OSWEGO, N.Y. – It was a great way for the lakers to get back on track this weekend as they added two big SUNYAC victories to their record. The Lakers first faced the Mustangs in Morrisville where it was almost all Lakers from start to finish. After a scoreless first period for the Lakers Ashlyn Mcgrath scored two minutes into the second period. The lakers kept heavy pressure throughout the second period outshooting the Mustings 25-13. Mia Conboy tacked on another Lakers goal in the second scoring her first of the season. Morrisville was able to score at the end of the second but it was too late as the lakers momentum was not going to be stopped. In the third period sophomore Ashlyn Mcgrath scored her fourth goal of the season and second of the contest for the Lakers. A late goal by Mack Hull sealed the 4-1 win for the Lakers. The Mustangs had a chance at redemption the following day.
The Lakers had a rematch against the mustangs this past Saturday this time in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. This was another fantastic performance from the Lakers as they skated to another 4-1 victory. Another scoreless first period made the Lakers hungry to get on the board in the second. After a missed power play opportunity shortly into the second Amanda Zenstein scored her first goal of the season and the first goal of the game for the Lakers. The Mustangs would answer right back scoring their only goal of the game in the second. After having an amazing performance the day before, Ashlyn Mcgrath added to her weekend resume with another goal to put the Lakers up by two. Taylor Hudon would then put another goal on on the board for the Lakers. As if three goals on the weekend wasn’t enough, Ashlyn Mcgrath would score her fourth goal of the weekend and second of the game for the Lakers. Mcgrath has been a tremendous asset to this Lakers team and continues to prove her importance. The Lakers gained some needed momentum this weekend and look to keep it rolling as they take on the the Cortland Red Dragons this Friday in the Deb. Catch it live on WTOP10!
IMAGE PROVIDED BY OSWEGO ATHLETICS
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Sean Eccles named interim head coach of Oswego Men’s lacrosse team
OSWEGO, N.Y. — Following Coach Drew Bezek’s recent departure from the Oswego men’s lacrosse program, the Department of Athletics announced that Sean Eccles has been elevated to Interim Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach on Tuesday.
With this hiring, Eccles becomes the sixth acting head coach in the program’s history. After a stint as offensive coordinator at Georgian Court University (New Jersey), an NCAA Division II school, Eccles now travels to Oswego, not too far from his hometown of Syracuse.
The newly elevated coach will have the honor of coaching his younger brother, Ryan Eccles, who played his first season with the Lakers in the 2021. In six games, Ryan totaled two goals and one assist as a freshman midfielder. With their connection, we could see an increased offensive role for Ryan in the 2022 season.
Before coaching, Eccles was a decorated athlete with multiple collegiate and professional lacrosse honors. Eccles was a two-year captain at UAlbany, earning two second team all-conference honors in his tenure there. During his time with the Great Danes, Eccles totaled 83 goals and 28 assists while leading the team to the NCAA Division I National Championship Final Four in 2018. Eccles is also a former Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional, being drafted 11th overall by the Denver Outlaws in 2019 MLL draft. Following his time with the team, Eccles served as the offensive coordinator for the Albany Academy Preparatory School team in spring 2020.
The Oswego men’s lacrosse team is coming off their worst season in program history as they were winless (0-7) for the first time. Now with an influx of recruits and the hiring of Coach Eccles, the Lakers will look to bounce back from their previous season and aim for their first SUNYAC Championship appearance since 2019.
Photo provided by Oswego State Athletics Department
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Oswego State Baseball Splits with Oneonta in SUNYAC Crossover
ONEONTA, N.Y. — The Oswego State Lakers baseball team traveled to Oneonta thursday for a doubleheader SUNYAC crossover matchup against the Red Dragons. Oswego would only be able to secure one of the possible two wins today by taking the first game in dominant fashion by a score of 19-5 but then falling in the second game 5-2.
In the first game it was all Lakers as they were up 6-3 after three innings and up 8-3 after four. Oswego’s bats would continue to remain hot by propelling 6 runs in the seventh inning to put them up 17-5. Led by senior Ryan Enos he was able to hit for a pair of doubles and a home run. However not only the upperclassmen came out to shine in the first game, freshman Jacob Levine was able to provide 4 RBI’s for Oswego as well. Moving on to the second game Oneonta was able to edge the lakers by a score of 5-2. Oswego would not have the hot offense in this matchup only generating 2 runs in seven innings as well as only 5 hits. The Red Dragons were able to jump off early by getting three runs in the first three innings including two individual home runs in the third. Brandon Frank and Julian Drew were the only Lakers to generate RBI’s. Looking on the other end at the mound, Oneonta senior pitcher Michael Losak was able to steal the show and throw 120 pitches in a complete game to carry them to the win.
Oneonta now sits at 11-9 overall this season with the split and 6-8 in the SUNYAC East division and currently are in second . The team looks forward to Saturday for a doubleheader against another west division foe in the Brockport Golden Eagles with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. As for the Lakers, they have now gone 2-2 in their last 4 to move to 19-3 overall and 12-2 in the SUNYAC and secure the first place seed in the West division. They will look to bounce back on track with a double header on Saturday as well against an East division opponent in the Plattsburgh Cardinals who have not won in Oswego since 2014. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. for the first game and approximately 3:00 p.m. for the 2nd game. Both games will be played at the Laker Baseball Field.
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Oswego State Women’s Hockey 2020-2021 Roster Updates
Oswego State Women’s Hockey 2020-2021 Roster Update #1 (4/18/20)
OSWEGO, NY — The Women’s Hockey team heads into the off season only losing a few players from their 2019-2020 roster. The team lost four players due to graduation along with three players during the course of the regular season for various reasons. In total, the Lakers lost four forwards, two defenseman, and two goaltenders that will need to be replaced this off season. Oswego moves forward searching for multiple goaltenders as both starter Rachael Farmer and back up Tia Trovato left the team. So of course, the starting position is open heading into next season. So far, it has been a quiet off season as the group has only secured five recruits.
As for the goaltending problem, the search for players between the pipes has ended as the Lakers have secured three goalies heading into next season. JoAnna Hiebert from Highland Charter Township, Michigan is one of the three goaltenders coming to Oswego to play between the pipes. Hiebert has played the past two seasons for Meijer AAA Hockey in Michigan in which the goaltender has been the starter for the team. The 5’ 7” goaltender played 34 games this season and recorded a 2.05 goals against average.
The second goaltender heading to Oswego State next season is Bryn White. The Colorado native played for the Boston Shamrocks that plays in the Junior Women’s Hockey League. The goaltender that catches left played 16 games this season for the Shamrocks in which White recorded a .848 save percentage with a 6.43 goals against average.
The third and final goaltender heading to play for the Lakers in Emilie Venne. Venne played for the Northwood Girls Hockey team located in Lake Placid, New York. The eighteen year old from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada catches left and will join JoAnna Hiebert and Bryn White inbetween the pipes next season for Oswego.
With only the notable loss of Eryn Stewart due to graduation, most of the Lakers offense will be back next season. Megan Teachout, Amber Thomas, and Morgan Shines will most likely return for the Lakers, which means the group will most likely look for players that can step into a secondary scoring spot and grow for years to come.Oswego has also picked up two forwards to add to the recruitment class. Rachel Corbett from Rochester, NY played for the U19 Buffalo Regals this past season. Corbett has been with the program for two years as the team played in the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League this past season. Corbett along with 11 other players committed to an NCAA team for next season from this team.
The second forward to commit to Oswego is Sophia Kyrkostas from Selden, New York. Kyrkostas played for the Selects Academy located in Rochester, New York this past season. The 5’ 2” forward played with the Lady Islanders before heading to Rochester to play with the Selects.
Heading further into the off season, the Oswego State Lakers still need to find a few more players to complete their 2020-21 roster. The team would most likely look for two to three more defenseman to complete an 8-man unit as well as find two to three more forwards for four lines and two extra players. WTOP 10 will continue to deliver updates on both the Men’s and Women’s hockey teams heading into next season. Their 2020-21 schedules should be released around the middle of July.
Oswego State Women’s Hockey 2020-21 Roster Update #2 (5/29/20)
OSWEGO, NY — As the Women’s Hockey team continues into their off-season, the coaching staff has continued to grow their roster for the 2020-21 season. The Lakers look to build off their successful season with the addition of the Class of 2024, which currently includes players from all over North America. After the team lost seven players due to graduation and other situations, the group has secured five players so far, which includes three goaltenders to replace senior Rachael Farmer. Oswego also has added two players to their offensive core to play along side players like Megan Teachout, Amber Thomas, and Emily Gustafson. The projected roster for the 2020-21 season is noted in the graphic below.
Recently, Oswego State was able to recruit another forward to add to their depth up front. Ben Grieco (@BenGriecoSports) reported the commitment of Madison Shepard who will be wearing the green and gold next season, as the Whitby, Ontario, Canada native will join the Lakers for their fourth season in the Northeast Women’s Hockey League. The 5’ 7” forward played for the Durham West Junior Lightning in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League, the same league that the London Junior Devilettes play in. This team faced the Lakers in an exhibition game this past season, where Oswego lost 0-4 on home ice. The Lakers have spent the past 6 seasons beginning with a PWHL opponent coming to play inside the Marano Campus Center. The Lightning finished in 15th this past season and lost to the Stoney Creek Sabres in the opening round of the PWHL Playoffs, losing the series 3-1. Shepard would tally one goal in the four playoff games. Over the course of the regular season, the left handed shot would tally 8 points (3 goals & 5 assists) in 32 games played. Shepard spent the previous two seasons with the Whitby Wolves, spending most of the 2017-18 season with the group’s Midget AA team. During her time in the league, Shepard has recorded a career total of 17 points (7 goals & 10 assists) in 74 contests.
With three forwards getting added to the current list, Oswego State now has 13 forwards heading into the 2020-21 season. Compared to the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign, the team would still need to add one more forwards to equal their total of 15 forwards of their prior season. The Lakers still have four defenseman as the group has not yet recruited any defensive players. WTOP 10 will continue to deliver updates on both the Men’s and Women’s hockey teams heading into next season. Their 2020-21 schedules should be released around the middle of July.
Oswego State Women’s Hockey 2020-2021 Roster Update #3 (6/24/20)
OSWEGO, NY — The Women’s Hockey team continues to recruit talent as the team closes in on their 2020-21 season. After the announcement that new Interim Head Coach Mark Digby would be taking over the group, effectively immediately, the team has been continuing to add to their recruitment class. Prior to these newer commitments, Oswego was able to secure 6 players to throw on the green and gold for the first time next year. With all of these players being a part of the Class of 2024, the team is sure to have a large underclassman presence as the sophomore class has five notable players that were able to make impacts during their freshman campaign. With three goaltenders in this group, the Lakers have already taken care of the hole left in between the pipes after Rachel Farmer graduated, and Tia Trovato transferred to Potsdam. These three will be fighting for the starting job come October. The other three players will be joining the offense as the team is trying to add to their current group of 11 forwards that will most likely be returning next season.
The depth chart above shows the current projected 2020-21 roster. The purple coloring represents the two transfers, while the green represents the Class of 2024 recruits. Black is players that are expected to be back next season. The most recent announcements surfaced on social media last week with a total of three players committing to Oswego State. The first player, joining the Class of 2024, was Kamryn Barnes, from Alexandria Bay, New York. The 5′ 6″ defenseman graduated from Alexandria Bay Central High School this past year, a town located roughly one hour and 30 minutes northeast of Oswego along Lake Ontario. Barnes was the captain of her high school team her senior year, and also played varsity soccer during the fall. The athlete will join the four other defenseman returning in the fall, and is currently slotted in the Top-6 due to the lack of defenseman. This knowledge was found on Instagram by WTOP 10 Sports Talent Thomas Turgeon (@Turgeon_30wtop).
The two other commitments were rather significant for the Lakers compared to the past commitments of incoming freshman. Last week, Taylor Hudon and Lauren Jones announced that they will be transferring from Nazareth College to join the Lakers in the 2020-21 season. Both players spent the past two seasons with the Golden Flyers and will be juniors next season as the two put on green and gold on for the first time. Lauren Jones, a defenseman from Syracuse, New York, played for Skaneateles High School prior to the start of her collegiate career, the same school where current Oswego State player Meg Teachout played in high school. The two were teammates for two seasons while playing in Section III. Jones played in one game this past season for Nazareth, recording zero points. Her freshman year, the player tallied 5 points (1 goal & 4 assists) in 26 games played. Taylor Hudon will also be joining the Lakers squad next season as the forward played 4 games last season for the Golden Flyers, recording one goal. Hudon, from Alexandria Bay, New York, played in 26 games her freshman campaign, tallying 20 points (15 goals & 5 assists) along with 8 penalty minutes. The player has spent time on defense while she played in high school, but I would expect her to continue in the offensive core for the Lakers. Both players played a combined 5 games for Nazareth last season, both being healthy scratches for a majority of the campaign. This information has been confirmed via Instagram.
After these three players join the 2020-21 roster, Oswego State has now recruited a total of 9 players. Moving forward, the coaching staff will look to continue to grow this group by obtaining more offensive and defensive players. The defensive core still has some gaps to fill with only 6 reported players set in the 2020-21 roster. WTOP 10 will continue to provide updates on all Oswego State teams as the groups prepare for the start of their next seasons!
