Brockport Ice Hockey Preview: Skating for a championship

By: Joey Campbell

BROCKPORT, NY --- The Brockport Golden Eagles Hockey Team led by head coach Brian Dickinson look to take a step forward going into the 2025 season. After a let down season in 2024, the Golden Eagles looks to rebuild behind some of their returners and some fresh faces.

Defenseman Victor Malzahn (4) looking for a stretch pass followed by forward Schuyler Flansburg (23) on Nov 7. 2025. (Photo Credits Brockport Athletics) Flickr.

SUNY Brockport hockey will continue to be coached by Dickinson entering his 29th season. After coaching Buffalo State for three seasons prior, Dickinson has been with the program since 1996 with a career record of 263-440-67.

The Golden Eagles spent their first year in 2024 in a new conference the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). In its inaugural season, Brockport finished with an overall record of 6-18-2 with a 4-16 conference record.

"It was certainly a different experience after being a founding member of the SUNYAC," Dickinson said. "SUNYAC has travel partners so you would play Potsdam on Friday and Plattsburgh on Saturday. UCHC is all about playing the same team twice on a weekend so it's a different mindset."

The Golden Eagles saw some key contributors leave in the offseason. Forward Chase Maxwell who was second on the team in goals (6) and first in points (14) left college to join the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) Allen Americans. Forward Joseph Nikac, a freshman last year who was second on the team in points, returned to Canada to play at the University of Toronto. The team also lost captain Michael Meredith and defenseman Mitch Haight to graduation status.

However, The Golden Eagles do regain some big returners. Forward Aidan Taylor put up 11 points in his first season with the team and showed a lot of promise as a freshman. The Flansburg twins, juniors Spencer and Schuyler also return who both were top three on Brockport in goals.

Two big goaltenders also return to Brockport in junior David Filak who had a .908 save percentage and sophomore Dax Easter who had a .869 save percentage.

"Our goaltending we feel will be pretty consistent all year," Associate Head Coach Brendan Miller said. "It's about really playing well in front of them to make their job a little bit easier."

The Golden Eagles will also get back center Manny Sanchez. After a strong 2023 campaign that saw the junior put up 12 points in 26 games, he was expected to be a key contributor going into the 2024 season.

However, after five games played Sanchez got injured and missed the remainder of the season after putting up three points in five games.

The junior is expected to be on one of the top lines going into the 2025 season.

"He is such a dynamic player, better human," Dickinson said. "Whoever he plays with he makes them better, he doesn't care if he's scoring goals, if he is getting points, then he is helping our team win."

Where this Brockport squad is massively different however is the amount of incoming freshman. Nine new faces will appear in the green and gold this season and look to bring a spark to the team after a let down 2024 season.

One of these players is winger Nick Reif. The Depew native already has four goals on the season, one being a hat-trick against Neumann University. Reif won Empire 8 Player of the Week and UCHC Rookie of the Week for his performance.

"We want to win," Reif said. "There is definitely improvements from the teams in the past record wise, ton of great players whether they're returners or new freshman, collectively as a group we just want to win."

Another freshman who is looking like an impact player is defenseman Jackson Faughnan. Coming over from Binghamton, Faughnan is expected to fill the void in the top 4 unit alongside another freshman in Nicholas Maria. Faughnan has already scored his first career goal at Wegmans Ice Arena and is second on the team in defenseman shots.

"We brought him in to be a steady defensive defenseman and he has great stick skills," Dickinson said. "He is showing a little bit of an offensive flare we didn't really necessarily see in Juniors because the team he played on was really good... but now that he is here it's starting to come out."

Some other freshman who have got some play time under their skates are guys such as Matthew Lee, Michael Kull, Brody Seitz, and Joshua Przystal on the forward group. Maria, Faughnan, and Kyle Kussman are new faces on the blue line.

Forward Brody Seitz (27) joined by defenseman Andrew Haugh (26) and center Joshua Przystal (92) moving in transition on Nov 7. 2025. (Photo Credits Brockport Athletics) Flickr.

The 2025 captain of the Golden Eagles will be senior defenseman Dominic Chirico who's stayed loyal to the green and gold for the last four years. Both Flansburg twins will be wearing the assistant captain patch for the season.

The Golden Eagles are off to a 1-3 start on the season with their lone win coming against Neumann University. Brockport's next home game is Friday Nov. 14 against the Utica Pioneers. It is the opening night of conference play, as the Golden Eagles look to rewrite history and battle for a championship.

89.1 the Point will be broadcasting Brockport hockey home games this season. Tune in to 89.1 the Point for the live pregame show and game action and check out the Instagram at 891thepoint for updates throughout the season.