SUNYAC title a battle between old foes

This is the last regularly-scheduled SUNYAC column of the season, and, of course, there is a wide-open stretch of ice to cover, not the least of which is Saturday’s league championship tilt pitting No. 1 Oswego and No. 2 Plattsburgh. How fitting. Those two old foes are about to meet for the SUNYAC title for … Read more

Top four set in SUNYAC

We’re coming down to the home stretch, now that the two SUNYAC quarterfinal tilts are in the books, and semifinal match-ups — No. 4 Buffalo State at No. 1 Oswego and No. 3 Geneseo at No. 2 Plattsburgh — are set for Saturday. It’s unusual to some degree to see the top four seeds holding … Read more

Gertsakis breaks out for Oswego

Hands up: who had Oswego’s Bobby Gertsakis in your SUNYAC Fantasy League last weekend? (Still looking — still looking — crickets chirping…). Nobody, not even the sophomore defenseman himself, could have foreseen his three-goal eruption last weekend that helped the league-leading (and nation’s No. 2 squad) to road wins at Buffalo State and Fredonia. Why … Read more

Arnold and Potsdam

A cruel bit of irony, perhaps. Potsdam, a team that has known nothing but the road this year, may have run out of road, or at least as it concerns the Bears’ playoff chances. With just four games remaining in the regular season, Potsdam finds itself in a really tough spot. Namely, the SUNYAC cellar. … Read more

Titanic tilts the ice for Oswego

David Titanic majors in Wellness Management at SUNY-Oswego, but he might want to consider a minor in something like home economics. After all, he’s shown a distinct talent for tailoring. That was especially true over the weekend, when the junior winger threaded the needle twice in a Lakers win over Brockport (5-1) followed by their rousing … Read more

Hehr and Fredonia stay positive in fight for playoffs

It’s why we love hockey players so much: Guys like Fredonia’s Mat Hehr. Informed that he was wanted outside for media duty, Hehr hopped on one leg through the dressing room door, bare foot planted on the freezy Tuttle Arena floor and greeted a lone reporter with a smile, one that never left his face … Read more

NHL pedigree runs helps Chris Kaleta at Cortland

Take a slow cruise through any of hockey-mad Buffalo’s many ‘burbs and you are bound to come upon a random neighborhood street hockey clash. Wannabe Perreaults, LaFontaines, and Haseks have battled it out for generations for mythical Stanley Cup glory, be it on ice or asphalt. The vast majority of those dreams ended at the … Read more

Zannella a warrior for Buffalo State

“Is there a doctor in the house?” That old catchphrase of vaudevillian vintage could have ricocheted throughout the Buffalo State Ice Arena after Bengals captain Mike Zannella suffered a gashed leg while taking the twirl before Friday’s clash with New England College. It wasn’t, and there wasn’t, and Zannella, doing what comes naturally to a … Read more

Whitelaw back leading Oswego

Jon Whitelaw spent the greater chunk of November and December in street clothes, which is scarcely a fitting place for the SUNYAC’s reigning scoring champ. More to his liking would have been on ice, wearing the “C” for Oswego State, and leading the Lakers’ charge into the national championship fray. What Whitelaw, an education major … Read more

SUNYAC Christmas wish list

Naughty or nice? That’s for Santa to decide. Still, if you were to ask each of the SUNYAC’s nine head coaches, they would swear that none of them are deserving of any stockings chucked full of coal. Indeed, they’d convince you that they’ve all been good lads who deserve something special under the tree. We … Read more

Short-handed Plattsburgh rallies for big win

The headline would have read something like this: “Plattsburgh hands Lakers first loss of the season”. The sub-head? “With one hand tied behind its back”. Well, sort of. The No. 7 Cardinals, who had been struggling just a bit in recent weeks (2-2-1 in their last five outings) were a little short-handed on the blue … Read more

Dolman gets back in the saddle

Mike Dolman is back to playing competitive hockey, which is something that scads of those locked-out NHLers — Sidney Crosby for starters — wish they could be doing. Yet it wasn’t always thus for the Morrisville junior and the team’s leading scorer. In fact Dolman can feel some empathy for Sir Sidney et al, having … Read more

First goal comes at good time for Geneseo’s Devon Rice

It would have been an easy question to ask: How much faith does Geneseo coach Chris Schultz repose in rookie winger Devon Rice? The answer to that was played out in the final minute of a deadlocked contest against a nationally-ranked opponent. Plenty. With the score knotted 2-2 and overtime looming against No. 4 Plattsburgh, … Read more

It’s unanimous: Oswego still No. 1 in D-III men’s poll

With all 20 first-place votes this week, Oswego retains its No. 1 ranking in the USCHO.com Division III Men’s Poll. Norwich remains No. 2, while Adrian rises two places to No. 3, Wisconsin-Eau Claire jumps four to sit fourth and Plattsburgh dips one to No. 5. St. Norbert falls three to No. 6, Hobart is … Read more

Lockhurst leading the way at Brockport

Anyone who wants to describe the term “textbook goaltender” is probably talking about some fantasy tale. There are as many ways to play the net as there are those willing to fill it, which is to say, “If it feels good, do it.” Or maybe, “Don’t mess with success,” which is the story being crafted … Read more

Oswego maintains stranglehold on top spot in men’s D-III poll

The top four teams remain the same as last week in the USCHO.com Division III Men’s Poll, including top-ranked Oswego, which received 17 of 20 first-place votes this week. No. 3 St. Norbert garnered two first-place votes and No. 8 Wisconsin-Eau Claire had the other. Norwich stays No. 2 this week and Plattsburgh is back … Read more

Traveling light

Hockey players will eagerly go the extra mile to get ahead. In Todd Graham’s case, those miles have often come about 10,000 at a time while wedged for hours and hours in the seat of an airplane. Then again, when you’re large, Australian, and itching to play hockey, you’ll range as far afield as you … Read more