We’re heading into the final weekend of the SUNYAC regular season, which for three disappointed squads will be their last action, period. There are few givens as the rinks open their doors in four SUNYAC centers on Friday night. One is that Geneseo will finish in third place and will host an as-yet-to-be-determined sixth seed in a quarterfinal tilt next Wednesday. Beyond that, we know very little, and may not know much more until the final horns blow Saturday night. By then, we’ll know whether Oswego will have wrapped up its fourth consecutive SUNYAC regular season crown, or whether the Lakers will be nosed out by Plattsburgh when those two perennial league powers meet in the North Country on Saturday. By then, we’ll know whether Potsdam — currently sitting in the sixth and final playoff spot, and no more than two points ahead of its three pursuers — will have enough gas left in its proverbial tank. One thing we do know, the hockey action should be fast and furious on all fronts.
Since so much rides on the four games on the slate for Friday — only Geneseo is idle — we will focus our picks strictly on those tilts.
Friday, Feb. 15
No. 2 Oswego at Potsdam
The Lakers can sew up the title with a win. Potsdam, which found the ripcord in the nick of time with two overtime wins last weekend, does control its own fate, but has to keep winning. The guess here is that Oswego is just too strong. Oswego 5-2
Morrisville at Brockport
Morrisville, which started out with six consecutive SUNYAC losses, has been one of the league’s best stories of late, with three wins and two one-goal losses in its last five starts. This will be the Golden Eagles’ last chance to gain points, as they finish up on Saturday with nonconference foe Franklin Pierce. Morrisville won the first meeting (interim coach Kevin Krogol’s first win), but Brockport will rise to the challenge on a night dedicated to their “Saves For A Cure” charity. Brockport 2-1
Cortland at No. 9 Plattsburgh
Cortland does have a win over a ranked-team (nonleague Utica) to it’s credit, but still has to hope that it catches Platty looking too hard to Saturday’s clash with Oswego. The guess here is that the Cardinals will be fully focused. Plattsburgh 5-3
Fredonia at Buffalo State
The final game for both teams, and this is more a battle for fourth (and home ice in the quarterfinal) than for outright survival. In fact, there could be a rematch on Wednesday. The Bengals won big (7-3) in the previous meeting, and Buffalo State bench boss Nick Carriere — who began his coaching career under Fredonia’s Jeff Meredith — would love to hand his mentor another loss. The guess here is that he will, in overtime. Buffalo State 4-3
