A Look Ahead: Oswego State men’s hockey prepares for SUNY Canton and SUNY Morrisville
OSWEGO N.Y. — After completing nine games into the season, the Oswego State men’s hockey team finds themselves second in the State University of New York Athletic Conference and trending upward towards the national poll. After starting slow with two losses against Hobart College and Elmira College the opening weekend, the Lakers were able to get back on track going 3-0-1 against SUNYAC opponents. The wins coming against opponents like SUNY Cortland, SUNY Brockport, and SUNY Potsdam. The 2-2 tie against Plattsburgh State was the only fall back during that four games stretch. The Geneseo Ice Knights came to the Deborah F. Stanley Arena on November 20th in anticipated match up. The Lakers would fall 6-1 to the Ice Knights after six unanswered goals over the course of the contest. Although the Lakers out shot the Ice Knights 23-17, Oswego could not find a way around Geneseo netminder Matt Petizian.
The Lakers were able to get back in the win column this past weekend with two wins against the Williams College Ephs. The 3-0 and 3-1 victories put Oswego at 5-3-1 overall record. Underclassmen Shane Bull and Garrett Clegg both had stand out weekends with Bull recording a goal and assist in each contest and Clegg with two goals and one assist. Clegg was named Oswego State Athletics Male Athlete of the Week due to his performances. Junior goaltender Steven Kozikoski has continued to come to form in between the pipes for Oswego State making 50 saves over the course of the two games and only allowing one goal. Kozikoski was named the SUNYAC Prestosports Goaltender of the Week due to his performances in this past weekend’s games.
Junior captain Travis Broughman is tied for the lead in points through the first nine games of the season. The forward has two goals and five assists for seven points in these contests. Connor Sleeth has matched that points total with one goal and six assists. The sophomore forward scored his first career collegiate goal in the Teal Game against Cortland and started the season with a six game point streak. On the defensive side, transfer Troy Robillard leads the team in blocks with a total of twelve. The junior defenseman has also tallied one goal and two assists for three points through his eight games played with the Lakers this season.
Around the SUNYAC
With most teams playing five games or more in the conference, SUNYAC fans have been able to see how the conference is going to shake out this season. Without any shock, the Geneseo Ice Knights lead the pack with a conference record of 4-0-0-0-1 with 13 points. Geneseo’s tie comes against Cortland two weekends ago. Their 13 points are followed up by the Cortland Red Dragons with 11 points. The Red Dragons are coming off a 4-1 win over the Morrisville State Mustangs Wednesday night. The Lakers who sit with 10 points and a conference record of 3-0-1-0-1 hold the third spot. Oswego State’s loss came against Geneseo in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena and their tie against the Plattsburgh State Cardinals on the North Country swing. Plattsburgh State and SUNY Brockport are tied for fourth with nine points. However, the Cardinals have already played seven conference games compared to the five the Golden Eagles have completed. The two teams out west, Buffalo State and Fredonia, both have six points and conference records of 2-0-1-0-0. Rounding out the conference, Morrisville and Potsdam are both looking for their first wins of the season after starting 0-0-5-0-0 and 0-0-6-0-0. As the fall semester finishes up, a similar picture has emerged. Geneseo remains to be the top dog in the conference after winning the SUNYAC Championship in 2019-20, and everyone else is chasing the number one team in the nation.
Around the Nation
After five weeks of the United States College Hockey Online Division III poll, Oswego State fans have been able to see where the Lakers fall compared to the rest of Division III hockey. Throughout the beginning of the season, the Lakers have been receiving two to four votes per week. Compared to the rest of the SUNYAC, Oswego is one of just three teams currently listed in the poll that represent the conference. Geneseo remained at number one for the fourth straight week receiving eighteen first place votes. The Ice Knights have an 8-0-1 record overall and will not face Oswego State until February 5th when the Lakers travel back to Geneseo. SUNY Brockport also has received votes the first five weeks of the season, but has been decreasing in the votes count due to loses the past couple of weeks. The Golden Eagles got four votes this past week after a 2-3 lost to Connecticut College and a 7-1 victory over Chatham University in the Skidmore College tournament.
As the national poll stands right now, Oswego State will play three more teams that find themselves in the national poll. The first being January 1st in the Oswego State Hockey Classic as current #4 Augsburg University takes on the Lakers at 7:00 p.m. in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. Eight days later, Oswego will travel down Interstate 90 to take on current #3 Utica College in a Sunday afternoon contest on January 9th. This will the second contest between these two non-conference opponents this season after the Pioneers found themselves victorious in a preseason match up in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. The final nationally ranked opponent will be the SUNYAC match up on February 5th in Geneseo.
A Look Ahead
Heading into this weekend, Oswego State sets their sights on SUNY Canton and then SUNY Morrisville. Friday night, the Lakers will head two and a half hours up north to take on the Kangaroos in a non-conference battle. Canton comes into the match up posting a 2-2-1 record and on a one game losing streak. Recently, the Kangaroos canceled their holiday tournament due to COVID-19 protocols. This will be the second contest these two teams will play this season after SUNY Canton dropped an exhibition match up to the Lakers earlier in October. This game gives Oswego another opportunity to continue their win streak and gain national attention as the season continues on.
On Saturday, the Lakers will head home for another SUNYAC match up in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. The Morrisville State Mustangs will return to Oswego to add another chapter to the two team’s history books. The last time the Lakers faced the Mustangs, it was a 7-0 victory on February 15th, 2020. The Lakers have won the last seventeen match ups against the Mustangs and have only dropped one game against Morrisville. Special teams will have an impact on Saturday’s match up as the Lakers post a 25.0 percent power play efficiency compared to the Mustang’s penalty kill that is below an 80.0 percent success rate. Morrisville comes to Oswego after losing Wednesday night to Cortland 4-1. Oswego looks to continue their success in the conference as the team chases the top spot in the SUNYAC. Saturday night is also the annual Teddy Bear Toss game for Oswego State men’s hockey. On the first goal, Oswego State fans are asked to throw teddy bears on the ice. If fans can not attend, there is an online donation portal. Click here for the link.
How to Tune In
Hockey Night in Oswego on WTOP 10 kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Twitch and on campus on Channel 10.2. Oswego State fans can find puck drop at 7:00 p.m. on WTOP 10. WNYO, SUNY Oswego’s radio station, will also be broadcasting the game live on their website and on 88.9 FM.
Image Provided by Shelby Peplowski, WTOP 10 Photography Department
SUNYAC Standings Provided by the SUNYAC website
USCHO Division III National Poll Provided by the USCHO website
Oswego State women’s basketball falls short in SUNYAC matchup
OSWEGO N.Y. — The Oswego State women’s basketball team hosted SUNY Cortland in a hard fought SUNYAC opener last night. The 3-3-1 Lakers looked to pick up momentum after a dominant win Sunday night. Despite a valiant effort, the Lakers came up short. With a final score of 67-53 the Lakers continued to fight until the final buzzer. Cortland had a twelve point lead at the end of the first quarter that unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the game. The Lakers put up a fight and kept the game close. Senior Danielle Caivana was on fire scoring a whopping twenty-three points this game. Despite Caivana’s outstanding performance, Cortland refused to let up and fought their way to victory. Sophomores Chastin Giles and Caitie Lilly were the other key contributors for the Lakers. While this loss must have stung for the Lakers, they turn their attention towards another SUNYAC matchup against the Buffalo State Bengals December 3rd in the Max Zeil Gymnasium. Tip-Off is at 5:30 p.m. on WTOP 10!
Image Provided by Oswego State Athletics
Men’s basketball rolls over Cortland in first SUNYAC matchup
OSWEGO N.Y. — The Oswego State men’s basketball team took on the Cortland Red Dragons at home in the their SUNYAC opener Tuesday night. A great night on defense for the team saw them shutdown the Red Dragons and win 69-44. A fast start by the Red Dragons saw them grab an early 6-2 lead, but Oswego took control from there. The next twelve minutes saw the Lakers outscore Cortland 25-3, including an eight minute stretch where Cortland wouldn’t score at all. The scoring run was lead by guards Julien Crittendon, ten points, and Devin Green, eight points. The teams went into the locker rooms at the half with Oswego up a commanding 33-16. Oswego held the Cortland to 25% shooting in the first half, and 1-7 from beyond the arc.
The second half started with senior Brendon Mulson hitting a shot for his 1,001 career collegiate point, a major milestone on his part. Oswego would keep the defensive pressure high through the second half, with seven minutes left they had grown the lead to 56-28. After some Cortland makes, Green would add to his scoring output, hitting three straight threes to extend the lead to 65-35. Oswego’s reserves would finish the game from their, and the final score would be a whopping 69-44. Green lead the Lakers in scoring on the night with twenty points, adding four rebounds. Crittendon also had a good night with fourteen points of his own and three steals. Jeremiah Sparks cleaned the boards with fourteen rebounds for Oswego. The Lakers were efficient shooting on the night, 40% overall, while 39% from deep. They also scored nineteen points off turnovers.
The Lakers next game comes against the Buffalo State Bengals (0-4) at home in the Max Ziel Gymnasium. They look to keep the hot start going and extend on their now 4-1 record. Tip off is set for 7:30 P.M. WTOP 10 will have coverage of the game starting just before tip off.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY SHELBY PEPLOWSKI, WTOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
Oswego State men’s hockey sweeps Williams College
OSWEGO N.Y. — The Oswego State men’s hockey team travelled to Williamstown, Massachusetts this past weekend to take on the Williams College Ephs in two non-conference match ups. The Lakers played Saturday night and Sunday afternoon both resulting in 3-0 and 3-1 victories against the Ephs. Oswego improves to 5-3-1 and bounced back after their 6-1 loss against Geneseo the previous weekend.
Oswego rolled into town on a fast start as Shane Bull tallied a powerplay goal in the second part of the first period. Bull snags his first career goal as a Laker which was assisted by Travis Broughman and Garrett Clegg. Clegg would get Oswego’s next tally which once again came on the man advantage towards the end of the first stanza. Clegg’s first career goal as an Oswego State Laker was assisted by Bull. Both would have a goal and assist in the contest. The game would remain scoreless in the 2nd period before Broughman secured the game with an empty netter near the end of regulation. Steven Kozikoski stood tall in between the pipes for the Lakers as the junior goaltender secured the shutout and recorded 24 saves. The Lakers would finish two for eight on the powerplay and nine for nine playing shorthanded.
Kozikoski would get the start in the rematch but the first period would have a different outcome compared to the night before. The Ephs would get one pass the Oswego State defense during even strength play a little over six minutes into the period. The Lakers would have an answer on the powerplay as Jackson Arcan scored his first career goal with the Lakers. The goal that came in the final minute of the first period was assisted by veterans Tyson Kirkby and Tyler Antonucci. The Lakers would not look back in the second stanza as Shane Bull tallied another goal which was assisted by Ryan Dickinson. The powerplay goal put Oswego ahead for the first time in the contest. In the third period, Clegg added another goal to his stat column to put Oswego ahead 3-1. The Lakers went two for three on the man advantage and two for two while shorthanded. Kozikoski made 26 saves on 27 shots faced during Sunday’s game and only gave up one goal against over the course of the weekend.
The Oswego State men’s hockey team sets their sights on SUNY Canton and SUNY Morrisville this weekend ahead of the end of the fall semester. Oswego continues their road trip this Friday as the Lakers head to take on the SUNY Canton Kangaroos in a non-conference match up. Oswego State took on SUNY Canton during the pre season as the Lakers walked away with a 9-1 victory in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. On Saturday, the Lakers return home for their final home game of the semester against the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs. This crucial SUNYAC contest will have a special meaning as the Teddy Bear Toss returns to the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. To learn more about the Teddy Bear Toss and the cause click here for the link. If Laker fans can not attend Saturday’s game, click here for a link to the online donation hub. Hockey Night in Oswego will start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday ahead of the 7:00 p.m. puck drop inside the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. WTOP 10 is live on campus at Channel 10.2 or online at twitch.tv/wtop10tv.
Image Provided By Oswego State Athletics
Oswego State women’s basketball dominates Wells Express in fifty point victory
OSWEGO N.Y. — The Oswego State women’s basketball team was on a tear on Sunday when they went on the road to take on the 0-3 Wells Express. A dominant victory gave the Lakers their third win, as they now sit at 3-3. At no point was this game close as the Lakers sailed past the Express in a 73-23 victory. They outscored the Express in all four quarters, holding them to just three points in the first. From there the Lakers poured it on, scoring twenty-six in the second, eighteen in the third, and fourteen in the fourth. This high scoring offense combined with lockdown defense made it a very long day for Express. This Lakers team is very impressive and continues to showcase their skill with these performances. senior Danielle Caivana was electric in today’s game, dropping fourteen points and four steals. Logan Castiglione, Laila Elor, and Chastin Giles all had impressive performances with eight points each. The Lakers can’t celebrate for too long as they shift their attention towards SUNY Cortland this Tuesday at the Max Ziel Gymnasium. This SUNYAC conference matchup is one you won’t want to miss as these three win teams battle it out. Tip-Off is at 5:30 p.m. on WTOP 10!
Image Provided by Oswego State Athletics
Oswego State women’s hockey narrowly edges past William Smith 1-0
OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Oswego State women’s hockey team narrowly defeated the William Smith Herons on Tuesday 1-0. With this victory, the Lakers improve to 5-2-1 this season and enter their Thanksgiving break on a two-game win streak.
Oswego and William Smith played and extremely physical game from buzzer-to-buzzer. Early on, Oswego found themselves in penalty trouble but were able to efficiently kill the clock. For much of the first period, the Lakers offensive zone pressure smothered the Herons, allowing only three shots in the opening 20 minutes. As the game started to heat up, Oswego found themselves in a 5-on-4 situation in the second period, but were unable to capitalize on the powerplay. However five minutes into the third period, junior forward Ariella Haas scored the game’s lone goal off assists from both Chyne Kennedy and Emily Gustafson.
Oswego continued their dominance in the faceoff circle again on Tuesday, winning 29-17. Haas les the Lakers in faceoff wins (10-5), followed by Morgan Shines (8-4) and Sara Cruise (6-2). Starting goalkeeper Joanna Hiebert also continued her hot streak in this matchup, recording her second consecutive shutout and third of the season.
The Lakers are now 5-2-1 on the season and sit third place in the NEWHL standings. Following Thanksgiving break, Oswego will have a prime opportunity to move up in the standings as they travel to Cortland to take on the Red Dragons, who sit second in the NEWHL. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3.
Photo provided by Shelby Peplowski, WTOP-10 Photography Department
Men’s basketball falls short, takes first loss of year
OSWEGO N.Y. — The Oswego State men’s basketball team took on Nazareth at home Tuesday night. Playing in their final game before opening SUNYAC play, the team couldn’t complete the comeback, losing 67-65. The game started with Nazareth taking a 10-4 lead early on, but the Lakers would tie it up at ten soon after. The Golden Flyers then went on another scoring run, over the next seven minutes they jumped the score to 23-13. The teams would go back and forth the rest of the half, with the score being 41-33 at the break. Nazareth was very efficient from beyond the arc in the half shooting 8-14. Oswego was also very accurate, shooting 5-8 from three point land.
The game was back and forth for most of the second half, but the Golden Flyers grew the lead to thirteen just with just under six minutes to play. The Lakers started their comeback with a pair of jumpers and a three from freshman guard Julien Crittendon. Oswego then cut the lead to four with just under two to play, and a block from Brendon Mulson would lead to a three for junior guard Devin Green to make the score 66-65 with a minute and half to go. The Lakers couldn’t capitalize on the momentum though, missing two layups and a corner three for the win. The Lakers played tough basketball all game. The second half the defense stepping up, holding Nazareth to 1-5 from deep, and 27% from the field. Jeremiah Sparks led the team in scoring with seventeen points, with Julien Crittendon and Kaleb Cook having thirteen and ten respectively. Mulson cleaned the boards, leading the whole contest with twelve rebounds while also being a point shy a double-double with nine points.
Oswego’s next game is on Tuesday, November 30th vs the Cortland Red Dragons in the Max Ziel Gymnasium. Tip off is set for 7:30 PM.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY SHELBY PEPLOWSKI, WTOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
Oswego State men’s hockey splits weekend in SUNYAC play
OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Oswego State men’s hockey team had another jam packed weekend with two conference games against Brockport and Geneseo. Heading into the games, Oswego was coming off a 2-1 win over the Cortland Red Dragons. The Lakers would extend their win streak Friday night on the road in Rochester at the Tuttle North Arena against the Golden Eagles. The Brockport team came into the contest with an overall record of 5-0 and receiving 24 votes in the USCHO Division III poll. Trent Grimshaw would strike first for the Lakers on the powerplay to give Oswego it’s first goal in the first period this season. The goal came 14:46 minutes into the period and was assisted by team points leader Connor Sleeth and defenseman Ben Addison. Oswego would add another power play goal in the second period off the stick of Rocco Andreacchi. The Lakers would complete the contest going 2/5 with the man advantage and Addison and Grimshaw would get credited with the assists on the goal. Brockport would answer during 4 on 4 hockey later in the period but would not be able to finish the comeback before the final buzzer sounded. Oswego netminder Steven Kozikoski would get the win in between the pipes and made 30 saves over the course of the contest.
The Lakers would head back to the Deborah F. Stanley Arena and set their sights on the number one ranked team in the nation, the Geneseo Ice Knights. These two teams faced off for the first time since the 2019-20 SUNYAC Championship game and Geneseo found themselves in a similar situation at the end of the contest. The Lakers would fall 6-1 to the Ice Knights, their fourth straight loss against the team. Geneseo would tally four goals in the first period, three of those against Kozikoski before the junior got pulled by head coach Ed Gosek. Eric Green would finish the contest for the Lakers. The junior goaltender also gave up three goals against making eight saves in between the pipes. The Lakers would win the shot battle 23 to 17 but would only be able to put one puck past Geneseo netminder Matt Petizian. Alex DiCarlo would ruin the shutout in the third period to find his third goal of the season.
After this weekend, Oswego remains towards the top of the SUNYAC conference with a record of 3-0-1-0-1 and 10 points. Geneseo remains at the top with 13 points and four wins and one tie. Plattsburgh State and Brockport along with Cortland all remain close behind the Lakers heading into Thanksgiving Break. Oswego will take this weekend off from conference play and head to Williamstown, Massachusetts to take on Williams College. Games are scheduled for Friday night and Saturday afternoon as the Lakers look to improve their overall record. WTOP 10 will continue to provide coverage of the Oswego State men’s hockey team as the group continues their 2021-22 season.
Image Provided by Shelby Peplowski, WTOP 10 Photography Department
Graphic Provided by SUNYAC Conference
Women’s hockey breaks winless streak with big win
OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Oswego women’s hockey team got an extra day of preparation and rest for Saturday afternoon’s matchup with Potsdam after Friday’s game got postponed that was supposed to be played against SUNY Canton. The Lakers came in on a three game winless streak, but they snapped that with a dominant 5-0 victory over the Bears for the Teddy Bear Toss game. The first Lakers goal came nine minutes into the first period on the power play, where a shot from Avery Webster would be saved, but the rebound fell to Morgan Shines who put it in the back of the net. The Lakers wouldn’t score again in the first period, but dominated the second period, putting it past the goalie three times. The second goal of the game was off of another rebound, the initial shot was by Megan Teachout, with Ariella Haas cleaning up for her first of three points in the game. Teachout scored the third goal, deking through defenders on a four on four to score a spectacular goal. The third goal of the period came on the power play again, with Mack Hull winning and putting away a scramble in front of the net. The Lakers defense proved their prowess in the second period, shutting down a 5 on 3 situation at one point, and goalie Joanna Hiebert stopping a 2 on 1 break away at another point. Oswego’s final goal came in the third period, on the power play again, Simone Bednarik scored with assists from Chyne Kennedy and Ariella Haas. The Lakers were dominant all game, winning the shot battle 53 to 7, and going 3-4 on the powerplay while keeping Potsdam to 0-5.
The Lakers next game comes against William Smith on Tuesday at the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. Coverage will start 6:45 p.m. on WTOP 10.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY SHELBY PEPLOWSKI, WTOP 10 PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT