

Oswego selected as SUNYAC Preseason Favorite in Men's Ice Hockey
October 20, 2010

The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announced today its 2010 Men's Ice Hockey Preseason Coaches Polls. Coaches voted for every team in the conference and points were assigned for each vote (eight for first, seven for second, etc.). Teams are ranked in order of highest point total to lowest with first place votes shown in parentheses.

With six first place votes, Oswego topped Plattsburgh for first in the poll. Reigning SUNYAC champion Oswego advanced to the semifinals of the national tournament and finished the 2009-10 season with an impressive 26-3 record. The Lakers look to continue last year's success and return to the post-season for a chance to defend its SUNYAC title and compete for their second-ever national championship. Despite losing four seniors to graduation and last year's Player of the Year, the Lakers return five of the top seven scores from a year ago including Jon Whitelaw who was voted the 2009-10 Rookie of the Year.

The Plattsburgh Cardinals have won two of the last three SUNYAC titles and made its third consecutive trip and 18th overall to the NCAA tournament last year where they fell to eventual champ Norwich in the semifinals. The team finished 19-6-4 overall and 13-2-1 in conference play, and will look to second team All Conference selection Dylan Clarke (12 goals, 18 assists) and Eric Satim (11 goals and 16 assists) to guide the Cardinals in 2010-11.

With 46 points, the Ice Knights of Geneseo edged out the Blue Devils of Fredonia by one point to take third place. Geneseo won back-to-back SUNYAC crowns in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and is is looking to re-claim the SUNYAC championship after a four-year absence from the pedestal. The Ice Knights posted a record of 13-10-2 last season including a 3-1 victory over then ranked #1 Oswego.

Fredonia, winner of the 2006-07 SUNYAC title, returns its top four goal scorers from last year. The team ranked fifth in NCAA Division III with 4.77 goals per game. First-team all conference selection Steve Rizer returns to defense for the Blue Devils where he led the team with 26 assists. Completing the poll was Potsdam, Morrisville, Brockport, Cortland and Buffalo State.

SUNYAC conference games begin Friday, October 29. The six-team SUNYAC tournament will be held on February 23, February 26 and March 5, 2011 on campuses. The top-two squads will receive a first-round bye.

2010-2011 Pre-Season Poll
School and Points
Oswego 62 (6 first place votes)
Plattsburgh 59 (3 first place votes)
Geneseo 46
Fredonia 45
Potsdam 37
Morrisville 30
Brockport 20
Cortland 13
Buffalo State 12

BROCKPORT TO FACE 2-HEADED MONSTER IN GOAL

In yesterday's post I made mention that this weekend's opponent, Utica College, has a big question mark in goal. Well, it's such a big one, that Utica's coach is undecided between recruits Evan Smith and Nick Therrien. They’ll split time Friday night, according to a report in the Utica Observer Disptach.

Read the article, which also looks at the team's strengths and weaknesses, here:

http://www.uticaod.com/sports/x102604680/Pioneers-quest-Go-deep-in-hockey-playoffs

What are these freshman like?

Therrien is from Rochester, N.H. and played junior hockey for the New York Apple Core of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. He won 13 games and made 911 saves for New York last season.

Evan Smith is from Penticton, British Columbia and played junior hockey for the Calgary Royals of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League. He totaled a .892 save percentage and won seven games for Calgary last year.

BROCKPORT HEADS TO UTICA ON FRIDAY

The Brockport Golden Eagles open the season in the most unfriendly of environments to visiting teams, Utica Memorial Auditorium, home to 3,000 (yes, 3,000) fans who support the Utica Pioneers. The team regularly leads DIII in attendance. Friday is their annual “white-out” game, so you know the fans will be dressed in white and ready to rain on Brockport’s parade.

Utica pounded Brockport 5-1 last January when they peppered the Brockport goaltenders with some quality shots. Tim Coffman led the way for the Pioneers with a goal and an assist while James Cody scored Brockport’s only goal on a power play, the only 1 of 7 PP chances that they managed to succeed on.

The great game posted by Utica’s special teams units certainly cannot be matched again. It was an anomaly. They ranked 64th against the power play last year while Brockport was 12th in the power play. With the added firepower on this year’s roster Brockport should flat out beat Utica. That’s because a huge question mark for the Pioneers is their goaltending situation as not one netminder saved more than .887 of the shots he faced last year.

The January game did highlight one of Utica’s strengths, Mr. Coffman. The junior captain had a stellar season last year with 19 goals and 16 assists. Beyond his line, there’s limited firepower. Of the returning players, not one of them had a 20 point season. Sophomore Evan Chlanda is the next best scoring threat after having 9 goals.

The team is very young with 16 freshman on the roster. A freshman to watch out for is Jordan Hobaica. Hobaica played prep hockey at Northwood School after a successful playing career at Clinton High School. He totaled 57 points in his junior year at Clinton before spending two years in prep school. The coaches rave about him: "He's one we're going to count on, you're going to look to see him on the powerplay, on the penalty kill, we're going to use him in all areas and we're really fortunate to have him here at Utica College," says head coach Gary Heenan,

The game begins at 7:00 PM and is sold out. It can be heard on WBSU at 89.1 FM in the Rochester area or online at http://www.891thepoint.com/

VIDEO COVERAGE RETURNS

Last season the team introduced video coverage of the games. They were broadcast live, for a fee, online at www.FastHockey.com.

The Golden Eagles will be doing so again this year. Coach Dickinson said that as long as a given ice arena has internet access they will be able to broadcast.

This is a great way for hockey parents to watch their sons and for fans to see the Golden Eagles when they are on the road.

Fast Hockey's website describes itself as...

FASTHockey.com is the premier online destination for ice hockey fanatics from around the world. Visitors can choose from an incredible array of games from national governing bodies, conferences, leagues, teams, tournaments, and other events.

Hockey fans can watch the games when and how they want as FASTHockey.com offers multiple options for visitors enjoyment. From live streaming media to archives on-demand visitors can enjoy games from anywhere in the world. In some cases, users can own the content either on a USB Stick which is mastered in web quality or in high quality DVDs which are burned on site.

The Company was founded in 2005 and has grown ever since adding thousands of games each year for fans thirsty for incredible amateur hockey content. FASTHockey is partnered with National Governing Bodies, including USA Hockey, Hockey Canada and the ACHA. The Company serves several NCAA college athletic conferences, a majority of junior hockey leagues in the USA, a growing array of junior hockey teams in Canada, prep schools, and youth hockey teams. The Company provides professional production services for over 2,000 showcases and tournament games, including the World Junior Championship, World Under 17 Challenge, World Under 18 Championship, and National Tournaments for the ACHA, Hockey Canada, and USA Hockey.

OPENING WEEKEND'S FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

The gentlemen in the Eagles Nest have created an event page for opening weekend on Facebook. You can RSVP your attendance and connect with other attendees here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/event.php?eid=118631101530300


Amongst the information shared on that page...

Friday - join us for tailgating from 530 to 630 brought to you by Brockport Rec Club. They will be hosting a noisemaker making event as well as face painting and other events in the lobby before the doors open. Feel free to bring your own signs and noisemakers. We need to keep Tuttle rocking as it has the last 2 years maintaining the home ice advantage for the team

WEAR GREEN to the game as Brockport hosts Potsdam in the home opener. The puck drops at 7 but capacity of the arena as been reduced so expect the game to sell and be there by 630 if you want a spot to stand on the bleachers.

Saturday - BLACK OUT THE RINK! wear black to the game as Brockport hosts Plattsburgh. Once again get there early to make sure you get a seat.

MEET YOUR 2010-2011 GOLDEN EAGLES!

Coach Dickinson officially unveiled his roster for the 2010-2011 season today. Here are your Golden Eagles...


1 Oliver Wren Jr. G 5-10 180 Oakville, ONT/Oakville Blades
2 Ian Chapman Fr. D 6-5 215 Batavia, NY/North York Rangers
3 Gregg Amato Jr. D 6-2 200 Ocean Gate, NJ/Port Hope Predators
5 Bobby Connor Fr. F 5-10 192 Lititz, PA/Philadelphia Junior Flyers
6 Tyler Davis Jr. D 6-0 180 Queensbury, NY/Syracuse Stars
7 Steve Sachman Fr. F 5-11 185 Medford, NY/NY Bobcats
8 Matt DeLuca Fr. D 6-0 190 Skippack, PA/Syracuse Stars
9 Ian Finnerty Jr. F 6-0 180 Ardmore, PA/Philly Little Flyers
11 Chris Cangro Fr. F 5-11 190 Holbrook, NY/NY Bobcats
12 Nick Panepinto So. F 5-11 185 Tonawanda, NY/Buffalo Jr. Sabres
14 Justin Noble Sr. F 5-11 190 Georgetown, ONT/Guelph Dominators
15 Sean Wallace Fr. D 6-0 190 Rochester, NY/NY Applecore
16 Brett Jendra Jr. F 5-11 170 Bolingbrook, IL/Kingston Voyagers
17 Adam Shoff Jr. F 5-9 175 Port Dover, ONT/Port Colborne Sailers
18 Colby Spooner So. D 5-8 175 Hilton, NY/Aquinas HS
19 Tom Galiani Sr. F 5-7 160 Lindenhurst, NY/New York Bobcats
20 James Cody Jr. F 6-2 205 Schwenksville, PA/Philly Little Flyers
21 Ray Tremblay Sr. F 5-10 185 Peachland, BC/Beaver Valley Nitehawks
22 Mike Hayward So. D 6-2 200 Toronto, ONT/Vaughan Vipers
23 Chris Berardini Sr. F 5-11 175 Batavia, NY/Maksymum
24 Brendon Rothfuss Fr. F 6-0 190 Webster, NY/Syracuse Stars
26 Dan Galiani So. F 5-10 170 Lindenhurst, NY/New York Bobcats
27 Mike Baxter Fr. F 5-10 160 Bracebridge, ONT/Fort Erie Meteors
28 Nick Sampson Sr. D 5-8 165 Mississagua, ONT/Bramelea Blues
29 Patrick Hayden Fr. D 5-9 170 Springfield, PA/Philadelphia Little Flyers
31 Jeremy Rossignolo Sr. G 5-10 180 Rochester, NY/Franklin Pierce Ravens
35 Joe Reagan Fr. G 5-10 200 Yonjers, NY/NY Bobcats

2010-2011 SEASON PREVIEW: A WINNING TRADITION

Call it luck, coincidence, or fate.

Whatever it is, the past couple of seasons have marked a turning point for the ice hockey program at Brockport. Just think of how these various positive things have converged on the Golden Eagles all at once:

• A huge fan base that creates a true home ice advantage at Tuttle North. Who would have imagined, even just 3 years ago, that the arena would regularly host in excess of 1,000 fans…or the team would be followed across the state by rabid – and boisterous - student fans?

• Todd Sheridan’s exceptional career. The cancer survivor was given a chance by Coach Dickinson and the College. The results: 11 record broken and countless memories for the fans

• This blog which connects students, alumni, parents and the DIII community to the team. Few programs can lay claim to such a promotional tool

• Saves for a Cure came onto the scene, collecting charitable funds from the college and community at large in an effort to bring comfort to the Rochester region’s youngest cancer patients

• Two home playoff games. The first two in program history…and the first two playoff wins in program history

• And last, but certainly not least, success. After some time as being a competitive yet rarely victorious team, the Golden Eagles now expect to win games and they are driven to that goal, producing two successive 14-win seasons which have positioned Brockport as team to reckon with not only in the SUNYAC but in all of Division III hockey.

It’s that new winning tradition, one that’s certain to stay with this high-character team for the long haul with its excellent leadership (on-ice, in the locker room and in the classroom ) and this past off-season’s awesome recruiting class, one that sets the bar high for future classes.

Despite this, you’re almost guaranteed that the team will be looked at as underdogs once again by SUNYAC coaches and DIII followers. Certainly, none of them expected the first 14 win season nor did they the second one: In both seasons the SUNYAC coaches poll had them pegged to finish 7th in the conference.

The team has shown time and again that they relish that role. It drives them to outperform the rest of the conference and it will do the same again this season, even if the SUNYAC coaches see the light and rank them 3rd or 4th. These guys want to exceed expectations, no matter how high they are.

You can thank the captaincy for that.


Leadership




Repeating team captain Justin Noble has been a high-gear player since his first days on the ice at Brockport, playing a great brand of defensive forward against some of the best lines in all of Division III. Relentless in his approach to the game, he fights for the puck at both ends of the ice and is among the best checkers and puck handlers on the team.

His assistant, Ray Tremblay, plays with the same fervor that allowed him to overcome what should have been a career-ending back injury…a real inspiration to his team mates and one of the better personal success stories in DIII. Quick, with good vision for the whole ice sheet, he makes plays happen, as made evident by his 19 assists last season.

The other “A” will be worn by Adam Shoff this season, someone who is a real fan favorite and is beloved by his team mates (and has been everywhere he has played). Strong, reckless with his body and possessed of a dynamo’s energy, his numbers (10 points last season) belie what he brings to the team, whether it’s killing penalties or playing some steady defense from the offensive position. He does the little things that bring the victories and motivate the team to take their energy to his level.

Those gentlemen are who keep the team cohesive, a unit of players that has shown remarkable togetherness and team work the past two seasons.



Forwards



If Brockport had a weakness last year, it was in the goal-scoring department. The team lit the lamp only 82 times, good for 51st in the nation and an average score of 3.04/game. That output ranked them only 27th among all the Golden Eagles teams of the past.

But, it wasn’t for a lack of some strong performers.Ian Finnerty may have had one of the quietest big seasons in recent memory. His 24 points (7 goals, 17 assists) snuck up on the fans and reporters. That, to me, means he’s a consistent playmaker, one who contributes each and every game, just floating under the radar with his ongoing contributions. With more firepower around him this year, the junior might make a run at 30 points this year or next.

And, then there’s James Cody.

With Todd Sheridan now in "retirement", young James might be the face of Brockport hockey. He’s a special talent who scores in bunches (leading the team the past 2 years), excels in the clutch (see what he did against Potsdam in the playoffs the last 2 years), and hits like a son-of-gun (among all SUNYAC forwards, he is the premier checker and open ice hitter). He is the most entertaining player on the team, his electric style of offense and hitting sure to produce a few highlights every game.

The lack of goals was well-addressed by Coach Dickinson. He had some brilliant pick-ups in the recruiting department that include Steve Sachman (15 game winning goals over the last 2 AJHL seasons), Bobby Conner (51 points in 42 games with the Junior Flyers) and Chris Cangro (+34 with the Bobcats last year).

Goals should come early and often for those guys and as the Golden Eagles veterans grow there’s no reason why the team shouldn’t score an extra 18 goals this season.




Defensemen




Brockport’s defensive performance was out of this world last season, allowing 3.11 goals a game, for a total of only 84 over the 27-game season. That set a new scored record for the fewest goals allowed per game, besting the previous season when 90 were let in.

That was without their number one defenseman Gregg Amato in the home stretch. He missed the last 5 games following an injury in the Geneseo game. He was on pace to best Brockport’s single-season scoring record for defenseman, finishing with 18 points, a great addition to his slick defensive skills which allow him to cover a lot of ice.

His crew is rounded out by the likes of Tyler Davis (yet another high-energy impact player), and Mike Hayward (a playmaking defenseman in the mold of Amato). They are an scary bunch of hard hitters who play intelligently.

They will be joined this year by an excellent recruiting class which includes standouts like Ian Chapman and Matt Deluca among others.

Hockey purists will enjoy watching the defensemen as they are a very-effective and highly-skilled group.



Special teams


Goals may not have come easy at full strength last year, but they did with a man advantage. Never a team known for a flashy power play, that’s where the team excelled: With two weeks left in the regular season they had the 9th best PP unit in the country. They finished the season 12th best finding success on 23% of their chances (38 of 165). The penalty kill was just as awesome, ending up 14th best in DIII, killing 85.5% (124 of 145) of their opponent’s man advantages. Helping along those numbers was the fact that the Golden Eagles were the 45th-least-penalized team in DIII, facing only 14.8 minutes in the box per game.



Goaltending




With Todd Sheridan having completed his 4-year career as perhaps the best Brockport hockey player ever, and the most respected goaltender in the SUNYAC, goaltending becomes a question mark.

Or does it?

If anything, the netminding is left in capable pads.

For the past 2 seasons, Oliver Wren has served as back-up and when given the chance to play has done well. Last season he saw action in 5 games (including 3 starts) and he amassed a spectacular .919 saves percentage and a 2.51 goals against average which featured a shutout. If he can match those numbers over the course of an entire season you’re talking about something special. Oliver plays an excitable, constantly-in-motion manner of goaltending that should keep the fans entertained this year.

The team added Joe Reagan over the summer, someone who instantly keeps Brockport’s goaltending unit as the very best unit in the SUNYAC, just as it has been the past few years. An accomplished stopper, he played with the Bobcats the past two seasons and his numbers are real jaw-droppers. Last season he saved .929 of the shots he faced and he posted a sick 2.19 GAA. In the season prior, he was just as efficient with a .931 saves percentage.



Predictions

2010-2011 should be just as exciting as the past two seasons, even more so as some of the pick-ups adjust to DIII. Like I said earlier: Winning is the new tradition with the Golden Eagles. What will that equate this season? How about a 15-9-1 record in the regular season.

My predictions have been nearly dead-on the past two seasons. So, watch out, SUNYAC.

TODD SHERIDAN FEATURED IN STYLUS

This week's Brockport Stylus features the following interview with Todd Sheridan...


Former Brockport goalie still making "saves"
By Trevor Francis

Todd Sheridan is one of the most well-known athletes in Brockport's recent history. He holds the record for best single season save percentage at .917 and highest career saves percentage .904. And in his four years as Brockport's starting goalie on the ice hockey team, he broke 11 total records and holds the top four lowest averages for goals allowed per game in a season. More importantly, though, Todd was diagnosed and later beat cancer and went on to start his own charitable company to help others who are battling the disease.



What drew you into playing sports, specifically as a goalie?

TS: I grew up in a hockey family. My dad was a hockey fan, my three older brothers are all hockey fans and one played hockey. It was also the little-brother-mentality of wanting to be better than my older brothers. Most kids start at forward or center. They want to score goals, but I like the pressure of playing goalie. With other positions, if you make a mistake your teammates can bail you out, but as a goalie, every time I make a mistake it's on the scoreboard for everyone to see.



How are you still involved in hockey?

TS: Right now, I am enjoying being out of the spotlight. I played hockey for 21 years, there were some minor-pro offers but none of them were worth dropping out of school with one semester left. I have been working with Brockport coaches and players as a goalie helper. I am also the goalie coach for Tri-county Youth Hockey, with the squirt team, which has been great because it takes me back to when I was a kid, when hockey was about having fun.

It will be hard to watch the games from the sidelines, but it will be good for the team. There is a lot of overall talent and the goalies are more than capable. Fans can focus on other players besides me.



What have sports meant or what do they continue to mean in your life?

TS: As a kid, I played hockey and soccer. It served as a great way to get rid of stress and to make friends with other kids with similar interests. When I was diagnosed with cancer it provided me with the mindset of an athlete to not want to only survive cancer but to beat it all together. There is a big difference to me in those terms, surviving cancer still gives the cancer the power, but I beat it. Sports gave me the mindset to treat cancer like another opponent to challenge and that helped a lot.



How important was sports as a haven away from cancer for you?

TS: There was no possibility playing during the chemo; my doctors told me I could never play sports again. So, after I beat the cancer, getting back into the goal was another challenge to overcome. I don't want to get into the numbers or the percentages the doctors gave me, but they were more focused on my survival. Getting my body healthy enough to play again was not even mentioned.

I liked going through the chemo feeling sick, because I knew that the more sick and weak I felt, the worse the tumor felt, and that is where being an athlete helped. I knew I was stronger than the tumor.



Did anyone try to talk you out of playing, or try to get you to focus on your interests outside of sports?

TS: Basically, everyone did. My parents supported me but they were nervous. Chemo weakens the body, so there was a huge risk of getting injured. All of the Division-I offers that I had prior to cancer went out the window. Colleges were afraid to take a chance on me because they were afraid I would get hurt.



Did that ever make you angry or resentful, or do you ever wonder where you would be if you never had cancer?

TS: There really was no time to be angry. I just wanted to play hockey again. Being able to get back into the pads proved again that I really beat cancer and I could return to my normal life. There were people telling me that I could transfer after I played a couple of years at Brockport and proved I could compete at a high level again.

Brockport was the only college to take a chance on me though, it would have been a sort of betrayal by me to leave, I owe the coaches my time as a way to thank them.



How do you want to be remembered, as a great goalie, or a person who set up their own company to help others with cancer or a source of inspiration who overcame great odds?

TS: I was part of a team that won a playoff game for the first time in Brockport's history; Brockport hockey was transformed into a contender and the most popular sport in the college. I am proud to have contributed to that. Now, hockey can be known for supporting something else; Saves For A Cure can help local kids who are battling cancer. Oswego and Cortland will have Saves For A Cure games this year. Right now we are trying to put pressure on other SUNYAC teams to use it, too. It helps out kids and it improves the image of the colleges that use it.



How important was sports as a platform to build your company on?

TS: It gave the company a lot more publicity and an easier way to reach people. So far, it's been a positive experience. The SUNYAC teams seem willing to jump on board. My goal is to get every SUNYAC team to have a Saves For A Cure game. Since I am from New Jersey and I have lived in Connecticut and Texas and which helped me because I have a fairly expansive list of connections, which will hopefully allow me to expand much further.



Where is Saves For A Cure now?

TS: I had an idea to start a company to help people who are going through what I went through. I realized, like most people, that I had no idea how to start a company.

Saves For A Cure is a company, not a charity; there was a two-year legal battle to get incorporated, we won. We are a 100 percent revenue company and we give every penny of the money from the things we sell to upgraded cancer facilities that need it.

Medicine is great, but doctors and people cure cancer now and I want to have an immediate impact. Bob Confer helped me with the business side of the company. He was the main part in turning Saves For A Cure from an idea into something tangible. It was very important for me to be completely non-profit. It makes the work we do harder, but I can sleep at night knowing I did the right thing.

Too many companies that are marketed as non-profit end up making money. It bothers me that some people are becoming millionaires as heads of non-profit companies when it should be about helping others. The main thing I could tell people is to do their research before donating any money. Make sure you know where the money is going before you choose to donate. Saves For A Cure is on Facebook. People can become a fan if they want to learn more.



Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2010/10/13/Sports/Former.Brockport.Goalie.Still.Making.saves-3943890.shtml?reffeature=htmlemailedition

SLIGHT CHANGE TO SCHEDULE

Please note that the schedule shown in the left toolbar has been altered. The WNEC game scheduled for Saturday, January 8th was originally set for 7:00 PM. The game is now a matinee affair starting at 3:00 PM.

TENTATIVE ROSTER ONLINE

The hockey team's tentative roster is now available online. The roster will be pared down this upcoming weekend with the issuance of uniform numbers to follow. Check out the list here:

http://www.brockport.edu/athletics/icehockey/roster.php

ALUMNI GAME SET FOR OCTOBER 30

The Golden Eagles alumni game will take place on Saturday, October 30th at 1:30 PM.

The timing of this annual event will allow alumni to watch the active members of their Golden Eagles brotherhood take on Plattsburgh at 7:00 PM. After the varsity game the alumni will celebrate old times at Flash's Tavern in the village.

If interested in playing in the game please contact Tim Panek at tpanek@rochester.rr.com

TODD SHERIDAN'S WNY TONIGHT APPEARANCE NOW ON YOUTUBE

Back in March of 2008, while Saves For a Cure was being formed, Brockport goaltender Todd Sheridan appeared as the guest for an hour-long installment of WNY Tonight that was carried throughout the Buffalo Niagara Region. The episode is available in 5 installments online, here's Part One....