GENESEO, N.Y. – The Lakers mens basketball team is on fire right now and they kept it rolling on Tuesday night when they matched up with the Geneseo Knights on the road. The Lakers took the momentum early on in the first half of play and held onto it for most of the first half before a late rally from the Knights. The Knights went on a 8-2 run in the final three minutes of the first half to cut the Lakers lead to only one leaving Oswego with a 33-32 score at the half. Jeremiah Sparks caused problems for the Knights in the first half shooting over 65% from the field, while shooting 75% from the three point line. Sparks led the Lakers with 15 points in the first half and with his 15th point scored Sparks joined an exclusive club at Oswego becoming the 19th ever Laker to record 1,000 career points in a career.
After letting the Knights come back in the last minutes of the first half, The Lakers got off to another great start in the second. Oswego jumped out to a twelve point lead over the Knights in only four minutes into the second half now leading 46-34. The Laker defense really stepped up causing the Knights to miss shots. Sparks would not cool down from the first half and after his three, the Lakers would lead 53-36, with Sparks having 26 points with 13 minutes still remaining in the game. The Knights couldn’t do enough to crawl back into the game as the Lakers kept attacking on both sides of the court.
Oswego ended up dropping 100 points on the Knights for a final of 100-62 and extending their winning streak to 12 games. Sparks led the team with 26 points in his historic night while going 10 for 13 from the field. The Lakers had three other players record double-digit points this evening. Cartier Bowman finished with ten points, as well as Achille Anderson, and Joey Rowback finished with 19 points, including five three pointers from beyond the arc,
The Lakers improve to 16-2,10-1 SUNYAC and Geneseo falls to 7-10,3-6 SUNYAC. The Lakers will return home on Friday, January 27th at 7:30 for their first home game of the new semester to take on the Plattsburgh Cardinals for their annual Coaches vs. Cancer weekend.
IMAGE COURTESY OF OSWEGO ATHLETICS
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Men’s Lacrosse Secures Back-to-Back Road Victories This Week
UTICA, NY – The men were on the road this week, traveling to Utica and Brockport for their matchups. Oswego was able to get back in the win column following their loss against Hartwick last week. The Lakers first matchup was against the Pioneers in Utica on Wednesday, March 22nd.
The matchup with the Pioneers proved to be a chess match between the two teams, with no goal coming in until the end of the first quarter. Utica scored the first goal with three and a half minutes remaining in the quarter. Corey O’Connor tied the match at one with an assist from Jack Delany with a minute left in the first. The Lakers held the Pioneers scoreless in the second and third quarter, while building a lead that would be too much for the Pioneers to overcome. Oswego netted four goals in the two quarters, giving them a 5-1 lead over Utica.
The Pioneers didn’t go down without a fight, as they netted two fourth quarter goals. However, the Lakers put the Pioneers in their place with three fourth quarter goals of their own, winning the matchup by a score of 8-3. Aiden Kenyon held it down for the Lakers in the net, recording ten saves on the afternoon to help the Lakers secure the victory. Delany led the Lakers with three points, one goal and two assists. O’Connor, Max Brodman, and Trey Jones tied for the team lead in goals, each scoring twice.
On Saturday, the men headed out west to take on the Golden Eagles in a much closer matchup. Oswego got up early in the match, but surrendered two goals in the final two minutes of the first quarter and trailed by one going into the second quarter. Max Brodman gave the Lakers life in the second quarter, scoring two of Oswego’s three goals of the quarter, and recording a hat trick on the afternoon before halftime. The match would be tied at five going into the second half of play.
The Lakers outscored Brockport by just one goal in the second half, scoring four goals in the half. Aiden Kenyon held Brockport to three second half goals, and recorded five saves in the contest. Gavin Elston recorded a hat trick in the second half which gave Oswego the upper hand in their win. Elston tied Corey O’Connor for total points on the afternoon with four, while also tying Brodman for total goals with three each.
The men are riding a two game win streak heading into their next matchup, which will be their second conference matchup of the season. The men will be hosting Plattsburgh on Saturday, April 1st at 1pm. The Cardinals are coming in on a six game losing streak, with the Lakers looking to make it seven.
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Women’s Basketball struggles continue as they lose third straight
OSWEGO, NY- It was a rough week for the Lakers as they lost both games this weekend falling to New Paltz 71-43 on Friday and then to Oneonta on Saturday 62-48.
In the first game against New Paltz it was all out domination for the Hawks against the Lakers. The Lakers started off on the wrong foot as they trailed 11-0 with 7:00 left in the first quarter. The Lakers finally got on the board with 6:43 left in the first quarter as Logan Castiglione would knock down a three to help the Lakers only trail 11-3. The Hawks continued to dominate the Lakers late into the first as they led 24-9 after quarter one. Logan Castiglione would lead the Lakers with five points after quarter number one. The Lakers faired decent from both the field and for three-pointers as they went 40% from the field and 50% for three-pointers. The second quarter would be a repeat of the first quarter for the Lakers. The Hawks would score in the beginning minutes of the second quarter as Jenny Walton made a layup in the paint to go up 26-9. The Hawks would lead by a huge margin of 42-13 heading into halftime.
The second half was a continuation of the first half for the Lakers. The Hawks would extend their lead to 45-13 in the early minutes of the third. The Lakers could never close the gap at all throughout the rest of the game. Oswego completely struggled in the third quarter from the field only managing to shoot 14.29% but went 75% from the free-throw line. The Hawks led by a 39-point margin at the end of the third quarter 60-21. The fourth quarter saw the Hawks continue to extend their lead as Julia Sabatino scored her sixth point of the game to extend the Hawks lead to 62-21. The Hawks would dominate winning 71-43. Brianna Fitzgerald would lead the Hawks with 20 points and Logan Castiglione would lead the Lakers with nine points. This marks the eighth time that the Lakers have lost by 15 points or more.
After a blowout loss to the Hawks, the Lakers were hoping to rebound against the Oneonta Red Dragons but unfortunately this wasn’t the case. Olivia Dobrovsky got the Red Dragons on the board first to make it 2-0. Sydney Hoefs would score with 7:09 left in the first quarter to cut the Red Dragons lead to two. The score was tied at 13 at the end of the first quarter. Oswego faired well from the field at 50%. The second quarter started with Juliana Logana scoring to give the Lakers the early lead in the second quarter but it only took the Red Dragons just 25 seconds to tie the game at 15. The Lakers would extend their led to 31-23 with just 45 seconds left but the Red Dragons would knock down a three as the Lakers led 31-26 at half.
Giavanna Principio-White would extend the Lakers lead to seven at the beginning of the third. Oneonta found its way back in the game in the third as Meg Nardelli hit a three-pointer to draw within one, Nardelli would then score again less than a minute later to give the Red Dragons a 37-36 lead with 3:50 left. The Lakers found themselves trailing 46-41 at the end of the third quarter. The Lakers could get nothing going in the fourth quarter especially in the opening minutes of the fourth. The Red Dragons would continue to extend their lead in the fourth. Jenna Harclerode knocked down a three-pointer to put Oneonta up 53-43 over the Lakers as the Lakers found themselves in a tough position that they couldn’t get out of for the rest of the game. The Red Dragons took down the Lakers 62-48. Logan Castiglione would lead the Lakers in points for both games with 20.
The Lakers look to get back in the win column as they host the Cortland Red Dragons on Friday, February 10th at the Max Ziel Gymnasium. Oswego faces a Red Dragons team that is at the top of the SUNYAC this season with Cortland coming off a flat loss to New Platz 64-46. Oswego was absolutely dominated in the game they faced against Cortland back on January 13th 75-30. The Lakers have lost six straight to Cortland dating back to the 2018-2019 season. Their last win against Cortland came on January 12, 2019 winning 70-57.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY OSWEGO STATE ATHLETICS
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Oswego State Women’s Hockey 2020-2021 Roster Updates
Oswego State Women’s Hockey 2020-2021 Roster Update #1 (4/18/20)
OSWEGO, NY — The Women’s Hockey team heads into the off season only losing a few players from their 2019-2020 roster. The team lost four players due to graduation along with three players during the course of the regular season for various reasons. In total, the Lakers lost four forwards, two defenseman, and two goaltenders that will need to be replaced this off season. Oswego moves forward searching for multiple goaltenders as both starter Rachael Farmer and back up Tia Trovato left the team. So of course, the starting position is open heading into next season. So far, it has been a quiet off season as the group has only secured five recruits.
As for the goaltending problem, the search for players between the pipes has ended as the Lakers have secured three goalies heading into next season. JoAnna Hiebert from Highland Charter Township, Michigan is one of the three goaltenders coming to Oswego to play between the pipes. Hiebert has played the past two seasons for Meijer AAA Hockey in Michigan in which the goaltender has been the starter for the team. The 5’ 7” goaltender played 34 games this season and recorded a 2.05 goals against average.
The second goaltender heading to Oswego State next season is Bryn White. The Colorado native played for the Boston Shamrocks that plays in the Junior Women’s Hockey League. The goaltender that catches left played 16 games this season for the Shamrocks in which White recorded a .848 save percentage with a 6.43 goals against average.
The third and final goaltender heading to play for the Lakers in Emilie Venne. Venne played for the Northwood Girls Hockey team located in Lake Placid, New York. The eighteen year old from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada catches left and will join JoAnna Hiebert and Bryn White inbetween the pipes next season for Oswego.
With only the notable loss of Eryn Stewart due to graduation, most of the Lakers offense will be back next season. Megan Teachout, Amber Thomas, and Morgan Shines will most likely return for the Lakers, which means the group will most likely look for players that can step into a secondary scoring spot and grow for years to come.Oswego has also picked up two forwards to add to the recruitment class. Rachel Corbett from Rochester, NY played for the U19 Buffalo Regals this past season. Corbett has been with the program for two years as the team played in the Lower Lakes Female Hockey League this past season. Corbett along with 11 other players committed to an NCAA team for next season from this team.
The second forward to commit to Oswego is Sophia Kyrkostas from Selden, New York. Kyrkostas played for the Selects Academy located in Rochester, New York this past season. The 5’ 2” forward played with the Lady Islanders before heading to Rochester to play with the Selects.
Heading further into the off season, the Oswego State Lakers still need to find a few more players to complete their 2020-21 roster. The team would most likely look for two to three more defenseman to complete an 8-man unit as well as find two to three more forwards for four lines and two extra players. WTOP 10 will continue to deliver updates on both the Men’s and Women’s hockey teams heading into next season. Their 2020-21 schedules should be released around the middle of July.
Oswego State Women’s Hockey 2020-21 Roster Update #2 (5/29/20)
OSWEGO, NY — As the Women’s Hockey team continues into their off-season, the coaching staff has continued to grow their roster for the 2020-21 season. The Lakers look to build off their successful season with the addition of the Class of 2024, which currently includes players from all over North America. After the team lost seven players due to graduation and other situations, the group has secured five players so far, which includes three goaltenders to replace senior Rachael Farmer. Oswego also has added two players to their offensive core to play along side players like Megan Teachout, Amber Thomas, and Emily Gustafson. The projected roster for the 2020-21 season is noted in the graphic below.
Recently, Oswego State was able to recruit another forward to add to their depth up front. Ben Grieco (@BenGriecoSports) reported the commitment of Madison Shepard who will be wearing the green and gold next season, as the Whitby, Ontario, Canada native will join the Lakers for their fourth season in the Northeast Women’s Hockey League. The 5’ 7” forward played for the Durham West Junior Lightning in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League, the same league that the London Junior Devilettes play in. This team faced the Lakers in an exhibition game this past season, where Oswego lost 0-4 on home ice. The Lakers have spent the past 6 seasons beginning with a PWHL opponent coming to play inside the Marano Campus Center. The Lightning finished in 15th this past season and lost to the Stoney Creek Sabres in the opening round of the PWHL Playoffs, losing the series 3-1. Shepard would tally one goal in the four playoff games. Over the course of the regular season, the left handed shot would tally 8 points (3 goals & 5 assists) in 32 games played. Shepard spent the previous two seasons with the Whitby Wolves, spending most of the 2017-18 season with the group’s Midget AA team. During her time in the league, Shepard has recorded a career total of 17 points (7 goals & 10 assists) in 74 contests.
With three forwards getting added to the current list, Oswego State now has 13 forwards heading into the 2020-21 season. Compared to the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign, the team would still need to add one more forwards to equal their total of 15 forwards of their prior season. The Lakers still have four defenseman as the group has not yet recruited any defensive players. WTOP 10 will continue to deliver updates on both the Men’s and Women’s hockey teams heading into next season. Their 2020-21 schedules should be released around the middle of July.
Oswego State Women’s Hockey 2020-2021 Roster Update #3 (6/24/20)
OSWEGO, NY — The Women’s Hockey team continues to recruit talent as the team closes in on their 2020-21 season. After the announcement that new Interim Head Coach Mark Digby would be taking over the group, effectively immediately, the team has been continuing to add to their recruitment class. Prior to these newer commitments, Oswego was able to secure 6 players to throw on the green and gold for the first time next year. With all of these players being a part of the Class of 2024, the team is sure to have a large underclassman presence as the sophomore class has five notable players that were able to make impacts during their freshman campaign. With three goaltenders in this group, the Lakers have already taken care of the hole left in between the pipes after Rachel Farmer graduated, and Tia Trovato transferred to Potsdam. These three will be fighting for the starting job come October. The other three players will be joining the offense as the team is trying to add to their current group of 11 forwards that will most likely be returning next season.
The depth chart above shows the current projected 2020-21 roster. The purple coloring represents the two transfers, while the green represents the Class of 2024 recruits. Black is players that are expected to be back next season. The most recent announcements surfaced on social media last week with a total of three players committing to Oswego State. The first player, joining the Class of 2024, was Kamryn Barnes, from Alexandria Bay, New York. The 5′ 6″ defenseman graduated from Alexandria Bay Central High School this past year, a town located roughly one hour and 30 minutes northeast of Oswego along Lake Ontario. Barnes was the captain of her high school team her senior year, and also played varsity soccer during the fall. The athlete will join the four other defenseman returning in the fall, and is currently slotted in the Top-6 due to the lack of defenseman. This knowledge was found on Instagram by WTOP 10 Sports Talent Thomas Turgeon (@Turgeon_30wtop).
The two other commitments were rather significant for the Lakers compared to the past commitments of incoming freshman. Last week, Taylor Hudon and Lauren Jones announced that they will be transferring from Nazareth College to join the Lakers in the 2020-21 season. Both players spent the past two seasons with the Golden Flyers and will be juniors next season as the two put on green and gold on for the first time. Lauren Jones, a defenseman from Syracuse, New York, played for Skaneateles High School prior to the start of her collegiate career, the same school where current Oswego State player Meg Teachout played in high school. The two were teammates for two seasons while playing in Section III. Jones played in one game this past season for Nazareth, recording zero points. Her freshman year, the player tallied 5 points (1 goal & 4 assists) in 26 games played. Taylor Hudon will also be joining the Lakers squad next season as the forward played 4 games last season for the Golden Flyers, recording one goal. Hudon, from Alexandria Bay, New York, played in 26 games her freshman campaign, tallying 20 points (15 goals & 5 assists) along with 8 penalty minutes. The player has spent time on defense while she played in high school, but I would expect her to continue in the offensive core for the Lakers. Both players played a combined 5 games for Nazareth last season, both being healthy scratches for a majority of the campaign. This information has been confirmed via Instagram.
After these three players join the 2020-21 roster, Oswego State has now recruited a total of 9 players. Moving forward, the coaching staff will look to continue to grow this group by obtaining more offensive and defensive players. The defensive core still has some gaps to fill with only 6 reported players set in the 2020-21 roster. WTOP 10 will continue to provide updates on all Oswego State teams as the groups prepare for the start of their next seasons!
