Tuesday, March 10, 2026

When your sister wins Olympic gold

The news department of the College shared this report:

POV: Your sister wins Olympic Gold  



Overtime at the 2026 Winter Olympics is not for the faint of heart.

A few rows up from the rink accounting alum and former men’s ice hockey player Casey Winn ’22 gripped his brothers Ryan and Tommy, as the U.S. women’s ice hockey team faced Canada for the gold medal.

When the puck hit the back of the net, Casey didn’t just see a championship for Team USA. He saw his little sister, Haley Winn, watching her entire life’s work culminate in a single moment.

“It was the best moment of my life for sure,” Casey said. “That moment when they won gold — we saw everything she’s done her whole life paying off in one second.”

With just a month’s notice before Haley’s debut at the 2026 Winter Olympics the three brothers sprang into packing mode. One detail mattered more than most: matching outfits.

It’s more than an outfit.

“It’s not about us,” said Ryan Winn. “It’s about the women on the ice.”

“We were just being ourselves,” Casey said. “We couldn’t just wear the same outfit every game. It’s the Olympics — we had to go all in.”

From classic matching USA hockey jerseys to Bald Eagle masks to American flag rompers with matching bucket hats, the brothers went all out to show their support for their sister Haley and the U.S. team.

Their bold outfits, over-the-top antics, and overwhelming support for their sister made them stand out among the crowd. Clips and photos of the brother’s went viral on social media and their popularity led to features on NBC, The New York Times, The Today Show, Associated Press, and more.

Casey Winn ’22 handshakes <strong>Snoop Dogg</strong> in Milan, on the set of The Today Show.

 Casey Winn ’22 handshakes Snoop Dogg in Milan, on the set of The Today Show.


“We were on our way up to the studio when someone from Today told us, ‘Oh, by the way, Snoop Dogg is up there too,’” said Casey. “I immediately thought, ‘Do not mess up on The Today Show in front of Snoop Dogg.’ He’s a huge Olympics fan, and when we met him, he couldn’t have been nicer.”

While their outfits and videos grabbed media attention, their goal was simple – to bring as much attention to the U.S. women’s ice hockey team as possible.

After their over-the-top USA outfits went viral, the Winn family heads to The Today Show in Milan to show their support for their sister on the U.S. women’s ice hockey team.

“We were grateful that people were supporting us,” Casey said. “As long as we brought attention to the U.S. women’s ice hockey team, that was our main goal, and they deserved it.”

The siblings’ passion for hockey began at a young age. While Casey’s father never played, he fell in love with the sport while attending Clarkson University and later built a backyard ice for his four children to practice in every winter. As a teenager at Bishop Kearney High School, Haley was selected for the USA program joining the U18 (Under-18) Team, beginning her training on the path toward Olympic gold.

“At every level, she kept getting better and she dominated,” Casey said. “It started to cross our minds that one day our sister could be in the Olympics.”

Returning home to Rochester, New York, after Haley secured a gold medal for the U.S. team, Casey remembered a special moment he shared with his sister years ago.

“She had a yearbook picture from when she was six years old that said, ‘Dream Job: Hockey Olympian,’” Casey said. “Seeing her live out that dream is something I’ll never forget.”

Monday, March 9, 2026

Fun times from the past

 


The hockey world is buzzing about the Sabres-Lightning game that saw 15 goals and 102 penalty minutes. ESPN even called it "one of the most entertaining games you'll ever see".

Such a game once happened at Brockport...16 goals and 96 penalty minutes.

On the night of Tuesday, October 17, 2000, the College at Brockport played one of its most exciting games in team history, an exhibition game against Humber College out of Toronto, Ontario.

The sparse crowd of 250 fans saw a game of epic proportions. It was high-scoring affair eventually won by Brockport 9-7 thanks to a 6-goal flurry in the second.

Amidst all that goal scoring was physical hockey like you’ve never seen. There were 29 penalties in the match-up, including three 10-minute misconducts and a game disqualification. In total the teams accounted for 96 minutes of penalties.

Then there was what happened after the game: During the post-game handshake a Brockport player had his helmet off and was innocently shaking hands when all of a sudden a Humber player blasted the unprotected and unsuspecting soul right in the nose, instantly bloodying his face.

In a game full of highlight, Brockport’s Nick Smyth had the greatest game ever by a Brockport hockey player. In his first game for the Golden Eagles he scored a school-record 5 goals. An impressive total no doubt. What makes it even more extraordinary is that he scored a natural shorthanded hat trick! How's that for a debut!

Thursday, March 5, 2026

Empire 8 awards

 

The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2025-26 Men’s Hockey Award Winners and All-Conference teams on Thursday, March 5. The awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.

SUNY Brockport forward Nick Reif garnered Rookie of the Year honors. A native of Depew, NY, Reif led the Golden Eagles in scoring this season with 21 points on nine goals and 12 assists in 24 games played. He ended the year with a six-game point-scoring streak with eight points over that stretch. Reif recorded a hat-trick in his second collegiate game, Nov. 1 against Neumann University.

One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2025-26 Men’s Hockey Tomorrow’s Leaders Team. This team honors a student-athlete who has emerged as a leader not only on the field of play, but in the classroom and in the community. In addition, they “compete with honor and integrity” and have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportsmen. Representing Brockport is senior blueliner Josh Higgins.

2025-26 Empire 8 Men’s Hockey All-Conference Selections
Rookie of the Year: Nick Reif
Empire 8 First Team: Nick Reif
Empire 8 Second Team: Kyle Kussman, David Filak
Empire 8 Tomorrow’s Leader: Josh Higgins

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Reif is UCHC Rookie of the Year

 


Nick Reif earned UCHC Rookie of the Year honors following a standout debut season as one of Brockport’s key scoring threats.

The Depew, NY natives’ 21 points serve as the most of any Brockport skater since the 2022-23 season, posting the most single-season points by a rookie skater since Jacob King (29) in the 2021-22 season.

Reif raised his level of play as the season went on, finishing the season on a six-game point streak and racking up 11 points (3G, 8A) across his final 11 outings. Earning the program’s first UCHC Rookie of the Year, Reif is the first Golden Eagle since Tim Kielich in 2015-16 to earn conference Rookie of the Year honor.