OSWEGO, N.Y — Oswego State Volleyball kicked off conference play this past Tuesday in the Max Ziel Gymnasium. The Lakers were swept by the Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland. The opening set was close until a 7-2 Cortland run which extended their lead to 18-12. Oswego kept the second set interesting as the Lakers trailed the Red Dragons 22-21 after serves from freshman Cara Simpicio. The outside hitter led Oswego with eight kills and 11 eleven digs over the course of the match. After a pair of errors from the home squad, Cortland would take set two. In the third set, the two teams were tied at 13-13 prior to a 6-0 service run from Cortland that led the Red Dragons to their first conference victory of the 2021 season. Oswego State falls to 0-1 in the State University of New York Athletic Conference. The Lakers will travel to Fredonia Friday, September 24th, for their second conference matchup of the season.
However, the Lakers will host a tournament this coming weekend in the Max Ziel Gymnasium. Oswego kicks off action against Elmira Friday night at 8:00 p.m. before hosting SUNY Canton and St. John Fisher on Saturday. Oswego State Volleyball fans can check out all the action on WTOP 10!
Image Provided by Alexis Fragapane, Oswego State Athletics
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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
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Men’s Basketball falls in overtime to Brockport
OSWEGO, NY — Men’s Basketball wrapped up their regular season this past Saturday as Brockport traveled into the Max Ziel Gymnasium. Number 25 Brockport would take this one 85-80 as the teams need extra time to decide a winner. The Golden Eagles would score 11 points in overtime to secure the victory. Liam Sanborn led the Lakers on Senior Day as he tallied 23 points in his 44 minutes played. Joe Sullivan tallied 16 points as he made 5 field goals and 5 free throws.
The Lakers will now start preparing for their first round playoff game in the SUNYAC Championship against Cortland. The Red Dragons and the Lakers split games this season as each team won against each other in their own gyms. Oswego is the four seed in the tournament and will be the home team in the match up. The game will be held at 7 p.m. in the Max Ziel Gym.
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Women’s soccer goes third straight game without win
OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Oswego State Women’s soccer team travelled to Clinton, N.Y. to take on Hamilton college on Tuesday. Even though the Lakers took the first shot the Continentals held most of the possession. As the clock ticked into the thirteenth minute, the Continentals scored the first goal of the game. Hamilton only kept going from there, having 15 straight shots to finish out the half, but non found the back of the net.
Just six minutes into the half, Hamilton struck again, doubling their lead. In the 60th minute, Oswego started pressuring Hamilton. Chances in the 61st and 63rd minute wouldn’t find home. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Continentals struck twice in succession, in the 68th and 71st minutes. The Lakers would pull one back late in the contest, Briana Winkler scored in the 81st minute, assisted by Gabriella Martinez. The game ended with a score 4-1. Hamilton completely outshot Oswego 37-8, also winning shots on goal 14-8. Oswego Goalkeeper Perri Anderson had 10 saves in the game.
The Lakers fall to 3-2-1 on the season, after starting 3-0-0. Their next game is on Saturday September, 17 against Clarkson University at the Laker Turf Stadium.
IMAGE COURTESY OF OSWEGO ATHLETICS
