BROCKPORT PICKED FOR 7th PLACE IN POLL

The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announces its 2012 Men’s Ice Hockey Preseason Coaches Polls. Coaches voted for every team in the conference and points were assigned for each vote (eight for first, seven for second, etc.). Teams are ranked in order of highest point total to lowest with first place votes shown in parentheses.

With seven first place votes, Oswego earned the top spot for the third straight year. Head coach Ed Gosek and the Lakers are coming off a season where they posted an overall record of 24-4-2 and a conference record of 14-0-2, but came up short of the league title. Oswego received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament where it defeated Elmira, 5-0, in the quarterfinals to advance to the NCAA Division III Championships for the third consecutive year, marking a program first.

With 58 points and two first place votes, reigning SUNYAC champion Plattsburgh took second place in the pre-season poll. The Cardinals have won four of the last five SUNYAC titles and made their fifth consecutive trip and 20^th overall to the NCAA tournament last year where they were eliminated by Amherst College. The team finished 19-5-4 overall and 12-3-1 in conference play.

Geneseo was voted third with just one more point than Buffalo State who was fourth with 45 points. The Knights Ice finished the 2011-12 conference regular season with a fourth place record of 7-8-1 and fell in the first round of the SUNYAC tournament to fifth-seeded Fredonia, 4-1.

The Bengals finished last season 8-7-1 in the conference and 13-12-2 overall and advanced to their first-ever SUNYAC semifinal game in program history.

Completing the poll was Fredonia, Potsdam, Brockport, Cortland and Morrisville.

SUNYAC conference games begin Friday, October 26. The six-team SUNYAC tournament will be held on February 20, February 23 and March 2, 2012 on campuses. The top-two teams will receive a first-round bye.

2012 SUNYAC Men’s Ice Hockey Pre-Season Poll

1. Oswego                   63 (7)

2. Plattsburgh              58 (2)

3. Geneseo                  46

4. Buffalo St.              45

5. Fredonia                  37

6. Potsdam                  27

7. Brockport                25

8. Cortland                  14

9. Morrisville               9


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COAT DRIVE DURING SEASON OPENER

With the winter season nearly upon us and the times as tough as they are, the Brockport Athletic Department and its student athletes are conducting a coat drive next week. Donate a coat and receive a discount coupon for the Brockport Bookstore...and, more importantly, you'll be helping a family in need.

Coats will be collected prior to and during the hockey season opener against Nazareth on Tuesday. As an added benefit, there will be free admission for anyone who donates a coat.

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YOUR 2012-2013 GOLDEN EAGLES....

								3 Bobby Chayka So. Defense 6-0 185 Hardwick, NJ Granite City Lumberjacks 4 Chad Cummings Fr. Defense 6-5 205 Caledon, ONT Wellington Dukes 5 Michael Zagari Fr. Forward 6-2 205 McKees Rocks, PA Jamestown Ironmen 6 Marcus Farmer So. Defense 5-10 175 Caledon, ONT Brampton Capitals 7 Chris Luker Fr. Defense 6-4 190 New Hartford, NY Buffalo Jr. Sabres 8 Matt DeLuca Jr. Defense 6-0 200 Skippack, PA Syracuse Stars 9 Shane Cavalieri Fr. Forward 6-0 195 Richmond Hill, ONT Toronto Lakeshore Patriots 10 Mike Hollander Jr. Forward 5-7 165 Thornhill, ONT North York Rangers 11 Chris Cangro Jr. Forward 5-11 190 Holbrook, NY NY Bobcats 12 Scott Fasano Fr. Defense 6-2 210 Mississauga, ONT Orangeville Flyers 14 Luke Colavecchia Fr. Forward 5-8 155 Brampton, ONT North York Rangers 15 Sean Wallace Jr. Defense 5-11 195 Rochester, NY New York Applecore 16 Troy Polino So. Forward 5-9 190 Limerick, PA New York Bobcats 17 Jonathan Demme Fr. Defense 6-3 190 Brampton, ONT Orangeville Flyers 18 Colby Spooner Sr. Forward 5-8 190 Hilton, NY Aquinas Institute 19 Steve Sachman Jr. Forward 5-11 185 Medford, NY New York Bobcats 20 Jeremy DeFazio Fr. Forward 6-1 195 Oakville, ONT Georgetown Raiders 21 Brendon Rothfuss Jr. Forward 6-0 190 Webster, NY Syracuse Stars 22 Mike Hayward C Sr. Defense 6-2 209 Toronto, ONT Vaughan Vipers 23 Bobby Conner Jr. Forward 5-10 193 Lititz, PA Philadelphia Junior Flyers 24 Jesse Facchini Fr. Forward 5-11 170 Mississauga, ONT Mississauga Chargers 26 James Ryan Fr. Forward 5-6 160 Richmond Hill, ONT Toronto Lakeshore Patriots 27 Kody Vaisanen Fr. Forward 5-11 180 Dundalk, ONT North York Rangers 30 Jared Lockhurst Fr. Goalie 6-0 185 Caledon, ONT Wellington Dukes 31 Aaron Green So. Goalie 5-10 175 Mt. Albert, ONT St. Michaels Buzzers 35 Joe Reagan Jr. Goalie 5-10 217 Yonkers, NY New York Bobcats 81 Chase Nieuwendyk Fr. Forward 6-0 180 Georgetown, ONT Trenton Golden Hawks 91 Logan Pfeffer Fr. Forward 5-10 165 Cranberry Twp, PA Mississauga Chargers

A LOOK AHEAD AT NAZARETH

A week from today's Brockport's hockey season starts as they play host to Nazareth, a brand new DIII team in Rochester that will no doubt become an annual non-conference foe for Brockport. Their match-ups could take on special meaning if Rochester-area bragging rights are on the line.

Nazareth's athletic department has put together a preview video of the team:

MORRISVILLE'S COACH RESIGNS

Here's some stunning news from a SUNYAC foe, especially with the start of the new season so close...


Morrisville State College head ice hockey coach, Brian Grady, has announced his resignation after five seasons at the helm of the program.

Under direction of Grady, the Mustangs posted an overall record of 35-88-3, as he guided the program to the State University of New York Athletic Conference play-offs twice. Morrisville State posted a season best 11-13-1 record in 2010-11 since making the transition to the NCAA, and was a program best 8-7-1 in SUNYAC play that same season, reaching the conference tournament for the second time in the program’s NCAA history.

Grady coached an all-SUNYAC honorable mention selection during his time at Morrisville State. Additionally, 43 student-athletes have earned SUNYAC All-Academic Team and/or Commissioner’s List honors.

The Mustangs get underway Monday (15^th) and take the ice for the first time Friday, Oct. 19, facing off against non-conference opponent Utica College in Utica.

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2012-2013 SEASON PREVIEW: THE YOUTH MOVEMENT

The playoffs were so close to the Golden Eagles last season that their fate was not decided until less than 8 seconds remained in the season finale against Morrisville. The controversy-marred game (2 very questionable calls put Brockport at a disadvantage in the closing moments) brought to a close what had been an exciting run for Brockport, one that nearly saw their third postseason in 4 years.

The 2011-2012 installment of the team really hit its stride around Thanksgiving and as the first semester closed out, Brockport pulled off a stunning upset, besting sixth-ranked Elmira in overtime. They overshadowed that masterpiece in February with a victory over perennial SUNYAC powerhouse Plattsburgh, beating the Cardinals for just the second time in 75 matchups and for the first time in 30 years.  Those big wins were highlights for the season and for an era.

The senior class was among the deepest and most storied in school history with the likes of Gregg Amato, James Cody, Ian Finnerty, Brett Jendra, Adam Shoff and Oliver Wren. Throw in junior Nick Panepinto -- who graduated a year early -- and you have an awesome collection of 7 men who produced not only last year, but did so from the very moment they set skate on Tuttle ice 4 years earlier.

They will all be missed by the team – and the fans. None may leave a bigger void than James Cody, who had a record-setting career at Brockport. He was a physical presence and an offensive threat, a rare combo at the DIII level. The two-time All-SUNYAC pick was last season’s SUNYAC Player of the Year and an All-American pick (the first in the program’s history).

Losing a dominant player like Cody to graduation was enough, but losing the others as well? The whole team changes. From Shoff’s guts to Wren’s Big Game focus to Finnerty’s clutch goals, there’s a lot of experience and history lost.

The team could really be considered to be in a rebuilding stage. But is it in the truest sense?

Brockport is chock full of sophomores, juniors and seniors who experienced last season’s stretch run and realized the little things – and the big things – that made the stunning upsets possible.

Consider the defense. The unit is led by All-SUNYAC defenseman Mike Hayward who will assume the mantle of team captain. He put up 14 points on the season, but, more importantly, he kept the SUNYAC’s premier forwards at bay. Then there are the likes of Matt Deluca and his wicked slapshot, and local products Colby Spooner and Sean Wallace who exhibit great defensive fundamentals and are savvy around the net. Last year’s “rookies” were pretty solid, too, guys like Bobby Chayka and Marcus Farmer who have learned the ropes of the NCAA rather quickly.

The forwards have some big skates to fill, but the remnants of last year’s team give us hope. Steve Sachman made good on the promise he showed in the juniors and racked up 16 points. His playmaking skills position him for a run at 25(+) in the coming season. His classmate Chris Cangro chipped in with 8 goals. I like his cerebral approach to the game, one that should see him break the 10-goal barrier. So should sophomore Troy Polino who netted 5 goals and saw more playing time as the season went on. Troy is a strong kid whose goals are of the athletic kind. Then there’s 2-sport star Brendan Rothfuss who is not afraid to take a wicked long-distance shot or get the blue collar goals by rushing the net (he, too, could light the lamp at least 10 times). And, don’t forget Bobby Conner. The red-headed fan favorite missed most of his sophomore season to a knee injury, but he was very productive as freshman and might just rebound for a 20-point season.

Then, there’s the net. Brockport is pretty solid there. As a freshman, Aaron Green pressed Oliver Wren for the starting role for a few weeks last season, and it almost looked like he might take it before Wren put on a goaltending clinic in the second semester. Aaron was the winning netminder in the historic Elmira game and followed it up with just 3 goals allowed against 8^th-ranked Neumann. He finished with a decent 4.10 GAA, a number he should take into the 3’s based upon how cool and unflinching he is in goal. Junior Joey Reagan’s save percentage fell to an .873 last season (albeit in just 163 minutes of play) but that belies his skills: He had one of the best seasons ever for a Brockport freshman goaltender, riding a sustained .900 for most of the season, before finally settling at .895.

Another positive in Brockport’s favor is the freshman. The only way to replace a stellar class of graduates is with stellar class of recruits. Time will tell, but at first glance, this bunch has the chance to accomplish as much as the graduates did…maybe more! It’s a deep bunch, each with a unique set of skills and a mental/character make-up that should confound the conference for the next 4 years. Any real hockey fan should feel like a kid in a candy store with this bunch.

Just look at them:

Logan Pfeffer: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/01/pfeffer-commits-to-brockport.html

Michael Zagari: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/02/physical-forward-zagari-commits-to.html 

Jonathan Demme: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/02/demme-commits-to-brockport.html

Jared Lockhurst: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/02/lockhurst-commits-to-brockport.html

Chase Nieuwendyk: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/03/joe-nieuwendyks-nephew-chase-commits-to.html

James Ryan: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/03/james-ryan-commits-to-brockport.html

Jesse Facchini: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/04/facchini-commits-to-brockport.html

Luke Colavecchia: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/04/colavecchia-commits-to-brockport.html

Shane Cavalieri: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/04/cavalieri-commits-to-brockport.html

Chris Luker:    http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/05/luker-commits-to-brockport.html

Jeremy DeFazio: http://brockporthockey.blogspot.com/2012/03/defazio-commits-to-brockport.html

As the upperclassman continue to grow and utilize the experience gleaned in the past season, and the freshman live up to the potential they show, this should be an entertaining, even successful, season for the Golden Eagles. This new youth movement should position them for a run at the playoffs this season and extended runs into the future.

We’ll see what the season holds, but I would not be surprised to see them finish 5^th in the SUNYAC this year. The tools are there. They just have to use them.

The season begins on Tuesday, October 23^rd on home ice against Nazareth. Don’t miss it!! 


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CUMMINGS DRAFTED BY NATIONAL LACROSSE LEAGUE

Big defenseman Chad Cummings (6'5", 205 pounds) had committed to play for the Golden Eagles during this past spring.

A talented athlete, he was the 36th selection in the draft conducted by the National Lacrosse League on Monday night!

The NLL is the pinnacle of the sport, the same lacrosse league that is home to the Rochester Knighthawks and Buffalo Bandits. Chad was drafted by the Calgary Roughnecks.

A big congratulations to Chad!


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GETTING YOUR HOCKEY FIX IN LOCAL COLLEGES

In one of my hobbies I am an opinion columnist for the Greater Niagara Newspapers. I usually opine about government and politics. In next week's installment, I take a diversion from that and focus on the cure for the NHL lockout blues. Here it is....

GET YOUR HOCKEY FIX IN LOCAL COLLEGES

By Bob Confer

Living along the Canadian border like we do, hockey is an important part of local culture. Countless men, women and children lace up their skates every day across this region, while many more count themselves as rabid fans of the fastest sport in the world. That transcendent love for the game makes it even more popular in Western New York than America’s most-loved sport, football.

It’s only fitting that watching and listening to the NHL dominates our evenings, something that also offers a great diversion from the long, cold nights, keeping us from going crazy in the winter tedium. Unfortunately, the escape from life’s stresses afforded by professional hockey doesn’t look to be so certain this year as the NHL’s owners and players are locked in a labor impasse. There’s a very good chance that that a significant portion (maybe even all?) of the season might be lost.

No one knows for sure what’s going to happen and fans are already depressed about the possibility of a winter with no hockey.

Don’t be depressed. And, don’t allow the arctic season to be lacking in the sport.      

There are plenty of opportunities to take in a high-quality game. Look no further than our local colleges. Hockey fans have a number of them to choose from on the Niagara Frontier. Within a 40-minute drive of Lockport we have Division I programs in Niagara University and Canisius and Division III colleges in Buffalo State and Brockport. There are even more just a little further away within the Buffalo-Rochester area, including Fredonia, Geneseo, RIT, and Nazareth. All of them put competitive, exciting teams on the ice.

The DI teams play against some of the most-storied and highest-ranked universities in the country. You can watch gifted prospects and future NHL players play all out in their quest to win a championship and cement their legacies on the ice and catch the eyes of scouts. They play with a hunger not seen in the pro ranks. There’s always a good chance that these teams could play their way onto the national stage – just as RIT did a few years ago – and the magical Frozen Four.  

You will see an even greater passion played out on the DIII rinks. DIII hockey is one of my loves (especially at Brockport where you can catch me at most home games) since it doesn’t have the trappings of DI (athletic scholarships) or the NHL (people being paid millions). They play for the love of the game. That’s it. That love is evident on the ice. The game is much faster and more active than the NHL. There is a lot of contact. The players sacrifice themselves to win. Above all, it’s played extremely well: DIII kids aren’t pushovers. As a matter of fact, they might not even be kids. The times have changed and no longer do you see a lot of “true freshmen” (guys aged 17 or 18) on the ice. Most of them stuck around the juniors for a while and further honed their game. You’re watching men in their twenties playing at a highly-skilled level that many others could never come close to achieving.

The venues in which you can watch these affairs are homey, close to the action, and above all, cheap (something an NHL game could never be). For $5 you can watch a DIII game. DI tickets can be purchased for $12 or less, depending on any number of special deals. The foods in these places are actually affordable, too, on a shoestring budget.

So, don’t fret if there isn’t an NHL hockey season. You will still get a chance to watch some great hockey in the region. Even if the NHL doesn’t go on hiatus for any length of time, make it a point to attend one of the local college games. You might even develop a new love affair with the sport.

The seasons begin soon (in just 3 weeks at the DIII level), so check out the athletic department pages of the various schools’ websites for details.

Enjoy the games! 


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