Photo Courtesy of Cameron Garofalo- SUNY Geneseo
The Geneseo Ice Knights opened the 2026–27 season with a 3-1-0 record, highlighted by dominant wins over Wisconsin-Stout, Buffalo State, and Cortland to claim second place early in the UCHC standings.
The Geneseo Men’s Hockey team has officially begun the 2026-2027 regular season with the team already off to a hot start. The Ice Knights start the season with a 3-1-0 record, which currently places them at second in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) standings. The team reached this record through a combination of hard-fought games and dominant blowouts, which began on Oct. 30 against the University of Wisconsin-Stout Blue Devils.
The Blue Devils, who play in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, entered their first-ever match against Geneseo as the number four ranked team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division III; the Ice Knights entered the match ranked tenth. The Buffalo State Tournament match ended in a blowout, with the Ice Knights emerging victorious with a final score of 5-1.
Geneseo came out of the gate ready to play, with two goals in the first period, one from junior forward Jack McDonald (assisted by sophomores defenseman Caden Pendo and forward Kowin Belsterling) and one from senior defenseman Sterling Wolters (assisted by junior forward Ryan Forberg and sophomore defenseman Demitri Diflorio). Geneseo kept the pressure on Wisconsin-Stout throughout, ensuring the game was always out of reach. They managed this with a second period goal from junior forward Nathan Stachowiak, and third period goals from forwards Cameron Ricotta (junior) and Greg Diamond (sophomore).
The next day, on Oct. 31, Geneseo defeated the Buffalo State University Bengals in another blowout—this match ending 5-2—to claim the Buffalo State Classic Championship. The Ice Knights once again struck early and struck often, with sophomore forward Danny Bagnole scoring in the first four minutes of the first period. Bagnole earned player of the week nods for his performances that weekend, notching assists in both games played. Geneseo scored two goals in the following two periods, with Pendo and senior forward Carter Diceman scoring in the second; Forberg and senior defenseman Sean Melso scoring in the third.
The key to both of the tournament victories was the excellent goaltending by senior Jacob Torgner. Torgner boasted excellent save percentages over that weekend, protecting 22 of 24 shots against the Bengals, and tallying a .966 save percentage against the Blue Devils. Torgner earned goalie of the week honors for his performances.
The team suffered their first loss of the season on Nov. 7, however, as the team went on the road against the Oswego State Lakers. Just like before, Geneseo took an early lead following a goal from Belsterling in the first two minutes of the game. Oswego was able to tie it up late in the first and took the lead in the second off a power-play goal. The Ice Knights were able to take the game to overtime off a goal from senior forward Filip Wiberg, who scored with only 13 seconds left on the clock in the third. Oswego quickly responded in overtime, scoring the game-winning goal to beat the Ice Knights 3-2. The team looked strong in the loss, with Belsterling and Wiberg scoring their first goals of the season, and Torgner stopping an impressive 30 shots.
Geneseo was able to bounce back the next day, Nov. 8, with another dominant performance against the Cortland Red Dragons at home. The action started fast, with Ricotta scoring only 43 seconds into the game off assists from Wolters and Wiberg. The game remained a defensive back-and-forth for the majority, as neither team netted a goal until the third period. Senior forward Luke Panchisin scored off an assist from Forberg, and sophomore forward Tyler Stern scored an empty-net goal late in the third to put the game away 3-0. Stern, who scored his first goal as a Knight against Cortland, was an offseason addition and committed to Geneseo following a stint with the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s North Michigan Wildcats. The biggest story from that night, however, was the shutout courtesy of junior goaltender Adam Casper.
Casper, as reported by the Geneseo Ice Knights Instagram page, “was called upon to make his first collegiate start Saturday” following an injury to starting goaltender Jacob Torgner. Casper made the most of this opportunity and made an amazing 35 saves on 35 shots, with 22 of those saves coming in the third period alone. The Ice Knights went on to say that Casper’s “perseverance, character, and commitment to being a great teammate have never wavered. He’s continued to show up, put in the work, and support his teammates, regardless of his role.” Casper’s hard work was rewarded with an Empire 8 and UCHC goalie of the week award.
The Geneseo Men’s Hockey team looks to continue their momentum and impressive start on Nov. 13 and 14, as they begin a two-game home campaign against UCHC rival Albertus Magnus Falcons. Though the Ice Knights are 2-0 all time against Albertus Magnus, with both victories coming from away games, the Falcons currently hold a 2-1-0 record and recently set the program record for goals in a single game with a 11-3 blowout win. The team will certainly have to pull all their efforts together to survive what looks to be a tough next few games.