Russell JaslowIt’s Playoff Time And with it comes this midweek column to preview the play-in round. There are two rematches of a different sort in the first round. A rematch from last year, and a rematch from last weekend. Potsdam and Brockport do it again one year later, once again at the Tuttle North Ice Arena … Read more
The third annual Pink the Rink event at Fredonia, the originators of the concept, was the most successful one yet. Fans filled the stands before the warm-ups were completed, and they continued to stream in up to the opening faceoff, as it was four to five deep in standing room and along the corner boards. … Read more
Tyler Mazzei scored at 1:10 in overtime to give RIT its third Atlantic Hockey regular season championship, beating Air Force, 3-2, on the only even strength goal of the contest. “I think we have two of the best defensive teams in the league,” RIT coach Wayne Wilson said. “The only even-strength goal was in overtime, … Read more
Last Weekend As we head into the last weekend of regular season play, let’s get the easy information out of the way. Oswego has clinched first place and home ice throughout the SUNYAC playoffs. “If you told me we would have been in this position at the start of the year with 12 freshmen and … Read more
Once Geneseo learned they were not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA infractions, their goal was simple — run the table. Geneseo is now 4-0-1 in their last five games after defeating Brockport, 2-1, on two first period goals. “We’re a relaxed team now,” Geneseo head coach Chris Schultz said. “We’re just going out … Read more
Settling In With just three games left in the regular season (except for Morrisville, who has four left), teams are starting to settle into certain positions. Of course, some of this is due to two teams not eligible for postseason play. The two bye positions are virtually settled. Oswego still holds a five point lead … Read more
The fight for third place in the SUNYAC produced a wild back and forth third period between Brockport and Fredonia. In the end however, the teams skated to a 3-3 overtime tie. This allows Fredonia to maintain a three point lead over Brockport. “I thought it was a really good college hockey game with good … Read more
The Aftermath Now that a week has passed since the NCAA announcement sanctioning Buffalo State and Geneseo, the two teams involved have had some time to let it sink in. Their reactions have been admirable, and any anger they have is channeled properly. “In terms of how the team is handling it, they are remarkably … Read more
Oswego is one of the hottest teams in the country, so hot, they literally set off the fire alarm during the first intermission, causing an evacuation of the sold-out Campus Center Ice Arena. Eric Selleck’s gloves ignited when he was drying them in the locker room. Oswego stayed blazing hot, beating their archrival Plattsburgh, 3-2. … Read more
The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions announced sanctions, effective immediately, against Geneseo and Buffalo State that will keep the schools out of the postseason this season. Though the sanctions are imposed on the entire athletic program, they primarily affect ice hockey. According to the NCAA, Geneseo and Buffalo State awarded grants almost exclusively to … Read more
As Expected “Somehow, I get the feeling after the weekend is over, the only thing that is going to change amongst this cluster is some shuffling around within.†That’s what I wrote in last week’s column. That’s exactly what happened. Sure, the spread amongst the gap widened by one point. But, that’s like saying Calista … Read more
The Potsdam at Geneseo game deteriorated into a controversial, penalty-filled third period, overshadowing an exceptional performance by Geneseo’s goaltender, Andy Rubeniuk. Rubeniuk made 37 saves, some spectacular on shots that looked like sure goals, to lead his Ice Knights to a 5-3 victory over Potsdam. “I think the most effective player on the team tonight … Read more
Brockport took advantage of a third period five minute power play to score the winning goal and added an empty netter to defeat Potsdam, 4-2, in a key SUNYAC game. After falling behind 2-0, Todd Sheridan shut the Bears down the rest of the way for a total of 36 saves while also relying on … Read more
Non-Conference With just two non-conference games remaining for SUNYAC teams (Morrisville at Manhattanville on Jan. 24 and Plattsburgh at Middlebury on Feb.2), the SUNYAC has done extremely well against other conferences. They currently hold a 6-2-3 margin over the ECAC East, 8-2-0 over the ECAC Northeast, 2-0-0 over MASCAC, 1-0-0 vs. MCHA, 4-2-1 over NESCAC, … Read more
A Win For Division III Hockey The game was finally played. Oswego vs. Adrian. East vs. West. Established program vs. upstart. Fans vs. fans. Perhaps, in the end, the result wasn’t quite what each side wanted. Oswego had an opportunity to blow out Adrian in the first period, but they missed on numerous scoring chances, … Read more
RIT extended their conference unbeaten streak to 12 with a 2-0 victory over Holy Cross. The last four games (3-0-1) in the streak were against the Crusaders. The Tigers scored two first period goals in less than a minute and got 22 saves by Jared DeMichiel for the shutout. “I thought all the periods were … Read more
In one of the most anticipated games in Division III hockey history, Oswego defeated Adrian, 5-2. When it was all over, everybody got something out of the game. Oswego showed they are still the top team in the nation and defended the pride of the East. Adrian showed they can play with the top teams … Read more
Three Tournament Champions Potsdam, Oswego, and Plattsburgh all celebrated the new year by bringing home hardware to put in their trophy cases. All three played in holiday tournaments, and all three won them. Potsdam was perhaps the most impressive of the lot because not only were they the only ones who did it on the … Read more
The RIT-Niagara non-conference series has developed into a nice rivalry, guaranteeing sellout crowds. Lately, Niagara has dominated the series, going 5-0-2 in their last seven meetings. They made it 6-0-2 Saturday, as Niagara defeated RIT, 3-2, ending the Tigers ten-game unbeaten streak. The turning point of the game came with an RIT major penalty early … Read more
Brockport ended their first semester of hockey with a 4-0 victory over visiting Western New England thanks to three power plays scores and 33 saves by Todd Sheridan. It’s the senior’s fourth career shutout. “He’s been nothing short of outstanding in our net all year,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said of Sheridan. “Tonight he didn’t … Read more