WCIS and SST Racing Series Celebrates Night of Champions

Wyoming County International Speedway and the SST Racing Series will celebrate their Night of Champions on Saturday January 16, 2010 at the Breezy Hill Party House on NYS Route 20A and Merchant Road in the village of Warsaw. Through out the racing season, drivers and crew members strive to do there best. Sometimes, a team is fortunate to have all top equipment allowing both crew and driver to more readily shine. But mostly in short track weekly racing, teams have to be creative with their equipment, making it last for yet another shot at victory lane.

On Saturday January 16^th, our small segment of regional race teams will be celebrated. Along with those who made it all the way to the top, we will also notice those who persevered against the odds. We will recognize the young teams striving to be top rookie, and a great group of outstanding achievers simply enjoying the thrill of competition. We might even take a closer look to find the one who simply had ‘worst luck’.

A special thanks to the many companies who have pledged their support of this annual celebration. Every little bit continues to help those racing heroes who entertain us every weekend from spring to fall. Currently more award sponsors have been joining hands with WCIS and SST to provide teams quality products and monetary bonuses. Please take the time to recognize our supporters; Insinger Race Fuels, Sunoco Race Fuel, Tuff Toys Performance, RNE Precision Machining & Welding, FK Rod End, Powertrain Technologies, Contingency Connection, VRP Shocks, Sherwood Racing Wheels, RayTech, Emerling Chev. / Ford, and 2Kwik Chassis plus more to come in the near future.

Please make plans to join your friends at the party and celebrate the accomplishments of the season. Tickets must be purchased in advance for only $27 per person...checks can be mailed to WCIS/SST PoBox 203 Perry NY 14530. Please RSVP early, as we must have an attendance count before January 5, 2010.  NO tickets will be sold at the door Groups of 8 may reserve tables...smaller groups can sit among friends were seating is available. Team representatives must be present to receive awards. For more information, log on to either  the WCIS or SST Series website.

Oswego State Hosts 4th Pathfinder Bank Classic

The Oswego State Men's ice hockey team is gearing up for the fourth annual Pathfinder Bank/Oswego Hockey Classic, which is set to begin on Saturday, Jan. 2 and will conclude on Sunday, Jan. 3, at the Campus Center Ice Arena. This year’s tournament field includes Connecticut College of the New England Small College Athletic Conference, Elmira College of the ECAC West, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) of the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association, and host Oswego State. Saturday's contests feature Elmira versus MSOE at 4 p.m. followed by Oswego State versus Connecticut College at 7 p.m.

The Pathfinder Bank/Oswego Hockey Classic has become one of the premier tournaments in Division III since its inception in 2007, as two of the last three NCAA Division III National Championship teams have also been champions at the Classic.  Host Oswego State won the first edition of the Classic en route to its first national title in 2007, while St. Norbert College captured the 2008 tournament title on its road to a national championship.  Tickets are still available and may be purchased prior to game time. 

The Lakers, who are the defending Classic champions, enter as the nation’s top-ranked team as bestowed by US College Hockey Online (USCHO) on December 14 with an overall record of 13-1-0.  Since suffering a 2-1 loss to Elmira on October 24, Oswego State has rattled off 12 straight wins to match a program-best mark set on two different occasions during the 1987-88 and 1990-91 seasons.  During the stretch, the Lakers have won nine of those contests by three or more goals, including a 5-2 road win over conference Plattsburgh State, to climb from a pre-season ranking of eighth to the top of the list.
Oswego State’s early season success can be attributed to strong play at both ends of the rink and youth, as the team is comprised of five sophomores and 12 freshmen.  The Laker offense ranked third in scoring in NCAA Division III at the end of the calendar year, averaging 5.71 goals per game after posting 80 goals.  What makes the squad even more dangerous is its’ unselfish play as Oswego State is also averaging 15.1 points per game.  The line of sophomores Eric Selleck and Chris Laganiere and junior Justin Fox has become one of the most dynamic lines in the nation, as they have combined to score 34 goals and 57 assists for 91 points this season and are each nationally ranked in the top eight in points per game.  Special teams have also played a key role as the Lakers have the 11th ranked power play in the country, converting 25.8 percent (23/89) of the opportunities it receives.  Senior Neil Musselwhite, who leads the nation with four short-handed goals, anchors a penalty kill unit that ranks 16th (70/81 at 86.4 percent).
One of the largest questions for Oswego State entering the season was goaltending, but senior Kyle Gunn-Taylor and sophomore Paul Beckwith have combined to allow only 26 goals for a 1.86 goals against average, which is tied for seventh-best in Division III.  Gunn-Taylor carries a record of 9-0-0 with a 1.67 goals against average to go along with a .927 save percentage, while Beckwith holds an equally impressive .926 save percentage, a 4-1-0 record, and a goals against average of 2.21.

The Lakers will be forced to shake off any rust from the break when they face opening-round opponent Connecticut College (1-7-0).  The Camels have been competitive in every game they have played this season having dropped six games by two or fewer goals, including a season-opening 3-2 overtime loss to 11th-ranked Williams.  Senior Greg Parker has dominated time between the pipes for Connecticut College as he has played seven of the eight contests compiling a 3.02 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.  Sophomore Julien Boutet and senior Trevor Bradley lead the offensive attack with five points each with Boutet recording four goals and an assist and Bradley posting three goals and two assists. 

Since starting the season 1-2-0, Elmira brings an eight-game winning streak into the Classic for an overall mark of 9-2-0 and is ranked sixth in the recent USCHO.com poll. The Soaring Eagles averaged 1.67 goals per game in their first three contests, but have turned up their offensive production by more than three goals to 4.75 goals during the eight-game stretch.  Senior captain Rusty Masters and sophomore Darcy Vaillancourt pace the Elmira offense with 17 points each.  Masters is the team’s leading goal scorer with ten goals, including five power play goals, while Vaillancourt is the top assist recipient with 11.  The Soaring Eagles boast one of the most experienced goaltenders in the nation in Casey Tuttle, who is one of four goaltenders in Division III with at least eight wins.  Tuttle ranks in the top 30 in save percentage (28th, .914) and goals against average (25th, 2.44).  Strong special teams have also played an important part early in the season as Elmira has the eighth-best power play unit in the country converting 28.4 percent (21/74) of its opportunities and the 11th-best penalty kill at 89.6 percent (60/67).

Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is the West Region representative at the Classic this year, coming in with a record of 5-4-1.  The Raiders, who have a youthful roster of 19 underclassmen, started the season 4-0, but look to reverse their fortunes in 2010 after closing out 2009 1-4-1.  MSOE sits in the top 15 in scoring offense (15th, 4.20 goals per game) and scoring defense (12th, 2.10 goals per game).  The stingy defense is led by sophomore goaltender Connor Toomey, who has appeared in nine contests with a record of 4-4-1.  Toomey owns a paltry 1.80 goals against average, which is ranked 11th in Division III, and has a .917 save percentage.  Offensively, MSOE is led by sophomore forward Todd Krupa’s 14 points (five goals, nine assists).  Classmate Brock King has numerous timely goals for the Raiders, as he leads the team with four power play and three game-winning goals.

Courtesy of SUNY Oswego Sports Information Department 
Photos courtesy of SUNY Oswego Sports Information Department 

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Sabres Steal One Away From Pens

Buffalo came all the way back from 3-0 to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at the HSBC Arena. Star-netminder Ryan Miller got pulled after allowing three goals on just 11 shots early in the second period and in came in Patrick Lalime (pictured - right)  to save the day. Lalime made 27 saves on all 27 shots that he faced.
Pittsburgh got the scoring going by a goal from Jordan Staal. Bill Guerin made it 2-0 to end the first period. Then in the second period, Chris Kunitz scored on a weak shot that beat Ryan Miller to bump the lead to 3-0 Pittsburgh. Then the Sabres got a huge momentum boost when Lalime came in for Miller.
Then Drew Stafford (pictured-left) was awarded a penalty shot and was successful on Marc-Andre Fleury to put Buffalo on the board. Stafford would score about two minutes later to cut the lead to 3-2 and then he made a great move to get around the Pens defense to set up Paul Gaustad to tie the game at the 7:28 mark of the third period. Then the Sabres powerplay got their act together after a 0-11 drought before Jason Pominville boosted the "Puckulation of Pominville" to put Buffalo ahead 4-3.
The Sabres would win a key faceoff against Sidney Crosby late in the game to secure the victory.
With the win, Buffalo now only trails the Washington Capitals by two points and the New Jersey Devils by three points for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 52 points. The Penguins dropped to 1-3 in their past four games, and blew a chance to move into a tie with New Jersey atop the Conference standings. With 53 points, the Pens are two back of the Devils as they travel to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ  to face their Atlantic Division rival on Wednesday night.
The last time Buffalo came back from trailing 3-0 was on January 16, 2009 as they defeated the Dallas Stars 5-4 in a shootout. Pittsburgh last blew a 3-0 lead on January 8, 2009 as the Nashville Predators skated away with a 5-3 win on home ice. 

The Penguins kicked off a four-game road trip tonight in Buffalo and  had their bus become stuck in the snow three blocks from the hotel. Coaches and team officials had to get out to push the bus so the team can get to the arena for the game. With 462 career wins with the Sabres, coach Lindy Ruff moved to within three of passing Glen Sather (Edmonton) for fourth place on the NHL list of coaching wins with one team.
Buffalo continues their current home-stand with a 7:30 PM faceoff against Max Afinogenov and the Atlanta Thrashers on New Years Day to ring in 2010. 

Rochester Finishes 2009 and Welcomes 2010 with Contests on the Road

After a weekend that saw a season-high four-game losing skid turn into a two-game winning streak, the Rochester Americans have once again reclaimed the top spot in the American Hockey League’s North Division heading into the New Year. With the team continuing its fight to remain among the top of the league standings, the Amerks will usher in the start of 2010 with three straight games on the road, beginning with back-to-back divisional matchups. This week, Rochester takes to the road for midweek tilts with the Hamilton Bulldogs and Lake Erie Monsters before kicking off a new decade against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

Rochester kicks off its week on the road as it heads north of the border for a divisional bout with the Hamilton Bulldogs on Wednesday, December 30th at Copps Coliseum. The 7:30 p.m. contest will be the fifth of 10 scheduled meetings this season between the two teams. Rochester is 3-0-1-0 this season after outscoring Hamilton 17-10 through the previous four encounters. The Amerks are 66-51-9 lifetime against the Montreal Canadiens’ affiliate. Rochester returns to Quicken Loans Arena for the second time in a week to take on the Lake Erie Monsters in its final game of 2009 on Wednesday, December 31st at 5:00 pm. The game will be the fourth of eight meetings between the North Division rivals this season. The Amerks are 1-1-1-0 this season and 7-7-1 all-time against the Monsters. The Amerks will ring in the New Year and complete their three-game in four-night stretch as they face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday, January 2nd at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza. The 7:05 pm. non-divisional matchup will be the second of four get-togethers for the Amerks and the Baby Pens. Rochester is 1-0-0-0 this season and 11-6-6 all-time against the affiliate of defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. All three games can be heard on Hot Talk 1280 AM WHTK and on 107.3 FM "Rochester Sports Talk" with the "Voice of the Amerks" Don Stevens calling all the action.

The Amerks return to the friendly confines of the Blue Cross Arena on Friday January 8th with a 7:05 pm contest against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Buffalo Ends Skid With Win Over Blues

On a night with Chris Butler (pictured) returns to the lineup, the Sabres came back from trailing in the Sunday afternoon matchup in St. Louis with a huge 5-3 win over the Blues. Butler got two assists on the night including the assist on what was the game winning goal scored by Baldwinsville, NY native Tim Connolly on the Power Play. Butler was named the third star of the game by the working media. Mike Grier was the first star after his two goal performance. Jochen Hecht picked up his 150th career goal while Connolly added a short handed goal to put the game away late in the third period. Patrick Lalime made 32 saves on the night for his second win in his last four appearances since returning to the lineup after being sent down to Portland for assignment. Former Sabre netminder Ty Conklin made 19 saves on 24 shots he faced. Buffalo returns home to the friendly confinds of the HSBC Arena on Tuesday night as they take on the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins at 7:00 pm, a game you can hear on the Buffalo Sabres Radio Network, including the flagship station WGR 550AM.

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night

Steve Petty Sports hopes that you and yours have a very special holiday season. Remember the reason for the season.



Now lets hear from the one and only Bing Crosby...

Happy Holidays from SUNY Oswego

SUNY Oswego would like to wish you and yours a joyous holiday season. Steve Petty Sports would also like to say Happy Holidays to you and make it a safe and joyous new year.

Cougars Split at Cougar Holiday Classic

Genesee Community College hosted their annual Cougar Holiday Classic this past weekend in their brand new Anthony T Zambito Gymnasium. The Men's Basketball team  dropped a heart breaker on Saturday to open up their portion of the tournament with a loss to the Community College of Rhode Island Knights by the score of 94-84 as free throws became a issue for Genesee as they missed eight in the first half alone and that would have made the game a lot closer than what it was if the Cougars were able to put them in the basket. Speaking of free throws, the Cougars went 19 for 28 from the charity stripe the entire contest. Arron Allen led the way for the Cougars in the contest with 17 points as Ryan Sorti led the way with 23 points for the visiting Knights of CCRI.
Sunday saw the Cougars play the ASA Institute of Brooklyn, NY and came up with the same result as Saturday as Genesee lost to the Avengers by the score of 68-48. Keenen Ellis was a major factor in the game as the big man had a height advantage of a good four inches on the tallest Cougar, which is Leon Nelson who is 6'7''. With the win, ASA is now perfect with a record of 9-0 while the Cougars fall to 5-3.

On the flip side, the Women's Basketball team successfully won both of their contests to win the Cougar Holiday Classic. They defeated ASA 92-70 behind 22 points from Ka'Mela Bender. Marcades Caver had 21 points with Krystie Laurey scoring 20 to lead the Cougars. Bender and Laurey were named to the All Tournament Team for their performance over the weekend. Saturday saw Genesee defeat CCRI 65-45. The Lady Cougars record is now 7-3.

Next up for the Cougars will be a game on Saturday against Lakeland CC starting with the Women playing at 1 and the Men to follow up at 3:00 pm. Both games will be broadcasted live on WGCC-FM 90.7 and online at www.wgcc-fm.com with Sports Director Cameron Marsh calling the action for you live from the Anthony T Zambito Gymnasium.

WGCC-FM to Cover Cougar Holiday Classic

WGCC-FM 90.7 will be covering the 2009 Cougar Holiday Classic at the newly renovated Anthony T Zambito Gymnasium.
The host Cougars will be playing the Community College of Rhode Island in the opening round on Saturday with the Women's Basketball team playing the first game at 2:00 pm with the Men's team playing CCRI in the nightcap at 8:00 pm.
In the Womens Bracket, ASA will be playing MCC at 4:00 pm. Mens Bracket features ASA, NCCC, ECC and your Genesee Community College Cougars.
Cameron Marsh and Steve Petty will be calling the action for you so please listen in. For more information, visit www.wgccsports.blogspot.com or www.stevepettysports.blogspot.com

Oswego Comes Back and Defeats Utica 5-4

The Oswego State men’s ice hockey team trailed throughout much of the contest, but scored two third period goals to come away with the 5-4 win over Utica at the Utica Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday night. Justin Fox (Jr., Whitby, Ont.and pictured) tallied the game-winning goal at 9:53 in the third period, as the top-ranked Lakers improved to 11-1-0 overall. The Pioneers fell to 4-6-2 overall on the season.
Sean McKevitt put Utica on the board in the first five minutes when he carried up the puck on a 2-1 breakaway when his shot beat Kyle Gunn-Taylor’s (Sr., West Seneca, N.Y) glove for the 1-0 lead.  The Pioneers added their second score when Tim Coffman’s point-blank was steered away by Gunn-Taylor, but the rebound went right on the stick of Vincent Nucci, who was trailing the play, at the 8:20 mark.

Oswego State cut the deficit in half when Hank Van Boxmeer (So., Orange, Calif.) threw a wrist shot from the center of the blue line on net, only to be deflected in by Luke Moodie (Fr., Burlington, Ont.) for his sixth goal of the season at 10:37.  Jon Whitelaw (Fr., Huntsville, Ont.) also earned an assist on the goal.  The Lakers evened the contest at 2-2 when Tyler Lyon (Sr., Foxboro, Ont.) made Utica pay for a hooking penalty as his blast from the right point went top shelf above Luckow’s glove.  Oswego State had a golden opportunity to go ahead late in the period as it had two-skater advantage for two minutes, but came up empty as the teams went into the first intermission knotted at 2-2. 

At the start of the second stanza, Brad Dormiedy (Sr., Ajax, Ont.) threw the puck in front of the net, where Eric Selleck (So., Spencerville, Ont.) picked it up as he was crashing the net.  Selleck shot the puck into the back of the open net as Luckow was caught out of position for the Lakers’ first lead of the game.
Utica tied the game with a power-play goal of its own after an Oswego State interference penalty at 9:50 when Eric Peterson snuck the puck between Gunn-Taylor’s left leg and the post.  A Laker turnover at center ice allowed 16 to shoot at the net uncontested.  After making multiple saves, Gunn-Taylor was unable to corral in the loose puck resulting in a goal by Tim Coffman to give the Pioneers a 4-3 lead, which was where the score stood after two frames.

Oswego State tied the game once again when Utica turned the puck over in its own zone right onto the stick of Eric Selleck.  He flipped the puck under the crossbar for his second goal of the game with 15:27 remaining in regulation.  Justin Fox regained the lead for the Lakers when he beat a Pioneer defenseman to a loose puck at the front of the Utica net for his seventh goal of the season.  Luckow came out of the net with 1:16 to play, but Utica was unable to come up with the tying score as Oswego State escaped with the big 5-4 road win. 
In net, Gunn-Taylor stopped 16 of the 20 shots he faced as he improved to 8-0-0 on the season.  Anthony Luckow registered 31 saves in goal for the Pioneers.

The Lakers will travel to Hamilton College on Friday for a 7 p.m. face-off before closing out the 2009 portion of the schedule at home against Hobart on Saturday.

Courtesy of Oswego State  Sports Information Department
Photo Courtesy of Oswego State Athletics  

Its Hockey Night Tonight: #1 Oswego State Lakers vs Utica Pioneers

Tonight makes the first trip to Utica for the Lakers since January 23, 2007 when the host Pioneers handed Oswego their first loss of the season by the score of 5-2 on that evening. It was that season that Oswego went on to win the National Championship... the first for any sport in school history. Earlier this season, these two teams had a meeting up at the Campus Center Ice Arena with the Lakers coming away with a 3-2 victory.Goals for the Lakers came off the sticks of Stephen Mallaro, Justin Fox and Chris Ayotte, who scored his first collegiante goal.

Utica comes into tonights contest at the Aud with a 4-5-2 record. This years team has many resemblances to the team that defeated Oswego three years ago. The Pioneers started this season with a record of 2-0-1 in their first three contests but since then, they've gone winless in six of their last eight games, a streak that started with the already mentioned 3-2 loss in Oswego on November 14th.


Oswego comes in to the Aud with a record of 10-1 and winners of nine straight. Including the weekend sweep of Brockport and Geneseo at the Campus Center. Neil Musselwhite scored a natural shorthanded Hat Trick in the 10-1 victory against the Brockport Golden Eagles. Eric Selleck scored the game winner in the 4-2 win over the Ice Knights of Geneseo on Saturday night.

The Steve Petty Sports Spotlight for the Lakers tonight will be the line of Eric Selleck, Justin Fox and Chris Laganiere. Selleck has nine goals and 19 assists for 28 points in this his sophomore season. The freshmen Justin Fox has six goals and 17 assists for 23 points and linemate Chris Laganiere has 12 goals with 13 assists for 25 points. Between the pipes for the Lakers, Kyle Gunn-Taylor has a record of 7-0 with a goals against average of 1.43 with a save percentage of over 93.

The Spotlight for the host Pioneers include sophomore Tim Coffman. Coffman has 13 points on seven goals and six assists through their first 11 games this season. Coffman collected five points during Utica's last three games (0-2-1). Fellow sophomore Bryan Gibbons has 11 points while scoring four goals and collecting seven assists. In the pipes for the Pioneers, senior Anthony Luckow has a record of 4-4-2 with a goals against average of 3.13 and having a .894 save percentage.

Oswego has not swept Utica during the regular season since 2004-2005 and have split the season series in 2005-2006 and in 2006-2007. The Lakers have a 7-3-1 all time series lead against the Pioneers.
The puck drops at 7:00 pm live from the Utica Memorial Auditorium. The Aud as its known has been open for the last 51 seasons and was the host of the 1962 Frozen Four. Also, scenes from the 1977 hit Slap Shot was filmed there. The Aud also served as the model for the renovation of the "Worlds Most Famous Arena", Madison Square Garden in New York City back in 1968.

Photo Courtesy of  www.uticaaud.org with information provided by both teams and the VOTL.com 


 

Read All About It: Oswego is Number 1 in the USCHO Polls

The Oswego State Lakers were tied with rival Plattsburgh for the right to be on top of the latest USCHO D-III National Polls. This week, with a rout of Brockport 10-1 and then knocking off Geneseo 4-2, the Lakers are by themselves as they are ranked first.The last time Oswego was ranked first in the polls were October of 2007 following them winning the National Championship on the goal of Williamsville, NY native Garren Reisweber.

The Campus Center saw history in the making during Friday night's victory over Brockport as Neil Musselwhite's three shorthanded goals not only gave him a hat trick, but the first Natural Shorthanded Hat Trick in D-III history. Saturday night saw the Lakers come back from trailing 2-1 halfway through the second period and then having two big goals in the third to defeat Geneseo 4-2.
Oswego heads back to work this week as they have a three games in five days as they travel to Utica on Tuesday night to take on the Pioneers. In their first meeting this season, Oswego hung on for the 3-2 win in Oswego. This trip will be the first for Oswego to the Utica Memorial Auditorium since January 23,2007 and on that evening Utica defeated the Lakers by the score of 5-2. Former Oswego State Captain Peter Magagna and current senior Assistant Captain Brad Dormeidy scored for the Lakers as the Pioneers were led by a Hat Trick by Brandon Laidlaw. Friday night sees Oswego take on Hamilton College in Hamilton and then return to the safe confines of the Campus Center Ice Arena as they host the Hobart Statesmen. Last season, Oswego defeated Hamilton in Oswego by the score of 2-1 and then they lost at the "Cooler" in Geneva by the score of 6-3. Faceoff each night this week is set for 7:00 pm and you can hear all the action on 88.9 FM WNYO "The Voice of Oswego".


USCHO.com Division III Men's Poll - December 7, 2009
Team              (1st Place Votes)       Record       Points         Last Poll
1 Oswego                  (12)                   10-1-0        290                  1
2 Plattsburgh               (5)                     7-1-2         270                 2
3 Norwich                  (1)                    5-0-1          251                 5
4 Adrian                     (2)                   10-0-0         233                 4
5 St. Norbert                                       10-2-1        224                 3
6 Elmira                                                 9-2-0        204                 6
7 St. Scholastica                                    6-2-2        180                  7
8 Middlebury                                        3-1-2        132                  8
9 Wis.-River Falls                                 7-3-1        116                10
10 Bowdoin                                          5-0-0        97                  14
11 Curry                                               7-0-1        96                  12
12 Wis.-Superior                                  7-3-1        88                    9
13 Hamline                                           6-1-2       65                  15
14 Williams                                           5-0-1      63                  NR
15 Salem State                                      5-1-1      45                  NR
Others Receiving Votes: Gustavus Adolphus 19, Wentworth 19, Amherst 5, New England College 2, Hobart 1

Photo Courtesy: Jared Crast/Facebook

Genesee Speedway Honors Drivers at End of the Year Awards Ceremony

The Genesee Speedway celebrated their Night of Champions at Batavia Downs Gaming on Saturday night. Batavia Downs Gaming were also running their last Harness Racing action this evening at the home of "America's Oldest Lighted Harness Track".

The speedway recognized those who finished in the top of each division while thanking all of those who helped kept the track running week in and week out throughout the 2009 racing season. The awards portion of the program were led by Master of Ceremonies Ken Hangauer, Jr. Mike Paz, and Steven Petty. 

The Troyer Engineering DIRTcar Sportsman champion Brian Sage collected his seventh championship trophy along with the Lauterborn Electric Sprint Cars Rookie of the Year. Sage, from Brockport won eight times on the 1/3^rd mile oval on the historic Genesee County Fairgrounds, while having 13 top five finishes as well as 17 top ten finishes in the Sportsman. For Sage in the Sprint Cars, two victories, 14 top fives and 15 top tens.

The Original Pizza Logs Late Models had a competitive season between champion Jon Rivers and defending division champ Dave DuBois. Rivers, from Basom graced victory lane five times while finishing in the top five 14 times along with 17 top ten finishes. Rivers won the points champion by a slim four point margin over Dave “the Outlaw” DuBois who won five times but had 15 top fives and 17 top tens.

Churchville, NY resident Josh Smallidge won only two times but his 16 top five performances gave him his first Lauterborn Electric Street Stocks championship. Dan Norton won ten times to give him the championship in the Mini Stock division. Dave Ferguson won once in the four race mini series for the 600cc Sprint Cars to give him the title over John Smith and Timex Morgan.

Rookies of the Year awards were awarded to Jim Maier in the Mini Stock division. Maier had 16 top fives and 19 top ten finishes in his first season in the Mini Stock. Jerry Harding Jr was the Rookie of the Year in the DIRTcar Sportsman class. Harding ran for the first time on dirt since the dirt days at the Perry Speedway (now Wyoming County International Speedway). Corfu’s Nick Skeet was the Rookie of the Year in the Original Pizza Logs Late Model division.

The Jack Veach Memorial Award for dedication to auto racing was awarded to Mike Paz. Paz, who suffered a stroke early in the year, made a comeback to the speedway towards the end of the season and with his love for auto racing, was awarded with the Jack Veach Award. Jack was a longtime official at many speedways across Western New York and Southern Ontario and was a friend to many that knew him. Jack passed away a couple of years ago. His family including son John, daughter Dawn, wife Bonnie and their two grandchildren presented Paz with the award.

The special awards were handed out and the first award was presented to Ms Genesee Speedway Mary Walworth for her years of support to the racing at Genesee Speedway. Dave Gleason was honored with the Keeper of the Gate Award for watching the gate between the grandstands and the pit area. Former Pro Stock competitor Jim Bieber was awarded with the Man who Ran the Most Laps of the Season award for his service of driving the Ken Barrett Chevrolet Pace Car throughout the 2009 season. Ted Griffin won the award for the Best Tuck and Roll for his spectacular dive off of a tow truck after a car flipped over during the season. John Raniewzc, aka City Slicker, was honored for his dedication to the speedway. Raniewzc was always one of the last to leave the speedway after the night’s racing action and went above and beyond what was asked of him.

The speedway would like to thank all that attended the banquet along with supporting the speedway throughout the past three seasons. Genesee Speedway wishes everyone has a safe and joyous holiday season and many thanks of your patronage over the past many seasons.

Oswego Rocks Brockport 10-1

The Oswego State Lakers Men's Ice Hockey team defeated the Brockport Golden Eagles tonight at the Campus Center Ice Arena by the score of 10-1. Oswego, coming into tonights matchup as the number one team in the latest USCHO Division III polls overall outshot Brockport 37-15. The Lakers, who are now 9-1-0 overall and 7-0-0 in SUNYAC,  were powered by the Special Teams unit. Both the powerplay and pelenty kill units provided six of Oswego's ten for the game while Brockport's lone talley came while on the powerplay.
The Eagles, (4-6-0, 2-4-0 SUNYAC) got the scoring going just 3:16 into the game as Sean O' Malley scored his sixth of the season with Ray Tremblay and Mike Hayward getting the assists. That would be the only lead that the Golden Eagles would have all night as just three minutes later, Chris Laganiere tied the game with Justin Fox getting the assist. It was Laganiere's tenth of the young season. Then Oswego would grab the lead as Laganiere had help from both his linemates, Fox and reigning SUNYAC Rookie of the Year Eric Selleck on the powerplay at 8:24. Then the Lakers would take a commanding 3-1 lead as senior and Assistant Captain Neil Musselwhite (pictured) scored with the assist going to fellow linemate and senior Assistant Captain Brad Dormeidy. Oswego would outshoot Brockport 10-3 in the opening period. 
The second period saw Oswego score three more times as Eric Selleck scored on the powerplay to jump the lead to 4-1 in favor of the home squad. The lead would grow to 5-1 as Musselwhite scored his second of the night shorthanded. Then Dormeidy would make it 6-1 on another shorthanded goal but Musselwhite would get the hatrick as he scored his second shorthanded goal on the night to make it 7-1 in favor of the Lakers early in the third period. 
Chris Muise would score his first collegiante goal with Andrew Mather and Hank Van Boxmeer getting the assists. Luke Moodie would bump the lead to 9-1 and then the Captain Tyler Lyon would complete the scoring to make it 10-1 in favor of the Lakers getting the assists from Paul Rodrigues. 
The Lakers take to the ice on Saturday night as they host the Geneseo Ice Knights at 7:00 pm while Brockport travels to Cortland to take on the Red Dragons. 

photo courtesy of Jared Crast through Facebook