By Warren Kozireski–
20 goals in 21 games is pretty impressive no matter the level of hockey you are talking about. Add 21 assists and you take things up another level. How about 115 points in 77 career games and counting. And leading the nation in points per game as of Feb. 10.
That’s the company Geneseo junior forward and Penfield native Conlan Keenan is keeping as the Division III season moves into the postseason.
“It feels good, but it’s a team effort,” Keenan said in early February. “I couldn’t be where I am without my team behind me and it’s all of them too, not just me.”
“Our line seems to be clicking this year,” winger Andrew Romano, who led the country in assists per game, said. “We’re just doing the little things and using our speed. We all have pretty good ability with the puck and seem to know where each other is going to be at all times, so it’s easy to play with those guys. Everyone knows about him (Conlan), so it opens it up a bit more for us and we try to capitalize on that.”
“He is such a complete player that he is one of the few people across the country who can put up numbers five-on-five,” 13 year Geneseo head coach Chris Schultz said. “You’re not going to score the pretty goals five-on-five; you have to go to the paint and he knows that.
“He attracts attention and opens up the ice for everybody else. He is more of a distributor and a complete player with a hockey IQ.”
“Sometimes it doesn’t bounce our way on the power play, but five-on-five we just find that extra gear and is a big part of our game and, if we can succeed there, we will succeed as a team,” Keenan said.
The 23-year old played at Webster-Schroeder High School before playing junior with the Rochester Jr. Americans and moved on to the Jersey Hitman in the
He started his Geneseo career by being named the conference Rookie of the Year in 2016-17 and added a First Team All-Conference honors last year.
In that freshman year, his teammate was Pittsford’s Stephen Collins, who currently sits atop the Geneseo career list in program history with 137 points accomplished in 114 games. Keenan is ahead of pace to eclipse that mark early next season. “Just his patience with the puck, his decision-making, his hockey sense; he is a great skilled forward and I was able to learn from him different routes to take and to be patient with the puck and wait for things to open up,” Keenan said about Collins. “He taught me a lot of things on the ice.”
“I try not to pay too much attention to it (records) and just stick to my game and make sure the team comes first. I know people always say that, but hopefully as a team we can succeed here.”
Keenan lost his mother, Paula, nine years ago, so staying close to home to play was important for the rest of the family.
“I love to have my dad come watch me play and my sister is in school close to here, so family is a big part and glad that I’m close to home.”
