NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament Preview: Geneseo vs. UW-Stevens Point

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FULL GAME NOTES VS. UW-STEVENS POINT

GENESEO, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo takes on Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Tournament, Friday. Making the program's fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, the Knights are in the hunt for their first-ever national championship game appearance after playing to their second berth in the semifinals in three years after also making the 2014 Frozen Four. The Pointers are making their ninth all-time Frozen Four appearance while seeking their third-consecutive appearance in the national title game. 

Geneseo advanced to Friday's game with a 2-1 win over visiting Williams last Saturday in the quarterfinals after a 7-1 home win opposite Salve Regina in the opening round two weeks ago. Following a first-round bye, Stevens Point defeated an Adrian (MIch.) team that entered the NCAA postseason atop both national polls, 5-2, on the road.

The Knights earned an automatic bid to the tournament after winning the fourth State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title in program history with a 7-1 victory at No. 3 Plattsburgh (March 5) in the tournament championship game. The Pointers used a 4-3 double-overtime triumph at UW-River Falls to clinch the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Commissioners Cup Championship. 

The winner advances to play for the national championship on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. opposite the winner of Friday's other semifinal between St. Norbert (Minn.) and UMass-Boston. 

FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE GAME
Friday's game will be webcast with live video and statistics by Turner Sports on NCAA.com for free and can be accessed on the NCAA Championships live broadcast website (www.ncaa.com/liveschedule). Fans can also tune into 89.3 WGSU FM in the Geneseo area and listen to students MATT NIGRO (PBP) and RYAN SULLIVAN (Color) on the call. 

LAST TIME OUT
Geneseo first-year forward ARTHUR GORDON scored a pair of first-period goals that proved to be the difference as the Knights defeated visiting Williams, 2-1, in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals, last Saturday. First-year forward BRODIE TUTTON was credited with an assist on both goals, including what proved to be the game-winning tally with 2:03 remaining in the opening period. First-year goalie DEVIN MCDONALD logged 31 saves to preserve the win. 

GENESEO IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Geneseo is making the fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, including the second in three seasons. Receiving an at-large bid to the 2014 tournament, the Knights picked up their first-ever NCAA victories with wins over Nichols (3-2) and Norwich (3-2) in a pair of games played at Wilson Ice Arena before falling to eventual national champion St. Norbert (Wisc.), 6-2, in the Frozen Four. The Knights made back-to-back tournaments in 2005 and 2006 along with their first appearance in 1990.

NCAA REWIND: GENESEO 7, SALVE REGINA 1
Geneseo first-year forward ANTHONY MARRA coupled his first collegiate hat-trick with three assists to lead the Knights to a 7-1 victory over Salve Regina in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament (March 12) at Wilson Ice Arena. Junior forward TREVOR HILLS opened the scoring 27 seconds into the contest on his way to a two-goal, two-assist showing as Geneseo built a 5-1 lead through two periods that proved insurmountable. Junior forwardSTEPHEN COLLINS chipped in three assists while first-year goalie DEVIN McDONALD stopped 28 of 29 Seahawk shots he faced to preserve the win. 

GENESEO IN THE SUNYAC
Geneseo finished the regular season with a 9-2-5 record in the SUNYAC, clinching the third-seed for the postseason tournament. The Knights defeated sixth-seeded Potsdam, 4-1, in a home first-round game, before moving past second-seeded Buffalo State, 6-1, on the road to avenge a pair of regular-season losses to the Bengals. Geneseo finished off the conference playoffs with a 7-1 win at top-seeded Plattsburgh to win its first title since back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006 and also mark the 20th anniversary of the program's first SUNYAC title in 1986.

EVEN STEPHEN
Geneseo junior forward STEPHEN COLLINS was named a finalist for the 2016 Sid Watson Award, recognizing the Division III National Player of the Year. Already named the SUNYAC Herb Hammond Player of the Year and a first-team all-league selection, Collins is currently tied for first in the nation with 22 goals, ranks third with 47 points and is tied for ninth with 25 assists.  He was named the SUNYAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, highlighted by a one-goal, two-assist showing in the team's 6-1 victory at Buffalo State (Feb. 27) in the semifinals. He landed SUNYAC Player of the Week recognition on Jan. 18 after scoring seven goals during a three-game stretch for the Knights, including a hat-trick opposite Division II Franklin Pierce (Jan. 16). Also voted a second-team all-conference pick as a first-year, Collins notched a six-point showing (2 goals, 4 assists) in a 7-4 victory over visiting Canton (Nov. 6) earlier this season. Held scoreless in only six of the Knights' 30 games this season, Collins has scored at least one point in 10 of Geneseo's last 12 games, including the overtime game-winning tally and a pair of assists in the squad's key conference victory over Fredonia (Feb. 13) and another goal and two assists in the Knights' 3-3 tie at No. 2 Plattsburgh (Feb. 20) on the final day of the regular season. Collins is currently the program's active career leader with 40 goals and is second with 49 assists and 89 points. 

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE
Junior forward TREVOR HILLS was named a SUNYAC First-Team All-Star this season. Voted the SUNYAC Player of the Week on three occasions throughout the year, Hills is currently tied for first nationally with 22 goals, including a Division III best 12 power-play tallies, and is also tied for first with 0.88 goals per game. His 1.60 points per game are tied for the third in the nation, while his 30 points are tied for fifth. He led Geneseo during its run through the SUNYAC Tournament with eight points, including a goal and three assists in the championship victory at Plattsburgh as well as a goal and two assists in the semifinal win at Buffalo State. Hills was credited with two goals and an assist in a 6-2 win at Potsdam (Dec. 4) and again opposite Fredonia (Feb. 13) in a game that saw him score the game-tying goal and assist the game-winning tally in overtime. He logged a career-high five points, including his first collegiate hat-trick, in a 7-4 victory over visiting Canton (Nov. 6) and also netted three goals in Geneseo's 5-3 win over visiting Nazareth (Dec. 11).

YOUNG MCDONALD
First-year goalie DEVIN MCDONALD was named a third-team All-SUNYAC selection this season. Tied for third nationally in victories and eighth in winning percentage (.812) with a 17-2-5 record, McDonald is the owner of a .925 save percentage and a 2.35 goals against average, including a .960 save percentage and 1.36 GAA in the Knights' last eight games. Compiling a 1.02 GAA and a .973 save percentage in three SUNYAC Tournament victories, he compiled a career-high 44 saves in the Knights' 4-1 victory over visiting Potsdam in the quarterfinals before finishing the run with a 42-save night opposite Plattsburgh in the 7-1 championship victory to garner all-tournament team recognition. McDonald's season has also included a 41-save effort to preserve a 5-5 tie with No. 14 Neumann at home (Jan. 15) as well as 37 saves opposite No. 4 Hobart (Jan. 8). He was named the SUNYAC Goalie of the Week in back-to-back weeks during a 3-0 stretch in December that included a 29-save showing versus Potsdam (Dec. 4) and a 27-save performance opposite top-ranked Plattsburgh (Dec. 5). He is undefeated in his last 13 appearances with a 9-0-4 record.

STANDING PAT
Sophomore defenseman PAT CONDON landed SUNYAC First-Team recognition this season. Condon stands fifth for the Knights with 17 assists and 21 points. Ranked eighth nationally among all defensemen with 0.81 points per game, he is also tied for sixth in assists and ninth in points among the nation's blue-liners. He logged a three-assist game opposite Nazareth (Dec. 11) and also had a goal and two assists in the Knights' home win over Fredonia (Feb. 13). He had two assists in Geneseo's 4-2 win over Brockport (Nov. 13) as well as two more in the home win over Potsdam (Dec. 4). Condon most recently pitched in a pair of assists in the 7-1 SUNYAC Championship victory at Plattsburgh (March 5). 

SCHULTZ NAMED 2016 SUNYAC COACH OF THE YEAR, FINALIST FOR EDWARD JEREMIAH AWARD
Geneseo head coach CHRIS SCHULTZ was voted the 2016 SUNYAC Coach of the Year, marking the third time in the last four seasons he has been honored with the award. Schultz has led the Knights to the postseason for the sixth-consecutive season and eighth-overall time during his 10-year tenure, including NCAA Tournament showings in 2014 and 2016. Also named the SUNYAC Coach of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2014, Schultz's Knights moved into both national polls the first week of December and have remained in the top-15 rankings ever since. Geneseo entered the NCAA Tournaemnt ranked seventh in the d3hockey.com poll and eighth in the USCHO.com standings. Schultz last garnered SUNYAC COY following the 2013-14 season after guiding the Knights to the SUNYAC regular-season championship, an at-large invitation to the NCAA Division III Tournament and the program's first appearance in the Frozen Four which saw Schultz also named the Edward Jeremiah Award winner as the Division III Coach of the Year.

THE SUN WILL COME OUT (FROM) MARRA
Geneseo forward ANTHONY MARRA is having one of the most prolific scoring seasons by a Knights first-year in recent history. Tied for 12th nationally with 36 points, his team-high 27 assists are tied for the sixth-highest total in the nation. His point and assist totals are the highest by a Geneseo freshman since AARON COLEMAN '01 put together a 51-point effort in 1997-1998 that included 30 assists. The program records for points and assists in a season by a first-year player are held by STEPH CORNEY '80, who compiled 57 and 41, respectively, during the 1976-1977 campaign. 

TOP-OF-THE-LINE PERFORMERS
Geneseo's top forward line is tied for first in Division III in goals scored and second in both points and assists. Junior forwards STEPHEN COLLINS andTREVOR HILLS and first-year forward ANTHONY MARRA have totaled 53 goals, 70 assists and 123 points this season. Of the 53 goals scored by the threesome, 22 were assisted by at least one of the other linemates, while the entire trio combined on 12 tallies this season. Only the starting line from Hamline (Minn.) has as many goals and more assists (73) and points (126) than the Knights' first line.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU
While Geneseo's first forward line has put up some gaudy statistics this season, it was the Knights' fourth line that carried the scoring load during the team's 2-1 NCAA Quarterfinal victory over Williams last Saturday. First-year ARTHUR GORDON scored both goals, while first-year BRODIE TUTTON was credited with two assists. Junior linemate RJ BURNS also pitched in an assist while the top line trio was held without a point for only the second time this season (Hobart). 

GENESEO VS. THE FROZEN FOUR FIELD
Friday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between Geneseo and Stevens Point. While the Knights have also never faced UMass-Boston in the 41-year history of the program, the Knights fell to St. Norbert, 6-2, during the semifinals of the 2014 NCAA Tournament in the two teams' only meeting. 

COMMON OPPONENTS
While Geneseo didn't share any opponents with Stevens Point, the Knights played some common games with the other two semifinalists. St. Norbert traveled to Buffalo State and came away with a 4-0 win and  a 2-2 tie (Nov. 27-28), while UMass-Boston dropped a 3-2 home decision to Brockport (Jan. 2) before knocking Hobart out of the NCAA Tournament last Saturday with a 2-0 shutout over the host Statesmen. 

THE SCHULTZ 150
Geneseo head coach CHRIS SCHULTZ won his 150th career game in the Knights' 7-1 victory over Plattsburgh in the SUNYAC Championship game. Only the fourth coach in the 41-year history of the program, he is second  on the program's all-time wins list with a 152-97-17 record during his 10 years on the Knights' bench. Trailing PAUL DUFFY, who compiled a 358-340-34 record in 26 seasons from 1975-2001, Schultz has compiled nine more wins in his first 10 years than Duffy, who was 143-127-5 in the same timeframe.  

APOLOGIES TO THE PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCER
Geneseo sophomore forward SOTIRIS ATHANASOPOULOS is tied for the longest last name in Division III men's ice hockey. Among those individuals with single-word, non-hyphenated last names, he and Wisconsin-Superior first-year forward T.J. THEODOSOPOULOS share the distinction of having a 14-letter  moniker. Expand the search to include women and Division III St. Norbert (Wisc.) senior forward LAUREN ROETHLISBERGER makes it a three-way tie. Longest ice hockey surname in the nation you ask? Division I Union junior forward ALEX SAKELLAROPOULOS wins the title with 15 letters. 

PUCK DIDN'T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE
Geneseo junior forward TREVOR HILLS' father, BRIAN HILLS, is currently the associate head men's ice hockey coach at Division I Rochester Institute of Technology. Now in his 11th season with the Tigers, Hills spent four seasons as head coach at Geneseo from 2001-2005, compiling a 53-42-14 record. In his final season with the Knights, he guided the squad to the 2005 SUNYAC Championship, an appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament and a No. 7 ranking in the final national polls. Hills was a two-time Hobey Baker finalist and All-American during his playing days at Bowling Green where he still ranks second on the Falcons' all-time scoring list with 270 points (116G, 154A). 

MORE SUNYAC NOTES
In the nine years the SUNYAC Championship has been decided in the current single-elimination, quarters/semis/championship format, Geneseo's 17-3 combined goal differential stands as the largest ever, while the Knights' run to the title also marked the first time a team that played in the quarterfinals went on to win the championship since Fredonia did it in 2007. Geneseo's 7-1 victory over Plattsburgh in the SUNYAC Championship game was the largest winning margin in the tournament final round since Plattsburgh defeated Potsdam, 6-0, in the opening game of the 2000 best-of-three finals.

FAMILY AFFAIR
Geneseo junior forward JACK CEGLARSKI is the grandson of legendary hockey coach LEN CEGLARSKI. In 34 seasons (1958-1992), Len retired as the winningest coach in college hockey history with a record of 673-339-38 (254-97-11 in 14 seasons at Clarkson; 419-242-27 in 20 seasons at Boston College). He was the first college coach to ever compile 600 wins and was also the first to ever guide two teams to more than 250 victories each. Also an All-American during his playing days at Boston College, he scored the game-tying goal in the Eagles' 4-3 victory over Dartmouth to win the 1949 national championship. He went on to play on the silver-medal winning 1952 U.S. Olympic team.  

RIPPLE EFFECT
Geneseo senior forward DAVID RIPPLE is the president of the Geneseo Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Currently ranked third for the Knights with 24 assists and fourth with 34 points, he is the program's active career leader  with 90 points and 55 assists over the last four years. 

OLD 96er
When Salve Regina junior right winger EVAN SCHULTZ stepped into Wilson Arena for last Saturday's NCAA Tournament game wearing his No. 96 sweater, it was almost exactly 19 years to the day that another Schultz made his final appearance on that ice wearing the same number. Current Geneseo head coach CHRIS SCHULTZ wore the number 96 during his senior year for the Knights during the 1996-97 campaign. 

20-20 VISION
Only six total teams in the 41-year history of Geneseo men's ice hockey have accumulated at least 20 wins. The team's current .793 winning percentage is the second best, trailing the 1990-91 squad's .817 mark (23-4-3).

Geneseo men's ice hockey 20-Game Winners
Season Record W%
1984-85 22-10-1 .682
1985-86 20-15-1 .569
1989-90 23-9-2 .706
1990-91 23-4-3 .817
2013-14 23-6-0 .793
2015-16 20-4-6 .767

SCOUTING THE POINTERS
Stevens Point is making its third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and looks to break through with a title after a pair of runner-up showings. UWSP is 24-14-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including four national championships (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993) and four second-place finishes in nine all-time Frozen Four trips. In a battle of the top-two highest scoring offenses in the country, the Pointers defeated Adrian, 5-2, in last Saturday's quarterfinal round. Adrian took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, but four-unanswered goals by the Pointers  in the final two periods were the difference. First-team All-WIAC junior forward Lawrence Cornellier was credited with two tallies during the run, while honorable-mention all-league junior forward Kyle Sharkey added a goal and two assists as UWSP improved to 10-1-1 in its last 12 outings. Senior forward Joe Kalisz, who also landed first-team All-WIAC, is tied for fifth nationally with 40 points and tied for sixth with 27 assists. Sharkey is tied for 15th in Division III with 35 points while his 18 goals are tied for 12th. Cornellier is third on the squad and tied for 17th nationally with 34 points, while his team-high 22 goals are tied for first in the nation. The defense is led by senior Alex Brooks, who garnered first-team All-WIAC, while honorable-mention goalie Max Milosek owns a .915 save percentage and a 2.08 goals against average, including 40 saves in last week's win over Adrian. Chris Brooks, who was voted 2016 WIAC Co-Head Coach of the Year, is in his fifth season with the program. Compiling a record of 96-40-10 (.690), he is a finalist for the 2016 Edwad Jeremiah Award for the second time in three seasons after also being listed in 2014.