Canton, NY – The SUNY Canton men's hockey team earned a SUNYAC playoff appearance under ninth year Head Coach Alex Boak in their first season in the SUNYAC during the 2024-25 season.

After a pair of road losses to start the season, the Roos bounced back with a weekend series sweep earning 4-1 and 4-2 victories against Framingham State on November 8th and 9th. Nolan Zotter scored twice and Trey Miller made 19 saves in Canton's first win of the season, while four different players scored to complete the sweep the next day.



Canton picked up their first ever SUNYAC win with a 6-4 victory against Fredonia on November 22nd behind a Niko Schoner hat trick.



After a tough OT loss to Buffalo State, the Roos hosted the North Country Tournament the weekend after Thanksgiving. Canton defeated Potsdam 5-1 in the consolation game as Schoner tallied his second hat trick in just over the span of a week.



One of the team's most memorable games of the season came when they trailed Morrisville 3-1 on December 7th with less than two minutes left in regulation and scored two extra attacker goals to force OT before Jackson Drysdale scored the game-winner with one minute left in OT.



As the calendar turned from January to February the Roos put together a stretch where they won four SUNYAC games in a five game span which started with a 2-0 road win at Plattsburgh State behind a goal each from Reilly McKinnon and Drysdale and a 23 save shutout from Nate Hopkins. The following weekend on a Western New York road trip Canton picked up a sweep against Buffalo State (4-3) and Fredonia State (2-1 OT). Zotter scored the game-winner vs. the Bengals while Evan Pringle canned the OT winner vs. the Blue Devils. The Roos closed out the stretch of hot play with an emphatic 9-1 win against Morrisville on February 14th that saw 13 players find their names on the scoresheet.

The Roos earned the six seed in the playoffs and battled the three seed Buffalo State on the road with Logan Kelly recording three points in a 6-4 loss vs. the Bengals as Canton qualified for the playoffs in their first season in the SUNYAC.

Schoner led the Roos with 29 points, 13 goals and 16 assists in 26 games, while Morrow tallied five goals and 15 assists for 20 points. Scott Cremen led the defensemen with 18 points on four goals and 14 assists and Zotter (10G-6A-16P) and Kelly (10G-4A-14P) had successful rookie seasons. In net Hopkins posted a winning record at 7-6-1 overall with a pair of shutouts and a .910 save %.

Schoner was named the SUNY Canton Athletic department's Co-Male Student-Athlete of the Year, while Kelly was named the Male Rookie of the Year. Brendan Morrow was one of two male student-athletes to have the highest overall GPA in the graduating class entering the final semester.

The Roos are expected to lose Morrow and Colton Sipperley to graduation.  
   

Discover SUNY Canton, where innovation meets opportunity. The college's career-focused educational programs emphasize hands-on and applied learning opportunities in digital design, engineering technology, health, information technology, management, public service, and veterinary technology. Faculty members bring real-world experience and exceptional academic expertise to the classroom. As a leader in online education, SUNY Canton offers unmatched flexibility with hundreds of courses and 25 comprehensive degree programs offered completely online. The SUNY Canton Kangaroos compete at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the SUNYAC. In addition to its 15 traditional teams, SUNY Canton offers coed varsity esports and cheerleading.