For Immediate Release: February 14, 2002
Contact: Kristy Johnson, SUNYAC Publicist
SUNYAC Announces All-SUNYAC Ice Hockey
Teams
Buffalo State’s Nowicki earns the Player of the Year award,
while Geneseo’s Walker and Oswego’s Rozak earn
Co-Rookie of the Year honors
FREDONIA, NY – The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) has announced the All-SUNYAC Ice Hockey team for 2001-2002 as well as the conference Player of the Year, Co-Rookies of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
Buffalo State’s Todd Nowicki (Buffalo/Wheatfield Midget Major) has been named the SUNYAC Ice Hockey Player of the Year. Nowicki, a senior forward for the Bengals, led the league with 25 points, including 10 goals and 15 assists. Buffalo State ends the regular season with a 5-8-1 conference record and 10-14-1 overall. The Bengals are seeded sixth in the SUNYAC Tournament and will travel to third seed Cortland this weekend.
Co-Rookie of the Year honors went to Geneseo’s Brett Walker (Regina, Saskatchewan/Kindesley Klippers) and Oswego’s Andy Rozak (Mississauga, ONT/Milton Merchants). Walker, a freshman goalie for the Knights, had an impressive .920 save percentage and 2.79 goals-against-average, along with a 6-4-1 record. Geneseo is seeded fourth in the SUNYAC tournament and will play host to fifth seed Potsdam. They finished the regular season 7-5-2 in the conference and 13-9-3 overall.
Rozak, a freshman forward for the Lakers, had an impressive 15 assists, along with two goals, for 17 points. The Lakers are seeded second in the SUNYAC tournament, which earns them a first-round bye. They finished the regular season with a 10-3-1 SUNYAC record and 16-8-1 overall record.
Plattsburgh’s Head Coach Bob Emery was voted the 2001-02 SUNYAC Ice Hockey Coach of the Year by fellow conference coaches. Emery has won nine conference titles in his 13 seasons with the Cardinals, including the last five crowns. This is the third time Emery has won the award. Plattsburgh has earned the number one seed in this year’s SUNYAC tournament and receives a first-round bye. The Cardinals have a conference record of 13-1-0 and 18-7-0 overall record entering the SUNYAC Championships.
2001-02 SUNYAC Ice Hockey All-Conference Teams
2001-02 Player of the Year: Todd Nowicki (Buffalo State)
2001-02 Co-Rookies of the Year: Brett Walker (Geneseo), Andy Rozak (Oswego)
2001-02 Coach of the Year: Bob Emery (Plattsburgh)
First Team
| Name | School | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/Last Team |
| Todd Nowicki | Buffalo State | F | Sr. | 5-9 | 175 | Buffalo/Wheatfield Midget Major |
| Jeff Olsen | Cortland | F | Sr. | 5-9 | 185 | New York/NY Applecore |
| Jason Kilcan | Plattsburgh | F | Jr. | 5-8 | 185 | London ONT/Aylmer Aces |
| Nate Elliott | Oswego | D | Sr. | 6-2 | 215 | Oswego/Brockville Braves |
| Peter Ollari | Plattsburgh | D | Jr. | 6-0 | 195 | Agawam, MA/Junior Coyotes |
| Niklas Sundberg | Plattsburgh | G | Sr. | 6-2 | 215 | Stockholm, Sweden/Boston Jr. Bruins |
Second Team
| Name | School | Pos. | Yr. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/Last Team |
| Christian Fletcher | Fredonia | F | Jr. | 6-0 | 210 | Dayton, OH/Cleveland Jr. A |
| Brian St. John | Oswego | F | So. | 6-3 | 185 | Hamden, CT/Conn Clipper |
| Rob Smith | Oswego | F | Jr. | 6-0 | 188 | Belleville, ONT/Wellington Dukes |
| Brendon Hodge | Plattsburgh | F | Jr. | 6-2 | 195 | Lynnfield, MA/Lincoln Stars |
| Chris Lee | Potsdam | D | So. | 6-0 | 175 | McTier, ONT/Parry Sound Shamrocks |
| Dave Weagle | Potsdam | D | Jr. | 5-11 | 190 | Smith Falls, ONT/Smiths Falls Bears |
| Brett Walker | Geneseo | G | Fr. | 5-10 | 175 | Regina, Saskatchewan/Kindesley Klippers |