OSWEGO, NY — Women’s Basketball started off the double header in the Max Ziel Gymnasium this afternoon with a SUNYAC match up against Fredonia. The Blue Devils would come away with the victory for their first conference win of the season. The Lakers lost 52-71 even though senior Sydni Eure led the team with 5 field goals on 13 opportunities. Senior Quincey Zimmerman finished with 10 rebounds and 2 three pointers on six tries. The Lakers get back on the court tomorrow at 2 p.m. for another SUNYAC match up against Buffalo State. The Bengals just dropped their conference game against Cortland 71-84.
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Team Spotlight: Oswego State Men’s Soccer
OSWEGO, NY — The Oswego State Men’s Soccer team, a squad surrounded by a lengthy but rather disappointing history in terms of success, has recently been on the upswing the past couple of years. This due to the arrival of Head Coach Dan Kane, who took over the Lakers heading into the 2017 season. A program that has transferred from being a doormat for the SUNYAC to a championship hopeful which showed just a year ago. The 9-7-2 team lost to SUNY Cortland in penalty kicks, a once nationally ranked team, in the opening round of the SUNYAC tournament. The squad’s first appearance in the bracket since 2014 was another step in the right direction for the Lakers.
The obvious common problem teams face across the nation comes down to retention of progress gained over the course of more than one season. For Kane’s Lakers, the group realized quickly what was expected of them before heading home last semester.
“The team realized that we got to make some advances individually and collectively,” Kane stated, “if we are going to sustain our kind of progression from the last few years.”
Of course, the return to Oswego has been much different for a team that usually starts games before the start of September. Kane spoke on the lack of team practices has made team cohesion difficult, something the head coach wished the group had similar to previous years. However, Kane found a positive in the situation as the coach touched on how this difference gave him the ability to work on a different subject, the incoming Class of 2024.
“We are way further along in terms of getting to know them as people because we have been having so many calls with them.” Kane said, “I know our freshman a lot better than I normally would which I am really thankful for.”
The push to the potential spring season gives the new members of the squad an opportunity to gain maturity before their first steps onto the Laker Turf. Kane explained the “grind of college and of the season catches up” and often saw regression through the course of a season from his first-year athletes because of this. Coach continued about his envy towards spring sports due to this trend, that may now be able to be tapped into due to this uncommon season.
Another plus for these Lakers is the return of the backline and starting goaltender Brian Terra. The defensive core that held conference opponents to an average of less than a goal last season will continue to be the backbone for the Lakers success. A defensive strategy that Kane plans to build on to improve the game at the other end of the pitch.
“It is going to look different.” Kane expressed, “[We] are going to play a bit differently but the more you can rely on your defense to win individual battles, the more freedom it gives our attacking players to take some chances and be creative and get more numbers forward.”
For now, the Lakers will have to remain on the sidelines before kicking off their season after the end of the calendar year. A group that got a taste of soccer together one week ago at their first team practice on the Laker Turf. The torrential downpour of rain did not take off the smiles that were found on every student athlete.
“We were in small pods.” Kane continued, “the energy and the positivity at practice was amazing. They were loving it.”
However, the Lakers will not be able to continue preparation for the 2021 season until next semester after the postponement of Athletics due to the recent spike of COVID-19. This added set pack could put the group at a disadvantage compared to other SUNY institutions across the conference, but Kane is taking a different look at the situation.
“To all the teams that are practicing, I wish them well.” Kane stated, “we hope to be back there soon in January, and we will make the most of the time we are given. We are not going to be the team that has excuses like that.”
For this team, the optimism shines from the head of the program. The Lakers seem to be in good hands heading into the most unusual season in sports history. Kane acknowledged the adversity that lies in front of the group but told his athletes to stay committed to the process.
“This is no question a time of adversity, so what kind of growth can we have in these moments and the second thing is even though we are not able to be together in a normal sense, we still have to be for each other.” Kane continued, “Those are kind of the two biggest messages, stay present and be there for each other. When the referee does blow that first whistle and lets us play, we will be ready for that moment.”
Photo Provided by Oswego State Athletics
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Oswego Men’s Hockey falls to Geneseo in SUNYAC game
OSWEGO, NY — Men’s Hockey played their postponed game Sunday night that was supposed to be a Friday night match up against Geneseo. The Knights would win 5-3 after they were the only team to get on the board in the first period. Junior Carson Vance would be the only Laker to tally a goal in the second period as he capitalized on the power play. Geneseo would take a 3-1 in the third period before Max Novick tallied one off a pass from Alex DiCarlo as the freshman extended his points streak. Michael Gillespie would tie the game just 1:14 minutes later after a shot that went off the boards behind the Geneseo goalie. Geneseo would get the game winner with less than two minutes remaining and an empty net goal to secure their 17th win of the season and extend their barrier between Oswego for first place in the SUNYAC conference.
The Lakers travel to Morrisville next weekend for a must needed four points to make sure the team stays in the second seed heading into playoffs. Buffalo State will be the last test for Oswego before heading into conference playoffs.
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Lakers Top Oneonta in Four Sets
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
