by Warren Kozireski
With a senior goaltender on the roster ahead of him to start the season, Hilton native Bryan Haude expected to play a back-up role for most of season in goal for the Geneseo Knights in the SUNYAC conference.
But injuries have a way of changing plans and Haude has more than met the challenge.
Heading into the last weekend of January, he was a perfect 4-0 in conference games this season and ranked third in goals against (1.74) and save percentage (.944) against conference opponents. Including all games, the sophomore stood 20th nationally in goals against (2.15) and 21st in save percentage (.922).
“I just took the opportunity when called upon, worked really hard this past summer and I’m just kind of running with it here.”
Haude picked up his first shutout this season basically on home ice making 28 saves in a 2-0 win at Brockport December 7. He followed that with a 20-save whitewash January 11 versus Franklin Pierce and was just three seconds from his third consecutive shutout on January 19 against Buffalo State when they were able to put the puck past him breaking the streak.
“You get so close and it just hurts,” said Haude. “Six seconds left and the puck in in their zone so you’re excited and it’s just heartbreaking. But we won.”
“It’s our defensive play, (my teammates) are putting up goals for me, they’re blocking shots and make things pretty easy for me back there.”
Haude left Hilton after his junior season to pursue a junior hockey career spending two seasons with the Hartford Junior WolfPack of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League. In his freshman season with the Knights, he played in only three games, but won two of them.
“We didn’t know what to expect this year,” said Geneseo sixth year head coach Chris Schultz. “He competes for every puck and we told him to compete like that and good things will happen. He’s been very, very good.”
Haude has helped Geneseo to second place in the SUNYAC conference and a national ranking of 18th in the latest USCHO.com Division III poll.
“All three of our goalies are playing well right now,” Schultz said. “I think we’re in a pretty good spot right now.”
