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!
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!
