Oswego, N.Y. — The Oswego State field hockey team took to the field Wednesday night against Cortland. The Lakers fought hard, but the final score was a 3-0 Cortland win. The first goal came five minutes into the game by Cortland’s Kierra Ettere, one of the best goal scorers in the country. The other two Cortland goals would come in the first half of the game by Lily Fox. The Oswego defense would hold strong in the second half of the game not allowing a goal on thirteen shots. Oswego would take their only eight shots of the game in the second half, four of them going on target. Oswego’s Chloe Parks would get off three of those shots, with two of them on target ones. Oswego’s goalie, Erica Scheblein, would have nine saves in the contest.
Unfortunately, this loss would keep the Lakers out of the conference tournament. With one game to go, the team sits at 8-8, but only 2-4 in SUNYAC play, putting them sixth in the conference. They play their last game of the season at Keuka College on Friday at 4:00 p.m.
Image Provided by Shelby Peplowski, WTOP 10 Photography Department
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Oswego Buccaneers defeat Ontario Bay in dominating fashion
OSWEGO, NY — The Oswego Buccaneers Boys Hockey team kicked off their 2021 season last Thursday against Skaneateles. The Bucs would fall to the Lakers 7-2 and would return home on Sunday to face off against the Ontario Bay Storm. The Valentines Day matchup featured a team looking to rebound and a group that wanted to get a win in their first contest of the shortened season.
Oswego would start senior netminder Brandon Demling who was pulled in the 2nd period against Skaneateles. The goaltender would be perfect in the contest as the upperclassmen led his team to a 5-0 victory. There was plenty of offense in the game which was lacking on the Buccaneer’s side the previous contest. The Bucs would kick off the scoring off the stick of senior Joe Diblasi. The senior would add another in the 1st period before junior Lukas Cady finished the scoring for Oswego in the first stanza. The team’s offensive presence was felt the rest of the game as Cady added another to his goal total in the second period before his brother Ian Cady scored his first career varsity goal. The freshman was able to put the puck past Bryce Dafoe on a rebound opportunity.
All game, Ontario Bay struggled to get their offense going. The Oswego defensive core lead by captain Adam Michalski did a good job in front of their netminder yesterday. Thomas Back had a big physical presence and managed to stay out of the penalty box throughout the game while the Storm gave Oswego plenty of opportunities on the power play.
The Buccaneers go on the road for their second road game of the season tonight. The team will face the West Genesee Wildcats, a solid team in Division I. Puck drop is set for 6:30 pm and the game will be streamed on YouTube. All home games will be broadcasted of the WNYO airwaves which can be found on 88.9 FM or wnyo889.org.
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Oswego Baseball swept in SUNYAC opener
CORTLAND, N.Y. – The rough start to the Oswego State Baseball team’s season just got a bit worse. After starting the season 5-8 through a tough non-conference schedule, the team opened conference play with one of the toughest opponents there is, the Cortland Red Dragons.
The first game of the the three game set was one the Lakers really are going to want to forget. Jacob Sanders got the start on the mound for the Lakers, but only got two innings into the game. He gave up three runs, on four hits, walking two, hitting a batter and striking out two. Anthony Van Fossen pitched the next four innings for the Lakers, and it didn’t get much better. He allowed six runs on eight hits, walking one, though he did strike out six. The game only went seven innings, so the final frame was pitched by Ryan Paige, who gave up three hits and a run, striking out one. Oswego was kept hitless in this one. Cortland’s Dylan Beers pitched all seven innings of the game, allowing only one walk, and striking out 12 of the 22 batters he faced in the game. Cortland won the game 10-0. The standout batter for Cortland was Mat Bruno. The Red Dragons’ left fielder was 3-5 on the day with a double and drove in three.
The second game of the series was actually game two of Friday’s double header. The Lakers had to bounce back from being no-hit just a few hours later. Unfortunately for the Lakers, it just wasn’t their day. The Red Dragons scored five runs in the first two innings in this one. Thomas Pecchia got the start for Oswego, he also only made it two innings into the game, giving up five runs, only three earned, and seven hits. The Lakers would respond, grabbing a run of their own in the top of the third inning, Jelani Hammer scoring off a Tishawn Featherstone single, though Cortland would take the run right back in the bottom half. The fourth inning was scoreless for both squads, and in the top of the fifth the Lakers looked to mount a comeback. Jelani Hammer started the scoring with a solo-homer, and then a two-run bomb from Featherstone pulling the Lakers to only a two run deficit 6-4. The Lakers once again kept the Red Dragons scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, but it was the sixth inning that Cortland created the insurmountable lead. They scored six runs, five out which came off of two home runs. Oswego couldn’t answer, and the Red Dragons added another three runs to their lead for a 15-4 final after seven innings. Cortland’s Will McCarthy got the win after going four and two thirds innings, giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out four. Alec Conrad pitched most of the game for the Lakers, going four innings while giving up seven runs, four earned, on nine hits and striking out two.
The final game of the set was on Saturday, and once more it was a tough one for the Lakers. Once again the Lakers were held scoreless in this one. They had six hits scattered through the seven inning game. Cortland again got started early, grabbing a run in the first inning, then two more in the third. Another three in the fourth inning knocked the Lakers started Kieran Finnegan out of the game. He finished after three and two thirds innings, giving up six runs, three earned, on seven hits, walking three. Larry Citrola took the bomb from Finnegan and had a good two and a third innings. He only allowed one run on one hit and struck on two. Going into the seventh the Red Dragons held a 7-0 lead, and they scored three in the seventh inning to make it a 10-0 lead and end the game. Relief pitcher Liam Krasney was a star for the Red Dragons’, pitched the final three frames without allowing a hit and striking out three; he also picked up a save. Errors killed the Lakers in this one, with only four of Cortland’s ten runs being earned runs.
The Lakers next series is a double header at home against SUNY Cobleskill on Wednesday, game one is a 1:30 and game two is set for 4:00. The team is now 5-11 this season.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY OSWEGO ATHLETICS
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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
