WTOP-10 has been giving SUNY Oswego, and Oswego county its news during the school year for over 40 years now! People from all over tune into our broadcasts through our various platforms. If you’re looking for consistent up-to-date Oswego information, you can catch us on channel 10.2 on campus, Oswego County’s Public Access channel, our Facebook Live stream, or some of our other live streams right here on the website. Catch our nightly newscasts live every night at 9 pm, Monday through Thursday.
Weekend Recap: Oswego Bucs Hockey
OSWEGO, NY — This past weekend, there were three hockey games completed in the Crisafulli Ice Rink located on the banks of Lake Ontario. Both the Oswego Boys Buccaneers team and the Oswego Girls Buccaneers team competed against Section III opponents with mixed results coming from the contests.
Friday afternoon, the Oswego Girls team faced off against the Skaneateles Lakers. The Lakers, a past Section III champion, showed up in full force in the contest as the group was able to take care of the Buccaneers. The Lakers would score two in the first period and add three more in the final stanza to secure their first win of the season. Oswego was unable to add to the score sheet as goaltender Isabelle Wells had a shutout and ten saves for Skaneateles. Oswego will take the week off from competition and start their second game of the 2021 season against Skaneateles on the road. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. on March 1st.
That evening, the Oswego boys Buccaneers would take the ice once again for their second matchup at home. The Bucs would face the Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars for the first time this season. Oswego would open the scoring in the first period off a Marcus Baker tally. The Buccaneers would finish the second period up 6-2 after five goals were scored during the stanza. CNS would come back in the third period but would come up short thanks to a solid performance between the pipes for Brayden Demling. The netminder had 24 saves in the contest. Forward Collin Cianfarano would have a five-point night with three goals and two assists.
However, Oswego would not have the same result the following evening. The Christian Brothers Academy of Syracuse would travel to the Crisafulli Ice Rink and come away with a 6-2 victory. The team would extend it’s win streak after three goals in the third period. Connor Calabro would make an appearance in net after relieving a struggling Demling. Calabro would allow two goals and have eight saves in his 11 minutes played. Oswego will prepare for four games in four nights with Baldwinsville traveling north for a Monday night matchup. The teams will do battle at the fort at 7 p.m. as Oswego looks to start this new week on a high note. WTOP 10 will continue to deliver updates on social media along with recaps on the website.
WTOP-10 Press Release
WTOP-10 News is pleased to announce the rebranding of our digital content effective immediately. Our organization has previously focused our social media efforts on promoting our station’s on-air broadcasts and original productions. We have made the decision to redirect our social media strategy to prioritize providing SUNY Oswego students, Oswego residents, and alumni with relevant and breaking news.
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.
Coach Leone is SUNYAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Decade
OSWEGO, NY — On Thursday, the SUNYAC announced the All-Decade team for Men’s Basketball. Three Lakers would make the team along with Oswego Lakers Head Coach Jason Leone being named the SUNYAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Decade. Leone has been with the Lakers for nine seasons and has coached the team to four SUNYAC championships. The coach has a 181-75 (.707) overall record and a 114-48 (.704) conference record while at the helm of the team. Oswego has been to five NCAA tournaments which includes two trips to the Sweet 16. Coach Leone’s accolades include four SUNY Coach of the Year awards (2012, 2015, 2017, 2019) and three Regional Coach of the Year awards.
The Lakers went 19-8 last season and fell to the Brockport Golden Eagles in the semifinals round of the SUNYAC championship. The team posted a 7-3 home record along with going undefeated in neutral contests. Senior Joe Sullivan led the team with 14.6 points per game in front of freshman standout Jeremiah Sparks. The Men’s Basketball team will return next season after the conference postponed the winter season.
Hewitt Hall Set to Become New Communications Building
This spring, Hewitt Hall is expected to shut down in preparation for its renovation to become the new communications department building. This new space is set to give students more access to the tools they need.
The Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, Jessica Reeher, explains what is planned to be included in this new space. “The new building is going to house all of communications studies as a department, and as well as the Dean’s office for SCMA and the graphic design faculty component of the art department.”
The Hewitt building is home to many of SUNY Oswego’s departments, including the Department of Sustainability and the Department of Auxiliary Services. It also currently includes many counseling services, and the health center.
The renovated Hewitt building is expected to be a space for students to utilize 24 hours a day. Once the renovations are finished, this new space is set to include open areas for students to relax and eat.
There are also plans for team rooms where small groups can get together to work on projects or scripts. There will also be more studio spaces, more computer labs, and more opportunities for students to get ahold of the technology they need.
Reeher stated, “We envision this as a 24-hour building. So students can access if you need to get into the editing suite, if you need to get into a studio, you can get access to many of the facilities 24 hours.”
According to Reeher, once the space in Hewitt is up and running for the students, Lanigan hall will then move into a phase of renovation. All of the renovations happening are being done with the students in mind, so they are able to make the most of their time here at Oswego.
The renovation plans were made pre-COVID so the dates for opening the new building are subject to change. But, Reeher seems to have high hopes that the project will be completed and that the building will be open for students by spring 2024.
“It’s just a beautiful space, the renditions are, if it looks half as good as the current computer renditions it’s going to be really amazing.” -Jessica Reeher
SUNYAC cancels winter season for 2020-21, NEWHL follows suit
OSWEGO, NY — On Monday, October 19th, the State University of New York Athletic Conference released a statement in regards to the cancelation of the winter sports season. This announcement comes after the SUNYAC Presidents discussed the topic during a meeting. Two week prior, on October 6th, the athletic directors approved schedules for the sports of men’s ice hockey, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball. These schedules were released to the member schools and public before being retracted the following week. All winter championships have been canceled which included the sports of men’s and women’s swimming & diving and men’s and women’s indoor track & field. The release finished with the acknowledgement that the conference will continue planning for the possibly of spring sports. This will be announced at a future date.
On Friday, October 23rd, the Northeast Women’s Hockey League released a statement stating that the winter season will be canceled. The NEWHL that includes the Oswego State Lakers has the same commissioner as the SUNYAC, Tom DiCamillo, which means the league usually follows SUNYAC decisions. The ECWC has not made a decision on if the 2020-21 season will be held, which features the Oswego State wrestling team.
SUNYAC Press Release Link: https://www.sunyacsports.com/general/2020-21/releases/20201019lptsbh
NEWHL Press Release Link: https://northeastwomenshockeyleague.com/sports/wice/2020-21/releases/20201023fua5u4
Breakdown: The Return of Oswego State Winter Sports
Oswego State fans have something to cheer about come February as the State University of New York Athletic Conference has announced the schedules for men’s ice hockey, along with men’s and women’s basketball. The decision was announced on Tuesday, October 6th, after the SUNYAC athletic directors approved the schedules during the conference meeting on October 5th. The conference has split the three sports into two divisions based on geographic location across the state of New York. This divisional alignment is to protect the health and safety of student athletes, and allows for the decrease of travel costs. Also, student-athletes would keep NCAA eligibility by playing less than fifty percent of the allowable contests during a season. The top two teams in each division will be rewarded a berth to the SUNYAC playoffs, locations for these tournaments have not been released. Non-conference contests would be played prior to February, which will be determined at a later time.
Men’s Ice Hockey
Oswego State Hockey fans will see the return of the Lakers on February 5th in the Marano Campus Center. The Western Division will consist of Brockport, Buffalo State, Cortland, Fredonia, and Geneseo. That division will play eight games based off a double round-robin schedule. Contests will be scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays as of right now. Due to the conference only having nine members, the Eastern division will play a triple round-robin schedule. Since there is a one game difference between divisions, the Eastern Division will drop one game to balance the conference. Oswego will face off against Morrisville, Plattsburgh, and Potsdam in the Eastern Division. Two teams in each division will be rewarded a berth to the SUNYAC semifinals which will be played on Thursday, March 4th. The conference championship will be scheduled for Sunday, March 7th. The Lakers will host Morrisville State and Potsdam twice over the course of the month in the wheelhouse, while Plattsburgh and Oswego will only see each other twice in the regular season. Oswego State will only have three away games in conference play, each of these being against different divisional opponents.
Men’s Ice Hockey SUNYAC Schedule
Men’s and Women’s Basketball
Both Oswego State basketball teams will play conference games based off the division format. Men’s and women’s basketball will play regular-season doubleheaders starting on Monday, February 1st. These games will consist on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays over the course of the month. Oswego will be competing in the Western Division against Brockport, Buffalo State, Fredonia, and Geneseo. The Eastern Division will consist of Cortland, New Paltz, Oneonta, Plattsburgh, and Potsdam. The conference semifinals are slated for Thursday, February 25th, and the championship taking place on Sunday, February 28th. To open up conference play, both teams will head on the road to SUNY Brockport to play the Golden Eagles. The Lakers will host the Fredonia Blue Devils on February 6th in the Max Ziel Gymnasium.
Men’s and Women’s Basketball SUNYAC Schedule
Schedules Provided by Oswego State Athletics
Pilot injured in a plane crash near Oswego County Airport
VOLNEY, NY- A pilot of a 4-seater plane suffered non-life-threatening injuries following a plane crash at the Oswego County Airport this afternoon.
First responders were called to the Airport around 1:30 this afternoon after the plane overshot the runway and crashed through a fence before landing in a field near Rt 176. The Oswego County Hazmat response team and DEC spill response team were called in after responders discovered that the plane was leaking fuel.
Officials say the pilot was treated and released at the scene.
The FAA is currenly investigating the incident.
Team Spotlight: Oswego State Field Hockey
OSWEGO, NY — As the unusual fall semester continues into the month of October, the Oswego State Field Hockey team would be in the heat of a competitive battle in the SUNYAC conference right about now. The 4-12-0 Lakers finished the 2019 season sixth in the conference standings, missing the playoff bracket. The group lost one senior at the end of the 2019 campaign, midfielder Riley Mallett. Head Coach Heather Moore touched on the impact the Suffern native made to the team.
“[Riley was] a leader by example, always the hardest worker on the field.” Moore said.
With much of the team returning for their 2021 season, Moore feels that the team will be able to pick up the leadership around the field. Moore expects the defensive core, backed by sophomore netminder Erica Scheblein to develop heading into this unusual season.
“Sometimes we ended up being a little too individualistic and not playing as much as a unit.” Moore continued, “with a higher level of communication and some confidence, they will become a stronger unit.”
The Lakers had a goal against average of 3.31 in conference play last season, which ranked them 6th among their competitors. On the other end of the turf, the team average 1.7 goals per game, a stat led by freshman Annie O’Neill. With the attacking front returning as well, Moore focused on bringing the team back to the fundamentals after the end of last season.
“Focusing on overall player development and improvement. Rebuilding our skills and our game sense, like our Field Hockey IQ.” Moore added, “retooling some things and getting our returners on the same page and having them work towards the same goals.”
The team was heading in that direction before the suspension of Athletics due to the concern of COVID-19 on the SUNY Oswego campus. Before this occurrence, the team was able to participate in three team practices in two individual pods. Although the group was happy to be back on the field together, Moore brought up the difficulty with the system.
“The hardest part was going back and forth from each pod and being able to give the right feedback at the right time,” Moore stated.
With no team activities now till the beginning of their season, the group will have to wait to take make their mark in the 2021 season. The Lakers will welcome five first year students onto their roster when the time comes. The group contains five individuals that play a range of positions.
“I have only seen them practice three times.” Moore further states, “but from what I can tell, they are going to be little sparks all across the field.”
These additions to the group will hopefully set the Lakers over the top once the calendar flips to 2021. The setback is something Moore is seeing the positives in, as the coach notices the break in the common rush of a season.
“It’s also nice to have a break and reflect about what worked, what did not work, and what do I see moving forward.” Moore said, “how I see them impacting in the future.”
As Moore and the rest of the coaching staff led their team into the rest of this semester, the coach’s message was simple and clear.
“It’s been a good lesson to all of us to remain flexible and adoptable. Using the information as it comes and managing your reactions.” Moore finished with, “I know things are crazy and keep changing, and it’s okay.”
Photo Provided by Oswego State Athletics