OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Oswego State Lakers faced off against the St. John Fisher Cardinals in their first game of the 2025-2026 season during an exhibition match last night. The Lakers were looking to pick up right where they left off after being named the 2024-2025 SUNYAC champions. The Cardinals were coming in with a slightly different goal…to finish their first-ever game in program history. The difference in experience showed early on with the Lakers scoring just 3:30 seconds into the game after Junior defenseman Travis Baker rocketed a one-timer from the point.  

This dominance continued for the rest of the 1st period, with the Lakers collecting 4 more goals to make the score 5-1 at the start of the first intermission. The pre-game jitters for the Lakers seemed to carry into the second period, with two early back-to-back goals putting the Cardinals into a 7-1 deficit. This early deficit resulted in the Cardinals pulling out Marcus Oulette for freshman Sebastian Woods. This substitution proved beneficial for the Cardinals as the Lakers were unable to get a puck in the back of the net for the rest of the second period, resulting in a 7-2 score.

Heading into the third period, the Cardinals looked like a completely different team compared to the first period. The team gelled together in real time during the game, taking massive strides in terms of their chemistry and playcalling. This resulted in holding the Lakers to just one goal in the third period while scoring one more of their own, resulting in the final score being 8-3 Lakers.

The Lakers showed out in their 8-3 win for Family and Friends Weekend while the Cardinals lost their first game in program history. The Oswego State Lakers will look to face off against the Nazareth Golden Flyers on October 25th at 7:00 PM in their final exhibition match, as the St. John Fisher Cardinals will face off against the Buffalo State Bengals on October 31st at 7:00 PM. 

OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Oswego State Lakers women’s hockey team unofficially kicked off their newest campaign, welcoming St. John Fisher to The Deb for an exhibition match with the Cardinals on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Equal levels of competition were had throughout the first 20 minutes, as both squads came through blazing. The Lakers applied a heavy offensive attack that allowed for 20 shots on net in just the first period, although the Cardinal faithful stood tall; first-year goaltender Brynn Bacak fended off the flurry, and the first period concluded as scoreless.

Undisciplined play from the Cardinals in the second period proved to be costly, as the Lakers gained a man-advantage early on due to two penalty calls on the first-year program. The Lakers capitalized upon this opportunity, as they connected on the powerplay at 16:15, gaining a 1-0 advantage over the visiting squad.

The Lakers, with a sudden charge in momentum, continued to decimate the Cardinal attack. Seconds before the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of period two, Ohio native Lauren Ricobelli widened the score gap to two goals, as the freshman knocked in a tip to give the Lakers a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into the tunnel.

Coming into the final frame, the Cardinals were determined to make a conversion. The Lakers returned to full-strength after a 5-on-3 disadvantage, but the favor remained on the opposition’s side, as the Cardinals finally found the nylon, chipping away as they lessened the deficit.

The Lakers remained undeterred, though, as a faceoff win, courtesy of George Cunliffe, would allow the squad to take on a successful possession. First-year sniper Liliana Ficaro, in a sea of white and red jerseys, navigated to the puck, and slapped one past the blocker of Bacak. The Lakers then took a 3-1 advantage, and the defense would remain firm in the waning minutes of the concluding period, as the Lakers put the finishing touches on a 3-1 victory.

Before the Lakers get an official start on their season, they are set to take on Nazareth in one final exhibition outing at The Deb, on Saturday, Oct. 25. Puck drop is set for 3 p.m., on Teal Night.

OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Oswego State Lakers built upon their already-established momentum from Friday, as they shot down the Red Dragons of Oneonta on Saturday, Oct. 4, in four sets.

The first set saw the Red Dragons establish the tempo early on, as they quickly jumped out to a 6-0 lead, with exactly half of those six points coming off of errors from their opponent. However, the Lakers were undeterred, as they fought tooth and nail to make a comeback, and eventually took a 21-20 lead. This resurgence was built mainly by the trio of Gigi Basile, Priscilla McReynolds and Kalley Vugeteveen, as the three combined for 15 kills in the set, and helped lead the Lakers to a 26-24 win.

The second set was all Lakers in the initial stages, as Alaina Dudzinski contributed heavily in an offensive raid that facilitated a 9-2 lead early on. The Red Dragons attempted to make a comeback, and even tied it up 13-13 at one point, but the two-way attack of the Lakers would prove to be too much. Mya Bush strengthened her sophomore campaign, as she accounted for nine assists in the set, which aided the Lakers in finalizing a 25-21 win, for a 2-0 lead.

The Red Dragons were more synchronized than ever in the third set, as they seemingly came a step ahead of the Lakers in each facet of the game. The Lakers did keep it close throughout the first few back-and-forth possessions, but the Red Dragons, headlined by Colleen McCabe, Layla Pertchik and Emma Morretta, devised a tighter and more coordinated game plan to eventually pull away. Miscues turned out to be the Achilles heel for the Lakers, as they dropped the set, 25-19, on a service error, followed by the killshot from Keira Welsh.

The Lakers denied the Red Dragons any further momentum in the fourth and final set, even with a more balanced approach between both squads. The Lakers held a two-point advantage at one time, and ran away with it from there, as they tacked on five unanswered points, courtesy of aggressive individual showings from Grace Gdovin, Vugteveen and Bush. The Red Dragons also went on a little run of their own, too, showing signs of urgency in the late stages; however, those attempts turned sour, as Juliana Santafemia, CJ Eidem and McReynolds stood tall on the defensive end, and aided in a 25-18 win for the Lakers, allowing the team to hold their heads high in a 3-1 win.

The Lakers catch a three-day break in their schedule, as the homestand continues against Nazareth on Oct. 7 in the Max Ziel Gymnasium. Game time is set for 6 p.m.

Photos By: Jennifer Salie

OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Oswego State Lakers brought out the brooms on Friday, as they swept the New Paltz Hawks in a quick three sets.

The Lakers made their presence felt early on with a commanding win in the opening set. The team quickly took a 12-6 lead, spearheaded by strong individual showings from Gigi Basile and Priscilla McReynolds that mobilized the attack. The Hawks urgently tried to make a comeback, but the attempt was ultimately futile as the Lakers received significant assistance on the defensive end from CJ Eidem, who racked up seven digs to help her home-squad secure an authoritative 25-17 victory, and a 1-0 lead.

The Lakers found a crease in-between a more balanced second set, and were able to come away with a tight 25-19 victory. The momentum alternated between both squads at a rapid rate, but a well-structured offensive gameplan from the Lakers, headed by Kalley Vugveteen and Mya Bush, allowed them to get into a synchronized groove. Moreover, Eidem continued to be a neutralizer on the defensive end with four digs, while McReynolds also aided in that department, displaying her effective two-way skills.

The Lakers lost not a step in the final set, as Jon Stenman coached his group to a game-clinching 25-17 win in the final set. The offense fronted a calculated showing to push the Lakers out to an early 11-1 lead, and they never looked back from there. It was Grace Gdovin who continued to make an impact in all facets of the game, with a team-high four kills, while the Hawks continued to commit unfortunate errors –  a factor that would be their main shortcoming. McReynolds rounded out the offense, while Bush continued to operate as an immense beneficiary for the Lakers, with five assists in the set, for a mark of 20 on the day.

The Lakers stay home for tomorrow’s outing, as they face off against SUNYAC foe Oneonta at 1 p.m.

OSWEGO, N.Y. — Despite a determined defensive effort and a standout performance from goalkeeper Sam Krautheim, Oswego State dropped its SUNYAC field hockey opener 3-0 to visiting SUNY New Paltz on Saturday at Laker Turf Stadium

THE BASICS

Final Score:  

Oswego 0 (2-7, 0-1 SUNYAC) 

New Paltz 3 (5-4, 1-0 SUNYAC)
Location: Laker Turf Stadium | Oswego, N.Y.  

The Lakers (2-7, 0-1 SUNYAC) faced early pressure, conceding goals to Rachel Tama and Ashley McGough in the first quarter. From there, Oswego’s defense settled in, shutting down 12 penalty corner chances across the second and third quarters. Krautheim anchored the backline with 20 saves, keeping the Hawks (5-4, 1-0) from extending their lead until the final period.

In the fourth, New Paltz capitalized on its 16th corner, with Maya O’Keefe finishing off an assist from Tama at 45:50. The Lakers’ lone offensive highlight came late, when Harlie Gilberti pushed a shot toward goal that was blocked.

Julia Alvey and the Oswego defense logged heavy minutes to disrupt New Paltz’s attack, but the Hawks outshot the Lakers 39-1 and held a 17-0 edge in corners. Attendance was listed at 125.

Oswego will look to rebound on Tuesday with a non-conference matchup at Keuka College, scheduled for 4 p.m.