BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Oswego State Lakers traveled west on the thruway to take on the Buffalo State Bengals Wednesday afternoon. The action started early in this matchup as the Lakers scored twice before the second minute of the game. The first goal came off the foot of Kieran Gilroy a minute and twenty-two seconds into the game. Just thirteen seconds later Liam Rothar would score giving the Lakers a 2-0 lead. The goal was assisted by Chris Smith. The action didn’t stop there. Ten minutes later Buffalo State cut the Lakers lead in half. No other goals in the first half. Oswego goalie Matt D’Arpino made two saves in the first.
The second half didn’t have any goals, but did see plenty of action. The 66th minute saw competing red cards. Oswego’s Matthew Sprague and Buffalo State’s Ayden Cristales each received red cards causing both teams to go down ten men. Oswego would receive two more yellows in the game, with the Bengals receiving one. The game ended 2-1. Despite the win, the Lakers ended up being out shot 16-8, and outshot in shots-on-goal 5-3. Matt D’Arpino ended the game with a total of four saves.
The Lakers are now 5-6-2 (2-3-2 SUNYAC) and have 8 points. They are sitting sixth in the SUNYAC, the final playoff spot.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE QUIACHON, WTOP10 PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
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Oswego Victorious in Season Opener
OSWEGO NY – Oswego welcomed Wilkes University out of Pennsylvania to kick off the 2025 season. After a physical and hard-fought game by both sides, Courtney Key would help Oswego pick up the first win of the 2025 campaign.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams were eager to get this first game going and that was evident as both teams shot out of a cannon to start the game. Nothing came easy in the early going as every ball was fought for and it was extremely physical.Oswego was the first one to strike as they found the back of the net in the first 10 minutes of play. Off a corner kick was the veteran, Courtney Key, to find the back of the net at 9:34. The header would sneak over the stretched hand of the Wilkes goaltender, Ava Long. The corner was sent in by Amber McDermott. The Senior-to-Senior connection got the Lakers up 1-0 to kick off the 2025 season.
Just a few minutes later Oswego extended the lead. Key would again capitalize on a Laker corner. Key would slide across the box with an extremely athletic play to put Oswego up by 2. The assist would go to Kyla Sustad, the first of many for the junior.
It took a while for the Colonels to get back in this one. In the 33rd minute, Wilkes would finally get their foot in the door. Jess Shea found nylon off a corner kick from the Sophomore, Elena Krajain. It was 2-1 going into half in the season opener for the Lakers.
The first half energy seemed to dwindle during the break. The second half started out much slower. Both teams had opportunities, but each team had a scorching hot defense that wouldn’t let up.Things shifted in the 33rd minute of the second period. A pass came from Kayla Baca and Schmitt did the rest. Schmitt would right foot it, and after a tip off the hand of Long, Schmitt found her first goal of the season. The lead was now 3-1 with the Lakers in complete control.
The Lakers would prevail after astounding success on the defensive side of the ball. Oswego wouldn’t pick up a save in this time period as the Colonels wouldn’t be able to get anything on goal. With a balanced attack through and through, the Lakers won the contest, 3-1.
WHAT’S NEXT
Oswego takes on the Knights of Geneseo on Tuesday. Oswego faces a challenge as the Knights had an impressive season in 2024 finishing 13-5-3. Kickoff will be at 4:00pm at Geneseo College Stadium.Luke Belanger’s POTG – Courtney Key (2 goals on 4 shots)
Written by: Luke Belanger
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Oswego State women’s basketball splits in weekend road trip
ONEONTA, N.Y. — The Oswego State women’s basketball team split in their weekend doubleheader, falling to New Paltz 56-37 on Friday before defeating Oneonta 56-52 on Saturday.
On Friday, the Lakers were able to keep pace with the two-time defending SUNYAC champions throughout most of the game. After a back-and-forth first quarter, New Paltz built a 19-8 lead by the opening minute of the second quarter. Though, the Lakers stormed back and went on a 13-2 run to knot the game at 21-21 with four minute remaining in the half. Freshman Diamond Pickett and senior Danielle Caivana combined for 11 points during that stretch run. Both teams scored last-minute buckets to end the half with Oswego trailing 27-24 at the break. Caivana started the second half off hot, scoring the Lakers first five points of the third quarter and tying the game at 29 apiece. However, that would be as close as the Lakers got for the remainder of the game. New Paltz went on a 17-0 run across the third and into the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Oswego outrebounded the Hawks 48-37, but were unable to capitalize on many second chance scoring opportunities.
Looking to avenge their loss the night before, Oswego started Saturday’s game off strong. The Lakers we’re up 19-11 after the opening quarter, lead by freshman Shania Iglesias who contributed a whopping 11 points. Both teams went on scoring runs throughout the second quarter, bring the halftime score to 31-21 Lakers. Oswego started to pull away in the second half. Danielle Caivana became red hot from beyond the arc, hitting a trio of three pointers as the Oswego lead grew to a staggering 21 points. However, Oneonta rallied back in the final 10 minutes of regulation. The Red Dragons went on a 24-9 run and brought the game within five points with under minute to go. However, free throws from Caivana and Diamond Pickett iced the game for the Lakers. Iglesias finished with a season-high 20 points while Danielle Caivana put up 15 of her own. Diamond Pickett also totaled a game-high 14 rebounds and three steals.
With Saturday’s victory, Oswego swept the season series with Oneonta and also snapped a five-game losing streak. While the Lakers improved to 5-17 on the season, they are unfortunately eliminated from SUNYAC playoff contention. Although this is the case, Oswego will look to finish the season off strong as they host their final two games next weekend against SUNY Brockport and Fredonia. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday at the Max Ziel Gymnasium.
Image Provided by Will Rogers, WTOP 10 Photography Department
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Softball loses five over hard weekend matchups
OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Oswego State softball team played six games over four days this weekend. A Friday double header in New Paltz against the Hawks was followed by a Saturday double header in Oneonta with the Red Dragons, the team had a day off Sunday, but played another double header at home against the Plattsburgh Cardinals Monday.
Friday’s first game in New Paltz saw the Hawks grab an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Two two-out singles were followed by a triple, bringing that brought both runners home to open the scoring. In the bottom of the second the Hawks would strike again. A two-out double was followed by a single. A throwing error would bring home the lead runner, and another triple would bring home the other runner. No more runs would be scored until the seventh inning, where the Lakers finally found the score sheet. Two one-out singles were followed by Madison Hoeflich reaching on an error, that would score the first runner of the inning for the Lakers. Ellie Mahoney then grounded out the the Shortstop, but would bring home another run. A Samantha Morgan double brought home the third run of the inning for the Lakers, but the scoring would end there, and Oswego fell 4-3. The Lakers only had four hits on the day, no batter having more than one, and a lone walk. Freshman Maria Lutz pitched all six innings for Oswego, allowing four runs, nine hits, two walks, and striking out two.
Game two of the double header was a more convincing win for New Paltz. The Hawks scored one in the first, but Oswego would match the run the second on a Ellie Mahoney single. Errors in the bottom half of the second brought home two more runs, and a two out double in the third brought home run number four for the Hawks. The bottom of the fourth was started by a single for New Paltz which was followed by a double driving home the run. Oswego got two consecutive pop-outs after, but a single drove home the sixth run. Oswego held New Paltz scoreless in the fifth, but three runs in the sixth triggered the mercy rule, and the game ended 9-1 in favor of the Hawks. Zoe Mennig led the Lakers with two hits, and Madison Hoeflich led the Lakers with two walks. Fiona Higgins had a rough day on the mound. She allowed fifteen hits, nine runs, eight earned, and walked three, she would strike out six.
The Lakers took the two hour trip to Oneonta for the Saturday double header. The Lakers found the scoreboard in the top of the first in game one. Tai Smith led off with a walk, and she was moved to second by a sac bunt. Taylor Dubois hit a double moving Smith to third, and a fielder’s choice in the next at bat scored the run. The Lakers held the Red Dragons scoreless until the third inning, when a lead off triple would be driven in by a sac fly to tie the game. Oneonta scored once more in the fourth inning, and twice more in the fifth. In the sixth, a two out single, then stole second and was driven in by a double. Oswego wouldn’t score in the seventh, and the game ended 5-1 Oneonta. Taylor Dubois led Oswego with two hits. Tai Smith got on base three times, a hit and a team leading two walks. Maria Lutz pitched all six innings once again, allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits and no walks, striking out two.
Game two of the second double header saw Oneonta grab a big lead in the bottom of the first, scoring four. The next run wouldn’t be scored until the top of the third, when Taylor Dubois hit a lead off double and was then drive in by Zoe Mennig’s double in the next at bat. A scoreless fourth was followed by a scoreless top of the fifth, and the Red Dragons broke the scoreless streak in the bottom of the fifth, crossing the plate once. Oneonta grabbed two more in the bottom of the sixth, and the Lakers, trying to rally could only manage one in the top of the seventh, a Zoe Mennig solo shot to left, and the Red Dragons took game two, 7-2. Samantha Morgan led the Lakers, going three for three at the plate. Zoe Mennig drove in both runs for Oswego. Madison Hoeflich got the start for the Lakers, but only pitched one inning, allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits, striking out two. Chelsea Sellars pitched the remaining five innings for Oswego, allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits, and four strike outs.
The Lakers took a much needed day off Sunday, and took to the diamond for two more Monday to take on the Cardinals of Plattsburgh. The Cardinals went 1-2-3 in the top of the first, and the Lakers struck first in the bottom half. The first two batters would get out, then Taylor Dubois and Zoe Mennig would reach on errors. Fiona Higgins drove in both with a double. The second inning was scoreless, and Plattsburgh grabbed their first run in the top of the third on an error. Two more scoreless innings brought the game to the sixth, where the Cardinals struck again. The Lakers committed two errors to start the inning, allowing two runners on base. A single by the next batter loaded the bases, and another single drove in the first run of the inning, second of the game for the Cardinals. A pop out to second got out number one of the inning, and a fly out to center got the second out, but also drove in the runner from third, for the third run of the game and the lead for Plattsburgh. Another single drove in the fourth run, and the walk that followed reloaded the bases. Another single brought home two more, and Plattsburgh got out of the inning with a 6-2 lead. Oswego wouldn’t score after the first, and lost the game. Fiona Higgins led Oswego with two hits and two RBIs. Maria Lutz pitched all seven innings, doing the whole game for the third time over the weekend. She allowed six runs, two earned, do to three errors on the Lakers. Lutz struck out four and walked three during the game
The Lakers finally turned things around in game two of the double header, and the final one of the weekend. The Lakers scored three times in the bottom of the first on hits by Zoe Mennig and Fiona Higgins. Neither team would score until Oswego did in the bottom of the fifth. Fiona Higgins drove in the fourth run for Oswego on a double, and in the next at bat, Madison Hoeflich brought in one more on a single. The Lakers scored two more in the inning on a single and a sacrifice hit, bringing their total to seven in the game. Zoe Mennig brought in one more run in the bottom of the sixth, triggering the mercy rule. Zoe Mennig went 4-4 at the plate, driving in two runs, and scoring two of her own. Fiona Higgins was the star of the day though. She went 2-3 at the plate driving in three runs, and pitched six scoreless innings, striking out six, while only allowing two hits and two walks.
The Lakers get the next three days off, until the play a double header Friday against the Brockport golden eagles at home, game one set to start at 3:00 P.M. They play their final series of the season against Geneseo at home Saturday with a double header. The lakers now sit a 9-22 (4-10 SUNYAC). They are currently eighth in the SUNYAC, two games back of Fredonia in the six seed, the final spot in the SUNYAC playoffs.
PHOTO COURTESY OF OSWEGO ATHLETICS
