OSWEGO, NY — After many athletic conferences across the United States begin to cancel or postpone the Fall 2020 season due to COVID-19, the SUNYAC Conference announced on Monday, July 20th, the cancellation of the fall season for member institutions. This decision was made by the SUNYAC Presidents in conjunction with the SUNYAC Board of Directors. This comes after the Empire 8, a local New York Division III conference, announced the postponement of the Fall 2020 season on July 16th. The SUNYAC has decided to cancel all competition till January 2021, which includes winter sports. The report, found on the conference website, states that teams can continue small team workouts when school is back in session. There are still questions regarding the winter sports season that has been pushed off, but time will tell what changes will be made moving forward.
Of course, this will affect Oswego State Athletics for the time being, as most of the teams are a part of that conference. WTOP 10 will continue to have updates on the situation as students return to college around the end of August.
-
Men’s Lacrosse Downs Plattsburgh at Home
Image provided by William Rogers, WTOP10 Photography Department
Oswego, NY – The Oswego State Men’s Lacrosse team faced off against their rival, Plattsburgh this weekend. After surrendering the first goal of the game, the men were able to rally back and defeat the Cardinals.
Both teams started the game off slow, pushing the ball into the offensive zone, not finding any success. Plattsburgh snuck in a goal with five and a half minutes remaining in the first quarter of play. The Lakers were not showing any signs of life until Hayden Coney netted a goal with just 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Just eight seconds later, Logan Prescott scored another goal for the Lakers and Oswego would lead by one going into the second quarter.
Max Brodman found his groove in the second quarter, scoring the next two goals for the Lakers, almost seven minutes apart. Plattsburgh responded with a goal of their own, and would trail Oswego by two. That was until Liam Sexton netted the fifth goal of the game for the Lakers with an assist from Brodman. The Cardinals added one more goal in the second, with Oswego adding two more in the final three minutes. The Lakers would lead Plattsburgh 7-3 going into halftime.
In the first five minutes of the third quarter, the Lakers would only add one goal, with Plattsburgh adding two goals. However, in the final six and a half minutes, Oswego added three goals to Plattsburgh’s one. Coney, Sexton, Brodman, and Corey O’Connor each added one goal in third quarter. Oswego led 11-6 going into the final quarter of play.
The Lakers and Cardinals went back and forth in the final quarter of play, with each team adding five goals in the quarter. Plattsburgh added three consecutive goals to start out the quarter, and cut the Laker lead to two. O’Connor and Liam McAlary each added a goal less than 20 seconds apart to give Oswego a four point lead. 30 seconds later, the Cardinals scored again and cut the Laker lead to three. Oswego then recorded three straight goals near the end of the match, with a goal by Coney, and two goals from O’Connor. Plattsburgh added one more goal with a minute left in regulation, but could not come back from the lead the Lakers built. Oswego defeated the Cardinals by a score of 16-11 at Laker Turf Stadium.
Seven different Lakers scored goals in the match, with four of them recording a hat trick. O’Connor led the Lakers with six total points, scoring a team leading four goals, with two assists. Sexton, Brodman, and Coney each recorded three goals this afternoon. Aiden Kenyon recorded seven saves while in net, and was credited with the win. The Lakers look to take on Oneonta this weekend, staying in Oswego for the matchup.
IMAGE COURTESY OF OSWEGO ATHLETICS
-
Oswego State Softball Gets Set For Home Opener
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Oswego Softball plays their first games in over two weeks, when they play their home opening doubleheader Friday, April 9th against Geneseo at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The Lakers come in 1-1 after a doubleheader split at RIT back on Monday, March 22nd.
First pitch in game one will mark the first home game of Gabrielle Rivers’ head coaching career. Rivers was an assistant coach for four years at Le Moyne, and was hired as the Lakers softball head coach in the summer of 2019. The Lakers softball team did not compete in a single game before the 2020 season was cancelled, and this will be their first home game since April 22nd, 2019. The Lakers had 6 games over an 11 day period either cancelled or postponed, as Friday’s doubleheader marks the Lakers return to action. The Lakers had standouts at the plate in the doubleheader at RIT 18 days ago, Zoe Mennig was 4-7 with a double, 4 RBIs and a run, Madelana Wrubel was 2-5 with 2 doubles and 2 runs, and Taylor DuBois was 2-6 with 3 RBIs. Oswego also got a major contribution on the rubber from pitcher Madison Hoeflich who threw a 7 inning complete game in which she allowed 7 hits and 3 runs in the win. Look for the three batters to make a contribution Friday, and Hoeflich to shutdown opposing batters if she is called upon to start.
The Laker bats face a tall task in this 2-1 Geneseo Knights team. Geneseo was picked first in the preseason SUNYAC coaches poll, and while the Knights have been lacking with the bat, their pitching has been phenomenal. Geneseo is 2-1 even though they have scored 8 runs total through 3 games, and have scored only 1 run twice. Lauren Kersch won SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week after throwing a complete game and only allowing one run and one hit, which both came on a solo home run. Besides the one pitch, Kersch dominated University of Rochester in her first collegiate start, and looks like she can be an elite level arm for the Knights for years to come. Kersch has not been the only arm that has been dominant for the Knights, Nicole Schwartz who threw game one of Geneseo’s doubleheader at Rochester, also threw a complete game, she allowed 6 hits but did not allow a run.
Oswego Softball plays for the first time in 18 days, and plays their first home game in nearly 2 years on Friday, April 9th at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. against Geneseo. Viewers can check out all the action on WTOP 10.
-
New Interim Director of Athletics for Oswego State
OSWEGO, NY — Last week, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management announced that current Associate Athletic Director Eric Summers would be named Oswego’s Interim Director of Athletics. The Fayetteville, New York resident has been with the Lakers since June of 2014, and will take his new position immediately. Summers has been with a few other colligate programs before coming to Oswego. He was the head of the Hamilton College Crew Program for over a decade. Prior to Hamilton, Summers oversaw the men’s varsity crew program at Colgate University for two years. The team was ranked nationally for the first time during his stint with the team. This move comes after the retirement of Sue Viscomi, who retired at the end of May after seven years. The 24 team Athletic Department will now be led by Summers as the Lakers prepare for the 2020 Fall Season. WTOP 10 will continue to deliver coverage to Oswego State Athletics as teams prepare for their 2020 seasons.
