Every sports fan loves a good rivalry.
The SUNYAC is chock-full of inter-team intensity; in essence, every team views the other as a hated rival because every game is as exciting as – and important as - a playoff game as the teams jockey for a valuable playoff position.
Among the most storied of the conference’s rivalries is the ongoing Plattsburgh-Oswego war. The Fredonia-Buffalo State turf war has been as equally exciting.
There’s one here at Tuttle North that has taken on similar drama in recent years: Brockport and Geneseo. After decades of it being nothing more than a game between neighboring SUNY schools, it has changed to something special.
Both teams - and their fans - despise one another and want to see the other fall, not only for a playoff spot, but also for bragging rights of being the Rochester area’s best DIII hockey team.
Brockport has taken home those bragging rights the past two seasons. Had Geneseo not been charged with infractions and omitted from the playoffs last season, that crown may have gone to them. They had a 7 game unbeaten streak to close out the year. This year, they have been just as good. They are 4-2-1 and know how to score goals and stop them.
Their novel Smoke Eaters Line (they all played on that junior team) of Decosse, Arduin, and Bulach is solid and they have 7 goals on this young season. Freshman Zach Vit has been a pleasant surprise with 5 goals and 5 assists while defensemen Danny Scagnelli has 10 points, rivaling last season’s output already.
The goaltending tandem is the best in the conference. Pick your poison, they are both excellent goalies. Adrian Rubeniuk has a .947 save percentage while Cory Gershon sports a .932 saves percentage (he is the brother of Brockport alumnus Mike Gershon, who ranks among the College’s all-time best defensemen).
Geneseo games have been the most popular in recent seasons (our fans and theirs understand the match-up’s importance), so get their early Friday. No doubt they’ll bring their pep band, so our already-limited space may be even more so.
On Saturday, the Golden Eagles travel to Elmira to take on that perennial DIII powerhouse. They are a very good team, one long based on speed and puck control. They are 3-3-1, but don’t let the record fool you. I’ve seen them in 2 different Frozen Fours the past few years and they have a proven system that wins.
Both games start at 7:00 PM and can be heard at 89.1 FM or online at www.891thepoint.com. You can also watch them at www.FastHockey.com
The SUNYAC is chock-full of inter-team intensity; in essence, every team views the other as a hated rival because every game is as exciting as – and important as - a playoff game as the teams jockey for a valuable playoff position.
Among the most storied of the conference’s rivalries is the ongoing Plattsburgh-Oswego war. The Fredonia-Buffalo State turf war has been as equally exciting.
There’s one here at Tuttle North that has taken on similar drama in recent years: Brockport and Geneseo. After decades of it being nothing more than a game between neighboring SUNY schools, it has changed to something special.
Both teams - and their fans - despise one another and want to see the other fall, not only for a playoff spot, but also for bragging rights of being the Rochester area’s best DIII hockey team.
Brockport has taken home those bragging rights the past two seasons. Had Geneseo not been charged with infractions and omitted from the playoffs last season, that crown may have gone to them. They had a 7 game unbeaten streak to close out the year. This year, they have been just as good. They are 4-2-1 and know how to score goals and stop them.
Their novel Smoke Eaters Line (they all played on that junior team) of Decosse, Arduin, and Bulach is solid and they have 7 goals on this young season. Freshman Zach Vit has been a pleasant surprise with 5 goals and 5 assists while defensemen Danny Scagnelli has 10 points, rivaling last season’s output already.
The goaltending tandem is the best in the conference. Pick your poison, they are both excellent goalies. Adrian Rubeniuk has a .947 save percentage while Cory Gershon sports a .932 saves percentage (he is the brother of Brockport alumnus Mike Gershon, who ranks among the College’s all-time best defensemen).
Geneseo games have been the most popular in recent seasons (our fans and theirs understand the match-up’s importance), so get their early Friday. No doubt they’ll bring their pep band, so our already-limited space may be even more so.
On Saturday, the Golden Eagles travel to Elmira to take on that perennial DIII powerhouse. They are a very good team, one long based on speed and puck control. They are 3-3-1, but don’t let the record fool you. I’ve seen them in 2 different Frozen Fours the past few years and they have a proven system that wins.
Both games start at 7:00 PM and can be heard at 89.1 FM or online at www.891thepoint.com. You can also watch them at www.FastHockey.com
