An object in motion tends to stay in motion and, right now, the Geneseo Ice Knights are rolling full speed ahead as they move into the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament.
The second-ranked team in the country features the highest scoring average (5.07 goals per game) and the highest scoring margin (3.19) in NCAA D-III hockey. They also have the two-time Herb Hammond SUNYAC Player of the year, senior forward Conlan Keenan, and SUNYAC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, junior goaltender Aaron Mackay.
For good measure, the Knights also have senior forward Andrew Romano on their team, and he leads the country in points (56), points per game (2.07), assists (42) and assists per game (1.56).
On Saturday March 7, Geneseo took on the SUNY Oswego Lakers and won their third-consecutive SUNYAC Championship; their fourth in five years and their seventh all-time.
In the first period, in front of a sold-out crowd, sophomore defenseman Matthew Doran got Geneseo on the board early with his ninth goal of the year.
After the Lakers evened up the score to close out the first period, Geneseo got out to a 3-1 lead as a result of goals from sophomore forward Brandon Miller and senior forward David Szmyd.
Thanks to superior goaltending and 20 saves from Mackay, Geneseo held on to win the game 4-1 after junior forward Carson Kelley heaved the puck all the way down the ice and scored on an empty net.
When the clock showed all zeroes, the team stormed the ice in celebration. They showed off their third-straight championship trophy to the 2,000-plus supporting fans, and cleaned up the amalgamation of loose gloves, helmets and sticks from the ice. Once the momentous occasion came to a close, the Knights understood they had more work to do.
Geneseo’s success through the season and the team’s high ranking earned them a first-round bye in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. About the bye, Romano said, “I think the first-round bye is very beneficial … it gives us a chance to rest our bodies and prepare for our next opponent. We will practice hard over these two weeks to make sure we are ready for our quarterfinal game.”
Romano’s ambiguity about the upcoming opponent stems from the uncertainty of who they will face on Saturday March 21 at home.
Hobart and Adrian Colleges square off on Saturday March 14 to earn the right to take on a very talented Geneseo squad.
In preparation for that game, Romano admitted the team will watch that matchup on Saturday, but he also said, “we will prepare for [the quarterfinal] just as we do every other game. We will first worry about us and playing our game.”
That should not be a problem for a Knights team that is currently riding an 11-game unbeaten streak dating back to Jan 14.
Regardless of the opponent, will Hobart or Adrian provide enough friction and resistance to stop or even slow down this dynastic Geneseo team? If so, they will have to go through the nation’s top offense, standout players like Keenan and Romano and a fourth line that, according to Geneseo broadcaster Trevor Clifton, “could be a starting line on any team in the country.”
The Knights are rolling, and unless something or someone can stop them, they plan on rolling all the way to Buffalo to claim a National Championship.