College Hockey:

SUNYAC Season Preview

It wasn’t too long ago when the SUNYAC was stacked with talented goaltenders. Netminders like Brett Walker, Rick Scott, Craig Neilson, Sean Sheehan, Matt Meacham, Ryan Venturelli, Tyson Gajda, Greg Van’t Hof, and Ben Binga.

Now, there are a plethora of questions concerning goaltending for many teams. Plattsburgh lost Bryan Hince to the pros. Oswego is still searching for a solid replacement for Ryan Scott. Ditto for Geneseo after Brett Walker and Derek Jokic. Cortland, Buffalo State, and Potsdam haven’t really been able to settle on a go to guy.

“Everybody knows it comes down to good goaltending,” Geneseo coach Chris Schultz said. “The first thing a coach does is build from the net out, and this year our league lacks a lot of experience in net.”

“Part of it is recruiting,” Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery said. “Part of it is attributed to the kids and how hard they work and how hard they try to improve. It’s an educated guess. You evaluate the kids with what you see. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve been on both ends.”

Oswego coach Ed Gosek agrees: “Just because they put up the statistics and played well in juniors and prep school, it doesn’t mean they are going to play well in college. It’s not like forwards and defensemen where you can bring in 12-16 guys and see who comes out. You can’t bring in six goaltenders, so if you missed on your evaluation, you’re stuck.”

The three teams that seem to be sitting well with this position are either programs not noted for success or didn’t even make the playoffs last year.

The best goalie heading into this SUNYAC season very well may be Todd Sheridan of Brockport. The Golden Eagles rode him last year to one of their most successful seasons in school history. Fredonia has Pat Street and Kody Van Rentergem and Morrisville has Caylin Relkoff, two teams that ironically did not make the playoffs last year.

This potentially means 2009-10 could be wide open. Even with superior talent on the ice, inconsistent goaltending could mean enough strange results translating to some surprising standings.

“We all understand, you can have a great team and average goaltending, and you’re not going anywhere,” Gosek said. “On the flip side, you can have an average team and great goaltending, and go places. If your goalie isn’t in the 92-94 save percentage range by the playoffs, you’re not going too far.”

Thus, don’t be surprised if this predicted order of finish turns out to be complete malarkey.

Plattsburgh State Cardinals

Coach: Bob Emery, 21st season overall and at Plattsburgh (446-140-44)
2008-9 overall record: 25-5-0
2008-9 SUNYAC record: 14-2-0
2008-9 SUNYAC finish: First
2009-10 Predicted finish: First

Quick Take: The biggest shock last season was Plattsburgh getting bounced in the NCAA quarterfinals when most expected them to hoist the trophy in Lake Placid. Then, over the summer, another shock occurred: standout goalie, Bryan Hince, left after just two years to turn pro.

Suddenly, the team that had no issues in net has no answers in net. The Cardinals may have to rely even more so on their talented squad in front of the net.

“I know the name of the game is to keep the puck out,” Plattsburgh coach Bob Emery said. “We’re looking for good solid team defense. Not just in our own end. We also have to possess it in the offensive end. The more we possess it offensively, the less time the puck is in our own end. We have to carry the puck, make plays, and don’t turn the puck over.”

Empty Lockers: Besides Hince, Plattsburgh also lost other talented players such as their leading scorer Joey Wilson (24 goals, 17 assists, 41 points), Riley Hill (14-18-32), Nick Rolls (5-24-29), Ward Smith, Eric Greene, and Ryan Burke.

The Core: “We have four really big guys who have a lot of experience and have played together for a long time,” Emery said. “Dylan Clarke [16-23-39], Eric Satim [11-18-29], Phil Farrow [12-26-38], and Andrew Willock [6-8-14]. Hopefully, their leadership will play a role in helping the young guys learn what our program is about.”

New Gear: All eyes will be on the freshmen goaltenders Raphy Rossy, Josh Leis, and Ryan Williams.

“We’re very unique in that we have three guys fighting for one or two spots,” Emery said. “We don’t know how we are going to play it, whether we are going to go with one guy or split the duties between two.”

Other players to keep an eye on include forwards Patrick Jobb, Ian Delong, Matt Bessing, Chris Wieland, and Jared Docking and defensemen Paul Puglisi, Zach Hepler, and Cody Adams.

“The new kids are playing well in practice,” Emery said. “But to us a good lead is about four to five games. We look for consistency. It’s one thing to play well for a game, but we want them to be competitive in every game.”

Key Question: Isn’t it obvious? Whenever Plattsburgh had a solid goalie, they were able to play their style without any care, allowing them to dominate. However, when the goalie situation was shaky, they were unable to play their style of game no matter what the talent was on the ice, and they struggled.

Plattsburgh always reloads, but they need that one key ingredient. They will be tested throughout the year as they play as usual a tough schedule.

“Our schedule pretty much stays the same,” Emery said. “We like it that way. The tough schedule makes you better at the end of the year. And that’s where it counts. It’s not how good you are at the beginning of the year, but how good you are at the end.”

Mark Your Calendar Game: Nov. 7 versus Oswego.

How can you not pick the best rivalry in SUNYAC, and one of the best in Division III? With huge goaltending question marks for both these teams and this game coming so early in the season, it may provide a foreshadowing for which team could end up on top of the league.

Oswego State Great Lakers

Coach: Ed Gosek, seventh season overall and at Oswego (114-39-14)
2008-9 overall record: 18-8-1
2008-9 SUNYAC record: 11-4-1
2008-9 SUNYAC finish: Second
2009-10 Predicted finish: Second

Quick Take: At least based on Oswego standards, the Lakers have fallen short recently, missing out on the NCAA playoffs the past two years after winning the national championship. Their Achilles heel continues to be Plattsburgh.

Despite losing the large class that was the heart of the national title in their sophomore year, Oswego will continue to be stocked with talented, fast skaters who can put the puck in the net. They will still be solid defensively, but there is still a talent gap between them and Plattsburgh.

Oswego has not beaten Plattsburgh in their last 10 meetings (0-9-1), last winning on Feb. 3, 2006, and have never done so in their new Campus Center Arena.

Empty Lockers: Gone are Ryan Ellis (13-16-29), Brendan McLaughlin (8-20-28), Mark Lozzi (16-9-25), Matt Whitehead (9-10-19), Garren Reisweber (9-9-18), Derrell Levy, and Peter Magagna. Those are just the seven of the top nine scorers last year. There’s also Rich Zalewski, Kyle McCutcheon, Mike Novak, and Francois Gagnon, all defensemen.

That’s a whole lot of firepower, talent, and defense to lose and make up.

“Big effect on the coaching staff,” Oswego coach Ed Gosek said. “It’s not healthy to bring in a large number of kids. We want to get that number down to six to seven every year. It’s a more manageable number for that rotation.”

The Core: Their third and fifth leading scorers from last year — Eric Selleck (13-13-26) and Chris Laganiere (6-14-20) — are back.

“Selleck, the [SUNYAC] Rookie of the Year, we are expecting to help lead the way,” Gosek said. “Our three seniors [Neil Musselwhite, Brad Dormiedy, and Tyler Lyon] are not vocal, but they lead by example. Very good in the classroom. Very good in the weight room. We don’t want them to change. Be who you are, we tell them.”

New Gear: It is the performance of the 14 incoming freshmen and transfers that will play a major role in how far this team goes.

Justin Fox (34-40-74 in two seasons and ECAC East Rookie of the Year) and defenseman Kevin Huinink both come in from Salem State.

Newcomers include Jon Whitelaw, Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Player of the Year, Luke Moodie, OJHL scoring runner up, Paul Rodrigues, OJHL scoring leader the year before, Chris Ayotte, Chris Brown, Tyler Leimbrock, Chris Muise, and Matt Singleton.

“The new guys bring youthful energy and excitement,” Gosek said. “I think that energy revitalizes our returning group. They’ve been very good as far as attention to detail and work ethic. They’re clones. All decent skaters, good hockey sense, all good speed, all decent hands.”

Key Question: Goaltending will determine whether they can overcome Plattsburgh and return to the NCAAs.

“Probably will go with Paul Beckwith, our returnee, even though Kyle Gunn-Taylor has the most college starts when he was with Buffalo State,” Ed Gosek said.

Those are Oswego’s choices since Tim Potter, a transfer from Clarkson last year who Gosek went with down the stretch, decided not to return. They also have freshman Dan Jones in the mix who had a solid junior hockey career.

Mark Your Calendar Game: Jan. 8 versus Adrian.

If there was national TV coverage of Division III hockey, this would be one of the highest rated games in history. Everybody in D-III, both east and west, have been talking about this game since it was first announced.

Brockport State Golden Eagles

Coach: Brian Dickinson, 16th season overall (105-241-36) and 13th season at Brockport (91-193-30)
2008-9 overall record: 14-10-3
2008-9 SUNYAC record: 7-7-2
2008-9 SUNYAC finish: Fourth
2009-10 Predicted finish: Third

Quick Take: Brockport for third place? Why not?

This was a team that shocked the league last year when everyone thought they were in a rebuilding year. Instead, they hosted their first ever playoff game and produced the school’s first ever postseason victory. This was due mostly to the outstanding play of goaltender Todd Sheridan — overshadowed in the SUNYAC only by Bryan Hince — and the unselfish play of the team and the camaraderie built up over the season.

“I certainly hope Sheridan gives us a better than average chance to win hockey games,” Brockport coach Brian Dickinson said. “It’s certainly a strength of ours. Well give Josh Roarke and Oliver Wren some work, so they are ready to take over next year.

Preparing for next year is fine, but right now Brockport comes off a season that created a lot of buzz on campus and record crowds down the stretch. They hope to continue that momentum this year.

Empty Lockers: Some key players have graduated including the third through fifth leading scorer from last year, Dave McNab (11-10-21), Tim Crowley (8-12-20) who is now the assistant coach at Potsdam, and Mike Gershon (8-9-17). Also gone are Aaron Boyer and Rick Stanek.

“Those guys definitely helped our leadership,” Dickinson said. “That’s the biggest thing. There’s no substitution for leadership.”

The Core: “James Cody is probably at the top of the list,” Dickinson said. “He was our leading scorer [11-13-24] as a freshman. I still think he flies under the radar. I’m really excited to have a guy like that, but I’m really excited about that whole line — Cody, Justin Noble, and Ray Tremblay. They really came along late last year, especially in the playoffs.”

Sean O’Malley, Jason Gorrie who came from Plattsburgh last year, Gregg Amato, and Tyler Davis return expecting to contribute.

New Gear: Mike Hayward, Adam Korol, Dan Galiani (younger brother of junior Tom), and Nick Panepinto should help out. The most intriguing freshman is Colby Spooner from the Aquinas Institute in Rochester.

“He’s a true freshman,” Dickinson said. “He has not looked out of place which is rare for a true freshman. Time will tell if he can pick up the speed of the game, but we are hoping we found a diamond in the rough.”

Key Question: Will Sheridan remain healthy? Last year was his healthiest at Brockport, but he did receive some dings near the end, resulting in sitting him out in the last game of the season which didn’t mean anything.

If necessary, will Dickinson be willing to lighten Sheridan’s workload even if it means sitting him in most if not all nonconference games, not worry about those results, just to make sure he is 100% for the games that matter to Brockport?

No matter how improved the Golden Eagles are, this team will only go as far as Sheridan can carry them. Thus, a well rested, healthy Sheridan is imperative at whatever cost.

Mark Your Calendar Game: Feb. 12 versus Geneseo.

In the past, this game often meant who got into the playoffs. Then, when Geneseo started to excel, this rivalry fizzled out. Now, it’s back as Brockport handedly beat Geneseo twice last year, one of the keys to their overall success. By the time they meet for the second time this year, a key top position could be on the line.

Geneseo State Ice Knights

Coach: Chris Schultz, fourth season overall and at Geneseo (38-39-1)
2008-9 overall record: 14-12-1
2008-9 SUNYAC record: 8-7-1
2008-9 SUNYAC finish: Third
2009-10 Predicted finish: Fourth

Quick Take: Geneseo returned to being a contender, but not without a topsy-turvy season.

“Last year, we got off to a really strong start, cooled off in January, and then got ourselves into a position for a home playoff spot,” Geneseo coach Chris Schultz said. “So, we had a dip in the middle there. We need to be like a good performing stock — steadily improving, consistently on the rise, so we are winning our last game.

“We got to have that competitive edge no matter who we play, whether it’s the top team in the country or someone we are expecting to beat.”

Geneseo will be tested early with a nonconference pair at Neumann and then the North Country trip against Plattsburgh and Potsdam. This is a team where constant coaching changes finally caught up with them. Now, with some consistency with Chris Schultz, the Ice Knights moved back up the standings, and will be looking to continue to seek out a home playoff berth.

Empty Lockers: The third and fourth leading scorers, Casey Balog (9-9-18) and Kevin Galan (11-6-17), from last year have graduated along with a trio of defensemen: Casey Smith, Sean Hayden, and Chris Kestell. Jeff Pasemko, who shared goaltending duties, also graduated.

“The class as a whole, in terms of leadership, they did a very good job,” Schultz said. “I don’t think any one player is going to be missed more than another. It’s the presence they had in the locker room that is going to be missed.”

The Core: The top two scorers, however, do return as seniors, Sebastian Panetta (7-16-23) and Dan Brown (10-12-22), along with Phil Rose, a solid two-way player.

“Jeff McPhee is our top dog defensively,” Schultz said. “He lugs a lot of ice time. Our freshmen line from last year, Clint Olson, Jonathan Redlick, and Stefan Decosse, we are hoping will continue to be relied on.”

With Pasemko gone, Cory Gershon will most likely take over full duties.

“He’ll definitely be our guy,” Schultz said. “But freshman Adrian Rubeniuk looked very good in his first game, and Michael Battaglia is practicing really well this year. They will all be pushing each other.”

New Gear: Geneseo gets a Division I transfer from Quinnipiac, David Arduin. Expect him to be on the power play as he’s a guy that reads the game very well.

Ryan Bulach, Kaz Iwamoto (from Japan!), and Corbin Rosmarin are three guys to keep an eye on. Defensively, Blake O’Connor and Colin de Jersey will be looking to make an immediate impact.

Key Question: Just how good can Gershon be for his second year? And will getting the majority of the workload tire him out, causing the Ice Knights to repeat their dip in the middle of the season? Then, will a second wind pro