Whereas most Brockport students are out of commission for the next 4 days, the hockey team, on the other hand, will be taking the ice over the holiday weekend. They are traveling to Vermont to play in the fourth annual Rutland Herald Invitational (aka the Spartan Invitational).
The Golden Eagles will take on Tufts at 3:00 PM on Saturday. The Jumbos (yes, that’s their team name) are 1-2-0. Nonetheless, they are solid. Last season, Tufts was 12-10-3 and they have one of the best goaltenders in DIII…Scott Barchard. He was an All-American and led the nation in saves (986) and saves percentage (a wild .939). He also recorded a 2.74 goals against average.
On the other side of the ice, Tufts senior Tom Derosa is a two-time All-New NESCAC pick. He led the league in power-play scoring with 13 points on seven goals and six assists last year. Overall, he tied for second in the conference scoring race with 31 points on 15 goals and 16 assists. Fellow senior Zach Diaco blasted 15 goals last year.
On Sunday, depending on victory or loss, the Golden Eagles will play at either 1:00 or 4:00 against either Castleton or Becker.
Castleton was 9-12-5 last season but is 2-0-0 so far in 2010-2011. They have strength in goal as well. Sophomore Arthur Hollinger was thrown into the fire last season and was impressive for a freshman, posting a 2.66 GAA to go with his .894 saves percentage. With a year under his belt, he can only be better.
The Spartans also have 2 returning 20-point guys, including senior Stuart Stefan who lit the lamp 16 times last year. Sophomore Josh Harris had 9 goals and 19 assists as a sophomore and should be good for more goals this season. Another one to watch is defenseman Omar Pacha, a solid (5’11”, 200 pounds) hitter who can add a little offense (15 points).
The Becker Hawks have played more games than the other 2 so far this season and have a line as even as you can get: 2-2-2. Once again, they are a team well-manned in goal. Jake Rosenthal sports a .923 % after 5 games. He boasted a brilliant .916 last year. They have some snipers in forwards Parkhouse (4 goals) and Anderson (3) and defenseman Norducci (3).
Brockport has found it difficult to put the puck in the net this season and will definitely have their work cut out for them with Tufts and either of the 2 others. All of them sport a strong goaltending presence. In order to win, the Golden Eagles will have to play blue-collar offense (flooding the net with close quarters pressure) and count on Oliver Wren and/or Joe Reagan to match the play of their opposing netminders.
If you love goaltending, this is the tournament for you!
Both games can be heard on WBSU at 89.1 FM and online at www.891thepoint.com
On a side note, the hockey team will be playing again during Thanksgiving weekend of 2011 as a part of the Skidmore Tournament. Next November Coach Dickinson and I will be launching an “Adopt a Hockey Player” initiative where we’ll connect hockey players with families in Monroe and Orleans counties who would be interested in hosting a couple of players for Thanksgiving dinner. It will be a great way to connect the hockey team to the community and guarantee our Golden Eagles can share in the holiday festivities.
Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!
The Golden Eagles will take on Tufts at 3:00 PM on Saturday. The Jumbos (yes, that’s their team name) are 1-2-0. Nonetheless, they are solid. Last season, Tufts was 12-10-3 and they have one of the best goaltenders in DIII…Scott Barchard. He was an All-American and led the nation in saves (986) and saves percentage (a wild .939). He also recorded a 2.74 goals against average.
On the other side of the ice, Tufts senior Tom Derosa is a two-time All-New NESCAC pick. He led the league in power-play scoring with 13 points on seven goals and six assists last year. Overall, he tied for second in the conference scoring race with 31 points on 15 goals and 16 assists. Fellow senior Zach Diaco blasted 15 goals last year.
On Sunday, depending on victory or loss, the Golden Eagles will play at either 1:00 or 4:00 against either Castleton or Becker.
Castleton was 9-12-5 last season but is 2-0-0 so far in 2010-2011. They have strength in goal as well. Sophomore Arthur Hollinger was thrown into the fire last season and was impressive for a freshman, posting a 2.66 GAA to go with his .894 saves percentage. With a year under his belt, he can only be better.
The Spartans also have 2 returning 20-point guys, including senior Stuart Stefan who lit the lamp 16 times last year. Sophomore Josh Harris had 9 goals and 19 assists as a sophomore and should be good for more goals this season. Another one to watch is defenseman Omar Pacha, a solid (5’11”, 200 pounds) hitter who can add a little offense (15 points).
The Becker Hawks have played more games than the other 2 so far this season and have a line as even as you can get: 2-2-2. Once again, they are a team well-manned in goal. Jake Rosenthal sports a .923 % after 5 games. He boasted a brilliant .916 last year. They have some snipers in forwards Parkhouse (4 goals) and Anderson (3) and defenseman Norducci (3).
Brockport has found it difficult to put the puck in the net this season and will definitely have their work cut out for them with Tufts and either of the 2 others. All of them sport a strong goaltending presence. In order to win, the Golden Eagles will have to play blue-collar offense (flooding the net with close quarters pressure) and count on Oliver Wren and/or Joe Reagan to match the play of their opposing netminders.
If you love goaltending, this is the tournament for you!
Both games can be heard on WBSU at 89.1 FM and online at www.891thepoint.com
On a side note, the hockey team will be playing again during Thanksgiving weekend of 2011 as a part of the Skidmore Tournament. Next November Coach Dickinson and I will be launching an “Adopt a Hockey Player” initiative where we’ll connect hockey players with families in Monroe and Orleans counties who would be interested in hosting a couple of players for Thanksgiving dinner. It will be a great way to connect the hockey team to the community and guarantee our Golden Eagles can share in the holiday festivities.
Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!
