ANDREW PARKS OVERCOMES CONCUSSION

Yesterday's edition of the Barrie (Ont.) Examiner looked at how Brockport freshman Andrew Parks overcame a concussion that almost derailed his hockey career....


Andrew Parks had started to believe he wasn’t going to get better.

After months of literally sitting alone in the dark, the 21-year-old Orillia native, who suffered a serious blow to the head during a hockey game in September 2012, was questioning if it was how he was going to be living the rest of his life.

“You don’t think it’s ever going to be any different,” Parks said, a huge smile on his face as he shared the story of his recovery.

After six long months and little to no improvement in his condition, Parks was admitted to the Carrick Brain Center in Marietta, Ga. — the same one where NHL superstar Sidney Crosby received treatment in 2011 — to which he credits a large portion, if not all, of his recovery.

“It’s like I never had a concussion,” said Parks, who has moved to New York state, where he’s playing hockey for Brockport University this fall.



Read the full article here:


http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2013/09/16/orillia-native-receives-medical-treatment-in-georgia

NON-RETURNING PLAYERS

The roster won't be set until the end of October, but you can get a feel for it by knowing who's no longer with the Brockport community.

Of course, we are without Mike Hayward and Colby Spooner who were both seniors last year.

The team will also be missing Scott Fasano and Logan Pfeffer, two sophomores who moved on to Ohio University.

We'll also be without Mike Hollander (who would have been a senior) and Luke Colavecchia (who would have been a sophomore). Both opted to not return to Brockport. I don't know if they hooked up with another college or team.

DON KWAK MAKES BROCKPORT HALL OF FAME

The College at Brockport Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Golden Eagle Society will induct a class of 13 former athletes, coaches and contributors into the Golden Eagle Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 28 as part of the 2013 Homecoming Weekend festivities.

The Class of 2013 includes Donald E. Kwak '63.

Kwak was instrumental in the development of an ice hockey club at Brockport that eventually became the varsity team at the college. He went on to become one of the top off-ice officials in the National Hockey League.

The induction ceremony has been changed from the traditional Saturday evening dinner to a late morning brunch ceremony at 12 pm. The class will participate in the annual Homecoming parade at 4 pm and then be formally introduced at halftime of the Homecoming football game against Alfred that starts at 6 pm.

MOVE-IN DAY 2013

The Golden Eagles ice hockey team spent Friday, August 23rd at the freshmen residence halls helping to move in some of the Freshmen class of 2017. The team assisted with unloading the new students' belongings from their vehicles into the students' rooms. This was the ninth consecutive year that the team has volunteered during Move In Day. In addition to providing a helping hand, the guys were very helpful in answering questions about where classrooms and offices were located as well as promoting the upcoming hockey season. 

SHOOTOUTS IN COLLEGE HOCKEY?

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-- in which DIII powerhouse Gustavus Adolphus plays -- has shaken up intercollegiate hockey by announcing that it will be the first conference in Division III to adopt the shootout for conference games.

They recently adopted the four-official system, mirroring what happened in the SUNYAC.

That begs the question: Will the SUNYAC copy the MIAC and go with shootouts?

I certainly hope not.

I'm old school with hockey: Shootouts take what was 65 minutes of a team game and total team effort and transform it into a game decided by a select few individuals each working independently. If I wanted a mano-a-mano sport, I'd watch tennis or bowling. Let's keep with tradition.

What are your thoughts?

Comment on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/brockporthockey

CORTLAND SEES A LEADERSHIP CHANGE

In a league as competitive as the SUNYAC, all off-season changes carry serious weight, from the graduation of players to the addition of new recruits to coaching moves.

Such a change took place this week in the conference as Cortland head coach Joe Baldarotta announced his retirement. Cortland's current associate director of athletics Tom Cranfield will coach the Red Dragons in 2013-14. Cranfield previously coached the team from 2001-07.

Read about it here:

http://www.sunyac.com/news/2013/8/14/MHOCKEY_0814133219.aspx

SAVES FOR A CURE WEEKEND BOOKED

The Sixth Annual Saves for a Cure fundraising weekend is scheduled for February 7-8, 2014 as the Golden Eagles take on Geneseo at 7 pm Friday night and host a fundraising brunch Saturday.

Six years ago an idea was hatched to hold a charity game and fundraising weekend around the Saves for a Cure organization that was started by former Golden Eagles goalie Todd Sheridan. Since its inception, the charity events have raised over $20,000 with a majority of that money being donated to the Golisano Children's Hospital in Rochester.

The Brockport Department of Athletics will donate all of the ticket proceeds from the game and the commemorative jerseys worn by the Golden Eagles will be auctioned off for the charity as well.

SCHEDULE CHANGE

There has been a slight change to the schedule for the upcoming season. The November 16th game at Hobart will start at 4:00 PM. It was originally scheduled for 7:00.

GOLDEN EAGLE SOCIETY

The Golden Eagle Society is a donor organization that helps to fund Brockport Athletics. This week, the college launched the 2013-2014 Society.

The Society features 7 levels of giving which, depending on how much you invest, includes everything from one ticket to sporting events to admission in the Athletics golf tournament.

GES is set-up so you can now choose which sport receives your monetary donation. Needless to say, I chose ice hockey.

For anyone interested in signing up, you can download an application here (in PDF format):

http://www.gobrockport.com/documents/2013/7/8/GESBrochure2013.pdf?id=532

HOCKEY TEAM EXCELS IN CLASSROOM

Last week the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) announced the Commissioner’s List and All-Academic Team for the spring 2013 semester.

Qualifications needed to be named to the All Academic List are as follows:

1. Must be a varsity Athlete
2. Must have completed the entire season
3. Must have a minimum 3.3 grade point average for the semester in which they competed

Brockport's All Academic List honorees were...

Christian Cangro
Bobby Conner
Matt DeLuca
Jessie Facchinni
Scott Fasano
Aaron Green
Jared Lockhurst
Chris Luker
James Ryan
Colby Spoooner
Michael Zagari

Qualifications needed to be named to the Commissioner's List are as follows:

1. Must be a varsity Athlete
2. Must have completed the entire season
3. Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.3 based on three semesters at the insitution. (Does not have to be consecutive semesters).

Brockport icemen on the list....

Matt DeLuca
Scott Fasano
Aaron Green
Brendon Rothfuss

ZAGARI: A SUPER STUDENT!

I love DIII sports for a variety of reasons, one being the emphasis on academics -- the participants are called student-athletes for a reason.

It's always good to see the hockey players do well in the classroom, especially when they excel like one of this year's freshmen has.

Michael Zagari, the towering, powerful forward and winner of the Jimmy Mac's Most Improved Player Award, pulled off an amazing feat, securing a perfect 4.0 in both semesters this year!

That's an amazing accomplishment for any student --- especially one who is new to the college environment and is participating in a sport and all that it entails.

Kudos to Michael on his excellence on the ice and off of it!

2013-2014 SCHEDULE

One of the most exciting days of the offseason is that which sees the release of the upcoming season’s schedule. Today is that day.

The official schedule is out and can be seen in the right hand toolbar of this website.

The season starts off a little later than usual (November 2^nd), following the new NCAA standards. But that’s just fine, because it keeps the sport in the winter when it should be played. From a fan’s standpoint it’s much appreciated, because what else is there to do on those long winter nights in Upstate New York? Brockport hockey is the ultimate relief for that.

The season starts off on the road against Utica and the road warriors end up playing 5 of their first 6 games away. As a matter of fact, the Golden Eagles have just 3 home games in the first semester.

Some might see this as a grind, a real test of mettle. It can be both, but I think most players love that because it keeps the team in the friendly confines in the second semester when the games take on special importance. Plus, those first few weeks can define who you are, and there’s no better test than the likes of Nazareth, Hobart, and Plattsburgh in their barns.

The men travel again for Thanksgiving and then see the first semester close out with the WNY affairs in Fredonia and Buffalo State.

The second semester starts with familiarity when WNEC and Utica come to town and some unfamiliarity when Stonehill visits.

Then, Brockport hosts 5 SUNYAC games from January 31^st till February 22^nd, ending the regular season against Buffalo State, whom Brockport may be battling for a playoff spot.

It’s a really fine schedule. I’ve already marked my calendars.

See ya at Tuttle North in 5 months!

POSTSEASON AWARDS

The Golden Eagles had their annual postseason get-together and awards ceremony this past weekend at which the coaching staff issued the following awards:

Bob Pedersen Coaches Award: Matt DeLuca

EJ McGuire 7th Player Award: Shane Cavalieri

Jimmy Mac’s Most Improved Player Award: Michael Zagari

Brian Cavanaugh Most Valuable Player Award: Mike Hayward

Chris Palin Rookie of the Year Award: Jesse Facchini


A well-deserving bunch of student-athletes! Congratulations to them!

NOBLE NABS DYNAMO AWARDS

Brockport alumnus and former Golden Eagle captain (one of only a few to man the helm for 2 seasons) Justin Noble was named the Invicate Dynamo's Player of the Year and was also awarded the Player’s Player of the Year honor at the team's annual awards ceremony.

In a season that saw the Dynamos finish fourth in the league and make the semi-finals, Noble was a dynamic Dynamo, amassing 95 points with 57 goals and 39 assists.

Read about it here:

http://www.kentsportsnews.com/noble-scoops-dynamos-awards-06-05-2013/http://www.kentsportsnews.com/noble-scoops-dynamos-awards-06-05-2013/

RYAN JOHNSON NETS KEY OJHL GAME WINNER

It's always good to see Brockport recruits playing at a high level. It gives players, coaches, and fans some real excitement and hope for the future of the Golden Eagles.

Consider Ryan Johnson, whom, as we blogged in November, made a commitment to Brockport.

The quicksilver Johnson saw a mid-season change of scenery to the OJHL Newmarket Hurricanes. It was a great decision by all parties because he has been instrumental in the Hurricane's run that now has them sporting a 2-0 lead in the OJHL Championship Series.

Last night, he netted the overtime game winner! That's clutch! We can't wait to see such performances at Tuttle North.

ROTHFUSS FOCUSES ON HEALTH AND HOCKEY

For this week's Brockport Stylus, Corey Desiderio wrote about Brendon Rothfuss's decision to forgo the 2013 lacrosse season to focus on his health and hockey....


We all come to points in our lives where we have to sacrifice something we love in order to greater benefit ourselves in the end. For Brockport junior Brendon Rothfuss, that came in 2012 when he gave up playing lacrosse in order to continue playing hockey at a high level for the Golden Eagles.

Rothfuss made the decision after missing the first six weeks of the 2012-13 hockey season with a dislocated shoulder.

He said the injury allowed him to reflect and gave him the idea to sit out for the 2013 lacrosse season.

“The trainers were all telling me that they didn’t know how my body would hold up this year,”

Rothfuss said. “I think it was the right decision to heal up and get my body back to where it needs to be as opposed to where I put it the past two years playing two sports.”

This isn’t the first time Rothfuss had to make this decision. A two-sport star coming out of Webster Thomas High School in Webster, Rothfuss had to choose between hockey and lacrosse in 2007.

“Originally I had a scholarship for lacrosse,” Rothfuss said. “I was pretty much set on going to Le Moyne [College] until March of my senior year of high school when I got a couple of contracts to play for junior [hockey] teams.”

Rothfuss, who started playing hockey when he was 2 years old, said he just couldn’t leave the game he put 16 years of his blood, sweat and tears into.

“I didn’t want to give up hockey,” Rothfuss said. “I knew if I were to choose lacrosse I would never get to play competitive hockey again. But if I did go play juniors, I’d maybe get a chance to play lacrosse again.”

After bouncing around three different teams in three years of junior hockey, that chance came in 2010.

“Ever since my first year of juniors, [coaches/recruiters] were coming to my games so I built a relationship with Coach [Brian] Dickinson,” Rothfuss said. “That guy was at everything. So from the standpoint of someone getting recruited, I saw the coach a lot.”

Dickinson said he was initially attracted to Rothfuss’ offensive ability, but once they started to talk more, he knew Rothfuss had all the characteristics he was looking for in a player.

“He’s dedicated, well spoken, solid academically and all his previous coaches raved about him as a person,” Dickinson said.

Rothfuss said he felt the same attraction toward Brockport as well.

“It had a good hockey program,” Rothfuss said. “They have a physical education program and then with the opportunity to get to play lacrosse again it was just like, OK, well absolutely I’ll do it.’”

As soon as Rothfuss chose Brockport, he said he thought he was going to play lacrosse for the school as well.

“The day I committed to Brockport for hockey, [Head] Coach [Ben] Wineberg texted me if I was interested in playing [lacrosse] and I absolutely was,” Rothfuss said. “It had been awhile since I’ve played in season, but I was really anxious to get the opportunity to play again.”

From the moment he set foot on campus, Rothfuss has shined on the ice, field and classroom.

In three seasons with the hockey team, Rothfuss has scored 17 goals and has 18 assists. In 2010-11 and 2011-12, Rothuss earned a spot on the All-Academic SUNYAC Team for hockey.

As for lacrosse, Rothfuss was second on the team in goals his freshman year, with 21, behind Andy Hilton. Rothfuss was third on the team as a sophomore with 19.  The only two Eagles to outscore him as a sophomore were Jesse Elliott (37) and Riley Austin (26).

Rothfuss said stepping away from lacrosse was a tough decision for him, but it was made easier by the way his coach handled it.

“Last year was really tough on my body and Coach [Wineberg] knew that,” Rothfuss said. “There were days that I could barely get out of bed. He was more than supportive. He thanked me.”

Dickinson said he was pleased to hear Rothfuss decided to step away from lacrosse to focus more on hockey.

“Brendon has had numerous injuries throughout his tenure here at Brockport,” Dickinson said. “I believe he would like to let his body heal and put his best foot forward toward winning a SUNYAC Championship during his senior season.”

While Dickinson said he is looking forward to having a memorable season with a healthy Rothfuss in 2013-14, Rothfuss said he has not ruled out returning to the lacrosse field for one final go his senior season.

“We’ll see,” Rothfuss said. “Depending on how I feel and the timing and stuff with student teaching, I may play again.”

Source: http://www.thestylus.net/sports/golden-eagle-makes-athletic-sacrifice-1.3023620?pagereq=1#.UWfP08qrGwI

STYLUS REPORT ON THE TEAM'S NEW CAPTAIN

For this week's edition of the Brockport Stylus, managing editor Brandon Wood penned this article about Matt DeLuca's rise to the captaincy of the Golden Eagles...



Matt DeLuca remembers playing hockey in the driveway of his home in Skippack, just outside of Philadelphia, wearing his Flyers Eric Lindros jersey with a ‘C’ emblazoned on it. He remembers all the hard work he had to put in from that moment on to be where he is now: a junior defenseman on the Brockport Golden Eagles ice hockey team. All of that hard work is going to pay off with his own ‘C’ sewn into his jersey next season.

DeLuca tweeted from his personal account April 1 about becoming the next captain for the Golden Eagles, writing “I couldn’t be more proud to be named the next Captain of #BrockportHockey. It’s all about the team and I have the best teammates in the world.”

Many current and former players have since reached out to him through social media to congratulate him and wish him luck in the position.

Early in his career, DeLuca played three seasons for the Philadelphia Junior Flyers before moving to Syracuse to play with the Syracuse Stars, another junior team. DeLuca said while playing for the Stars, he was being recruited by Brockport, Buffalo State, Fredonia and Utica College along with several colleges outside of New York.

But after he came to Brockport for its 2009 home opener against Morrisville State, a game the Golden Eagles won in overtime, he didn’t need to continue his search for where he would play hockey in college. He was going to become a Golden Eagle.

“I made the trip to watch the game and I fell in love with the whole atmosphere,” DeLuca said. “As soon as I left Tuttle North after the game I came out to see I said, ‘I’m coming here, there’s no way I’m not coming here.’”

DeLuca said his freshman year was tough for him, as Brockport was winless through its first 11 games and won only four games total that year. While some players pondered quitting the team, DeLuca never wavered in his drive to stay at Brockport and help rebuild the program.

“Somewhere along the line I felt like I was supposed to be here for one reason or another,” he said. “I feel like the stars are finally starting to line up. Freshman year was a tough year, a lot of guys were thinking about leaving and I made the decision to stay here and that I was going to turn this program around. I feel like I have finally been given the opportunity.”

His opportunity now includes mentoring a young team that had 14 freshmen this past season and has seven players committed to begin playing at Brockport in the fall, according to collegecommitments.com. DeLuca said he wants to make all of the new members feel like they’re part of Brockport hockey, just like his predecessor Mike Hayward did. Hayward, a former defenseman, is graduating this year.

"When it boils down to it Matt is a vocal guy,” Head Coach Brian Dickinson said of his decision to make DeLuca captain. “Moving forward, we need somebody who is going to take charge of the locker room and really take charge of the details in the offseason and keep everybody working and we think Matt can do that.”

Throughout his three-season career at Brockport, DeLuca has four goals and 12 assists. Despite having played in 72 games, he has never played in a SUNYAC playoff game. The last time the Golden Eagles made the playoffs was back in 2010, the season DeLuca came to watch the Morrisville game.

When practice starts in the fall, not a single player in the locker room will have played in the SUNYAC playoffs. That’s the main thing DeLuca said is his goal.

“Flat out, make the playoffs,” he said.

“After three seasons that I’ve been here, not making the playoffs makes for a long offseason and it’s something that you think about for seven or eight months,” he said.

DeLuca said he is honored to be the captain of the team for his final season of NCAA eligibility, but his legacy could be defined on whether he can lead this team back to the SUNYAC playoffs, which would be his biggest honor of all.

Source: http://www.thestylus.net/sports/brockport-hockey-announces-new-team-captain-1.3023614#.UWfNlcqrGwJ

DeLUCA IS BROCKPORT'S NEXT CAPTAIN

Carrying on Brockport's rich tradition of great captains, Matt DeLuca has been designated as the team's leader by example and by title for the 2013-2014 season. Matt is a high-character leader both on the ice and off off it. The junior blueliner has 72 NCAA games under his belt and sports a 4-12-16 stat line. An extremely well-disciplined player, he has only 36 penalty minutes in 3 seasons.

PARKER FAMILY LIVES, BREATHES ICE HOCKEY

Brockport hockey alumnus Mickey Parker has made a name for himself in coaching of youth hockey. Among his most recent achievements is having coached the Syracuse Nationals 14-and-under girls hockey team to the New York State Tier One championship. The Nationals will now represent New York State at the USA Hockey National Championships in San Jose, California.

That team features his daughters, Sydney and Grace. The hockey family was featured in today's Leader-Herald. Read about their adventures here:

http://www.leaderherald.com/page/content.detail/id/554914/Parker-family-goes-great-lengths-for-hockey.html?nav=5014

GOLF TOURNAMENT: JULY 20th

Mark your calendars! The Brockport Ice Hockey Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament will take place on Saturday July 20, 2013. Tee time is at 10:30 am at Salmon Creek Country Club in Spencerport, NY.

This will be a great opportunity to reconnect with old teammates, recent and distant alumni, parents, current players, friends and fans of Brockport hockey. This opportunity will include 18 holes of golf with a cart, lunch at the turn, steak dinner along with prizes and giveaways.

The coaching staff hope you will join them for a lot of fun and a great opportunity to raise funds to provide the players of the Brockport hockey team the resources and opportunities needed to achieve great success out on the ice.

To reserve your spot in this tournament send your information along with a check for $80 made out to the “Golden Eagle Society” to:

Nick Unger
350 New Campus Drive, Athletics
Brockport, NY 14420

NEW CAREER FOR ALUMNUS GALLIVAN

In Western New York there isn't a former Golden Eagle hockey player who's more recognizable than Pete Gallivan ('87).

Pete began working at WGRZ Channel 2 in February 1996 as a general assignment reporter. Then, in February of 1999 Pete was named co-anchor of Channel 2 News Daybreak, promoted from a two-year stint as weekend anchor. Under his care, Daybreak became the #1 morning show in the Buffalo market. In 2009 he became left the Daybreak chair and became a reporter.

Today is Pete's last day at WGRZ. He's moving on to a role within Governor Andrew Cuomo's communication department and will be based out of Buffalo.

Good luck to Pete in his new endeavor!

AWESOME VIDEO BY THE STYLUS' ROB FERRIES

BROCKPORT'S NEWS RELEASE ABOUT LOCKHURST'S AWARD

Freshman goalie Jared Lockhurst (Caledon, ONT/Wellington Dukes) of The College at Brockport Men's Hockey team has been named to the All-Rookie team, voted on by the nine head coaches of the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC).

Lockhurst was the only player on the team not a member of the Geneseo or Plattsburgh squads. The rookie netminder posted a 3-8-2 record on the year, including a victory in his first career appearance in net. Lockhurst led all rookies in both goals against average and save percentage. His 3.02 goals against average was good enough for sixth in the league while his .919 save percentage was the fourth best mark in the SUNYAC.

Lockhurst stopped 42 shots in a 4-2 victory against Buffalo State on Oct. 26 to open up his career. The freshman stopped a career-high 46 shots in a 2-2 tie against then No.7 Hobart on Nov. 9. Lockhurst recorded eight games of at least 35 saves on the year.

LOCKHURST IS ALL-ROOKIE PICK

Brockport's stellar goalie Jared Lockhurst -- who set the new school record for saves percentage this past season -- made the SUNYAC All-Rookie team, selected by the conference's head coaches.

A well-deserved honor. Here's hoping he makes more SUNYAC postseason lists in the future!

WALKER COMMITS TO BROCKPORT

Trenton Golden Hawks defenseman Dillan Walker (photo credit - Brian Watts/OJHL Images) has confirmed his commitment to join The College at Brockport Golden Eagles beginning with the 2012-13 SUNYAC season.

After spending three seasons with his hometown Junior 'B' squad, the Brantford Golden Eagles, forward Dillan Walker headed out west, joining the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL. After 21 games out west, Walker was picked up by the OJHL leading Trenton Golden Hawks, helping to solidify an already deep defensive corp, as well as anchor the club's power play with his heavy shot from the point. Despite only playing 27 games for the Hawks, Walker finished third among rearguards on the team in scoring with 19 assists and 22 points.