A Geneseo player prepares for a faceoff against an opposing SUNY Potsdam player on Saturday Feb. 9. The Ice Knights easily handled the visitors 7-0, clinching an appearance in their thrid straight SUNYAC Championship game (Xavier Delcid/photo editor).
The Geneseo Ice Knights began their playoff push for their third consecutive SUNYAC title and their quest to solidify the program as a dynasty on Saturday Feb. 29. That journey, however, actually began four years ago during the 2016-17 season when players like senior forward Conlan Keenan and senior forward Andrew Romano were just first-years.
Despite Keenan, Romano and their classmates’ inexperience, the class of 2020 combined for 131 points in their first season of college hockey. Keenan, Romano and now-senior forward David Szmyd were three of the top four scorers on the team that season, only behind the then-senior forward Stephen Collins.
If Geneseo students and fans were not aware that the class of 2020 was special in the 2016-17 season, then two SUNYAC titles and a chance for a third during their college career as of today solidifies them as one of the greatest classes at Geneseo ever, especially considering they have the most career points by a class in Geneseo history at 663 and counting.
A NCAA Division III National Championship is certainly in the minds of the class of 2020 after losing in the semifinals against Norwich University last season, but before they can begin thinking about that goal they had to take care of business against SUNY Potsdam in the SUNYAC semifinal.
Keenan and sophomore forward Brendan Miller scored in the first period. In the second period, Geneseo exploded for five more goals, including one from Keenan and Romano, but also from junior forward Devin Brink.
Brink was a part of that successful first-year class in 2016-17 that accumulated 131 points and was responsible for 17 points that year, however, Brink is considered only a junior four seasons later after injury held him out of play last season. Regardless, Brink is still an integral part of the Geneseo team that is one win away from securing themselves as a SUNYAC dynasty.
After the 7-0 shutout victory which featured a career-high 30 saves from junior goaltender Aaron Mackay, Brink commented on the team’s takeaways. “We will continue to need everyone to contribute in order to keep moving forward,” Brink said. “Our team has been successful in playing the game the right way and playing within the system implemented by our coaches. As a team, we're happy with the win, but we're not satisfied yet.”
In the SUNYAC championship on Saturday March 7 Geneseo will take on SUNY Oswego. It was undecided until Tuesday night, however, as the Knights had to wait a little longer to discover their championship opponent due to an issue with the Oswego ice—which postponed that semifinal matchup to Tuesday March 3.
As a result, the Knights will have three extra days of rest and preparation. According to Brink, “Having a full week of rest will benefit our team since we'll have more time to prepare for a hard-fought battle come Saturday night. As long as our preparation doesn't change, the results shouldn't either.”
Brink, the class of 2020 and all the Knights will hope to use that extra preparation in order to crown themselves champions of the SUNYAC for the third straight year and cement themselves a dynasty, especially considering they will be only the second team to win three or more consecutive conference titles since Plattsburgh won six SUNYAC trophies in a row from the 1996-97 season to the 2001-02 season.