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Coach Dickinson will have a lot to smile about this year
(Photo Credit: SUNY Brockport, Sam Cherubin) |
Last year’s Golden Eagle hockey squad was likely
left for dead by most hockey aficionados off-campus at the start of last season.
The previous May the squad lost 8 players to
graduation including 4 of their top 5
scorers. That’s a difficult obstacle to overcome – typically, no one expects a
team with 10 freshmen to make any noise.
But, the Golden Eagles did. They made a lot of noise.
High on character and grit, and imbued with strong
leadership from upperclassmen, the team performed beyond the expectations that
the rest of the conference had for them. The young squad went 15-9-2, the most
wins the program had seen since the 17-8-1 campaign of 1987-1988.
Along the way there were some “statement” games –
like the 1-1 tie at Plattsburgh, never a good place to play; dominating the
Castleton Tournament on Thanksgiving weekend; and the beatings of Buffalo
State.
The season came to an end, though, in the first
round of the playoffs, the young team showing their playoff inexperience to
Plattsburgh.
But, with the maturation of those magical freshmen
and other players coming into their own, this season looks to be even brighter
and there is a legitimate shot at besting the College’s 17-win record and going
deep into the playoffs. All the parts are in place.
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Matt Schneider has the steely resolve to steal some games for the Golden Eagles
(Photo Credit: SUNY Brockport) |
The 2018-2019 Golden Eagles won on the strength of
great goaltending and a super-stingy defensive approach that allowed just 24 shots
on goal per game and a program-record 2.03 goals per game (13th best
in the country).
While Jake Moore has graduated after a
record-setting senior year (.925 save percentage, 1.93 GAA, 4 shutouts, all
team records) the goalie stable is full at Tuttle North. Senior Matt Schneider had a stellar 2.37 GAA
in 9 games last year and rookie Aidan Curry looks to shine. He has the size (6’2”)
and the production (a .920 save percentage in 20 games for the Boston Junior
Rangers last year).
The defense is mostly intact, having lost blueliners
Bryan Carville and Connar Bass to graduation. Junior Ryan Romeo and sophomore
Corey Tam had great seasons last year. Romeo came on hot as a playmaker in the
second semester, ending with 17 points and Tam smoothly posted excellent
plus/minus stats all season, and he contributed on the power play with 3 such
goals. Don’t overlook guys like Casey Winn (a defenseman’s defenseman) and
freshman AJ Przystawski, an EHL fan favorite and big man who plays a physical brand
of hockey (99 PIM in 27 games last year).
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D-man Corey Tam showed great polish and poise as a freshman
(Photo: SUNY Brockport, Sam Cherubin) |
The team’s weakness last year may have been the
ability to consistently light the lamp. The team was a roller coaster,
sometimes pouring the goals on and then going into long lulls where goals were
hard to come by. The team scored 2.96 goals per game, 40th best in
the country. It’s hoped that they can muster another 12 goals this season,
pushing that number to 3.40/game.
It’s not too great of a request, considering the
talent is there.
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Connor Hutchins looks to end his NCAA career with a deep playoff run
(Photo: SUNY Brockport, Sam Cherubin) |
It all starts with senior playmaker Connor Hutchins
who led the team with 26 points last year. He has an eye for
finding breakdowns in defenses. He should secure a dozen lamplighters this
year. He’ll also be feeding pucks to Doc Gentzler, a tough, scrappy forward who
led the team with 9 goals and should improve on that number dramatically. Sophomore
Mitchell Parsons showed flashes of brilliance last year, ending the season with
8 goals – his speed is at another level…with a year of NCAA experience behind
him, he’ll be able to capitalize on that. And then there’s Jordan Renaud – he
has a name that sounds perfect for Canada’s national sport and he has a skill
set for it, too. In 22 games for the Golden Eagles as a freshman he had 8
goals. He can make things happen…great vision, hands, and skating. I promise
that over the next 3 years he’s destined for a 15+ goal season (or two).
Brockport has everything they need to succeed. They
have the talent and the character. They are a team that won young and is a year
smarter and more experienced. The sky’s the limit. This is one of the seasons
where you’d better not miss a single home game. This could be one for the ages. Is this the year we raise the SUNYAC banner?
