SUNYAC play returns this weekend when Brockport
takes on the far Western New York teams.
On Friday, they host Buffalo State at Tuttle North
Ice Arena at 7:00 PM. The Bengals are 7-7-1 and a solid 4-3-1 in conference
play. These teams already faced off this season, Brockport winning a 5-1 affair
in Buffalo.
It would be nice if Brockport’s new lines could
have a repeat performance. They will be facing sophomore Connor Minch in goal
who has a .894 save percentage and a 2.99 GAA. He faces a fair number of shots
per game – just over 28 – so the forwards will have their chances.
Buffalo State’s offense is 30th in the
country with 3.33 goals per game. They are led by senior Mac Wood (8 goals) and
sophomore Vadim Vasjonkin (7 goals) who hails from Estonia.
One fellow to not overlook is Braeden Doust. He
doesn’t get a lot of minutes, but he makes the most of them. Last year he didn’t
score a goal, but this year has 4 – and he’s done that in only 8 games (and one
of those goals was against Brockport).
Brockport will then travel to Fredonia Saturday –
that is, if the winter storm doesn’t have other ideas.
The Blue Devils are ranked 15th in the
country – so this is a big game for the Golden Eagles. Fredonia already beat
Brockport once this season, 3-1, at Brockport. Fredonia is 11-2-2 and a stellar
5-1-0 in SUNYAC games. They are 6-1-0 at home.
It’s going to be a nail-biting defensive affair. If
you like physical chess matches with low scores (as I do), this is the one for
you.
They allow 2.20 goals per game, so Brockport’s
goal-starved offense (2.81 goals per game) will have to do their darnedest in
the puck possession game. Fredonia’s offense isn’t much more potent (3.07 goals
per game, just a quarter-of-a-goal more than Brockport), so they, too, will
have their work cut out for them…Brockport allows just 1.75 goals per game.
These teams are so closely matched it’s scary, they’re
like twins. It shows you how close Brockport is to being a top ranked team.
If you can’t make the trip because of the snow, you
can watch the Fredonia game on their website. Their TV-style coverage has long
been the best in the SUNYAC.
