OSWEGO — The Oswego Men’s Hockey team secured their first regular season and SUNYAC win of the year topping Cortland by a score of 4-2. The headliner was the SUNYAC rookie of the week Travis Broughman. Broughman was able to find the back of the net twice while also recording an assist on Tanner Spink’s goal. The forward currently ranks the team in points with three and is looking to move his way up in the lines. Broughman and the No. 6 ranked Lakers travel to Canton for a meeting with the Kangaroos this Friday followed by a meeting with No. 5 ranked Hobart back at the Marano Campus Center Arena for Military Appreciation Night on Saturday.
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Oswego State Softball Gets Set for Non-Conference Doubleheader
OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Oswego State Softball team has been preparing for a non-conference doubleheader against the Cortland Red Dragons. This matchup taking place Tuesday, May 4th at Laker Softball Field will be a test to see if the Lakers can extend their one game win streak. Oswego is coming off a split this past weekend with the Brockport Golden Eagles. The Lakers squad was able to bounce back in game two with a 7-6 victory this past Saturday after falling 8-1 to the Golden Eagles. Unfortunately, Oswego has been eliminated from playoff contention after posting a 5-9 conference record heading into the final week of the regular season.
Cortland makes the trip up Interstate 81 with a five game win streak and the number one seed in the SUNYAC East division in tow. The Red Dragons are 16-6 overall this season and have not seen the Lakers in exactly two years. The two teams faced off in Cortland on May 4th, 2019 with the Red Dragons shutting out the Lakers with a 7-0 victory. Oswego has only nine victories against the Cortland program with their last win coming at home back in the 2018 season. Oswego will look to break it’s four game losing streak against Cortland today at home. Game one is set to kick off at 3:00 p.m. and game two will tentatively start at 5:00 p.m. on the Laker Softball Field. WTOP 10 will be at the field to catch all the action.
Image Provided by William Rogers, WTOP 10 Photography Department
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Lakers’ Losing Streak Extends to Three Games
OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Oswego State Lakers’ men’s hockey team couldn’t snap its two-game losing skid, falling 4-1 to the Geneseo Knights. The Lakers had far more scoring chances, outshooting the Knights 30-to-24 and had four power plays. However, Oswego State couldn’t capitalize on those opportunities.
Senior forward Matt McQuade picked up the lone goal for the Lakers. Freshman goalie Michael Manzi recorded 20 saves (.870 save percentage) in the loss.
Oswego State came out slow in the first period, generating only one shot on goal within the first five minutes. Geneseo created numerous turnovers in their defensive zone while the Lakers struggled to get off accurate passes.
The Knights took advantage of Oswego State’s lack of offensive production with 6:19 left in the period. Sophomore defenseman Nick Kovacs blasted a slap shot past Manzi’s left leg pad, breaking the scoreless tie.
Kovacs’s goal was the only one of the frame. Geneseo entered the second period with a nine-to-five shots on goal advantage.
The Lakers turned things up a notch offensively to start the second period. Five minutes into the frame, they were outshooting the Knights five-to-two thanks to Oswego State having a five-on-three power play. However, they were unable to convert.
Although the Lakers’ chemistry improved as the frame went along, Geneseo extended its lead. With 9:50 left in the frame, junior forward Carter Diceman buried a wrap-around shot into the bottom right corner of the cage.
Oswego State continued to develop high-quality scoring opportunities. However, the team was unable to cut into the Knights’ lead by the end of the period. The Lakers outshot Geneseo 17-to-seven in the frame.
The third period gave some hope for Oswego State. While the Lakers were shorthanded with 16:11 left in the contest, McQuade buried the loose puck on a breakaway attempt to cut the lead to 2-1.
Although Oswego State continued to apply offensive pressure on the Knights for the rest of the way, junior goalie Jacob Torgner stood on his head. Torgner finished the night with 29 saves (.967 save percentage).
Whatever life was in Deborah F. Stanley Arena was gone after Geneseo responded to McQuade’s goal. Sophomore forward Ryan Forberg sniped the top right corner of the cage from the slot with 8:42 left in the game.
To ice the game, junior forward Luke Panchisin scored an empty netter with 2:21 left on the clock.
The Lakers fall to 14-5-2 this season and remain in second in the SUNYAC. As for the Knights, they improved to 14-6-1 and sit in second in the UCHC.
The Lakers will hit the road to take on Cortland next Friday. Oswego State blanked the Red Dragons 3-0 on Saturday, Jan. 10. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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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
