SAVES FOR A CURE ON FACEBOOK

Todd Sheridan recently created a Facebook page for Saves For a Cure. Become a fan by going to:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saves-For-A-Cure-Inc/106497409380246?ref=mf

GORRIE IS ON FIRE IN AAHL PLAYOFFS

Jason Gorrie played for the Golden Eagles this past season and was to graduate from Brockport in 2010. The Evansville (IN) Courier & Press reports on his adventures of the past few days....


Jack Collins couldn’t have asked for a better start to the playoffs by his Evansville IceMen hockey team over the weekend.

Opening the best-of-five Davidson Cup semifinals on the road, the IceMen won a pair of games over the Battle Creek Revolution, meaning Collins’ team can wrap up the series at Swonder Ice Arena tonight at 7:30 p.m.

“We’re not going to change anything,” said Collins. “Nothing’s broke, so we don’t have to fix anything.”

After finishing third in the All America Hockey League during the regular season, the IceMen routed the Revolution 10-2 in Game 1 on Friday. Then on Saturday night, Collins saw his players battle back from a 2-0 deficit in the first period to win a 4-3 overtime thriller.

Jason Gorrie, a Canadian who joined the team in March after graduating from the College of Brockport (N.Y.), has had the hot hand in the playoffs with five goals in the first two games. He scored just five goals in 25 games during his senior year.

Read the entire article here:

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/mar/28/icemen-can-win-series/

AN INTERVIEW WITH MATT DELUCA

The Golden Eagles recently made a nice pick-up with the addition of Matt DeLuca a 6', 190-pound blueliner who excels in defensive play, a must-have in the powerful SUNYAC.

Matt spent last season with the Syracuse Stars of the EJHL and is a hardworking hockey player who will fit in quite well with Brockport's approach to the game.

I asked Matt a few questions about hockey and Brockport so players, fans, and alumni can get to know the new defenseman...



Tell us about your hockey history...


Well, I didn’t really start playing ice hockey until a little later than most college hockey players probably did. But, I think as a kid that actually helped me because I was always just dreaming about playing hockey and every day I wanted it more and more. I have seen a lot of kids get burned out from being too involved at a young age and by getting a late start. I feel like I overcame that obstacle.

I played midget hockey locally for the Junior Flyers where I met my previous Coach, Dave Dorman. He really took me out of 16U and into Juniors and started to shape me into the player I am today. After that, I played for him in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League and then Atlantic Junior Hockey League. I really worked hard every single day and was fortunate enough to be an all-star both years, as a rookie.

Then, I left the Junior Flyers and went to the Syracuse Stars in the Eastern Junior Hockey League. The Stars have always been an impressive organization and playing well for them was very important to me. With that being said, playing for the Stars landed me at Brockport and I plan to continue to work hard consistently and try to bring as much positive attention to the program as I can.




Brockport has been a very good defensive team in recent seasons. What do you bring to the team that will keep up that tradition?



First and foremost, I was always taught that defense comes first and I don’t really plan to ever deviate from that strategy. Coming up through Juniors, in 2008, I was named the defensive defenseman of the year for the entire league and that’s something I have always taken pride in. In more recent years I feel like I have definitely started to focus more on being an offensive threat but like I said, I won’t ever deviate from focusing on defense first.




What was it about Brockport that you found so attractive as both a hockey player and a student?



I wanted to go somewhere that had a pretty good fan base established and to be honest I just got a really good impression of the hockey environment when I came to watch my first came in the Tuttle. As far as the academic environment, I really liked the atmosphere while walking around campus but I feel as if I’ll become more acquainted with the “college” aspects of Brockport when I arrive in the fall.




What degree will you be pursuing in the classroom?


Business Administration




Who are your all-time favorite NHL-ers?


My favorite player is Dion Phaneuf but being from Philly I have to mention Mike Richards.

INSALACO COACHING AT FROZEN FOUR

One of the best stories of this NCAA season is the Rochester Institute of Technology's advancement to the Division I Frozen Four.

It should be noted that one of Brockport's best has had a hand in their awesome season.

RIT assistant coach David Insalaco played for the Golden Eagles from '96-'07 to '99-'00 and had a fine career at Tuttle North. He had three seasons of 25 or more points, including a spectacular '99-'00 campaign in which he amassed 36 points on 16 goals and 20 assists and was selected for the All-SUNYAC second team.

David was always fun to watch on the ice: He possessed awesome talent (he was a fast skater with a quick shot) who worked really hard to transform that talent into results. I guarantee he has shared that hardworking approach to the game with the RIT players.

Here's the bio that RIT has on their website....


Dave Insalaco enters his second season as an assistant coach for the RIT men’s hockey program.

Insalaco returned to Rochester after spending the last two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League. Midway through the 2007-08 season, he took over as the head coach and general manager, coaching current RIT sophomores Cameron Burt and Taylor McReynolds, along with incoming freshman Chris Saracino. In 2006-07, Insalaco also coached Tiger assistant captain Sean Murphy.

Insalaco began his coaching career in 2002-03, as a volunteer assistant at SUNY Brockport. In 2003-04, he moved to SUNY Geneseo as an assistant coach. There, he worked under current RIT Associate Head Coach Brian Hills for two seasons. During Insalaco’s three seasons at SUNY Geneseo, the Ice Knights went 51-23-11 and earned two NCAA Division III Tournament berths.

Last summer, Insalaco coached at the USA Hockey Select Under-17 camp in Rochester with several of the nation’s top collegiate coaches.

Insalaco played two years of professional hockey for the Adirondack IceHawks of the United Hockey League from 2000-02, recording 10 goals and 21 assists for 31 points in 128 career games. He quickly became a fan favorite in Adirondack, winning the Unsung Hero and 110 Percent Award as voted on by the fans in 2001-02. Insalaco helped lead Adirondack to a division title in 2000-01.

The Greece native played collegiately at SUNY Brockport from 1996-00. Insalaco tallied 47 goals and 62 assists for 109 points in 108 career games for the Golden Eagles. He is seventh all-time at SUNY Brockport in goals and 10th in points. Insalaco was an All-SUNYAC second team selection in 2000 and Chase Memorial Academic Athletic Scholarship winner.

“Dave is a young, smart, energetic coach,” said RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson. “He excels in recruiting, skill development, video analysis and understands the game very well. Dave’s individual instruction with our players has made a big impact with our program.”

In addition, Insalaco’s sister Kim was a member of the 2006 United States Women’s Olympic Hockey Team that earned a bronze medal in Turin, Italy. She is also an assistant women’s hockey coach at Cornell University.

Insalaco lives in Greece with his wife Erica.

SEAN WALLACE COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

The EJHL reports the following....

The New York Apple Core Junior Program is proud to announce that defenseman Sean Wallace has committed to SUNY-Brockport.

Wallace, a '90 birth year from Rochester, New York, was a late season pickup from the Bridgewater Bandits. In 36 EJHL contests this season, he recorded 1g and 8a for 9pts and 20PIMs.

The State University of New York - Brockport competes in the highly competitive SUNYAC Conference. Other Apple Core alumni who attended Brockport include Mike Hagens and Billy Acker.

HAYDEN COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

Defenseman Pat Hayden who played with the Junior A team of the Philadelphia Little Flyers has committed to Brockport. The 5'9", 170-pounder had 22 points in 31 games this past season, scoring 12 goals and assisting on 10 more.

ROTHFUSS COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

The Rochester Xtreme Hockey League reports the following...

RXHL Alumni Brendon Rothfuss has committed to play for DIII Brockport State University. Rothfuss, a former D&C All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year, is currently playing for the Syracuse Stars JR A team. Rothfuss spent time with the Maksymum JR B, and the Brockville Braves JR A Clubs. He played in the RXHL High School league for 3 seasons from '05-'07.

In 33 games for the Stars this past season the 6', 190 lb. forward had 15 points on 9 goals and 6 assists.

GOALTENDER COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

The New York Bobcats of the AJHL have announced the following...

The Bobcats are proud to announce that standout goaltender, Joe Reagan, has committed to the Golden Eagles of Brockport State College for the 2010/2011 season. Joe will be joining former Bobcats Thomas and Danny Galiani, both of whom have contributed greatly to Brockport’s success this season. Brockport is a member of the SUNYAC Conference, which is arguably the strongest Division III Conference in the United States. Joe becomes the sixth player from this year’s New York Bobcats to receive a commitment to play collegiate hockey.

A strong argument could be made that Joe Reagan has been the Bobcats’ most valuable player the past two seasons. During his initial campaign last season, he played 40 games, posting a 22-10-2-1 record with a goals against average of 2.45 and an eye-popping save percentage of .928. He was one of the key contributors on a Bobcats team that finished second overall in the AJHL and ultimately participated in the U.S. Nationals. For long stretches of the season, his leadership and goaltending essentially carried the team. To no-one’s surprise, Joe has brought his game to an even greater level this season. Having recently clinched the AJHL regular season title and an automatic bid to the U.S. Nationals, the Bobcats owe much of that success to Joe Reagan. Through 34 games played this season, Joe has accumulated a 24-6-0-0-1 record with a goals against average of 2.32 and an outstanding save percentage of .929, placing him among the top five goaltenders in the AJHL. Together with rookie Sal Magliocco, the Bobcats have sported one of the top goaltending tandems in the league. Joe’s contributions to the team, however, go well beyond stopping the puck. As one of the most well liked and respected players on the team, Joe’s leadership has brought an attitude and air of competitiveness that invariably translates into success. More importantly, those qualities have permeated the Bobcats locker room on a day-to-day basis throughout the last two seasons. Ultimately, those intangible contributions have been as equally important as Joe’s on ice success.

Before joining the Bobcats, Joe was a member of the Long Island Royals 2008 Junior B National Champions. His contributions to that team were unsurpassed. In addition to earning MJHL All-Star and First Team All-League honors, Joe was the recipient of the league’s MVP and Goaltender of the Year awards. His extraordinary save percentage of .951 was by far the best in the league during the 07/08 campaign. In addition, to participating in the NYS Select 14, 16 & 17 Camps, Joe was selected for the USA National 14 Festival in 2004, where he accumulated the best goals against average of any goaltender in the country. Joe was also a two-time medal winner for Hudson Valley at the Empire State Games, earning a Bronze in 2007 and a Silver in 2006, and was the top goaltender on the Long Island Royals Bantam team that won the 2005 New York State Tier I Championship and reached the National quarter-finals. Joe is also well known for his storied high school career. Some of his many accomplishments while at Stepinac High School in White Plains included First Team All-League and Varsity Goalie of the Year honors in 07/08.

A strong and perennial honor student, Joe hopes to pursue a career in Forensic Science. The Bobcats would like to extend their sincere and heartfelt congratulations to Joe (or the “Bear” as he is affectionately called) and the entire Reagan family and wishes him the very best as he heads to Brockport State College to embark on his academic and college hockey career.

BROCKPORT PICKS UP A DEFENSEMAN

With Alan Liwush graduating in May, there is a void amongst the team's defensemen.

Coach Dickinson has acted quickly to fill that void: 19-year old Matt Deluca, who spent the past season with the Syracuse Stars of the EJHL, will be coming to Brockport next semester. The 6' 190-pound blueliner played in 41 games this past season, scoring 3 goals and assisting on 11 more.

Here's what the Stars say about the pick-up...

The Syracuse Stars are proud to announce that defensemen Matt Deluca will be headed to the Brockport Golden Eagles next season. Deluca, a Skippack, PA native, will be a great addition to Coach Dickinson's and Coach Digby's Brockport squad.

Coach Montagna's comments on Matt, "From Day 1 Matt just worked at getting better. He defines what you look for in a player when it comes to work ethic, drive and character. When you combine that with his talent on the ice it gives you the type of player you want to coach. Matt will be very successful because he is a young man who gets it. He is a smart, independent thinker who is very focused on what his goals are. He has just been a pleasure to coach and get to know as a young man. A great pick up by the Golden Eagles. I am thrilled for him and believe he will have great success at the next level."

Matt wanted to thank the Stars organization and coaches for the opportunity to play in Syracuse this season. He always wanted to thank his family and friends for their love and support. The Stars wish Matt great success at Brockport.

CODY AND SHERIDAN AMONG THE TOP

The Eagles Nest television show on BTV has recognized James Cody and Todd Sheridan among the top ten winter athletes. Watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNWrAQEGcg8

BROCKPORT HOCKEY BY THE NUMBERS

The DIII hockey season is just about over with only two weekends left in the playoffs, so we can finally look back at overall numbers for the team and its players as standings really won’t change much with only a handful of teams of the 72 in Division III still playing.

2009-2010 was another super-successful year for the team. For the second year in a row, the team posted 14 wins, ranking it with last season for the third most-wins in the team’s history as a varsity sport (going back to the ’73-’74 season). At 14-12-1, their .537 winning percentage was .537, putting them in the top half of all DIII teams. Quite an accomplishment!

Defensively, the team was out of this world, allowing 3.11 goals a game, for a total of only 84 over the 27-game season. That set a new scored record for the fewest goals allowed per game, besting last year’s previous record when 90 were let in. It should be noted that the ’74-’75 team allowed 68 goals but that was in 19 game season, good for a 3.58 average.

That stellar performance allowed them to overcome their offensive flaws. The team lit the lamp only 82 times, good for 51st in the nation and an average score of 3.04/game. That output ranks them only 27th among all the Golden Eagles teams of the past.

But, the team was amazingly cohesive when it came to special teams and in that category they had, well, a special season. Never a team known for a flashy power play, that’s where the team excelled: With two weeks left in the regular season they had the 9th best PP unit in the country. They finished the season 12th best finding success on 23% of their chances (38 of 165). The penalty kill was just as awesome, ending up 14th best in DIII, killing 85.5% (124 of 145) of their opponent’s man advantages. Helping along those numbers was the fact that the Golden Eagles were the 45th-least-penalized team in DIII, facing only 14.8 minutes in the box per game.

The team was led in scoring (28 points) for the second year in a row by sophomore James Cody, who also led the team in goals with 14. James was among the best in the nation in power play goals, his 9 such goals good for third (and only 2 behind the leader). He also netted 4 game winners, which was the 10th best total in DIII. If James keeps up the pace he has shown in his young career (a pace he is he destined to exceed the next 2 seasons) he will finish his among the top 6 scorers in Brockport history.

Junior Ray Tremblay was second in scoring with 25 points on 6 goals and 19 assists. His assist output (.73/game) was good for 62nd in the nation.

Goaltender Todd Sheridan finished the season with a 3.07 GAA (48th in the nation) and a .911 saves percentage, good for 26th in DIII. The senior now holds all four of Brockport’s single-season GAA records (2.59 - 3.07 – 3.22 – 3.51) and the career record for saves percentage at .904, which includes the two best single-season records of .911 and .917. He also set the single-season record for shutouts this season with 3 and now holds the College’s all-time record with 5.

And, we can't forget the fans. Thanks to the success of the team on the ice and the awesome efforts of the fellows in the Eagles Nest, Brockport had the 11th best attendance in the nation, averaging 1,032 fans in their 11 home games. They were only 1 of 12 teams to exceed an average attendance of 750. In comparison, Buffalo State, a SUNY school of similar size, saw only 309 fans per game.

BROCKPORT HAS HOLES TO FILL

Andrew Lipari, who covers the Golden Eagles ice hockey team for the Brockport Stylus, wrote yet another fine article for this week's edition, looking at the future of the team...



Hockey has big hole to fill behind net
Andrew Lipari


Head coach Brian Dickinson said after their playoff loss to Plattsburgh, it was the hardest post-game speech he ever gave at Brockport, after a playoff loss to Plattsburgh.

This senior class has proved to be a special group of players for the school and the hockey team. Led by goaltender Todd Sheridan and forward Sean O'Malley, the Golden Eagles made their first playoff appearance in school history last season. They followed that up with another trip to the playoffs this year.

Sheridan might be the most important player in Brockport's hockey team history. He is third in all-time saves, and seems to have every other goaltending record, including shutouts. The record-breaker came in their playoff win against Potsdam this season.

But, his greater contribution comes off the ice with the Saves For A Cure foundation. Sheridan set up to give kids going through cancer treatment a home environment. This year alone, the hockey team raised more than $3,400.

O'Malley's scoring and leadership will be missed by this hockey team. He leaves Brockport with 32 goals and 38 assists in his career. This season, O'Malley scored 11 times, and 19 points overall.

Brockport is also losing forwards Jason Gorrie and Ryan Silveira, along with defenseman Alan Liwush, who all contributed to the recent success of the team.

In both Brockport's playoff seasons, Plattsburgh sent them home in the semi-finals in the SUNYAC tournamnt. They ended up improving by two goals this year, losing 7-2 last year and 5-2 this year.

Now that they've had the taste of playoffs, success will hopefully follow in the following years.

Looking ahead to next season, Brockport has some pieces to the puzzle already in place.

Despite losing O'Malley, Brockport is returning seven of their top eight scores from this season, including leading scorer James Cody who is going into his junior year. Forwards Justin Noble, Ray Tremblay, Ian Finnerty and Tom Galiani are also returning next season.

On defense, Gregg Amato and Mike Hayward were Brockport's top scoring defensemen this season, and have multiple years left in their careers.

The biggest question for next year is how Oliver Wren will do replacing Sheridan in goal. Losing Sheridan will be the greatest loss to any team in the SUNYAC conference.

Wren played in five games this year, mostly coming in non-conference games. He posted a 3-1 record with a .919 save percentage. This team will go as far as he takes them next season, filling the shoes of the All-SUNYAC goaltender.

Next season isn't going to get any easier to climb up in the standings. Most of the top scorers in the conference will return for another season, or more in some cases.

Oswego will have most of its SUNYAC championship team back, but is losing their top goaltender Kyle Gunn-Taylor. Plattsburgh is bringing back their top scorers and will have a goalie with experience in college hockey.

Fredonia finished third in the conference and will have all their top scorers back next season.

One positive for Brockport is SUNY Geneseo and Buffalo State will be on probation next year again and will be ineligible from the postseason.

Brockport will want to improve next season on two straight fourth place seasons, but the task will not be easy for the Golden Eagles.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Geneseo and Buffalo State ARE eligible for postseason play in the 2010-2011 season.

Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2010/03/10/Sports/Hockey.Has.Big.Hole.To.Fill.Behind.Net-3887286.shtml

GREAT ARTICLE ABOUT ALUM GRABER

Today's Tulsa World newspaper looks at the very grueling officiating career of CHL referee -- and onetime Brockport hockey player -- Kevin Graber. It offers an hour by hour account of his day and this bio...

Kevin Graber, 28, is a native of Troy, N.Y., who officiated his first hockey game at the age of 12.

“My father said to me, ‘you’re around the rink all the time, so you might as well do something,’ and that’s how I got started,” Graber said.

Graber didn’t focus on officiating, however, until completing his collegiate hockey playing career in 2003 at Brockport (N.Y.), where he studied sports management. He then entered USA Hockey’s officiating Development Program and joined the CHL staff for the 2008-09 season.

Part of his inspiration to become a pro hockey official came when another Troy resident, Tony Sericolo, reached the NHL as a linesman in 1998.

During the offseason, he works on a golf course grounds crew in Clifton Park, N.Y.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=409&articleid=20100303_29_B1_Agruel619755&rss_lnk=1

USCHO RECAP OF BROCKPORT'S FINALE

USCHO's Russel Jaslow in his weekly column offered this analysis of the Brockport-Plattsburgh game...


....up in the northeast corner of the state, Plattsburgh defeated Brockport, 5-2, also with an empty-net goal at the end. This, too, was not easy for the winning team.

The Cardinals did jump out early, scoring 35 seconds in and then midway through the first for a 2-0 first period lead. Then, Brockport got their game back under them.

“We definitely made the adjustment as a team,” Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson said. “Worked the forecheck extremely well. Worked a lot of turnovers in the neutral zone. We had a lot of good looks. Unfortunately, the period where we controlled the play we only got one goal while the period they controlled, the first, they scored two.”

“I thought Brockport had a pretty good game going,” Plattsburgh head coach Bob Emery said. “We came out and got on the board early. Brockport did a good job in the second period causing us a lot of neutral zone turnovers. We did okay in the third. Brockport had a game plan and really executed it.”

After Brockport got that goal in the second, Plattsburgh scored two early in the third to put the game away. A goal midway through the period was too little, too late for the Golden Eagles.

“All in all, a much better effort than it was last year when we went up there in a similar situation,” Dickinson said. “We were close to even with the shots. We kept them under 30 shots which was our goal. We felt we could win if we kept them under 30.”

Like Morrisville backing up their win over Fredonia with a solid effort against Oswego, Brockport followed up their successful season last year with an impressive showing this season.

“Definitely a successful season for us,” Dickinson said. “From where we’ve been in the history of the program, it was really important to back up last year with a similar season. We had 14 wins like last year and made it to the SUNYAC semifinals again. I’m excited where we are. We certainly have a lot to build on. We started to be competitive on a regular basis.”


Check out the rest of Russell's column in which he makes his All-SUNYAC rookie and defensive picks and looks ahead at this weekend's SUNYAC Championship:

http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,18272/ThisWeekinSUNYACMar42010.html

STYLUS PROFILES THE EAGLES NEST

This week's Brockport Stylus looks at the Eagles Nest....


More than 3,400 birds in the hand is worth a SUNYAC title in the bush
Mike Thayer

Did you attend a Golden Eagle hockey game at all this year? If you did, did you sit in the Eagle's Nest student section? Even if your answer to both of those questions was no, you are probably aware by now that there is such a thing at every home hockey game.

In fact, if you happen to be in the west side of Tuttle North around the time a game is going on in the rink, you probably couldn't help but hear the sounds of this student section.

The thing is, it wasn't always like this. Sure, there was a good student turnout, but this year has been greatly different than seasons past.

From coins in a bottle, to trumpets and trombones, this year saw a tremendous growth to the student section of the Tuttle North Ice Arena.

The Eagle's Nest, a concept first delivered by Brockport students, has spawned into the name of a BTV show and has engulfed the very concept of student support for Brockport hockey. It has become an intimidating part of Brockport home-ice advantage.

The question is, why now? What makes the turnout we've witnessed this year more successful than recent years? Well, aside from being the second consecutive year Brockport made it to the playoffs, the Golden Eagles may have two students in particular to thank for the increased student attendance.

You see, Otto Isenberg, a first year senior at The College at Brockport, and roommate Brian Bowe, are committed the to getting the word out about the Eagle's Nest.

It was the high expectations of Isenberg that, when they weren't fulfilled during his first season as a Brockport fan, drove him to get to work.

"We came here hoping for the college atmosphere that you hear about, and it just didn't exist," Isenberg said.

The Whitesboro High School graduate played for a state championship hockey team, so he has an understanding for how the crowd can impact a game.

"We had a big community presence and drew probably about 500 a game," he said. "Even though that number doesn't seem very high, Isenberg reminded us his high school played in a much smaller arena.

"The 100 or so students who showed up and cheered really made a difference," he said.

How much of an impact does the home crowd have on a team? Well, it seems obvious when you watch how players react, but there are facts that back up our inferences. To exemplify one of those figures, you can turn to the play-by-play voice of this season's Golden Eagles hockey, Gary Efthemis.

"Just look at the Oswego games, they lose 10-1 on the road in front of a 3,000 plus student filled arena," argues Efthemis. "Then they only lose 4-2 when they play them at home in front of 1,700 of their own fans." Granted, it doesn't turn a loss into a win, it certainly shows how it can impact play.

Let's not forget hockey, more than any sport, is where you will find players salute their home crowd at the end of games; especially that season-ender.

For those of us who have played in front of a home crowd, whatever the sport may be, you can't ignore what they do. Efthemis concurs, due to his observations this season.

"No player will ever admit that a crowd will get in their head," he said. "But it's easy to see on the ice that some guys squeeze the sticks a little tighter when the crowd gets on them."

This can work to both sides of the game. It depends on whether the crowd is showing their support, or wishing the worst of fortunes against you.

What's in store for next season? Well, for Isenberg, he'll be back to keep his project alive.

"A few of us are thinking about trying to get an official 'fan club' through Brockport Student Government next year."

Isenberg and Bowe hope that they can find ways to fundraise for fan buses and other promotions to keep the Brockport crowd involved with Golden Eagle success.

So students, get your trumpets tuned, and rehearse your taunts and cheers. After all, the puck drop for the 2010-11 season is only eight months away.

Source:

http://media.www.thestylus.net/media/storage/paper1380/news/2010/03/03/Sports/More-Than.3400.Birds.In.The.Hand.Is.Worth.A.Sunyac.Title.In.The.Bush-3882739.shtml

CODY IS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Once again, James Cody was a monster in the playoffs and for his efforts he was recognized as the Brockport Male Athlete of the Week:


Sophomore James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) is this week’s male athlete of the week after scoring three goals in the SUNYAC Ice Hockey Tournament.

Cody scored twice in the 3-0 victory over SUNY Potsdam in the first round of the tournament. He gave Brockport a 2-0 lead with 9:58 to play in the second period and late in the third period Cody stole the puck near the blue line and raced the length of the ice and tapped in an empty-net goal for the final margin.

In the semifinal game against nationally ranked #4 Plattsburgh, Cody scored midway through the third period for his 14th goal of the season.

Cody finished the season with a team high 28 points on 14 goals and 14 assists. In the past two years, Cody has led Brockport to back-to-back 14 win seasons. It's the most wins in a two year span since becoming a varsity program in 1973-74.

HUNT IS ON FOR AD

As you may know, this is Brockport Athletics Director Lin Case's last semester at the College. She is retiring from her position of AD, a job held since 1995. The College finally began its hunt in earnest in February and job postings can be found all over the Internet including the NCAA's website:

http://ncaamarket.ncaa.org/jobdetail.cfm?job=3300395

I was hopeful that the search for an AD would have started sooner, that way the individual could have started this semester while both school and athletics were in session so he/she could have learned from Lin, met with the various student-athletes, saw them in action and interacted with them in determination of a long-term plan, rather than being thrown to the wolves in the fall semester.

I hope all goes well in finding a replacement for Lin. She has had an awesome run as AD and the sports teams have flourished under her watch with each team seeing incredible success and winning track records. At the same time, the student-athletes have proven to be fantastic students. All in all, it's an exceptional DIII college.

PRESS-REPUBLICAN'S RECAP OF GAME

The North Country's newspaper, the Press-Republican, offers this analysis of last night's game..



PLATTSBURGH — For the last two decades, things have been pretty much the same this time of year in Cardinal Country.

This will be the 19th straight season the Plattsburgh State men's hockey team has reached the conference championship game, thanks to a 5-2 victory over Brockport Saturday night.

Dylan Clarke netted his second career hat trick and Matt Bessing scored twice in the semifinal win.

Brockport's James Cody cut Plattsburgh's lead to two goals just past the midway point of the third period, but Clarke iced the game with an empty-netter at 19:47 off a nice feed from Matty MacLeod.

"I saw Matty pick up the loose puck, and I just started busting," Clarke said. "(The hat trick) was a pretty good feeling, but my linemates were major contributors. It was a line hat trick."

Clarke and Bessing each scored in the first period to give Plattsburgh a two-goal advantage at the first intermission.

Clarke redirected a Ryan Corry shot from inside the blueline to go up by a score 35 seconds into the game, and Bessing roofed one over the shoulder of All-Conference goaltender Todd Sheridan at 11:41.

However, Plattsburgh hit a lull in the second period, giving up a goal by Brockport's Ryan Silveira and getting outshot 12-7.

The Cardinals had been losing the transition battle and turning the puck over in the neutral zone for much of the first half of the second period. So with the score still at 2-0, Emery called a timeout.

The break in the action did little to solve the Cardinals' problems, as Silveira found the back of the net shortly after.

"That's something we've focused on since the beginning of the season," Emery said. "I tried to correct it during the timeout, but the guys didn't listen and react. It was a waste of a timeout, I guess."

The Cardinals did, however, react in the third period.

Clarke scored his second on the power play 1:55 into the stanza, and Bessing scored less than a minute and a half later to put Plattsburgh up 4-1.

Plattsburgh goaltender Josh Leis was solid in net, stopping 24 of 26 shots.

Silveira's goal was the result of a good shot from inside the top of the right circle, and Brockport's second score got by Leis because the puck was redirected off of Cody's skate after a Tyler Davis shot.

On to Oswego

Oswego flirted with disaster Saturday night against Morrisville, falling to a 3-0 deficit early in the first period.

The Lakers, however, did manage to battle back, scoring eight of the game's next 10 goals to defeat the Mustangs, 8-5.

The Cardinals' only two conference losses this season have been against Oswego — a 5-2 defeat at home and a 3-2 decision at Oswego.

"Oswego is real good in their own barn," Clarke said. "It's going to be real tough. We've got to come to play."

Source:

http://www.pressrepublican.com/0300_sports/local_story_059060040.html

PLATTSBURGH ENDS BROCKPORT'S SEASON

Brockport Athletics' recap of Saturday's playoff game...


SUNY Plattsburgh used two early goals and two goals in the early part of the third period to fight off The College at Brockport Hockey team and posted a 5-2 victory over the Golden Eagles in the semifinal round of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament Saturday in Plattsburgh.

In the first period, Plattsburgh wasted little time scoring in the first 35 seconds of the contest. A slapshot from the points was deflected in the high slot area and slid past Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) for the early 1-0 lead.

Later in the period, the Cardinals made it a 2-0 lead after a turnover in the Brockport defensive zone led to a Plattsburgh 2-on-1 and Matt Bessing finished the play. Plattsburgh held an 8-2 shots advantage after the first 20 minutes of action.

In the second period, the Brockport offense came out more aggressive as James Cody (Schwenksville, PA) fired a one-timer from the right side of the ice that sailed just high with 14 minutes and a minute later Justin Noble (Georgetown, ONT) raced up the left side of the ice and sent a hard shot off the shoulder of Plattsburgh goalie Josh Leis.

The aggression finally paid off as Silveira picked up the rebound of his own shot in the slot and fired a quick wrister over the shoulder of Leis. By the end of the second period the shots on goal difference was nullified as Brockport had a 12-6 advantage in the second period

Late in the period, Plattsburgh’s Matty MacLeod stole the puck in the neutral zone and raced in alone on Sheridan. He crossed in front of the net and Sheridan held his ground for the save with less than five seconds to play in the period. A tripping penalty was called on the play and Plattsburgh opened the third period with the man advantage.

Plattsburgh scored with three seconds left in the early-period power play as Clarke netted a slap shot from the top of the left face-off circle for a 3-1 lead. Two minutes later, Plattsburgh made it a 4-1 game after a battle for the puck in the corner to the left of Sheridan, the Cardinals came up with the puck and a centering pass slid through the crease to the far side of the goal where Bessing scored his second of the game.

Midway through the third period, Brockport cut the lead as Cody scored his 14th of the season as he redirected a shot from the point by Tyler Davis (Queensbury, NY).

Plattsburgh added an empty net goal for the final margin.

Sheridan finished with 24 saves including 12 in the third period while Leis also stopped 24 shots with 11 coming in each of the final two periods.

POINT AFTER RECAP OF POTSDAM GAME

The guys at the Point After have offered a nice recap of the Potsdam game on their blog. Their post features video of James Cody's exciting goal.

Check it out at:

http://thepointafter.org/2010/02/24/brockport-hockey-wins-second-home-playoff-game-with-hd-video/

PSU STORY ON PLAYOFF GAME

Cardinal Points is the student-run newspaper of Plattsburgh State. Here's their analysis of Saturday's game...



Brockport hits Stafford for hockey semifinals

The Plattsburgh State men’s hockey team, coming off a bye week, will take on the Brockport Golden Eagles in the SUNYAC semifinals at Stafford Ice Arena 7 p.m. Saturday.

The Cardinals (17-4-4) head into the postseason on a four-game winning streak and are ranked No. 4 in Division III. The Cardinals maintain a 7-1-1 home record, with a loss to Oswego in November and a tie against Potsdam Dec. 4 blemishing their perfect home record.

The matchup against Brockport is the third of the season. The Cards defeated the Golden Eagles, 4-1, in just the second game of the season at Stafford Ice Arena.

“Brockport is a very pesky, hard-working team,” PSUC Head Coach Bob Emery said. “I’m sure they’ll want to keep it close and pull off the victory in a low-scoring game.”

The Golden Eagles (14-11-1) come into Saturday’s game off a 3-0 shutout victory over Potsdam in the SUNYAC quarterfinals. They have won their last two games and could possibly be catching fire at the right time of the year.

Brockport’s James Cody leads the Golden Eagles in points with a 13-14-27 line for the season.

Brockport goaltender Todd Sheridan boasts a .913 save percentage with a 3.02 goals-against average.

“Brockport’s biggest strength is their goalie,” Emery said. “We need to maintain focus and play smart, especially on defense and take advantage of our chances when they arrive.”

In their first meeting of the season Oct. 31, the game went into the third period tied 1-all. The Cards finally pulled away in the third period, scoring three unanswered goals from Matt Bessing, Patrick Jobb and Kyle VanDermale to win, 4-1.

The Cards out-shot the Golden Eagles, 43-19, and went 1-for-6 on the power play.

The last time the two teams met, the Cardinals came away victorious in convincing fashion, winning 7-1 at Brockport Jan. 23. This game also saw quite a high number of penalties by both sides, with the Cards scoring two goals on the power play.

The Cards out-shot the Golden Eagles, 52-15.

Brockport Head Coach Brian Dickinson said his team can play a lot better this time around but knows it will be tough to get the upset victory.

“When they were here, we had trouble keeping up with them, which forced us into penalty trouble,” Dickinson said. “The Cardinals are a very dangerous team. They cycle the puck extremely well and are well-coached.”

But Dickinson has confidence that his team is capable of competing with the Cards.

“Staying out of the penalty box and not allowing their power play to get established will be a key to getting the win,” Dickinson said. “We will need to generate opportunities on their goaltenders and get people to the net for second and third opportunities.”

Win or lose, Dickinson is happy to see his team in this situation to begin with.

“I believe we’ve had a very successful season up to this point,” Dickinson said. “We’ve competed well within our conference and also played well in our non-league games resulting in us hosting a playoff game for the second straight year.”

Emery is pleased with where the Cards stand as they try to defend their SUNYAC Championship.

“We had a couple of ties which I believe should have been wins, but overall I’m happy with where the team is,” Emery said. “We had one of the toughest schedules in the country, and most of our top performances came on the road. With 12 freshmen on the team, we may have even overachieved a bit, but I believe the team is right where they should be.”

The winner of Saturday’s game will face the winner of the other semifinal game featuring Morrisville at Oswego for the SUNYAC championship.


Source:


http://www.cardinalpointsonline.com/sports/brockport-hits-stafford-for-hockey-semifinals-1.2170748

THIS WEEK IN SUNYAC

Today's "This Week in SUNYAC" at USCHO.com discusses how Brockport won the playoff game against Potsdam and how well the Saves For a Cure fundraiser went. In the article, Russell Jaslow also offered this preview of Saturday's game..



Brockport (7-8-1 in SUNYAC, 14-11-1 overall) at Plattsburgh (13-2-1, 17-4-4)

Everybody was expecting to see Brockport in Oswego once they got past the play-in round. However, thanks to Morrisville’s surprise, the Golden Eagles once again go to Plattsburgh like last year.

Plattsburgh may not be the juggernaut they were a year ago, but this year’s version of the Cardinals is still intimidating and it’s never easy playing in Stafford.

The Cardinals play a very disciplined game: they are the least penalized team at 11.8 minutes per game. And when they do give up a penalty, they usually don’t get scored upon with the second best penalty kill at 84.7%. They have given up 11 power-play tallies while scoring four shorthanded goals.

Though Plattsburgh has struggled to score this year by their standards, they are still second best in conference play at 4.75 per game. They also have the second stingiest defense at 1.88 despite at times struggling goaltending amongst two freshman.

Ryan Williams seems to have taken the top spot, finishing up with a league best 1.64 goals against average and .927 save percentage.

Of course, on the other end, Brockport has both experience and the SUNYAC First Team goaltender in senior Todd Sheridan (3.50 GAA, .903 save pct.). Brockport doesn’t score much (2.69 per game), but they have been upping those numbers recently, getting 3.25 in the second half of the season.

Dickinson wasn’t too concerned about where he ultimately had to go.

“Wherever we go, we’ll go in and give our best effort,” he said. “I think the Friday game against Oswego [a 4-2 loss] really proved to our guys we can play with the big boys.”

They will have to perform at that level as they previously lost to Plattsburgh, 4-1 and 7-1, this season.

Read the entire article here:

http://www.uscho.com/news/college-hockey/id,18205/ThisWeekinSUNYACFeb252010.html

SHERIDAN NAMED TO ALL-SUNYAC TEAM

Senior goaltender Todd Sheridan (Edison, NJ) was named 2009-2010 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) First Team as released by the conference office Wednesday.

Sheridan finished with a 6-8-1 and a 3.50 goals against average in conference play. He led the SUNYAC with 496 saves in net against conference foes for a .903 save percentage. For the second consecutive year, Sheridan led the Golden Eagles to the post-season as the No. 4 seed.

To date, Sheridan has 1,962 career saves ranking him third all time at Brockport. Overall this year he has an 11-10-1 record with a 3.02 goals against average as Brockport heads into the semifinals to face Plattsburgh.

Sheridan was a second team all-conference selection in 2008-09.

TEAM RAISES BIG BUCKS FOR SFAC

The College at Brockport Ice Hockey team dedicated last Friday’s game to the ‘Saves for a Cure’ charity started by senior goalie Todd Sheridan.

The team raised over $3400 dollars for the charity through a jersey auction, ticket sales and a 50/50 raffle. The money raised will be donated to help enhancing hospital stays for children undergoing cancer treatments at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center in Rochester.

This year, the Golden Eagles wore black jerseys with a white Saves for a Cure logo on the front that were auctioned off. The action raised $2590, with 14 winning bids of $100 or more. Senior goalie Todd Sheridan’s #35 jersey sold for $300.

Results of the auction can be found on the Jersey Auction page link at the top of the Brockport Hockey page at http://www.brockport.edu/athletics/jersey_auction_2010.php

BROCKPORT LOSES A FOE

For the past few years Brockport has played at least one game a season against Lebanon Valley College. Sadly, that match-up will be no more. DIII is losing them. Here's a news release from LVC...

ANNVILLE, Pa. - After a comprehensive review of the LVC men’s ice hockey program conducted by senior College officers and Rick Beard ’90, M’92, director of athletics, LVC President Stephen MacDonald has decided that beginning in 2010-11, the LVC ice hockey program will compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) rather than continue in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Men’s ice hockey will continue to be a fully-funded athletic program at LVC.

This change will reduce significantly the amount (and cost) of travel time and missed class time currently experienced by student-athletes. At present, LVC’s hockey team competes against just one Pennsylvania school; in contrast, the ACHA counts over 40 Pennsylvania institutions among its members and thus affords LVC the opportunity to build regional rivalries while reducing travel costs. The College leaders believe that this change also will be advantageous to LVC competitively. “We are confident that LVC hockey teams will be able to play competitively against other ACHA teams and afford our student-athletes the measure of success they have been unable to enjoy recently in NCAA Division III,” said Dr. MacDonald.

“The move to the ACHA will give our student-athletes greater opportunity for success academically, socially, and athletically,” said Greg Krikorian, LVC vice president for student affairs. “It will create a stronger student-athlete experience.”

“Men’s ice hockey will continue to be a fully funded and supported program at LVC including College funding for equipment, travel, and coaching. We will continue to compete and practice at Hersheypark Arena,” said Beard.

The ACHA was founded in 1991 with 15 charter members including The Pennsylvania State University and the U.S. Naval Academy. It has grown to over 350 members across the country and across three divisions. All ACHA teams are members of USA Hockey and the American Hockey Coaches Association