Locker room to be named

Here's something that appeared in the "Good News" section of President Heidi Macpherson's October message to her colleagues on campus:

"Finally, Bob Confer ’96, owner of Confer Plastics in Niagara County, is naming the Confer Plastics Ice Hockey Team Room in Tuttle North."

Plattsburgh player writes of SUNYAC's cancellation of hockey season

Here's an article by Joe Kile who plays hockey at Plattsburgh. He writes of his frustration and heartbreak over SUNYAC's cancellation of the hockey season:

https://medium.com/@jkile001/dear-sunyac-2b6e8ed26a6d

SUNYAC cancels winter sports season

In an abundance of caution to protect the health and safety of students and staff, after consultation with conference leadership, the presidents of the State University of New York Athletic Conference have made the difficult decision to cancel winter sports.

"This was not an easy decision and I empathize with all of our student-athletes across the SUNYAC," Erik Bitterbaum, the chair of the SUNYAC Presidents said. "However, despite our best efforts to plan for a winter season, our priority must be the health and safety of everyone involved with intercollegiate athletics, and our campuses as a whole."

The winter sports impacted by the decision include the conference schedules and championships for men's and women's basketball, as well as men's ice hockey. The championships for men's and women's swimming & diving and men's and women's indoor track & field also have been canceled.

The SUNYAC will continue internal planning for the possibility of spring sports. The decision on spring sports will be made at a future date.

Hockey to play abbreviated season due to COVID protocols

 

The State University of New York Athletic Conference will begin its 2020-21 conference schedule for men's ice hockey at the beginning of February.

The conference announced the decision on Tuesday, Oct. 6, following approval by the SUNYAC athletic directors during their weekly conference meeting on Oct. 5. The schedule for ice hockey will consist of eight divisional games and a four-team crossover playoff format that features the top two teams in each division.

"The schedules are designed to provide a meaningful student-athlete experience while at the same time prioritizing the health and safety of the student-athletes and staff," Tom DiCamillo, commissioner of the SUNYAC, explained. "We know full well that the pandemic environment is ever-changing; however, it is important to establish our intent to begin conference play in February which will allow our member-institutions to appropriately prepare for intercollegiate athletic competition."

DiCamillo stressed that the SUNYAC will follow recommendations, guidelines and direction from local, regional, state and SUNY authorities, as well as from its national organization the NCAA.

"We will not operate in a vacuum," DiCamillo stated, "but the strength of the SUNYAC is its athletic leadership and knowledge that will be used to craft the best and safest experience possible for our student-athletes."

In addition to health and safety, the divisional schedule reduces costs by slashing travel and the need for most hotel accommodations. And, it preserves the NCAA eligibility for student-athletes by playing less than 50 percent of the allowable contests.

Men's ice hockey will have a divisional alignment since nine institutions sponsor the sport. Games mostly will be contested on Tuesdays and Fridays with the SUNYAC semifinals set for Thursday, March 4, and the championship scheduled for Sunday, March 7.

The Western Division will consist of Brockport, Buffalo State, Cortland, Fredonia and Geneseo playing an eight-game, double round-robin schedule starting Sunday, Jan. 31.

The Eastern Division will feature just four teams – Morrisville, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam – that will play a triple round-robin schedule minus one contest beginning Friday, Feb. 5.

Each team playing the other teams three times produces a nine-game schedule – one more game than the Western Division – therefore a decision was made based upon geographical distance to balance the schedule by eliminating one long trip – Oswego to Plattsburgh. As a result, Potsdam and Morrisville will play each other just two times as well.

Buy your Brockport Hockey apparel before October 18th

If you would like to augment your wardrobe and support Brockport hockey, the apparel store is open now until October 18th. A wide variety of hats, shirts and jackets are available for purchase. https://brockporthockey2020.itemorder.com/sale