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By Dan Ryans, WTOP10-TV

Senior Forward Shawn Hulshof of the Oswego State men’s ice hockey team has been named the State University of New York Athletic Conference Ice Hockey player of the week. This is the third time in his career that Hulshof has won SUNYAC weekly honors.

In the game against Morrisville State on Friday night, with the Lakers ahead by a score of 2-1 in the third, Hulshof scored within the first 30 seconds of the period to put the team up by two. He was aided by Stephen Johnson and Matt Galati on the goal. With under a minute to go in regulation, the senior scored an empty-net goal to seal the 4-1 victory for Oswego State.

On Saturday night, against the same Morrisville State Mustangs, the Ontario native netted another goal midway into the second period, giving the Lakers a 5-1 lead. He would later assist the Stephen Johnson goal that put the Lakers up 8-1 late in the third period.

With Hulshof’s help, Oswego State remains undefeated on the season with a 9-0 record, and atop of the NCAA Division III Hockey polls.

The Lakers are back in action this weekend as they head out to Western New York to face Fredonia and Buffalo State on Friday and Saturday. Puck drop for both games is at 7 p.m.

By Brittany Cairns, WTOP10-TV

This past weekend was filled with both Oswego State Men’s and Women’s ice hockey.

On Friday night, the men’s team was led by the seniors at Morrisville State with Shawn Hulshof, Alex Botten and Matt Galati all contributing goals in the 4-1 win. Playing on their home ice last night, Matt Galati was back at it again as he scored the first goal of the game. That goal led up to the first teddy bear toss in Oswego history and was the first of many for the team as they went on to win 8-1. With the wins, the number one ranked team in the country is now 9-0 overall and 7-0 in the SUNYAC. Their next game will be played in Fredonia on Friday.

On the women’s side, the Lakers played a two game series at home against Canton. Powered by a five goal second period and goals from seven different players, the team rolled to a 10-0 victory Friday night. On Saturday, the women continued their winning streak as senior Alexa Aramburu and junior Olivia Ellis each had a goal and two assists. With the 6-1 victory, the seventh nationally ranked team improves to 11-1 and will take on Hamilton at home on Friday.

This past weekend, the women’s hockey team hosted Canton for a two-game series.

On Friday night, the Lakers defeated the Kangaroos, 10-1. Olivia Ellis lead the charge for the Lakers, having three of the ten Laker goals. Alexa Aramburu also lead the Lakers with two goals and three assists. The Lakers would shine on the powerplay, converting a goal on four out of five powerplay chances. Mariah Madrigal would get her third shutout of the season.

On Saturday, the Lakers beat Canton, 6-1. For the second-consecutive day, the Lakers were paced by Alexa Aramburu and Olivia Ellis. The pair had identical outings, each recording a goal and two assists for three points.Freshman goalie Amber Samonek would be in net for the Lakers and remains perfect on the year. She improves to 3-0-0 with 11 saves against Canton.

With the two wins against Canton, the Lakers move to 11-1 overall and 5-1 in conference. On Friday, the Lakers will take on Hamilton at home.

This past weekend, the men’s hockey team took on Morrisville in a home and home series.

On Friday, the Lakers traveled to Morrisville and defeated the home team, 4-1. Shawn Hulshof scored two of Oswego’s four goals and assisted on Alex Botten’s goal. Matt Galati was the other Laker goal scorer. Matt Zawadski was in net for the Lakers and stopped 19 shots.

On Saturday, the Lakers played Morrisville at the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena for their final home game of 2016. The Lakers would defeat the Mustangs, 8-1. All of Oswego’s eight goals were each scored by a different member of the Lakers team. David Jacobson would get the start for the Lakers and play in the first two periods. In the third, Cedric Hansen saw his first action of the season. Hansen stopped 6 shots and did not allow a goal.

With the two wins against Morrisville, the Lakers move to 9-0 overall and 7-0 in the conference. The Lakers will be on the road this weekend, stopping at Fredonia on Friday and Buffalo State on Saturday.

by Lindsey Martin, WTOP10-TV reporter

Over half a century ago Alvin Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City, an organization committed to spreading messages of diversity through dance. His revolutionary choreography is perhaps most famously realized in dance masterpiece ‘Revelations’, a work born from Ailey’s own ‘blood memories’ of growing up in 1940’s rural Texas.

During the almost 60 year existence of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, its members have traveled the world, performed for presidents and maintained their status as one of the most prestigious dance organizations in the United States of America.

Today, the messages behind Ailey’s choreography continue to be relevant and inspirational across a myriad of social contexts. In a modern word full of technologically induced hyper-stimulation and empty politicking, dance, primal and clear, cuts through the noise to profound effect.

Dedicated to spreading messages of cultural acceptance through extensive touring and public outreach, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II echo the legacy of their namesake.

Eleven years after The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was established, The Ailey School opened in 1969, and the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, now known as Ailey II, was founded in 1974. The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble was established with the intention to provide the most promising students from the Ailey school the opportunity to tour and perform around the world.

Picked by Alvin Ailey himself, Sylvia Waters oversaw the creative direction of Ailey II for 38 years. Waters had come from studying dance at the prestigious Juliard School, before joining the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company as a dancer in 1968.

“I’d known Alvin for some time before I joined the company, and I’d seen the company grow during the first ten years of its existence. I was in school, but I saw those early performances at the WMHA as a student, and it was mesmerizing,” Waters reflects.

“Alvin was very, very supportive. I mean he was my mentor. I learned so much from him.”

Now Ailey II’s Creative Director Emeritus, Waters leads The Ailey Legacy Residency, educating college-level students on the technique and history behind Alvin Ailey’s creative heritage.

Khalia Campbell is a dancer in her first term with Ailey II. Formally a student at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and the Dance Theater of Harlem, Campbell became an apprentice for Ailey II prior to becoming a full-fledged member of the ensemble.

“Ailey is like a family. They want it to be in-house, so they like you to be in the school first and then you know, move your way up the ranks,” she explains.

At the time these interviews are taking place, Ailey II’s dancers and management are in their fourth and final week of a very physically demanding tour. They had performed in the Bahamas and 11 different states across the USA.

Troy Powell has been affiliated with the name Ailey since age 9. He trained at the Ailey school as a child, danced with Ailey II, and then The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Powell now holds the position of artistic director for Ailey II. Powell worked alongside Sylvia Waters for 15 years before becoming artistic director. “It takes time,” he says calmly. “Even as professional dancers we’re always working on our technique, we’re always working on our ability, and most of all we’re always working on ourselves,” said Powell.

One needn’t look much further than ‘Revelations’ to gain an understanding of Alvin Ailey’s original intentions for The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and its various subsidiaries. The piece is laden with themes of poverty and racism, but also of strength, community and celebration.

“He grew up in the depression, so everything was at an all-time low,” tells Powell.
“He considered himself as living on the other side of the tracks where everything was just down and out, and his outlet was Revelations. His outlet was dance.”

Perhaps this is the reason the choreography to ‘Revelations’ is passed on to each new generation of Ailey dancers, and is embraced by audiences around the world.

“We hope to really touch audiences,” says Powell.
“We hope to really change their perspective.”

Ailey II performed to a sold-out Waterman Theater at SUNY Oswego on Wednesday, Nov. 2.

In the NFL, news out of Foxborough today is that the New England Patriots star tight end Rob Gronkowski will undergo back surgery this Friday.

After leaving last weekend’s game against the New York Jets and not returning, Gronkowski was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back. This will be the third time since 2009 that Gronkowski will undergo surgery on his back for a herniated disk, with the recovery time this time expected to be approximately two months.

This isn’t the first time this year that ‘Gronk’ has been bit by the injury bug, as the 27 year old missed the beginning of the season dealing with a hamstring injury, and missed the Patriots’ game two weeks ago against the San Francisco 49ers with a punctured lung.

Gronkowski has appeared in eight games this season, only starting in six of them, but has still recorded 25 catches for 540 yards and three touchdowns this season.

Even if the Patriots were to advance to Super Bowl LI, the game is scheduled for February 5^th; meaning Gronkowski’s season is likely over, barring a New England playoff run.