-
Men’s basketball season comes to an end in wire to wire matchup
MARIETTA O.H. — A historic season by the Oswego State men’s basketball team came to end Friday night in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division 3 tournament. After winning the first two rounds in Swarthmore, the team was sent to Marietta, Ohio to take on the the Marietta College Pioneers, the hosts of the new pod. A matchup between two top 25 ranked teams, Marietta number two and Oswego number 17, was set to be a tough one for both sides.
The Lakers got on the board first from an Ahkee Anderson three. The Lakers were the ones hitting their shots early, and just five minutes in they held an 8-2 lead. It didn’t take Marietta long to find their stride and by the ten minute mark it was only a 16-15 lead for Oswego. The teams went back and forth draining baskets, and Marietta grabbed their first lead of the game, 22-21, just under the eight minute mark. The Pioneers would then went on a 14-6 run over the next five minutes to grab a nine point lead. The Lakers closed the lead to four with 36 second to go on a Jeremiah Sparks three, but Marietta’s Lukas Isaly hit a three with six second to go to give the Pioneers a seven point lead, 43-36, into the halftime break. Oswego came out of the locker rooms hot. A Devin Green three got the half started, and they grabbed a 47-46 lead with 15 minutes remaining. The Lakers kept pushing and just a minute and a half later they led 56-47, a 20-4 run coming out of the half. Marietta went on a run of their own, 11-2, to tie the game at 58, with eight minutes to play, and then grabbed a 64-61 lead on a Tim Kreeger layup and one with six minutes in the game. Devin Green hit a three with five to go to give Oswego their final lead of the game, 66-65. Marietta kept hitting their shots, and extended the lead to 10, 78-68, with a 1:48 to go. The Lakers got as close as five on three straight free throw makes from Green, 80-75, but the Pioneers weren’t letting the lead slip away and they moved on the Elite Eight 89-81. Devin Green was the Laker’s leader with 22 points tying his season high, he was 5-10 from three and 7-13 overall. Jeremiah Sparks added 19 points and Ahkee Anderson had 12 to go with six assists. Jamal Achille and Brendon Mulson had seven and six rebounds respectively to lead the team. Marietta’s Jason Ellis had had 28 points, with Lukas Isaly and Tim Kreeger both contributing 17. Marietta moves on to take on Christopher Newport University in the Elite Eight.
Oswego’s season comes to an end with a record of 27-3, a school record for wins in a season. They clinched their eighth SUNYAC Championship and fifth since the 2011-12 season. They claimed their sixth appearance in the NCAA tournament, and their third sweet sixteen appearance, the farthest the team has ever gotten (2016, 2019). Devin Green was the Lakers overall scoring leader at 12.2 points per game, with Jeremiah Sparks (11.8) and Julien Crittendon (10.5) the other to Lakers above 10 ppg. Green (5.7), Sparks (5.5), Brendon Mulson (5.5), and Christian Simmons (5.3) all averaged over five rebounds per games, with Jamal Achille averaging 4.4. Ahkee Anderson ran the point for Oswego most of the season and he led the team in assists per game at 3.0 as a freshman, also contributing 8.4 points. The Lakers are seeing seven seniors graduate, Forward Brendon Mulson, Forward Christian Simmons, Guard Eric Sanfilippo, Forward Jordan Brown, Forward Hunter Cole, Guard Julien Crittendon, and Center Louis Fedullo.
-
Roth nets two in loss to Hamilton
OSWEGO — The Oswego State women’s soccer team wrapped up their season with a double-overtime loss to Hamilton College. Linsey Roth scored both goals for the Lakers with one of those coming off an assist by Chloe Lonergan while Oswego goalie Emma Allen had five saves in the match. The Lakers finished 6-8-3 on the season and finished ninth in the SUNYAC Conference.
-
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
