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.

OSWEGO, N.Y. — Joe Holder scored in the third minute and Milton Mancias Magana added two goals as SUNY Oneonta defeated Oswego State 3-0 on Saturday in the SUNYAC men’s soccer opener at Laker Turf Stadium

THE BASICS

Final Score:

Oswego 0 (1-4-3, 0-1 SUNYAC)

Oneonta 3 (6-2-1, 1-0 SUNYAC)

Location: Laker Turf Stadium | Oswego, N.Y.

Holder put the Red Dragons (6-2-1, 1-0 SUNYAC) on the board just 3:23 into the match off an assist from Nico Loaiza. Despite eight first-half saves from Oswego goalkeeper Kyle Rose, Oneonta controlled play and doubled its lead in the 43rd minute when Mancias Magana broke through for his first tally.

The Lakers (1-4-3, 0-1) managed only three shots in the contest and struggled to break down a disciplined Oneonta defense. Rose finished with eight saves, keeping Oswego within striking distance until Mancias Magana struck again in the 86th minute off a pass from Zach Tanner to seal the result.

The match featured physical play throughout, with 19 combined fouls and a yellow card issued to Oneonta’s Erik Popp late in the first half. Oneonta outshot Oswego 27-3 and held a 7-2 edge in corner kicks.

The Lakers will look to rebound Wednesday when they travel to SUNY Canton for another nonconference matchup.

Written By: Michelle Smith

Photos By: Clay Kepler

Oswego, N.Y. – The Oswego State volleyball team welcomed a slew of squads to the Max Ziel gymnasium on Friday as the Oswego State Invitational kicked off, with the Lakers taking on the Brockport Golden Eagles in the first contest of the day at 2 p.m.

The Lakers controlled the tempo from the outset, as an offensive onslaught from the home squad led to an early 10-4 lead. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, errors loomed large, and they struggled to find a semblance of footing. The Lakers operated off of beneficiaries Grace Gdovin, Priscilla McReynolds and Kalley Vugteveen and others, to help lift the squad to a 25-14 win in the first set.

The second set was far tighter than the first, with ties and lead changes occurring amidst a competitive bout. The Golden Eagles found an edge when they went up 18-13, but the Lakers would not go down without a fight. They climbed all the way back, and the contest was eventually knotted up at 23, but late-stage heroics from Gigi Basile and Vugteveen pushed the Lakers over the hump as they took the second set, 25-23, to go up 2-0.

The third set replicated what happened in much of the second, with both squads matching up evenly. The Golden Eagles fought tooth and nail, and while they were able to generate momentum, errors once again proved to be more than costly. Moreover, the Lakers applied an aggressive offensive attack that was fueled by high-IQ plays, which led them to a 22-18 lead, and eventually a 25-21 win, thanks to Alaina Dudzinski and Gdovin coming through as clutch. The Lakers laid claim to their first victory of the day, and would hand the court to Western Connecticut and Keuka, as the two faced off at 4 p.m.

The sophisticated offensive schemes of Western Connecticut overpowered Keuka, as one of the constitution state’s own came out on top, 3-0. They held a height advantage, which allowed them to meet their opponents at the net and deny potential chances at scoring. That was one of many deciding factors in their dominant 25-10 win in set one, and the momentum wouldn’t slow down in the next.

While Keuka came out more competitive in the second set when they jumped out to a 5-4 lead, Western Connecticut remained undeterred. They tacked on five unanswered points amid a communication struggle within the confines of Keuka, and would eventually pull away while working in a tighter defense to take the set 25-15, and go up 2-0. The third and final set saw Western Connecticut return to their roots, as they took a 5-1 lead early on. Keuka made a late push that cut the deficit to just one, but an unfortunate overshot called out-of-bounds came as the game-clinching point for Western Connecticut, and they took the set 26-24 to claim a sweep.

The Wolves’ would return to the hardwood at 6 p.m., but their night would soon be spoiled, as the home-squad Lakers swiftly took them down, 3-0. Even with the sweep, each set balanced a competitive feel, with Keuka refusing to go down easily. The first saw the two tie 11 separate times, but the Lakers pulled away in the late stages when the Wolves committed an error, followed by a killshot from Priscilla McReynolds, which would give a first-set statement victory to the Lakers.

Keuka committed a strong playstyle in the second set, which assisted them in going up 14-11 early. However, the Lakers would quickly storm back, as both Vugteveen and Kalley put forth kills, succeeded by two-straight service aces from Gabriella Bishop. The outing remained even from there, with both teams trading conversions past the net. Thankfully for the Lakers, their top beneficiary in McReynolds came through swinging for a kill to make it 25-24, which was followed up with an unfortunate error from the opposition, which would give the Lakers the game-clinching point, for them to go up 2-0.

The momentum saw a drastic shift towards the Lakers in the final set, as they would double down on a tyrannical offensive attack that had the Wolves running around on eggshells. A victory would be returned to the shorelines of Lake Ontario, as a commanding performance helped the Lakers to come out as victors, 25-14, and end the night with a record of 2-0.

The day concluded with a scrappy battle between Pitt-Bradford and SUNY Canton on court one, with the Panthers coming out as victors, 3-1. While the Kangaroos took the first set, 25-23, the Panthers roared back and completely dominated in the second, highlighted by a commanding performance from Ruby Smith that helped her squad tie it up at one. From there it was all Panthers, as they came through strongly with schemes that were tough to match up against. They took the third and fourth sets, 25-20, and 25-21, to finish out day one of the event.

The competition opens back up tomorrow, when the Lakers take on the Wolves of Western Connecticut at 10 a.m., followed by a plethora of matches that conclude the annual Oswego State Invite.

The Oswego State Lakers faced off against the St. John Fisher Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon. Both teams came into this game after getting shut out at home and were looking to bounce back.

The Cardinals came out flying to start this game as they began the first quarter with a barrage of shots with one hitting the back of the net for Sam Current with just over 3 minutes gone in the first. The Cardinals’ aggressive play allowed them to live in the Lakers’ territory for the remainder of the first quarter.

The Cardinals continued to discover their aggressive playstyle identity in the second quarter, this time on the other side of the ball. They were consistently disrupting passing lanes and intercepting the Lakers’ passes throughout the quarter. This high-speed defensive approach led to just 3 shots for Oswego by halftime which certainly took the pressure off Sophomore goalkeeper  Morgan Parrinello who was making her season debut.

The Cardinals kept up the attack coming out of halftime continuing their domination on both sides of the ball. The Lakers were unable to get a shot off in the third while the Cardinals were able to put up a total of nine.

Going into the fourth, the Lakers were still looking at a one-score game due to the outstanding effort of star Sophomore Sam Krautheim who had already tallied up 14 saves heading into the 4th. An early goal by Holly Stuart however seemed to take the remaining wind out of the sails for Oswego as they failed to put up a shot for the second straight quarter.

The Cardinals came into enemy territory today with only seven shots on the season but were able to walk away with a 32-shot performance and dominant 2-0 win over the Lakers. The Cardinals are set to play the Marywood Pacers on Sunday, September 14th while the Lakers face off against the Houghton Highlanders on the 13th.

Written By: Eric Palmeri

Photos By: Jennifer Salie

Oswego, N.Y. – The Oswego State Lakers welcomed the University of Rochester Yellowjackets to Laker Turf on Wednesday, as they sought to pick up their first win of the season. The Lakers faced a roadblock early on, though, as a lower-body injury to sharpshooter Tajay Ellis would render him unavailable for the rest of the contest, which proved to be critical in the end result.

The Lakers imposed an aggressive style of defense in the early stages, and it all but worked until the 33rd minute, when Kol Bassuk of the Yellowjackets connected on a strike to give his squad a 1-0 lead.

The Yellowjackets presented an even peskier style of defense, as they allowed just one shot from the Lakers through the first 45 minutes of play, denying any potential momentum that their opponent tried to conjure up.

Things became even more grim for the Lakers in the second half, as the backend struggled to protect keeper Max Mahlke, while no will was yet to be had on the offensive side of things. The Yellowjackets would eventually strike again, when Jasper Danielian found the back of the net in the 59th minute to further the margin to 2-0 in the Yellowjackets’ favor.

Max Mahlke played to the best of his abilities, but was ultimately dealt a tough deck of cards, as he faced 13 shots and saved five. The Lakers move to 0-2-2 after this result, and will hope to tack on their first win of the season in their next matchup, when they travel to Troy, N.Y. to take on the RPI Engineers.

Written by: Logan Weingartner

Photos by: Clay Kepler