It's that time of year: The ice is coming!

 

Dickinson interviewed by DIII Hockey News

Chris from DIII Hockey News recently interviewed Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson. That great conversation is now available for your listening pleasure:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0hcnWUHDbGGvVLRLgmvYWE?si=u9xxY7KSTkGKpvBpz3twSg&nd=1

2023-204 schedule

 

Saurbaugh commits to Brockport

Ben Saurbaugh, a forward for the Express Hockey Club, has committed to SUNY Brockport for the fall of 2023.

The '03 native of Painted Post, NY chose the Express for what turned out to be his final season of junior hockey. After a single season in the North American Tier III Hockey League (NA3HL), and a pair of seasons in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), Saurbaugh elected to come to the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) in 2022-23, and that decision ultimately to this commitment.

"Ben is a very mature '03," said Express head coach Nic Cota. "After having several years under his belt playing junior hockey, last season was the cherry on top for him. Leading our team in points, and being an all-around great teammate, was fun for me to watch as his coach. Ben will continue to do great things for Brockport. Congratulations to Ben and his family. We can’t wait to watch his career develop at the NCAA level!"

At Brockport, Saurbaugh is joining a program that always recruited players from the EHL, as the 6'3 forward goes down as the 45th player in league history to choose the school in upstate New York.

Focusing in on just the commitments from this past season, and the EHL is sending seven more players off to join the Golden Eagles, as Saurbaugh will team up with Jacob Gates from the Protec Jr. Ducks, Kyle Folkerson from the New Jersey 87's, Connor Roach from the East Coast Wizards, Trevor Joule from the New England Wolves, and both David Filak and Victor Malzahn from the Boston Jr. Rangers.

"My time with the Express was second to none," said Saurbaugh. "Coach Cota and Coach Kyle's [Robertson] commitment to their players and the organization is a huge reason why I developed, not only as a player, but as a person as well. I want to thank my family for supporting me throughout juniors. Most importantly, I want to thank my teammates for a great season and the many life-long friendships made along the way."

 

James Cody: Hall of Famer

 

SUNY Brockport has announced its newest members selected for induction in the Brockport Athletics Hall of Fame.

The Golden Eagles will celebrate eight inductees during Homecoming Weekend at the Alumni Awards & Hall of Fame Dinner and Ceremony on Friday, October 6 at 6pm, on campus in the Seymour Union Ballroom.

Among the inductees is James Cody, a four-year member of the Brockport men's ice hockey team.

In 2012, Cody earned All-American honors and he was also named the SUNYAC Player of the Year. He was a two-time SUNYAC All-Conference selection and at the time he was the only player in program-history to earn SUNYAC Player of the Year honors. He was also the first All-American in the history of the program. For his efforts, he was recently named a to the SUNYAC All-Decade Team.

Cody led the team in scoring for four consecutive seasons. His senior year, he scored his 100th career point in upset fashion over nationally ranked No. 5 Elmira in overtime. Cody finished ranked sixth all-time in career points (116) and tied for fourth in career goals (60). He also added 56 total assists.

Hockey apparel is now on sale

Brockport hockey apparel is available for purchase until July 20th:

https://sunybrockporthockey23-1.itemorder.com/shop/category/97802/

Folkerson commits to Brockport

 

The New Jersey 87’s are proud to announce that Kyle Folkerson has committed to play Division III hockey for SUNY Brockport for the 2023-2024 season.

Folkerson, a 21-year-old forward from Montreal, Quebec, spent two seasons with the 87’s EHL team. In the 2021-22 campaign, he was acquired by the team mid-season and made an immediate impact by recording 11 points (5g, 6a) in 16 regular-season games. He then put up nine points (5g, 4a) in nine postseason games during the EHL team’s championship run.

This past season, Folkerson played in 44 regular-season games and finished second on the team with 36 points (12, 24a). He also represented the EHL in its college showcase series in the South Division’s game against Lebanon Valley College.

Head coach Adam Houli spoke about Folkerson’s commitment and what he meant to the club over the last two seasons.

“Kyle has been an important piece of our offense for the last two years, and to see him rewarded with a college commitment is everything,” Houli said. “He is an EHL champion with us, which means he will always be remembered as a prominent player for our club. I can’t wait to see what he will do at the college level. He is very dynamic and he will be a very strong asset to SUNY Brockport.”

SUNY Brockport is a Division III program located in Brockport, New York. Competing in the State University of New York Athletic Conference, the Golden Eagles are led by head coach Brian Dickinson.

Folkerson discussed his commitment and what it means to join the Golden Eagles. “Since I was a kid, I always dreamed of playing NCAA hockey and now I’m finally going to live that dream. The academics and hockey program at Brockport were exactly what I was looking for in a school,” Folkerson said. “The coaching staff also made a fantastic impression on me and my family during our visit and throughout the entire season. Another bonus is that I’ll be able to play with Matt and Tobin, two of my close friends from our 2022 EHL championship winning team. Really, I could not see a better fit for myself than SUNY Brockport.”

During his tenure with the 87’s, Folkerson’s most memorable moment came in the 2022 wild card game against the Connecticut Chiefs. Down 2-1 with the season on the line, the 87’s made a ferocious push throughout the third period for the tying goal. With just over two minutes left in regulation, Folkerson buried a rebound to even the score at two. Then in overtime, he scored a power-play goal to send the 87’s to the Frozen Finals, earning the ‘Folk Hero’ moniker.

This season, Folkerson continued to grow as a player and meshed well with Charles Lavoie and Aleks Gamzatov, playing together for most of the season as the team’s top line and power-play unit. Folkerson finished this year tied for fifth in the EHL with 12 power-play assists.

Folkerson reflected on his two years with the 87’s and his growth as a hockey player in New Jersey.

“I cannot thank Coach Houli, Matt Kiernan and the entire organization enough. When I first talked to Coach Houli a year and a half ago, I had been bounced around three other junior teams, and I was coming off shoulder surgery. He decided to give me a chance and put me in a position to succeed as soon as I got to New Jersey. With the confidence the coaching staff gave me, I was able to elevate my game to the next level to where it is today. I will always cherish my time as an 87 and will always be a 2022 EHL Champion,” he said.

The 87’s organization would like to congratulate Kyle and his family as he gets ready to advance his hockey career to the Division III collegiate level.

Student-athletes

Our hockey players are STUDENT-athletes. They were quite successful in the classroom: The team GPA for the spring semester was 3.33. For the entire academic year it was 3.27.

Sean O'Malley has interim tag dropped at Lake Forest

A hearty "Congrats!" to Sean O'Malley:

It was announced this week, following a competitive national search, that O'Malley will have the interim tag removed and continue to direct the Lake Forest men's hockey team.

The Brockport alumnus played four seasons for the Golden Eagles, accumulating a 32-54-86 line highlighted by an 11 goal senior campaign in which he wore the "A".

Here's the press release from Lake Forest:

Lake Forest College Director of Athletics Nicki Pieart announced Monday that, following a competitive national search, Sean O'Malley will have the interim tag removed and continue to direct the Forester men's hockey team.

"For the better part of the past decade, Coach O'Malley has exhibited an incredible level of dedication to the hockey program and to the College," began Pieart. "He understands and embraces the important balance between athletics and academics and prides himself on providing a great student-athlete experience for each of his players. As the interim head coach, he has brought in two impressive recruiting classes and is in the process of adding a third. This past winter in particular, the team had several key victories and gained momentum as the season progressed. I am excited to see the continued growth of the program under his leadership "

"I am extremely honored to continue leading the men's ice hockey program and remain involved in the campus community here at Lake Forest College," commented O'Malley. "I am grateful to Vice President of Athletics and Career Advancement Jackie Slaats and Director of Athletics Nicki Pieart, along with the rest of the search committee, for putting their trust in me to continue the tradition of excellence and uphold the same high standards for our program. Moving forward, I will continue working diligently to create a positive experience for our student-athletes and provide them with opportunities to be successful both on and off the ice."

The Foresters qualified for the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup Playoffs in both of O'Malley's seasons as interim head coach. The team improved by six wins overall and earned eight of a possible 12 points against the top two teams in the league standings. Lake Forest is now 105-94-22 overall and 78-64-14 in conference play since O'Malley joined the staff as an assistant in 2014.

During his two years leading the program, O'Malley has coached two different players to All-NCHA honors and two have earned NCHA All-Freshman Team status as well. Seven Lake Forest players have earned a combined nine all-conference awards and Lake Forest has had five NCHA All-Freshman Team selections since 2014. Successful in the classroom as well, the Foresters had 22 NCHA All-Academic Team honorees in 2022-23, matching the league record they set two years earlier.

O'Malley came to Lake Forest from the State University of New York at Potsdam, where he spent two seasons as an assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, and academic advisor. He also served for seven years as an on-ice instructor at Can/Am Hockey Schools in Lake Placid, New York, and Guelph, Ontario.

A graduate of the College at Brockport, O'Malley was a four-year member of the Golden Eagles men's ice hockey team and an assistant captain as a senior. After graduating with a degree in criminal justice, he pursued a professional career with the Wheeling Nailers of the East Coast Hockey League as well as various minor league teams.

Alumnus Borden secures new coaching role in youth hockey

Here's a report about Howie Borden coaching youth hockey. Borden was a blueliner at Brockport from 1999-2000 through 2001-2002, seeing action in 47 games

https://www.brainerddispatch.com/sports/prep/area-boys-hockey-borden-joins-northern-lakes-coaching-staff

Big developments in SUNYAC

Women's ice hockey will become the 21^st sport in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) beginning with the 2023-24 season.

In addition, SUNY Canton will join the SUNYAC as an associate member in the sport of men's ice hockey starting in 2024-25, bringing the total number of programs to 10 in the conference.

The presidents of the SUNYAC approved both measures on Monday, May 8, following recommendations by the conference's directors of athletics.

The SUNYAC will add women's ice hockey by absorbing the Northeast Women's Ice Hockey League which has operated as a single-sport NCAA Division III conference since 2017-18. The league evolved from the former ECAC West conference.

The NEWHL will cease operations on June 30 with the SUNYAC officially taking the reins on July 1.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for the SUNYAC and for our student-athletes to operate under the SUNYAC brand and receive the recognition and services that one of the premier Division III conferences in the NCAA can provide," Tom DiCamillo, commissioner of the SUNYAC, said. DiCamillo organized the NEWHL and served as its commissioner since its inception.

The NEWHL consists of seven SUNY institutions, including five core members of the SUNYAC – Buffalo State, Cortland, Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam. Canton and Morrisville will become associate members of the SUNYAC in the sport of women's ice hockey. The NEWHL conference schedule, which has been approved through 2026-27, will remain as planned as part of the SUNYAC.

Canton will join the SUNYAC in men's ice hockey beginning with the 2024-25 campaign. The conference will grow to 10 teams which will allow for a better scheduling model than the current nine-team format.

The SUNYAC institutions sponsoring men's ice hockey include eight full conference members (Brockport, Buffalo State, Cortland, Fredonia, Geneseo, Oswego, Plattsburgh, Potsdam) and one associate member (Morrisville).

Stylus report about SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year Alex Monteleone

Tyler Sadler of the Brockport Stylus wrote this fine article about Alex Monteleone's hockey career...

Alex Monteleone: defending the ice

Oftentimes there is an association between hockey and Can- ada. Montreal native and senior defenseman Alex Monteleone found his place in hockey culture when he picked up his stick for the first time. Playing since he was two years old, Monteleone did not always have the love for it as he does now.

“Growing up in Canada, hockey is pretty big up there. I grew up playing hockey and hated it at first. I pretty much didn’t touch the ice for like a whole year, and then I eventually got back into it and haven’t stopped since,” Monteleone said.

While it may have taken some time for Monteleone to find his love for playing the game, watching hockey was a different story. Monteleone was able to model his game after players he felt he had a similar stature and build to. This is also how he determined he wanted to play defense.

“I was a bigger kid growing up and I really loved watching Sheldon Souray play,” Monteleone said. “He was a big guy with a heavy shot, and he’s who I grew up watching. So he’s someone who I modeled my game after. Guys like him who were bigger, stronger guys who really took care of their own end and took care of their teammates.”

Because the team did not find the success they had hoped for, Monteleone was surprised when he found out he was named SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year.

“Honestly, it was a huge shock to me. I just wasn’t expecting it. As a team, we didn’t have the year we hoped for. So, I wasn’t expecting to receive that from the coaches,” Monteleone said.

Athletes put their bodies on the line every time they go out and play, and sometimes that risk can lead to an injury. The same is the case for Monteleone who suffered one more devastating than a normal bruise or fracture.

“About six years ago, I was playing at a prep school and I ended up breaking my femur. I didn’t know if I was ever going to play again,” Monteleone said. “The crazy thing about the injury was the rink I broke my femur on was at Norwich University, and that’s the college I ended up attending and playing at for four years. I played for four years on the same ice surface where I got stretchered off and the most traumatic accident in my life happened.”

After his devastating injury at Norwich, attending the same college Monteleone got seriously injured at isn’t something he anticipated.

“Honestly at first it played a role in not wanting to go there,” Monteleone said. But then it played a factor in picking my undergrad which I have from Norwich for athletic training. So
a bunch of people who helped me get back on the ice were those same athletic trainers that were with me day to day. Them helping me get through that two year long process definitely influenced my path of life.”

Being one of the more experienced players on the hockey team, Monteleone has taken a leadership role on the team and is doing his best to share his knowledge with the younger guys.

Even though hockey was never his first passion, Monteleone eventually found his way to his country’s sport and Brockport is thankful that he did.



Source: https://thestylus.org/alex-monteleone-defending-the-ice/

Roach commits to Brockport

East Coast Wizards forward Connor Roach will attend SUNY-Brockport and continue his hockey career with the Golden Eagles. Roach spent the last two seasons as part of the East Coast Eastern Hockey League program.

“I would like to thank my family, coaches, and teammates for all of their support throughout the years,” Roach said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to play college hockey at Brockport, and I cannot wait to get started this fall.”

Roach played a total of 86 games for the Wizards, tied for the seventh-most in program history. The Florida native tallied 81 points in that span, the third-most by any Wizard, and recorded the fourth-most assists in East Coast Wizards history with 50. This past season, Roach averaged over a point per game with 18 goals and 28 assists in just 43 contests.

“Connor has been a huge cog in our offense the past two seasons. After leading the team in scoring his first year, he finished off his junior career in the top 15 in points this year,” Wizards head coach Kory Falite said. “We are excited to see his hard work pay off with his commitment to Brockport, and we’re looking forward to seeing him succeed at the next level.”

 

15 years of BrockportHockey.com

 

A few weeks ago, this blog hit a milestone: 15 years!

The blog was started as a means to help promote this exciting sport and entertaining team to the college community, the community outside of campus, and recruits while affording families and alumni the ability to keep up on what was happening with the team, its student-athletes, and former players. The blog is also a great repository for Golden Eagles history -- there have been so many great plays and great players over the past decade and a half; you can go back and read all their stories.

15 years, and more than 1,900 blog posts later, the blog and its Facebook page are still going strong. And, that will always remain so. The program, its players and coaches, its fans, and the entire world of Brockport make this endeavor so meaningful and impactful.

Thank you for following the adventures of the Golden Eagles.

Golden Eagles donate to Willie Bee Foundation

During the season, the team auctioned off a total of 29 jerseys raising money for The Willie Bee Foundation. This week, the guys presented Cristine & Clay Beeman a donation of $2500 from the money raised. The Golden Eagles look forward to hosting the event again next year!

Filak is EHL finals MVP

The Boston Jr. Rangers defeated the New Hampshire Avalanche to win the Eastern Hockey League championship. The Finals MVP: David Filak, who's coming to Brockport in 2023-2024. He stopped 42 of 44 shots in the championship game and finished the postseason with a 7-2 record, a .955 save percentage, and 1.44 GAA

Jacob Gates commits to Brockport

 Jacob Gates has committed to Brockport. The hard-hitting defenseman is a playmaker -- in 46 games for the Protec Jr. Ducks of the EHL he had 12 goals and 23 assists.

David Filak's EHL stats

Check out the final regular season numbers of David Filak. He led the EHL in all these categories. He's going to have a huge impact at Brockport 

Malzahn commits to Brockport

Boston Jr. Rangers captain Victor Malzahn has committed to Brockport. The 6' defenseman from California has put up great -- and consistent -- numbers the past two seasons in the EHL. In 2021-2022 he had a 4-19-23 line in 43 games, and this season, in the same number of games, he has a 4-17-21 line, all while playing top-notch defense.

Monteleone is SUNYAC's best defenseman

On March 2nd, the SUNYAC announced the 2022-23 individual yearly awards, as nominated and voted on by the conference coaches. Graduate student Alex Monteleone was named the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Monteleone led the Golden Eagles in plus/minus with a +14, which was good for 12^th in the SUNYAC overall. Monteleone's three power-play goals ranked 7^th in the SUNYAC on the season, displaying his ability to contribute from both ends of the ice. His best performance came on February 10^th in a 5-4 win against Fredonia. Monteleone recorded a +/- of +3 and distributed three assists on the night. He finished the year with a total of 10 points from three goals and seven assists. The defensman also stepped in front to block nine shots for the Green and Gold.

Galloway and Sanchez make All-SUNYAC teams

This week the SUNYAC announced the 2023 Men's Ice Hockey All-Conference and All-Rookie teams, as nominated and voted on by the conference coaches. The Golden Eagles had two players earn recognition in Connor Galloway and Manny Sanchez.
 
Connor Galloway – 3^rd Team All-Conference

Galloway is earning his first career All-Conference honor following his junior campaign. He finished the season with 28 points, ranking fifth in the SUNYAC. With 12 goals and 16 assists, the forward was second on the team in goals and led the squad in assists. With a plus/minus rating of +10 for the year, Connor had the second-best rating on the season for Brockport. He also scored two game winning goals, the most on the team in 2022-23. He adds this all-conference selection to his career awards along with a SUNYAC All-Tournament Team honor from last year.
 
Manny Sanchez – All-Rookie Team

In his first season with the Green and Gold, Manny was tied for third on the team with 12 assists. Adding two goals to his season tally, the forward was fifth for Brockport with 14 points on the year. He also sported a positive plus/minus in his freshman campaign, earning a +1 for the season.

Brockport's season closes out with a loss to Geneseo

The SUNY Brockport men's ice hockey team lost to SUNY Geneseo, 6-2, in the final game of the season. The Golden Eagles end their 2022-2023 season with an overall record of 10-15 overall and 5-10 mark in the SUNYAC.

Geneseo struck first with a goal at 13:48 into the first period, taking the 1-0 lead.

Right before the end of the first, Andrew Harley answered back with a goal for the Green and Gold. With just 23 seconds before the end of the period, Harley was assisted Ryan Brow and Josh Grund.

After a tie game through one, Geneseo scored four more goals in the second period. The Knights entered the second intermission up 5-1.

The Green and the Gold started the third period with Ryan Brow's first collegiate goal. Brown was assisted by Chris Aarons and Josh Grund. However, that would be the last score of the evening for Brockport.

Geneseo scored once more before the final buzzer, taking the win 6-2.

Nolan Egbert played 29:44 minutes on the ice starting in goal. Egbert made 26 saves and allowed 3 goals. Teammate Aidan Curry played 29:32 minutes on ice, stepping into the game during the second period. Curry made thirteen saves and allowed three goals.

David Filak's commitment as reported by the EHL

A few weeks ago we mentioned David Filak's commitment to Brockport. Here's the official press release from the EHL:

David Filak, a goaltender for the Boston Jr. Rangers, has committed to SUNY Brockport for the fall of 2023.

The '02 native of Northville, MI joined the Rangers in late September, and through 25 total starts to date in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), Filak owns a record of 16-8-1 to go along with a 1.90 GAA and a .941 save percentage. The veteran netminder also has five shutouts to his credit so far this year.

"David came to us after the first 4 games of the season," said Rangers head coach and general manager Rich DeCaprio. "He is a huge reason for the team's success.  He’s a great leader in the room, and competes everyday at the highest level.  Brockport is getting a tremendous  goalie and person."

Filak is one of two EHL netminders that have committed to Brockport so far this season, as he will team up with Trevor Joule from the New England Wolves. Brockport historically has always been a heavy recruiter of the EHL, having committed at least one player from the league in every season since the league was formed back in 2013. Overall, Filak is the 40th player in league history to choose the Golden Eagles' program.

"Coming to BJR was a really good decision for me," said Filak. "When I first got here the team really helped me feel comfortable and confident in the way I play. The coaching staff has been incredibly supportive in helping me reach my goal of playing college hockey."

With a record of 23-15-2, Filak and the Rangers are battling it out right at the top of the East Division standings. Boston has six games left to push for the #1 seed in the upcoming EHL Playoffs.

 

Galloway and Sanchez secure weekly SUNYAC honors

The SUNY Brockport men's ice hockey team had Connor Galloway and Manny Sanchez earn SUNYAC Men's Ice Hockey Athlete and Rookie of the Week honors.
 
Galloway was a large part of the Golden Eagle offense this weekend securing two important goals one in the second period Friday night against Fredonia, tying up the game, as well as the Game winning goal 1 minutes and 45 seconds into the first overtime. Saturday night Galloway scored Brockport's first goal on a power play getting the teams momentum going for the final 5-3 win over Buffalo state. He earned a total of three goals this weekend and a +/- rating of +2.
 
Sanchez was a large part of the golden Eagle offense this weekend earning a total of four points between both nights. Manny earned two assisted against Fredonia on Friday night as well as two on Saturday night against Buffalo State. After the weekend Manny is +3.

Brockport beats Buffalo State on the road

The SUNY Brockport men's ice hockey team pushed through an action packed game to beat Buffalo State, 5-3, on the road. The squad is now 10-14 overall and 5-10 in SUNYAC play with just one regular season game left.
 
The Buffalo State Bengals struck first with two early goals in the first period. Nick Stuckless scored just 46 seconds into the game. Less than two minutes later at 2:22, Nikita Kozyrev netted the Bengals second goal of the night, as they earned a quick 2-0 lead.
 
The Golden Eagles answered quickly by taking advantage of a power play opportunity. Connor Galloway buried the puck in the back of the net at 3:24 in the first to make it a 2-1 game. Galloway was assisted by Andrew Harley and Scott Ramaekers on the play.
 
Exactly four minutes later Andrew Harley scored Brockport's second of the night, tying the score up at an even 2-2. Harley was assisted by Jordan Rosenbaum and Manny Sanchez, 7:24 into the first period.
 
To cap off a fast-paced opening period, Zach Norby got on the board 16:31 into the first. Norby was assisted by Chris Aarons and Manny Sanchez, as Brockport held a 1-goal lead going into the first intermission.
 
Zach Norby was a big part of the Golden Eagle offense on the night, as he kept the momentum going for Brockport in the second. At 13:42 into the period, he scored his second of the night. In a tense and physical second period, Norby was assisted by Manny Sanchez and Nick Serafin.
 
Serafin recorded his first collegiate point, as the Green and Gold had the lone goal of the second period. The team headed into the third with a 4-2 advantage on the scoreboard.
 
Showing signs of life to start the third, Michael McCosh scored what would be Buffalo State's final goal of the night just 1:04 into the period. The Bengals still trailed, 4-3, with plenty of time remaining.
 
14:41 into the third period, Scott Ramaekers locked up the insurance goal the Golden Eagles needed. Ramaekers was assisted by Andrew Harley and Ryan Brow earning the men the, 5-3, victory.
 
Nolan Egbert did his job on the backline for the Golden Eagles defense. He made 27 saves during his 60 minutes in net tonight, allowing three goals in the win.
 
Despite picking up two big wins this weekend, Fredonia's win over Geneseo on Saturday officially knocks the Golden Eagles out of postseason contention.
 
Brockport will close out the season next week on the road against Geneseo. Game is set for 7pm on Saturday, February 18^th.