SCHEDULE GRAPHIC

BROCKPORT OPENS SEASON WITH TIE

The College at Brockport ice hockey team skated to a 2-2 tie on Saturday afternoon in their season opener, facing off against Nazareth College at the Bill Gray's Ice Plex.  Rookies Doc Genztler and Luke Bennett each scored a goal in their Golden Eagle debut.

The Golden Eagles move to 0-0-1 while Nazareth moves to 0-1-1.

Gentzler wasted no time in scoring his first collegiate goal, getting Brockport on the board less than five minutes into the game after taking advantage of a Nazareth interference penalty.  Nick Palumbo and Ryan Kangas each picked up an assist.

Brockport outshot the Flyers 13-8 in the first frame and would take a 1-0 lead to the first intermission.

Nazareth returned the favor in the second period, scoring a power play goal just over two minutes in.  A tight battle kept the game knotted at two entering the final period.

Bennett lit the lamp early in the third period for his first collegiate goal with help from Jake Taylor to put Brockport ahead 2-1 just 1:46 into the third.  Eight minutes later, Naz netted an equalizer, forcing overtime.

Two Flyer penalties late in regulation gave the Golden Eagles a two-man advantage to start overtime.

Brockport outshot Naz 41-33 and won 37 of 67 face offs.  Cole Burack stopped 31 shots between the pipes.

BROCKPORT "TRAVELS" TO NAZARETH THIS WEEKEND

Brockport’s season begins this Saturday, October 29^th with a 4:00 PM affair with the Nazareth Golden Flyers at the Bill Gray’s Iceplex in Rochester.

It’s a good way to start the season, even a test for Brockport, because Nazareth since entering DIII in 2012-2013 has mostly had Brockport’s number. The Golden Eagles are 1-3 against them and have been outscored by a combined 18 to 16 (these are high-scoring games).

Brockport began to exorcise that demon last year, beating Nazareth 7-0.

Nazareth was 8-14-4 last year. They did not have a 10-goal scorer. Oliver Janzen, now a junior, led the team with 8 lamplighters. Senior Dominik Gabaj led the team with 20 points last season.

Something to watch for is the physical play of 6’4” 200 pound senior forward CJ Murray who had 42 penalty minutes last year to complement his 12 points. It will be interesting to see how our big defensemen take him on.

Their goaltending is in transition, because Ed Zdolshek graduated and he started 22 games last year. It is unknown who will take the net, but it will likely be sophomore Tyler Hough who saw spot duty in 3 games and posted a .867 save percentage and 3.52 GAA.  

It will be a good game for Brockport to work out the rust and prepare for next week’s home opener against the always-tough Oswego.

ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT PREVIEW OF SEASON

Coming off of a State University of New York Athletic Conference quarter-final appearance, The College at Brockport ice hockey team is looking to make strides and bring home a SUNYAC Championship this season.

The Golden Eagles were picked to finish fifth in the SUNYAC Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released by the conference office last week.

"That poll serves as motivation for us," commented Head Coach Brian Dickinson. "It gives us something to aim for and show the coaches that picked us fourth or fifth, that we're better than that."

Last season, the Green and Gold finished with a .500 record that included a 3-2 upset of UMASS Boston, who was ranked fifth nationally at the time.

Brockport graduated eight seniors last year, a class that will be hard to replace.

"It's hard to replace a two-time All-American and one of the top defensemen in the league, but our new guys have stepped right up to the plate and shown us that they want to be here," noted Dickinson.

Dickinson brought in nine newcomers this year comprising of six freshman and three transfers. The addition of Hunter Laslo and Hunter Critchlo on offense, as well as Chris Pollini and Bryan Carville on defense, will provide a spark to the Golden Eagles production on both sides of the puck.

"The guys that we added this year are all hard workers. From day one they've shown their best and I think they'll step in and really contribute to our lineup," said Dickinson.

Also joining the Green and Gold this season is assistant coach Kris Horn, who previously coached at the Division I level at Union College. "He is a student of the game and brings a lot to our program. He has an ora about him that demands respect, and all around he's a really good guy," commented Dickinson.

The Golden Eagles have a strong sophomore class returning to the ice in forward Tim Kielich and goaltender Cole Burack. Kielich was named the SUNYAC Rookie of the Year last season after scoring eight goals and 11 assists in 16 conference games and adding another three goals and eight assists outside the league. Burack posted a record of 6-4-4 between the pipes and posted one shutout against Nazareth College. The Rockwall, Texas native stopped 425 shots for a save percentage of .897.

This year's captain will be junior forward Aidan Verbeke along with assistant Rob Hall and Dylan Shapiro. "We're really excited to have Aidan be our captain this year. He really responds to the guys well and they respect what he brings to the table," said Dickinson. "We expect Hall to anchor our defense with all the experience he has and be a leader on the blue line."

The Golden Eagles will open their season this Saturday as they take on Nazareth College at the Bill Gray's Regional Ice Plex at 4 pm. Brockport will host SUNY Oswego in its home opener on Nov. 4 at 7 pm in a rematch of last year's SUNYAC quarter-final.

SEASON PREVIEW VIDEO

Coming in at just under 3 and a half minutes, this fine Brockport Athletics video offers a preview of the 2016-2017 season:

BROCKPORT APPAREL FOR SALE

Coach Dickinson has made available through a special online store a wide variety of Brockport hockey apparel. Order soon, as the deadline is November 6th. All items will be shipped to the campus and then Coach will make arrangements to get items to individuals who purchased them. Click on the image to enlarge this photo:

BROCKPORT STYLUS LOOKS AHEAD AT THE NEW SEASON

Here's the first Brockport Stylus hockey article of the 2016-2017 season. In it, Alison Muarer looks at new assistant coach Kris Horn and the team captaincy 


The first few practices of the men’s ice hockey season have been underway. New players meld with old as the season begins for the Golden Eagles. With three 2016 graduates going off to play professionally, several freshmen and sophomores who have joined the team have some big shoes to fill.

As does the new assistant coach, Kris Horn. Horn is taking the place of Coach Steven Mallaro, who is now the head coach at King’s College in Pennsylvania.

Horn was hired just a few weeks before the start of the season, and was thrown onto the ice to handle conditioning training with the boys, whose names and numbers he has not yet had the time to memorize. Thankfully, the new coach is taking it in stride.

“[Head Coach Brian Dickinson] and I have had a good start, splitting the work,” Horn said. “The practices are longer, we’ve got a lot of conditioning. I’m handling more of the first half, with the drills and he’s doing more of the locker room stuff.”

Horn has plenty of coaching experience. Most recently, he worked at Union College, a Division I school. He has also been an assistant coach at Hamilton College, Oakland University, University of Massachusetts and Michigan State University, his alma mater.

The players are also getting to know the new coach well. Freshman forward No. 23 Hunter Laslo has bonded with the coach and especially feels he will be a good fit with the rest of the team as the season continues on.

“Coach Horn has only been here for a few days, but he’s already made a pretty big impact. I think everyone can say the same thing – we’re enjoying his presence around the locker room and on the ice,” Laslo said.

Not only is there a new coach, but a new captain as well; Aidan Verbeke is a junior who plays forward for the team. He majors in Journalism and Broadcasting.

Many of his teammates are very excited for his captaincy. His attitudes toward the game are strong and focused, as well as infectious. He is a playmaker and has the kind of strong leadership that will be good for the team’s morale.

The captain choice was made all the harder by the fact that last year’s captain, Jeremy DeFazio, made such an impact on the team. The transition between captains has been smooth and easy, since the two have many of the same favorable traits.

No.12 Zac Sikich is also a junior forward on the team. He and Verbeke have been friends for many years, dating back to when they were roommates playing for the Granite City Lumberjacks NA3HL team in Minnesota.

“He’s definitely the right pick and he’s going to lead us to something good this year,” Sikich said. “The team has been working well together, and Aidan has helped a lot with that.”

Horn also has good things to say about the captain. “Aidan’s been great.’’ Horn Said, ‘‘He’s made my transition a whole lot easier the past couple of days, and helping me fit in, and help me figure things out. He even showed me where my office was.”

Alternate Captains are senior defenseman No. 2 Rob Hall and junior forward No.19 Dylan Shapiro. All three captains are expected to be in the starting lineup.

The Golden Eagles have their first game on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 4 p.m. at Bill Gray’s Iceplex against the Nazareth Golden Flyers.




Source: http://www.thestylus.net/news/view.php/1025132/New-hockey-coaches-and-captains-break-th

HORN JOINS COACHING STAFF

The College at Brockport is pleased to announce the hiring of Kris Horn as the new Assistant Coach for the ice hockey team.

Prior to joining the Golden Eagle staff, Horn spent one season with Division I Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., helping the Dutchman reach the ECAC postseason tournament.

"Kris is a great addition to our team this year. He brings a D1 mentality to Brockport and pushes our guys to play their best," remarked Head Coach Brian Dickinson. "We're thrilled to have him here and are looking forward to the start of the season."

Horn spent the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach at Hamilton College. Prior to joining the Continentals, Horn was an assistant coach for American Collegiate Hockey Association teams at Oakland University, the University of Massachusetts and Michigan State University.

Horn has earned a USA Hockey Level 5 coaching certificate. A Westland, Mich. native, Horn attended Culver Military Academy before moving on to Michigan State, where he received a B.A. in Marketing in 2006.

CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED

Coach Dickinson has announced the Golden Eagle captaincy for this season. Aidan Verbeke will wear the "C", while Rob Hall and Dylan Shapiro will sport the "A".

NO GREEN & WHITE GAME

Due to scheduling conflicts, the green and white game originally scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled.

THE 2016-2017 SEASON PREVIEW: BROCKPORT HOCKEY IS GOOD HANDS

After losing the most decorated senior class in the college’s history, any hockey program would be shaking in its boots.

While it’s darn near impossible to make up for the absence of Brockport’s only two-time All-American (Chase Nieuwendyk), Brockport’s only 3-time All-SUNYAC pick (blueliner Chris Luker) and the College’s first SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year (Chad Cummings), the Golden Eagles are in far better shape than one might think.

Those young men were leaders who helped to grow the next classes of hockey greatness, helping Coach Dickinson to develop the underclassmen and bring to them the confidence and “game within a game” knowledge that creates a winning team and individual excellence. Many of the Golden Eagles matured dramatically on the ice and it bodes well for their future.  

Last year’s squad went 11-11-4. A cursory look at the 2016-2017 schedule and roster shows that this year’s version Golden Eagles could realistically reach 14 wins, a tally not achieved since the 2009-2010 season. The pieces are all there to point to such success.

Forwards

One of the biggest surprises of last season was Tim Kielich. He had one of the best freshman seasons of any Brockport player ever, tallying a whopping 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists). He won the conference’s Rookie of the Year honors, but was overlooked in the All-SUNYAC picks. He won’t be in the coming years; his poise and vision are extraordinary and he is as consistent as they come.  

Tim Kielich is Brockport's superstar,
primed for another great season

He’ll be paired with junior Ryan Kangas, a speedster who amassed 12 goals and 14 assists last year and is one of the most underrated two-way forwards in the SUNYAC.

Another 20-plus point scorer is a holdover from last year. Aidan Verbeke had a 5-17-22 line and worked some magic with Zac Sikich, who had 10 goals in his sophomore campaign and is getting better with age. Don’t be surprised if Sikich lights the lamp more than a dozen times this season.

Defensemen

Losing Luker and Cummings hurts, but the defensive squad is developing nicely. Among them are Connar Bass and Nicholas Palumbo, who both earned spots on USCHO.com’s All-Rookie team for the conference. Those selection were made by SUNYAC coaches who now have to find ways to beat their stifling play for the next 3 years.

Senior Rob Hall brings consistent, unheralded play to the ice. Despite just 4 points on the season, he produces the way a true defenseman should, focusing on containing threats and staying out of the penalty box. The same holds true for the strong Brian Hurlimann, who had just 2 points last year, which, again belies how well he plays.

Three interesting non-freshman recruits to watch for are Brandon McMartin who played for SUNY Canton last year, Kevin Chilton who played for Nichols College and Bryan Carville who played for Hobart. They will all contribute out of the gate.   

Goalies

It seems that the Todd Sheridan era redefined goaltending at Brockport as it has been a definite strength of the program since Todd hit the ice here ten years ago. In the years that followed we were blessed with the likes of Oliver Wren, Aaron Green, and Jared Lockhurst.

That strong tradition continues…

Last season’s #1 was Cole Burack, who showed flashes of brilliance that belie his .897 save percentage. He had some huge games and is undoubtedly the most athletic goaltender in the SUNYAC, regularly making highlight reel saves. He went 6-4-4 last year and there’s no reason to think that he shouldn’t exceed a .910 save percentage this season.  He’s “must watch” because you never know what sort of save he will make next. 

Cole Burack plays an exciting brand of hockey

Sophomore Jake Moore appeared in 3 games last year, in which he secured a solid 3.21 GAA.

Both will be tested by freshman Matt Schneider, who had a stellar 2015-2016 season with the Florida Eels of the USPHL Elite league. In 26 games he had an amazing .945 save percentage and a 2.13 GAA.

All of the above, along with yet another strong recruiting class, show that Brockport Hockey is in good hands and primed for a successful – and entertaining – season that could take them deep into the SUNYAC playoffs.

HERE IS THE 2016-2017 TEAM PHOTO