DEFAZIO COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

Georgetown Raiders forward Jeremy DeFazio (photo credit - Izak Westgate/HHOF) has confirmed his commitment to join The College at Brockport Golden Eagles beginning with the 2012-13 SUNYAC season.



The 20-year old native of Oakville, Ontario made the jump to the OJHL as a 17-year old rookie with the Bramalea Blues in 2009-10. After notching 17 points as a rookie, the club would suspend operations and DeFazio would briefly leave the OJHL, before returning as a member of the powerhouse Burlington Cougars last season. He would notch 22 points in 42 games for the Cougars while helping them capture the West Division regular season title. This season, DeFazio moved to the Raiders and was once again part of a regular season championship, helping the club finish first overall in the entire OJHL, and hopes to continue that success in the playoffs.

DeFazio has good hockey pedigree. His father is Dean DeFazio who played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He runs DeFazio hockey camp: http://www.defaziohockey.com/

Jeremy's brother Brandon plays for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the AHL.

Here's a video of a Jeremy DeFazio donnybrook:

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SUNYAC REPORT ON ALL-AMERICANS

Four student-athletes from three SUNYAC schools were recognized by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) as 2012 Division III CCM Men's Hockey All-America East Team honorees as announced Thursday evening in conjunction with this weekend’s NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Championships in Lake Placid.

The College at Brockport senior forward James Cody, Oswego State junior forward Jon Whitelaw, Plattsburgh defender Mike Grace and goalie Mathieu Cadieux were all named to the second team.

Cody, a first team all-SUNYAC and the conference Player of the Year, finished the 2011-2012 season with 34 points (19 goals, 15 assists). His 19 goals led the SUNYAC conference and his 34 points were fifth-most in the league. In 15 SUNYAC games this season, he scored 11 goals and had eight assists. Cody ranks among the all-time greats at Brockport as he finished his career with 116 total points, good enough for sixth on the career list.

Whitelaw leads the Lakers in points and goals with 41 and 19, respectively, while sitting in second place on the team with 22 assists. The First Team All-SUNYAC honoree has also posted seven power-play and four game-winning goals so far this season. The Lakers, who are 23-3-2, will face Amherst, which is 24-3-1, in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Men's Hockey Championship in Lake Placid on Friday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. Oswego State earned its trip to Herb Brooks Arena by defeating Elmira, 5-0, in the quarterfinal round.

Grace garners the first all-American nod of his career. The Cardinal blueliner finished the season with a goal and 12 assists and was named Most Valuable Player of t he SUNYAC Tournament. Grace, who appeared in all 28 games, has provided a veteran presence on the nation's fourth-best defense that has allowed 56 goals and held its opponents to 2.00 goals per game.

Cadieux also receives his first all-American accolade after earning a spot on the SUNYAC First Team in his first season with the Cardinals. The sophomore goaltender finished the season with a 16-5-3 record, which included a 13-game unbeaten streak and three shutouts. The Oshawa, Ontario native is sixth in the nation in goals-against average (1.85) and ninth in save percentage (.928).


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JAMES CODY: ALL-AMERICAN!!

The reigning SUNYAC Player of the Year, Brockport's own James Cody, has been named as an East Region 2nd-team All-American.

The award was announced at Thursday's Frozen Four banquet, presented by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) and determined with votes cast by Division III men's coaches.

He becomes the first Brockport player to achieve All-American status.

A fitting recognition for a great season, a great career, and a great young man!

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JOE NIEUWENDYK'S NEPHEW -- CHASE -- COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

Trenton Golden Hawks forward Chase Nieuwendyk has confirmed his commitment to join The College at Brockport Golden Eagles beginning with the 2012-13 SUNYAC season.




The 21-year old native of Georgetown, Ontario recently completed his fourth full OJHL season after playing the the previous three years with the Brampton Capitals. Nieuwendyk would steadily improve his statistical totals each season of his career, starting with 12 goals and 39 points as a 17-year old rookie in Brampton, and finishing with 27 goals and 57 points in 49 regular season games with Trenton to finish as the club's second leading scorer this past season.

In 147 career OJHL games Chase has 149 points....a very good pick-up for the Golden Eagles!

His bio on the OJHL roster says this (note the SAT!)...

Chase comes to Golden Hawks from Brampton along with teammate Josh Ocampo in a trade with the Capitals. Safe to say that Chase has good hockey genes as he is the nephew of NHL Hall Of Famer, Joe Nieuwendyk. Heady, slippery, good 2-way player, playmaker, deceptive are all words to describe Mr. Nieuwendyk’s game. With an 1630 SAT and good high school marks he hopes to obtain an NCAA scholarship.

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JAMES RYAN COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

Toronto Lakeshore Patriots alternate captain James Ryan (photo credit - Brian Watts/OJHL Images) has confirmed his commitment to join the College at Brockport Golden Eagles beginning with the 2012-13 SUNYAC season.

The 19-year old native of Richmond Hill, Ontario becomes the fifth Patriot to committ to the an NCAA program this year and certainly won't be the last with a few other players still deciding. After playing one game for the then Upper Canada Patriots in 2009-10, Ryan joined the club full-time last season and tasted instant success as a rookie, recording 20 goals and 42 points to finish fourth on the club in scoring. Entering this season as one of the club's leaders, his goal total would drop slightly (16), but he improved his overall play, notching 49 points in 49 regular season games played and has continued the strong effort into the Patriots playoff run thus far.

"James is a fantastic young man and a very talented hockey player," commmented Patriots Head Coach Mike Tarantino. "I'm thrilled that he has attained his goal of playing hockey in the NCAA while earning a degree. James will definitely be an offensive asset to Brockport's program and I expect him to contribute right from his freshman year," added Tarantino.

Brockport is an NCAA Division III school of approximately 8,500 students that is located just outside Rochester, New York. Their arena seats 1,800 and is about a two and a half hour drive from Toronto. They are coached by Brian Dickinson and assisted by Phil Roe, Nick Unger, and Chuck Dossier. Currently there are nine Canadian-born players on their roster, and of those, eight are OJHL graduates.


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