CODY IS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Senior James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) tallied three points during the SUNYAC weekend against Fredonia State and Buffalo State, skating to a tie and a loss, respectively.

For his efforts, Cody has been named the Brockport Male Athlete of the Week.

Cody helped put the Golden Eagles ahead 3-1 with his second goal of the season against Fredonia State. After the Blue Devils took a 4-3 lead, the forward assisted on the game tying goal to Mike Hollander (Thornhill ONT), as the game finished to a 4-4 draw.

In Brockport's loss to Buffalo State on Saturday, Cody assisted to Patrick Hayden (Springfield, PA) for the Golden Eagles only goal of the game.

Cody led Brockport with 16 goals and 30 points in the 2010-11 season and leads the team in both categories through the first three games this season.

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BROCKPORT TROUNCED BY BUFFALO STATE

The Athletic Department's recap of last night's game...


Sophomore Patrick Hayden (Springfield, PA) scored his first goal of the season for The College at Brockport Hockey team to give the Golden Eagles and early 1-0 lead Saturday night in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game against Buffalo State in the Tuttle North Arena in Brockport. The Bengals tied the score late in the first period and then scored three power play goals in the second period to take a 4-1 lead. A shorthanded goal and three insurance goals led to an 8-1 victory for the Bengals.

In the first period, James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) and Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) worked the puck around the zone before feeding Hayden at the point who fired a low shot that beat the Buffalo State goal to the glove side for the early lead with just 6:44 elapsed in the first period.

Buffalo State (1-1 Overall, 1-1 SUNYAC) knotted the game with less than three minutes left in the period but the Bengals had a man advantage for most of the second period and took advantage with three power play goals. The first came with just 31 seconds gone in the period and the second was two minutes later. The third advantage goal for the Bengals was with a two-man advantage at the 7:43 mark of the period.

In the third period, the Bengals scored a shorthanded goal to take a 5-1 lead and added on two more before five minutes had run off the clock in the final stanza.

A final goal at 11:31 was the final margin of victory.

Senior Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) made 21 saves and freshman Aaron Green (Mt. Albert, ONT) played the final 16 minutes and made seven saves.


Box score: http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1112/boxes/mbfsbrc1.o29


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DUNKIRK OBSERVER RECAP OF FREDONIA GAME

From the pages of today's paper....


Fredonia State opened its SUNYAC season with a 4-4 tie Friday at the College of Brockport.

"(The game) was just what we expected," Fredonia coach Jeff Meredith said. "It was a good SUNYAC game. It was a good college hockey game."

Freshman forward Jared Wynia scored a pair of power-play goals, his second and third goals of the season.

His second of two goals broke a 3-3 tie early in the third period.

The Blue Devils (2-0-1 overall) trailed 3-1 until scoring twice late in the second period. Andrew Christ scored his first goal of the season at 18:28. Mat Hehr forged a 3-3 tie with his second goal at 19:45.

"Hopefully we were able to learn some lessons tonight," Meredith continued. "We lost some momentum in the second period and they scored three quick ones. Luckily, we were able to score a couple late in the second."

The momentum carried over into the third period. Wynia hit the back of the net 1:44 of the third period.

Brockport's Mike Hayward scored on a power play at 11:51 of the third period to tie the game at 4-4. It was the first power-play goal allowed by the Blue Devils after 17straight successful penalty kills.

A power-play goal by Wynia opened the scoring at 4:32 of the first period.

The Golden Falcons scored three straight goals in the second period the Steve Sachman, Adam Shoff and James Cody.

"I think we could have handled adversity better," Meredith added. "We're still in search of a full 60 minutes. Until we play a full 60 we're going to get what we deserve."

Fredonia State goaltender Mark Friesen made 35 saves, one fewer than Brockport's Oliver Wren.

The Golden Eagles ended the night 0-1-1 overall.


Source:

http://observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/564945/FSU--Brockport-skate-to-tie.html?nav=5010

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BROCKPORT AND FREDONIA TIED 4-4

Fredonia came into the game rated 25th in the nation in the USCHO preseason poll and they were expected to win by most everyone outside of Brockport. Proving that they’re not the same team as last season, the Golden Eagles instead tied the Blue Devils, with a 4-4 final tally.

The physical play Fredonia feared worked in Brockport’s favor. Despite having a height advantage, Fredonia was consistently manhandled and numerous Blue Devils ended up on the ice or had lost control of the puck. This allowed Brockport to match Fredonia shot for shot as they made chances where there were none.

Fredonia drew blood first when a hard shot perpendicularly bounced off Oliver Wren’s pad right to a wide open Jared Wynia who buried the puck behind Wren. Brockport then went on a 3-2 tear in the 2nd. The first of those was scored by Steve Sachman who grabbed a Troy Polino assist and, standing beside the net, pushed it past goaltender Mark Friesen.

4 minutes later Adam Shoff was working from the corner and blasted a hard shot over Friesen’s left shoulder. That was repeated a minute later when James Cody put another one over Friesen’s left shoulder. That was a recurring theme, when in the third period Mike Hayward went glove side on Friesen during the power play. Friesen’s weakness was definitely found and exploited.

Friesen did have a gave-saving stop with 4:50 left in the third, coming outside of the net to cut off the angle and then sitting a blast that surely looked like it was going in. That display was duplicated by Oliver Wren with 40 seconds left in the third. Oliver had another stellar moment with just over 5 seconds left in OT when he made the best glove save of the game.

It was an excellent game overall, despite both teams looking absolutely exhausted in the third.

Random thoughts:

· The sophomores looked very comfortable and decisive in their play. Their newfound confidence bodes well for this season and the future

· Freshman Troy Polino was sharp last night. He assisted on a goal but really made an impression on the back check. He had the finest defensive play of the game with 10:20 left in the first when his blanketing defense stopped a for-sure goal. A few other times he laid some nice hits on Fredonia and got control of the puck

· The ice arena is markedly improved. Gone are the bland walls, replaced with the sizable paintings of the new Eagle and Brockport logos. That really brightened-up the place

· Thanks to the Eagle Crazies (student sections) for the “Congrats Confer” sign. You guys are awesome! And, speaking of signs, the blown-up picture of Bobby Conner was hilarious

· The puck drop by Terry McGuire and her daughters Jacquelyn, and Erin McGuire (assisted by Sean McCrossen) was a nice tribute to EJ McGuire who left the hockey world too young at 58 years of age earlier this year



Here’s the Athletic Department’s recap of the game…


Senior James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) scored one goal and assisted on a third period goal that tied the game up at 4-4 but neither team would score again as The College at Brockport Hockey team and Fredonia skated to a 4-4 tie Friday night in a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) game in the Tuttle North Ice Arena in Brockport.

Fredonia (2-0-1 Overall, 0-0-1 SUNYAC) took the early lead with a goal in the first five minutes of the contest.

Brockport (0-1-1, 0-0-1) came back with three goals in a span of five minutes in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Sophomore Steve Sachman (Medford, NY) started the flurry as freshman Troy Polino (Limerick, PA) pick up his first collegiate point with the assist to tie the game at 1-1. Four minutes later, Senior Adam Shoff (Port Dover, ONT) picked up a loose puck and fired a shot past the Fredonia goalie for a 2-1 Golden Eagles lead.

Just under a minute later, Cody scored his second goal of the season with a pass from Bobby Conner (Lititz, PA) and Brockport held a 3-1 lead.

Late in the period, Fredonia rebounded to score twice in the final 1:32 of the period including the second goal with just 15 seconds remaining in the stanza to tie the score back up at 3-3.

After an early Brockport penalty in the third period, Fredonia took a 4-3 lead with its second power play goal of the game 1:44 into the period.

With 8:09 left to play in the third period, junior Mike Hayward (Toronto, ONT) finished off a series of passes from Cody and sophomore Mike Hollander (Thornhill, ONT) for the game-tying goal.

Neither team was able to score in the remaining eight minutes of the period or the five-minute overtime period and the game finished in a 4-4 tie.

Senior Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) made 35 saves for Brockport and Mark Friesen was credited with 36 saves for Fredonia.



Boxscore:

http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1112/boxes/mbrcfre1.o28


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A BIG WEEKEND AT TUTTLE ICE ARENA

It’s a big weekend coming up…the opening weekend of home play at Tuttle Ice Arena!

The action begins tonight at 7:00 against the Fredonia Blue Devils, a top 20 team in the polls after going 14-13-1. This year’s team may not reach such heights after losing so many key seniors (among them three 25+ point guys, including Jordan Oye and his spectacular 40 points). But, their Number One scorer, Bryan Ross, returns. Even without that supporting cast he’ll do well…he’s a player who makes everyone around him better (hence his 31 assists last year) so expect some new goal scorers to emerge. Among them is Alex Morton, capable of a 15 goal season. Sophomore goalie Mark Freisen is a real rising star in the conference, having block 91.7% of the shots he faced in his rookie year.

When last the two teams faced one another they tied up 2-2. Fredonia could not figure out netminder Joey Reagan, who stopped 47 shots. Don’t expect that many attempts this time around, but do expect a tight game with Brockport leaning heavily on its 2nd line to produce. Fredonia will be unable to deal with Brockport’s brute force, so I’ll hazard a guess that they fall 4-2 to the home team, the SUNYAC upset of the week.

There will be a pre-Game tribute to former Golden Eagle player and coach E.J. McGuire. E.J. went on to Coach in the OHL, AHL, and NHL before becoming the Director of Central Scouting for the NHL. E.J. passed away in April after battling cancer, a few months after entering Brockport’s Hall of fame.

Saturday is Alumni Day with the annual Alumni Game at 1:00 PM. Following the Saturday evening game there will be a post Game gathering at 58 Main Restaurant.

Saturday’s affair finds Brockport hosting Buffalo State at 7:00. This will be a tough game. Buffalo was an improved team last year and they remain virtually intact. By the end of the season I expect them to tough it out and end up third in the conference. Trevor McKinney can put a real scare into the best of teams (he had a stellar 17 goals last season) and Kevin Carr with his .922 save percentage will be a tough egg to crack.

When last they played Brockport in February they handily beat a Cody-less Brockport 4-1. I don’t envision such domination, but nonetheless, I see the home team falling to the visitors. I’ll throw a 4-2 score out there (the fourth being an empty-netter). But, Brockport can stage an upset if they get under the Bengals’ skin…they are a heavily-penalized team that could give James Cody some serious man-advantage chances.

This officially starts my 19th season of attending Brockport hockey games. Now I know I’m getting old: Some of the guys on the team weren’t even born when I started watching the Golden Eagles! I’m excited about this season and look forward to some great moments. I’ll definitely be in attendance at Saturday’s game, but Friday is still up in the air: Two-a-weeks are tough with my daughter still in newborn mode. But, we’ll see how it goes tonight.

Good luck to the team and coaching staff!

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USCHO SEASON PREVIEW OF THE SUNYAC

Today USCHO.com released SUNYAC columnist Russel Jaslow's preview of the conference. Here's how Brockport was assessed....

Brockport State Golden Eagles

Coach: Brian Dickinson, 18th season overall (123–271–40) and 15th season at Brockport (109–223–34)

2010-11 overall record: 4–18–3
2010-11 SUNYAC record: 2–13–1
2010-11 SUNYAC finish: Ninth
2011-12 predicted finish: Ninth

Key Departures: Tom Galiani (7–10–17), Justin Noble (4–12–16).

Key Arrivals: Mike Hollander (F, transfer from Becker), Chris Marinakos (F, transfer from Wentworth), Bobby Chayka (D), Aaron Green (G), Jay Meloff (D).

Key Players: James Cody (16–14–30), Ian Finnerty (7–17–24), Adam Shoff (6–7–13).

Biggest Challenge: “Our competition,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “Our league has gotten significantly better. Everybody has done a great job recruiting. Coming off the year we’ve had, we aren’t looking back. We can only look forward.“

Outlook: Losing Todd Sheridan took a larger toll on Brockport than most expected. After two years of playoff success, the Golden Eagles plummeted last year to just two conference wins, four overall.

Oliver Wren got most of the work in goal, but he will have to up his game. Otherwise, Joe Reagan or freshman Aaron Green will have to step in and perform. Brockport was tied for the worst conference defense with Potsdam at 5.00 goals per game allowed. They also had the worst penalty kill.

However, it didn’t help that Brockport had trouble scoring, with the most anemic offense at 2.50 goals per game and the worst power play at just 11 percent.

Brockport does return their two leading scorers, James Cody and Ian Finnerty. They have transfers from Becker (Mike Hollander) and Wentworth (Chris Marinakos), as well as the Player of the Year in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League, Bobby Chayka.

Chayka is a defenseman, as are fellow newcomers Marcus Farmer and Jeff Meloff. Whether they can help stem their red light from turning on will be a key factor.

Brockport certainly isn’t shying away from competition. Their nonconference schedule includes Utica, Hamilton, Elmira, Neumann twice, and Elmira. At the very least, the Golden Eagles will be battle-tested.

Mark Your Calendar Game: December 3 vs. Morrisville. It will be interesting to see how Brockport finishes up the first half of the SUNYAC schedule, ironically against a team which has to replace a stalwart goaltender like Brockport the year before.

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To see how the rest of the conference looks, read the full report here:


http://www.uscho.com/2011/10/27/sunyac-2011-2012-season-preview/


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WBSU SEASON PREVIEW WITH COACH DICKINSON

HOCKEY'S PROMISING SEASON

In this week's Stylus, sports writer Any Lipari looks at the Golden Eagles' season and the first game of it....


Last season was a year in transition for Brockport hockey. They started 0-10-1, but the feeling around the SUNYAC conference was they weren't as bad as their record would indicate. Brockport finished the year 4-18-3 and only had two wins in the SUNYAC conference.

Players and coaches said last year it took the young players a while to get acclimated to Division III hockey. Later in the season, they were pleased with how the rookies were developing.

Following back-to-back seasons with a playoff victory, the hockey program was as successful as it has ever been. Last season's last place finish was seen as a disappointment instead of the norm.

Brockport had a mixed identity last season. They had seniors like Justin Noble, Tom Galiani and Ray Tremblay who were a few of Brockport's top scorers, mixing with the younger players trying to get experience. At times, it looked as if the team couldn't decide whether it should prepare for the future or play for the present and try and keep up the success the team had in previous seasons.

The goalie situation is a prime example of the wavering. Senior Oliver Wren and sophomore Joe Reagan split time between the pipes last season. Wren started the season as the starter, but the games started being split between the two during the second half of the season. Brockport will likely have the same plan for this season as well.

One bright spot for Brockport last year was James Cody, who returns for his senior season. He led the team with 30 points (16 goals, 14 assists). Ian Finnerty also returns for his senior season after leading the team with 17 assists. Senior Adam Shoff will also return this season after a 13-point season a year ago.

Outside of those three, Brockport has a huge drop off of experienced point scorers. If Brockport is to return to the playoffs this year, the sophomore class will need to have a big season. Sophomores Bobby Conner, Mike Baxter, Brendon Rothfuss and Chris Cangro all had significant playing time last year as freshmen and this season will go well as long as they play well.

Defensively, Brockport is old in comparison to the forwards. Senior Gregg Amato and junior Mike Hayward will anchor the defense as they did a year ago. Sophomore Matt DeLuca started all 25 games last season and should continue to be a factor in the back.

Brockport's season started last Saturday, Oct. 22 with a 5-3 loss to Utica College. Brockport started with a 2-0 lead on goals scored by Finnerty and Cody. Utica came back and scored three times in the second period. Finnerty scored his second goal of the game in the third, but the Golden Eagles came up short in the end.Wren got the nod in goal and had 32 saves.

Brockport starts conference play this weekend with home games against Fredonia Friday, Oct. 28 and Buffalo State Saturday, Oct. 29. The puck drops at 7 p.m. in the Tuttle North Ice Arena. Brockport will not have another home game until Dec. 3.



Source: http://www.thestylus.net/hockey-season-promising-despite-opening-game-loss-to-nationally-ranked-utica-college-1.2664758

BROCKPORT'S PHYSICAL REPUTATION

What can make Brockport players and fans feel good about the Brockport Golden Eagles is the fear that the team's physical play elicits. You can see that it in the interview in The Dunkirk Observer with Fredonia's Jeff Meredith. While talking about his team's successes this weekend, this slipped out....

"I think we really ironed some wrinkles out. I was excited to see the execution. Next week at Brockport it's going to be twice as physical as it was (against Assumption). We have to be ready for that."

That's impressive....other teams are already worried about the checks, hits and blue collar play.


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WKTV RECAP OF THE UTICA GAME

Watch WKTV news' recap of the game here:

http://www.wktv.com/sports/Pioneers-win-regular-season-opener-132392143.html


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BROCKPORT FALLS TO UTICA, 5-3

The Athletic Department's recap of the season opener...


Senior Ian Finnerty (Ardmore, PA) scored a pair of goals and added an assist for The College at Brockport Hockey team but an early 2-0 lead disappeared in the second period as Utica College recovered and skated to a 5-3 victory Saturday night in the season opener for both teams at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica.

Brockport (0-1) came out fast scoring twice in the first period of the game to open up an early lead. Finnerty was credited with the first goal of the season tipping in a shot from the point from senior James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) on the first power play opportunity of the contest.

“I was happy at the way we came out strong in the first period,” said head coach Brian Dickinson. “I was also proud at the way we battled back in the third period. We could have packed it in after the second period but stayed with it and came out strong again for the third. I was happy with the overall effort tonight especially since it is so early in the season.”

Finnerty had a part in the second goal as well feeding Cody who fired a shot past the Utica goalie for the early 2-0 lead.

In the second period, Utica – ranked No. 13 in the national preseason poll – came back with three goals in the second period to take the lead. Two of the goals came in the opening minutes of the period with a goal at the 1:45 mark in the period and the second a minute later at 2:41.

In the third period, Utica extended the lead to 4-2 with a power play goal at the 8:12 point in the final period.

Finnerty scored for the Golden Eagles to trim the Utica lead to 4-3 with an unassisted shorthanded goal but a late empty-net goal by the Pioneers was the final margin in the game.

Senior Oliver Wren (Oakville, ONT) made 32 saves for Brockport.


Box score: http://www.collegehockeystats.net/1112/boxes/mbrcutc1.o22


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THE CODY WATCH

James Cody came into the 2011-2012 within reach of the 50 goal and 100 point career milestones. He began the season with 41 goals and 82 points. We'll be tracking his progress here. You can find "The Cody Watch" counter in the left toolbar of this website, just below the statistical leaders box.

UTICA COACH SUSPENDED FOR TONIGHT'S GAME

Here's an interesting development for tonight's game...



Gary Heenan will not be behind the bench when the Utica College men’s hockey team opens its regular season at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

Heenan, the founder of UC’s hockey program and the only coach in the team’s 11-season history, will serve a one-game suspension for a secondary violation of NCAA rules and will miss the Pioneers’ game with SUNY Brockport. Assistant coach Juliano Pagliero will lead the team in his absence.

The violation, discovered and reported to the NCAA by UC athletic director Jim Spartano, involved a workout that was posted on the team’s web site last spring for the notification of the players. The workout, posted by an assistant coach, was described as “mandatory,” which is not allowed.

“I was aware of the rule,” Heenan said. “I was unaware the language was in there. Our guys were totally aware the workouts were voluntary. I’m disappointed in myself for not catching this. It’s an unfortunate way to start the season.”

Spartano said he and Heenan agreed the suspension would be for the first regular season game rather than tonight’s exhibition game with the Royal Military College.

“We wanted it to be meaningful,” he said. “I’m 100 percent certain it was inadvertent. It was something that slipped through the cracks. Gary stepped up to the plate and accepted responsibility.”

Heenan will be in the building for the game, but Spartano said he will not be allowed on the bench or in the locker room or have contact with the players.



Source:

http://www.uticaod.com/breaking/x888172984/UCs-Heenan-suspended-for-regular-season-opener-Saturday

BROCKPORT 7th in SUNYAC COACHES' POLL

The SUNY Brockport men's ice hockey team tied for seventh in the State University of New York Athletic Conference pre-season coaches' poll.

Oswego State, last year's SUNYAC regular season champion, topped the poll with 63 points, including seven first place votes. The 2010-11 tournament champion Plattsburgh State Cardinals received 54 points and one first place vote. Brockport, Potsdam and Cortland each got 16 votes to tie for seventh place.

2011-12 SUNYAC Men's Ice Hockey Pre-Season Poll

1. Oswego 63 (7)

2. Plattsburgh 54 (1)

3. Geneseo 53 (1)

4. Fredonia 44

5. Buffalo St. 33

6. Morrisville 29

7. Potsdam 16

- Brockport 16

- Cortland 16

VOTE IN THE POLL

The homepage of Brockport Athletics has poll that asks the following....


The Brockport Hockey Team opens the 2011-12 season Saturday at Utica College. Who will be the first Golden Eagle to score a goal?

Bobby Connor
Ian Finnerty
Adam Shoff
James Cody
Brendon Rothfuss
Mike Hayward
Other

Vote at: http://www.gobrockport.com/

SEASON PREVIEW OF UTICA

If you're curious about Brockport's opponent, check out this season preview from WKVTV:

BROCKPORT TO VISIT UTICA ON SATURDAY

No one ever said it was easy for the Golden Eagles. Even the non-conference games offer up some tough opponents. Case in point: This Saturday’s season opener at Utica (7:00 PM start).

Utica comes into the season ranked 13th in the nation and they aren’t missing a beat after last year’s great season…they lost only 1 senior after going 17-8-1, their best record in the 24 year history of the program. They have a serious home advantage, sporting some of the largest crowds in DIII (last year’s season opener against Brockport had 3,800 in attendance).

They are led by Tim Coffman (who posted 34 points on the season). He shared the team lead of 11 goals with Evan Chlanda, Jon Gaffney, and Trevor Hertz. So, they definitely have some depth and a few solid lines.

Their goaltending is top notch with duties shared by Evan Smith (.920) and Nick Therrien (.914). They are aided by a defense that allows just 26 shots per game.

As good as Utica is, Brockport held their own against them last year, taking a 2-1 game into the final seconds when Utica’s empty goal made it 3-1. Oliver Wren was exceptional in goal, stopping numerous point blank shots en route to SUNYAC Goalie of the Week honors.

Look for more of the same on Saturday with a determined and more-polished Brockport unit putting a scare into the home crowd.

2011-2012 ROSTER

1 Oliver Wren Sr. Goalie 5-10 180 Oakville, ONT Oakville Blades
2 Ian Chapman So. Defense 6-5 215 Batavia, NY North York Rangers
3 Gregg Amato Sr. Defense 6-2 200 Ocean Gate, NJ Port Hope Predators
4 Bobby Chayka Fr. Defense 6-0 185 Hardwick, NJ Granite City Lumberjacks
5 Bobby Conner So. Forward 5-10 192 Lititz, PA Philadelphia Junior Flyers
6 Marcus Farmer Fr. Defense 5-10 175 Caledon, ONT Brampton Capitals
7 Jay Meloff Fr. Defense 5-11 190 Markham, ONT Pickering Panthers
8 Matt DeLuca So. Defense 6-0 190 Skippack, PA Syracuse Stars
9 Ian Finnerty Sr. Forward 6-0 180 Ardmore, PA Philadelphia Little Flyers
10 Mike Hollander So. Forward 5-7 165 Thornhill, ONT North York Rangers
11 Chris Cangro So. Forward 5-11 190 Holbrook, NY New York Bobcats
12 Nick Panepinto Jr. Forward 5-11 185 Tonawanda, NY Buffalo Jr. Sabres
14 Chris Marinakos So. Forward 5-7 160 Orilla, ONT Sequin Bruins
15 Sean Wallace So. Defense 6-0 190 Rochester, NY New York Applecore
16 Brett Jendra Sr. Forward 5-11 170 Bolingbrook, IL Kingston Voyagers
17 Adam Shoff Sr. Forward 5-9 175 Port Dover, ONT Port Colborne Sailers
18 Colby Spooner Jr. Defense 5-8 175 Hilton, NY Aquinas Institute
19 Steve Sachman So. Forward 5-11 185 Medford, NY New York Bobcats
20 James Cody Sr. Forward 6-2 205 Schwenksville, PA Philadelphia Little Flyers
21 Brendan Rothfuss So. Forward 6-0 190 Webster, NY Syracuse Stars
22 Mike Hayward Jr. Defense 6-2 200 Toronto, ONT Vaughan Vipers
24 Mike Baxter So. Forward 5-10 160 Bracebridge, ONT Fort Erie Meteors
25 Troy Polino Fr. Forward 5-9 190 Limerick, PA New York Bobcats
26 Dan Galiani Jr. Forward 5-10 170 Lindenhurst, NY New York Bobcats
27 Patrick Hayden So. Defense 5-9 170 Springfield, PA Philadelphia Little Flyers
28 Alexander Quendler Fr. Forward 6-0 175 Klosterneuberg, Austria Vienna Capitals II
31 Aaron Green Fr. Goalie 5-10 175 Mt. Albert, ONT St. Michaels Buzzers
35 Joe Reagan So. Goalie 5-10 200 Yonkers, NY New York Bobcats

2011-2012 SEASON PREVIEW

Brockport’s ice hockey team took a major step back in the 2010-2011 season, dropping to 4-18-3 after 2 consecutive 14-13 seasons that saw the Golden Eagles earn a playoff berth in each season as well as the College’s first 2 playoff wins.

The descent came as a shocker. A healthy core of productive players remained from the playoff runs and the class of recruits was the arguably the best in school history. But, they were saddled with errors, from a staggering number of turnovers by defensemen to forwards straying from the blue-collar approach that brought the Golden Eagles success in the previous seasons. Also, the freshman class seemed taken aback by the faster tempo and physicality of Division III.

A losing record was statistically certain. The Golden Eagles allowed a mind-numbing 40.2 shots on goal per 60 minutes, a marked increase over the previous season’s 33.9. The save percentage accompanying that barrage of pucks dropped from .909 to .882. Scoring also lost its luster, dropping from 82 to 73 goals. And consider this: 17 of the 73 goals came in the 2 games against WNEC, meaning 56 goals were scored over the rest of the season for only 2.4 per game. All in all, those are pretty significant – and damning - swings.

Adam Shoff will lead the turnaround this season

But, that’s the past. A past they can put behind them and a past they can learn from.

As a matter of fact, they already did.

As the season progressed the defensemen broke free of their mental lapses. The freshmen adjusted to the NCAA and started to make plays and find the net in the second semester (one of the real bright spots being Bobby Conner’s playmaking ability). And, the team managed to come together to beat Geneseo (ranked 6th in the nation at the time) and tie Fredonia in the last month of play (both teams come into this season in the Top 20).

James Cody is the face of Brockport Hockey

What Brockport has going for it is a core of seniors who helped turn around Brockport’s program, participating in the magical season 3 years ago that saw the team reach the playoffs for the first time. Adam Shoff, James Cody, Ian Finnerty, Brett Jendra, Gregg Amato, and Oliver Wren have all made significant contributions to the team and will be relied upon to do it again while fostering their ethic and commitment in the underclassmen.

Adam Shoff’s leadership will be instrumental in that. The captain this season, the young man has exuded leadership since his first day at Tuttle, hustling up and down the ice with reckless abandon, fighting for pucks in the corners, putting his body in harms way to block shots like he was a second goalie and fearlessly mixing it up with anyone, no matter their size. He reeks of energy and a never-give-up attitude.

One of his assistants will be James Cody. James, the team’s leading scorer -- and hitter -- the past 3 years, is the face of Brockport hockey and the most intimidating forward in the SUNYAC, bringing a rare combination of speed, athletic ability and physicality to the position. In 22 games last season he scored 16 goals, despite being the focus of every opponent’s gameplan and missing 2 games to an unwarranted suspension (for a supposed dirty hit). It’s wouldn’t be surprising if James found the back of the net 20 times this year.

Assistant captain Mike Hayward will lead the defensemen. The junior had 10 points last season and saw an incredible amount of ice time, hanging with the conference’s larger forwards. Based on last year’s team stats, there’s nowhere to go but up for the defensive unit, and they will be charged to contain some of the best teams in DIII (the Golden Eagles have 10 games against top 15 teams). They have some hard-hitting souls (like Patrick Hayden) and talented playmakers (like Matt DeLuca) who should get the blueliners at least near the team’s miserly ways of the playoff seasons.

Oliver Wren will save the day!

The last line of defense will feature a goaltending crew consisting of Oliver Wren, Joey Reagan and Aaron Green. Oliver posted a .884 save percentage to go with a 4.50 GAA. His numbers belie his accomplishments, having performed admirably against Utica and Geneseo among others. Don’t forget, he had a .919 save percentage in 10 games the year prior, so, he’s a man who can get it done. Joey had one of the finer freshman years for a Brockport goaltender. Despite getting peppered with 42 shots per game, he flirted with a .900 save percentage before finally settling at .895. Not too shabby considering the punishment. Recruit Aaron Green rounds out the trio, a great pick-up who sported a .900 save percentage last year in the OPHL.

Assessing the Golden Eagles: The talent is there. The work ethic is there.

Now, the team just needs to understand that 2010-2011 was an anomaly. All the pieces are there to make a playoff run. There are some mighty teams in the SUNYAC (and every one of them is improved), but there’s no reason why Brockport shouldn’t overcome adversity and be considered among them. Pencil them in now for the 5th seed in the conference and a playoff berth. This is a new season…and one certain to be exciting.

NEW ZAMBONI

Brockport's Twitter announced the delivery today of the new Zamboni:

NO SEASON TICKETS

Townfolk and alumni who regularly attend Golden Eagle games might be shocked to find out that "season tickets" are no longer available. Members of the Golden Eagle Society were always able to have free admission for themselves and a companion. That benefit of the program has been done away with.

OFFICIATING CREW EXPANDS

When SUNYAC play begins in 2 weeks you'll notice something peculiar on the ice: 4 officials. The SUNYAC will be the first conference in DIII to institute such a measure.

BROCKPORT FACES STIFF COMPETITION

The USCHO pre-season poll was released on Monday and it shows how tough of a schedule the Golden Eagles face.

Here are the top 15…

1 St. Norbert
2 Oswego
3 Norwich
4 Adrian
5 Plattsburgh
6 Elmira
7 Castleton
8 Bowdoin
9 Wisconsin-Superior
10 Hamline
11 Neumann
12 Geneseo
13 Utica
14 Milwaukee
15 Curry

Per conference standards, Brockport plays Oswego, Plattsburgh, and Geneseo twice each.

The Golden Eagles also play Neumann twice in a home-home split.

Brockport begins the season at Utica and hosts Elmira in December.

That’s 10 games against Top 15 opponents!

FORMER BROCKPORT ASSISTANT NOW COACHING COLBY COLLEGE

WATERVILLE, Maine --- Stan Moore, a veteran coach with more than 25 years of Division I coaching experience, was named interim head coach of the Colby College men's hockey program on Tuesday.

Moore has little time to adjust to his new job. His first day at Colby is today and the Mules begin practice on November 1. Colby opens the season Friday, Nov. 18, at Middlebury College.

"We are very fortunate to have someone of Stan’s experience and knowledge right in our backyard. He can step in on day one and be able to take command of all aspects of running a program at a high level," said Marcella Zalot, Colby's Harold Alfond Director of Athletics. "The search committee was impressed with his passion for the game and with his teaching. I know Stan personally and he is a wonderful man of character and integrity and he is such a strong professional. I have all the confidence in the world that he will be able to continue the proud tradition of our men’s ice hockey program. We’ll also have a lot of fun along the way."

Moore was an assistant coach for Providence College from 2005 to 2010. He left his post with the Friars to join his family in Belgrade, Maine, and was an assistant coach for Kents Hill School last year.

After Division I coaching stops with Providence, Colgate University, Union College, and Brown University, Moore will get a chance to run his own NCAA Division III program with the Mules.

"It's something I'm happy about and looking forward to doing," Moore said. "There is going to be a lot on my plate before that first practice. I hope to reach out to the recruits that are looking at Colby, but even more important to reach out to the players who are here right now."

Moore takes over the Mules from Jim Tortorella, who recently left Colby to become Associate Head Coach at University of New Hampshire. The Mules went 12-11-2 last year and return seven of their top nine scorers, but the team lost both goaltenders to graduation.

"There has been a lot of success here at Colby over the past 15 years or so and I'm not looking to change the culture of the team," Moore said. "I just want to help them improve the culture of the team in any way I can."

Moore, who grew up in Potsdam, N.Y., had hockey instilled in him at a young age. His father, Stanley Moore, Sr., was one of the most successful coaches in New York State high school hockey history during a 33-year stint at Massena High School.

Moore went on to play Division III hockey at Oswego State (N.Y.) University and played professionally with the Enschede Lions of the Dutch Ice Hockey Federation in 1984-85.

After some volunteer stints at Potsdam State and Brockport State after returning to the United States, Moore joined the ranks of NCAA Division I hockey at Brown University. He was an assistant for the women's ice hockey team in 1985-86 and then was a men's assistant until 1988.

Moore went on to his first stay at Providence as an assistant coach from 1988 to 1992 and then moved to Colgate from 1992 to 1996 as an assistant. He had his first head coaching experience with Division I Union (N.Y.) College from 1996 to 1998. He became the first-ever rookie head coach to earn ECAC Coach of the Year honors (1996-1997) during his time at Union.

Moore went back to Colgate as an assistant coach until 2000 and then was named associate head coach for the Red Raiders until 2003. Moore was named interim head coach at Colgate for the 2003-04 season and helped his team to a 22-12-5 overall record and won a regular season ECAC title. Moore became the first-ever interim head coach to receive ECAC Coach of the Year honors for his work. He spent one more year at Colgate before leaving for Providence.

Moore, a member of USA Hockey since 1985 and regular coach for the USA Hockey National Festival since 2006, has been a board member and a coaching coordinator for the Central Maine Youth Hockey Association. He lives in Belgrade with his wife, Barbara, and his children, Jack (age 12), Ella (10), and Lily (6).