Oswego State Lakers

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Oswego Women’s Lacrosse Gets Set For Fredonia Blue Devils

By Luke Rosenthal — 5 years ago

OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Oswego State Women’s Lacrosse team is set to play their second game of the 2021 season on Saturday vs. Fredonia. After multiple games were rescheduled, this will be the Laker’s first action since their dominant season-opening victory over Morrisville State on March 20th. This will also be the Laker’s first SUNYAC matchup this season. As for Fredonia, they are coming off a 21-4 SUNYAC loss to SUNY Brockport and have a season record of 0-2.

Fredonia has given up 37 total goals in their first two games of the season which bodes well for the Lakers leading scorer, Sela Wiley, as she looks to top her outstanding performance in Oswego’s season opener vs Morrisville. The sophomore midfielder totaled 7 goals on only 10 shots, while also racking up 5 ground balls and 1 assist. Junior attack, Logan Castiglione, will also look to top her last performance as she totaled 5 goals, 2 assists, and 0 turnovers. Although Fredonia hasn’t played well as of late, the Lakers still have to play aggressively, especially against senior attack, Allison Coon. Coon has scored 20+ goals every year prior to last year’s shortened season and has 2 goals so far in 2021. The Oswego Women’s Lacrosse team is currently on a four-game win streak vs Fredonia, with their last matchup being a 23-3 Laker victory in 2019. Oswego will look to extend their win streak to five on Saturday at 1:00 PM. WTOP 10 will be live at Laker Turf Stadium for the matchup.

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Oswego Men’s Lacrosse Takes on Brockport

By Luke Rosenthal — 5 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — The Oswego State Men’s Lacrosse team is set to make their 2021 season debut on Friday vs. SUNY Brockport. The Lakers have had their previous two games (vs Morrisville State and vs SUNY Oneonta) either postponed or canceled due to positive COVID-19 cases. This will be the first time the Men’s Lacrosse team has played a game since March of 2020 and their first time playing Brockport since April of 2019.

Oswego will be led by starting goalkeeper, Kevin O’Donnell, who will begin his senior season on Friday. O’Donnell, a four-year starter for the Lakers, is only 2 saves away from reaching 400 career saves. Once accomplished, he will become the first Oswego Men’s goalkeeper to surpass 400 saves since Wyatt Russo in 2016. Junior starting attackman, Weston Gray, will lead the Lakers offensively vs Brockport. Gray has totaled 26 goals the past two seasons, including 20 goals in 2019. This contest will be Brockport’s second game of the season as they fell to Alfred University in an 8-7 loss on March 20th. However, Friday’s game will be both teams’ first SUNYAC matchup of the season, making it more pivotal than ever to secure an early-season victory. The Oswego Men’s Lacrosse team is currently 9-10 against Brockport all time, but can even things up with a win on Friday. The game is set for a 4 p.m. face-off in Brockport. WTOP 10 will continue to provide coverage on the Oswego State Men’s Lacrosse team for the remainder of the season.

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Women’s Lacrosse Team Spotlight

By Trina Catterson — 5 years ago

The Oswego State Women’s Lacrosse team spring season has finally begun. After SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley announced the season would be occurring, Coach Brittany Howard began preparing her athletes to compete at the college level. 

Howard’s focus this season is building the teams culture. She emphasizes the importance to working and playing as a team in order to bring home wins this season. Sela Wiley, captain of the team, is an incredible asset to helping the team achieve their goals. The sophomore midfielder from Cheshire, Connecticut scored 10 goals in only 4 games last year. Kamryn Sherman, attacker for the women’s lacrosse team, is also hoping to have a successful final season. The senior from Buchanan, NY has scored a total of 40 goals over 37 games played in the last three years.

Of course, like most things, sports at Oswego State are going to look a little different this season. The women’s lacrosse team is following all Covid-19 related guidelines to ensure they are staying safe throughout the season. The team is following social distancing rules, wearing masks whenever necessary, and getting Covid tested weekly before traveling to away games.

The Oswego State women’s lacrosse team won their first game against Morrisville State. The Lakers were led by sophomore Sela Wiley’s eight points. The team takes the field again on April 3rd at 1 p.m. for their first home game against Fredonia State University. Viewers can check out all the action on WTOP 10.

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Dan Doolan and the Oswego State Men’s Lacrosse Team

By Zac Case — 5 years ago

Dan Doolan is a graduate student on the men’s lacrosse team. His senior season was canceled due to COVID-19 and he is the only one of the 15 seniors from the 2020 team to return this year. Spring student-athletes last year were granted an extra year of eligibility and Doolan, who was already planning on coming back for grad school will get to play another season of men’s lacrosse. 

Dan Doolan has come a long way since his freshman year at Oswego, as a freshman, he had five points. In his junior year, he would change that to 31 points which included 22 goals. Doolan will be stepping into a leadership role this year as a great example of both grinding to develop as a player, as well as being the eldest member of the team. Head Coach Drew Bezek has high praise for this special member of his first recruiting class.

“It’s exciting to have somebody on the field that younger guys can look at his development, and understand that sometimes there’s a process to get where you want to be.” Bezek said.

Doolan is currently taking classes to get his MBA and plans to graduate in June. For the rest of the semester, he will get to experience the grind of balancing sport and school, which was taken away from so many student-athletes in the past year. The Oswego State Men’s Lacrosse team kick off their 2021 season Friday, April 2nd, on the road in Brockport.

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Schedule Changes for Oswego State Baseball and Softball

By Joey Palatsky — 5 years ago

Athletic teams at SUNY Oswego continue to feel the effects of COVID-19 in the form of game postponements and cancellations. The start of the season for the Oswego State baseball team is pushed back, and the softball team has a third of their remaining games canceled or postponed.

Oswego baseball was scheduled to open their season on the road at Saint John Fisher in a doubleheader on Saturday March 27 which was postponed. The season opener then became Wednesday March 31 against Ithaca at home, and that game was canceled. The Lakers baseball team is now scheduled to start their season Saturday April 3rd in a 1:00 and 3:00 doubleheader at Brockport.

Oswego softball opened their season with a doubleheader at RIT on Monday March 22, the Lakers lost the first game 9-8, and won the second game 4-3. The 1-1 Lakers softball team was scheduled to play at Saint John Fisher in a doubleheader on Monday March 29, those two games are postponed. Oswego softball was slated for a doubleheader on back to back days, Wednesday April 7 versus Houghton, and Thursday April 8 at Potsdam, all four of those games have been canceled. Oswego softball is scheduled to play their next game in a doubleheader April 10 at home against Brockport.

Oswego baseball will get a late start to their season, and softball will have a long layoff before returning to game action. Men’s lacrosse plays Friday April 2 at 4:00 at Brockport and Women’s lacrosse returns back to action Saturday April 3 at 1:00 versus Fredonia at home. Catch all the action on WTOP 10 as the spring sports season continues on.

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Oswego State Softball splits games with RIT Tigers

By Joey Palatsky — 5 years ago

Oswego State Softball split their Monday afternoon doubleheader at RIT with a 9-8 loss in game one and a 4-3 game two win. The Lakers showed lots of promise for their 2021 season in these first two games of the campaign.

In game one, Oswego got out to an early 5-1 lead through two innings. The majority of the offense in the first two innings came from Zoe Menning and Taylor DuBois who had two RBIs apiece, and Brianna LoMonaco who scored two runs. RIT chipped away with three runs of their own in the fifth as it was 6-5 with the Lakers in the lead after five. Oswego would get insurance runs in the top of the 6th and 7th to make the score 8-5, but the Tigers erased that lead during a four run comeback in the bottom of the 7th to win the contest by a score of 9-8. 

Game two started off the same as game one, with the Lakers offense getting out to an early lead. This time it would be a 3-0 Laker lead after two innings, Zoe Menning kept the hot bat going into game two with a 2 RBI double in the first inning. Each team got another run apiece to make it 4-1 after five innings. RIT showed signs of another comeback with a two run bottom of the 6th, but Madison Hoeflich weathered the storm and got back to her first five inning form. Hoeflich got out of a bases loaded, one out jam in the seventh as the Lakers prevailed and defeated RIT 4-3. Hoeflich was excellent in her first collegiate start, throwing all seven innings, giving up seven hits and leading the Lakers to their first win of the season. Oswego softball returns Sunday March 28th in a doubleheader at St. John Fisher beginning at 1:00.

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Oswego State Softball gets set for RIT

By Joey Palatsky — 5 years ago

The Oswego State Softball team takes the field Monday, March 22nd, for the first time since May 4th, 2019. The Lakers go on the road to take on RIT in a Monday afternoon doubleheader slated to take place at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. The Lakers nearly 700 day off season is shown in roster changes. Four of the 14 girls who appeared in the most recent game, against Cortland in the SUNYAC playoffs are on the roster this year. The 2021 Oswego softball roster features ten newcomers along with seven upperclassmen who return from the 2019 team. The upperclassmen on the team will have a big leadership role this year because the two classes have not seen game action in their college careers. 

The Tigers of RIT also have not yet played a game this season, but they were able to play ten in 2020 when they went 7-3 overall. The Tigers feature a very experienced team with nine upperclassmen plus two graduate students. Oswego starts their season with four games in Rochester, with two games against RIT at 3:00 and 5:00 Monday, March 22, as well as 1:00 and 3:00 Sunday March 28 at St. John Fisher. All of these games are non-conference as SUNYAC play does not start until April 1st.

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Oswego Women’s Lacrosse Defeats Morrisville to Kickoff 2021 Season

By Luke Rosenthal — 5 years ago

MORRISVILLE, NY — The Oswego State Women’s Lacrosse Team won their first game of the 2021 season, defeating SUNY Morrisville 20-14. This was the first game for the Lakers in over a year due to the pandemic and they started their season off strong with a hard fought road victory. Sophomore midfielder Sela Wiley set the tone early, scoring Oswego’s first goal less than three minutes into the game. After going down 6-3 midway through the 1st period, junior attack Logan Castiglione scored back-to-back goals to cut the deficit to one. Following a quick Mustang goal, the Lakers would score six consecutive points heading into the second period, before going on multiple scoring runs to put the game out of reach.

Sela Wiley lead the Lakers in points, scoring 7 goals on 10 shots, while Logan Castiglione scored 5 goals on 8 shots. Midfielders Shae McConnell (4), Isabella Lembo (3), and attack Kamryn Sherman (1) each added goals of their own. Junior Goalkeeper Delaney Kendrick also had two saves in the win. Following today’s victory, the Oswego Women’s Lacrosse Team remains undefeated versus Morrisville, bringing their all time record to 11-0. The Lakers are now 1-0 on the season as they turn their attention to their first game in conference play on March 27th at SUNY Brockport.

Image Provided by Oswego State Athletics

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Oswego Men’s Lacrosse: Season Debut Delayed

By Luke Rosenthal — 5 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — The Oswego State Men’s Lacrosse Team hasn’t played a game since March 10th of last year. Unfortunately, the Lakers will have to wait a bit longer to play their first game of the 2021 season. Oswego was originally scheduled to begin their season at home vs. SUNY Morrisville on March 17th, but due to a positive coronavirus case on the opposing team, the game was cancelled. Oswego was then scheduled to play SUNY Oneonta on March 20th, however the game was postponed earlier on Friday due to a positive case on the Lakers team.

This is now the second time in one week the Lakers will have their game either postponed or cancelled. The next scheduled game for Oswego is March 26th vs Geneseo. This was unfortunate for the Lakers as the game vs. Geneseo is the first of six scheduled SUNYAC games, meaning Oswego will have played zero games before conference play begins. If this happens, Oswego will be the only team in their division to not play a game before conference play starts. The Oswego Men’s Lacrosse Team last played Geneseo on April 20th, 2019, in a 13-14 home loss.

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SUNYAC announces return of Spring Sports

By Zac Case — 5 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — Tuesday afternoon, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced that the SUNYAC conference will be returning on March 20th with spring sports. The sports of baseball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, softball, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field will all return as all of their seasons were cancelled last year when the COVID-19 pandemic begun.

The conference will be split into east and west divisions to limit travel and cost expenditures. The divisions will be based on geographic location with Interstate-81 being used to split New York state in two. For the sports of Women’s lacrosse and softball, two five team divisions will be used. Since Fredonia and Buffalo State do not sponsor men’s lacrosse programs, Cortland will compete in the west division and there will only be four teams per division. Lastly, women’s tennis will be without Buffalo State and Potsdam due to their lack of teams.

The other details that were announced yesterday regarding this decision revolve around logistical aspects of this season. Masks will be warn at all time except during the heat of the competition. No spectators will be allowed to watch games in person due to current New York State Department of Health guidelines. There will be regular weekly testing through each campus for athletes and team officials. Along with that, athletes will be tested three days prior to road trips. On those trips, no eating will be allowed on the buses and capacity must be reduced to 50 percent. During the game, there should be no handshakes and group celebrations.

SUNYAC Commissioner Tom DiCamillo stated that there will be more guidelines announced later along with schedules for every team and school. As of right now, the season will be opened with two women’s lacrosse match ups as Cortland plays Plattsburgh and Potsdam travels to Oneonta. WTOP 10 will continue to deliver news regarding SUNYAC spring sports in the future.

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Coach Leone is SUNYAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the Decade

By Zac Case — 5 years ago

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.

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Breakdown: The Return of Oswego State Winter Sports

By Zac Case — 5 years ago

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

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Team Spotlight: Oswego State Field Hockey

By Zac Case — 5 years ago

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

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Team Spotlight: Oswego State Men’s Soccer

By Zac Case — 5 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — The Oswego State Men’s Soccer team, a squad surrounded by a lengthy but rather disappointing history in terms of success, has recently been on the upswing the past couple of years. This due to the arrival of Head Coach Dan Kane, who took over the Lakers heading into the 2017 season. A program that has transferred from being a doormat for the SUNYAC to a championship hopeful which showed just a year ago. The 9-7-2 team lost to SUNY Cortland in penalty kicks, a once nationally ranked team, in the opening round of the SUNYAC tournament. The squad’s first appearance in the bracket since 2014 was another step in the right direction for the Lakers.

The obvious common problem teams face across the nation comes down to retention of progress gained over the course of more than one season. For Kane’s Lakers, the group realized quickly what was expected of them before heading home last semester.

“The team realized that we got to make some advances individually and collectively,” Kane stated, “if we are going to sustain our kind of progression from the last few years.”

Of course, the return to Oswego has been much different for a team that usually starts games before the start of September. Kane spoke on the lack of team practices has made team cohesion difficult, something the head coach wished the group had similar to previous years. However, Kane found a positive in the situation as the coach touched on how this difference gave him the ability to work on a different subject, the incoming Class of 2024.

“We are way further along in terms of getting to know them as people because we have been having so many calls with them.” Kane said, “I know our freshman a lot better than I normally would which I am really thankful for.”

The push to the potential spring season gives the new members of the squad an opportunity to gain maturity before their first steps onto the Laker Turf. Kane explained the “grind of college and of the season catches up” and often saw regression through the course of a season from his first-year athletes because of this. Coach continued about his envy towards spring sports due to this trend, that may now be able to be tapped into due to this uncommon season.

Another plus for these Lakers is the return of the backline and starting goaltender Brian Terra. The defensive core that held conference opponents to an average of less than a goal last season will continue to be the backbone for the Lakers success. A defensive strategy that Kane plans to build on to improve the game at the other end of the pitch.

“It is going to look different.” Kane expressed, “[We] are going to play a bit differently but the more you can rely on your defense to win individual battles, the more freedom it gives our attacking players to take some chances and be creative and get more numbers forward.”

For now, the Lakers will have to remain on the sidelines before kicking off their season after the end of the calendar year. A group that got a taste of soccer together one week ago at their first team practice on the Laker Turf. The torrential downpour of rain did not take off the smiles that were found on every student athlete.

“We were in small pods.” Kane continued, “the energy and the positivity at practice was amazing. They were loving it.”

However, the Lakers will not be able to continue preparation for the 2021 season until next semester after the postponement of Athletics due to the recent spike of COVID-19. This added set pack could put the group at a disadvantage compared to other SUNY institutions across the conference, but Kane is taking a different look at the situation.

“To all the teams that are practicing, I wish them well.” Kane stated, “we hope to be back there soon in January, and we will make the most of the time we are given. We are not going to be the team that has excuses like that.” 

For this team, the optimism shines from the head of the program. The Lakers seem to be in good hands heading into the most unusual season in sports history. Kane acknowledged the adversity that lies in front of the group but told his athletes to stay committed to the process. 

“This is no question a time of adversity, so what kind of growth can we have in these moments and the second thing is even though we are not able to be together in a normal sense, we still have to be for each other.” Kane continued, “Those are kind of the two biggest messages, stay present and be there for each other. When the referee does blow that first whistle and lets us play, we will be ready for that moment.”

Photo Provided by Oswego State Athletics

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SUNY Oswego suspends Athletic activities for remainder of Fall 2020 semester

By Zac Case — 5 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — On Sunday, September 13th, SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley released new guidelines and restrictions regarding on campus activity for the Fall 2020 semester. One of these restrictions regards Oswego State Athletics as the college announced in a campus wide email that all practices, meetings, workouts, and gatherings will be suspended for the remainder of the semester. Since August 31st, the fall sports of Men’s and Women’s Soccer, Field Hockey, and Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country teams have been conducting practices and team meetings. This past week, Men’s and Women’s Tennis started their “non-traditional” practice season. This coming week, Volleyball would have joined the spring sports teams of Softball, Baseball, and the Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse would have started their four-week practice period.

With this change in policy, winter sports teams will not be able to prepare for their season until January 1st, the date set by the SUNYAC conference back on July 20th. This developing situation will continued to be monitored by WTOP 10 as the 2020 calendar year wraps up.

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Oswego State athletes earn academic honors

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY ━ Over the past couple of weeks, Oswego State teams and student athletes have been rewarded with academic honors from organizations in their given sport. These awards were given out by national associations that are highlighting the work of collegiate athletes inside the classroom instead of on the field, track, ice, or court during the 2019-2020 seasons. Most of these groups are made up of college coaches across the United States that make these requirements for the honors. 

On July 29th, the women’s volleyball team received the Team Academic Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). This honor is given to volleyball teams that hold a grade point average of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale over the course of a whole academic year. The Lakers, who finished with a 3.43 team grade point average, were one of eight SUNYAC teams out of the ten institutions to receive the honor from this past year. This is their second time receiving the honor in the past three seasons under head coach JJ O’Connell. 

The Oswego State indoor women’s track and field team was honored with the All-Academic Award for their achievements in the classroom during the 2019-2020 academic year. The Lakers received the award from the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for having a team grade point average of 3.21 which is above the 3.1 benchmark set by the organization. The team was one of four SUNYAC institutions to receive the honor, and one of 209 colleges nationally. Senior Catarina Burke received the All-Academic Award individually as the athlete qualified for the 2020 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in high jump along with having a grade point average above a 3.30 during the semester.

On July 23rd, the National Association of Basketball Coaches released the student athletes that would be getting named to the 2019-20 Honors Court. This award is given out to men’s basketball players who exceed a grade point average of 3.2 at the end of their 2018-19 academic year. Seniors Tim Marshall and Brandan Gartland, along with junior Liam Sanborn were all named to the Honors Court. This is the second time for both seniors as the pair were awarded the honor in 2018-19. This is the team’s second time in two years with three players being named to the prestigious group.

The men’s golf team also received academic honors from last season as two players were named All-America Scholars by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA). Senior Eric Schliecher and sophomore Ryan Fecco both received the awards after meeting the criteria of having a career grade point average above 3.2 and having a stroke average under 79.0. These two individuals helped the team to three tournament wins and a third place finish in the Fall Empire 8 Championship.

Two players from the Oswego State women’s ice hockey team were recently selected by the American Hockey Coaches Association for the All-American Scholar award. On August 17th, the AHCA announced that seniors Kate Randazzo and Eryn Stewart received the honors after exceeding a 3.75 GPA the fall semester. These accolades put the finishing touches on two historic careers for the two graduates. Randazoo finished second on the Oswego career assists list and in the top-10 in total points, along with being a two year captain for the Lakers. Stewart would conclude her collegiate career inside the top-10 in points, goals, and assists. The women’s hockey team finished 16-7-4 this past season and lost to Plattsburgh in the Northeast Women’s Hockey League Championship. 

Congratulations to all the student athletes who received these academic honors along with the Oswego State teams that received overall academic awards. WTOP 10 will continue to update Oswego fans on the continuing development of COVID-19 and how it affects the Oswego State Lakers.

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Oswego State without athletics for Fall 2020

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — As students begin to make their return to the shores of Lake Ontario, Oswego State will be without collegiate sports for the fall semester due to COVID-19. SUNYAC Conference postponed their Fall 2020 sports, like other conferences, back in the month of July due to the pandemic. The Men’s Golf team will also have to wait until Spring 2021 as the Empire 8 conference postponed the fall season as well. Most recently, the Northeast Women’s Hockey League that contains the Oswego Women’s Hockey team moved the start date for their season to January 1st, to follow suit with the rest of the conferences. This means all Oswego State teams will be without intercollegiate competition till the start of the new calendar year. Along with NCAA sports, all club sports through the school have been postponed till 2021.

However, this does not mean the teams will not be able to keep in game shape. Over the course of the fall semester, Oswego State teams will be able to have team practices during a certain period of time. Stated in the Oswego Forward Plan, the Athletics Department has created a four-week period after the return to activity period when teams can conduct up to 16 practices. The Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, Men’s and Women’s Soccer, and Field Hockey teams will begin practice the week of August 31st. The Women’s Volleyball, Men’s Golf, and Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams will begin the following week of September 7th. The next week, the Baseball, Softball, and Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse teams will begin practicing, these being all Spring sports. Winter sports can start their practices in early October but will end before Thanksgiving Break. Obviously, the winter sports teams will begin their scheduled games as early as the first week of January if the threat of COVID-19 is minimal in the eyes of the athletic conferences and colleges.

With no Live Sports to broadcast during the Fall 2020 semester, WTOP 10 will have a different semester ahead of us. The Live Sports Department still has plans for this semester as the group looks to deliver content to the Oswego sports community until the return of the Lakers. Check our social media pages for more updates as students begin to prepare to return to campus.

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SUNYAC cancels Fall 2020 Season

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — After many athletic conferences across the United States begin to cancel or postpone the Fall 2020 season due to COVID-19, the SUNYAC Conference announced on Monday, July 20th, the cancellation of the fall season for member institutions. This decision was made by the SUNYAC Presidents in conjunction with the SUNYAC Board of Directors. This comes after the Empire 8, a local New York Division III conference, announced the postponement of the Fall 2020 season on July 16th. The SUNYAC has decided to cancel all competition till January 2021, which includes winter sports. The report, found on the conference website, states that teams can continue small team workouts when school is back in session. There are still questions regarding the winter sports season that has been pushed off, but time will tell what changes will be made moving forward.

Of course, this will affect Oswego State Athletics for the time being, as most of the teams are a part of that conference. WTOP 10 will continue to have updates on the situation as students return to college around the end of August.

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Oswego State Golf Fall Season is Cancelled

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — Wednesday evening, the Empire 8 Conference announced the cancellation of their fall sports for the Fall 2020 season. This unanimous decision came due to concerns of COVID-19 and the safety of student athletes. The sports that will be canceled are cross country, field hockey, football, men’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball. The conference has come out and stated that these sports will be given the opportunity to place in the Spring 2021 season if COVID-19 is less of a threat.

Although a majority of the Oswego State teams compete in the SUNYAC conference, Men’s golf is one of the few sports that is in the Empire 8 Conference. Oswego is an affiliate member of the conference, as the SUNYAC does not have a Men’s Golf Championship. The Lakers compete against Utica College, St. John Fisher College, Sage College, Elmira College, and Nazareth College in the Men’s Golf Championship. With the team playing half of their tournament in the fall, and half in the spring, the cancellation will affect the team for a portion of their season as of right now. Wresting is the only other Oswego State team in the Empire 8 conference.

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SUNYAC Conference Announces New Format for Fall 2020

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — On Wednesday, June 17th, the State University of New York Athletic Conference announced changes to the Fall 2020 Season regarding four sports. This change affects women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, and both men’s and women’s soccer, all sports offered by the conference. This decision was made Monday, June 15th, by the SUNYAC Board of Directors during its weekly conference meeting. The Board is made up of one representative from each member school, making up 10 individuals. This announcement has two separate changes that comes a few months before the fall season that will allow division three athletics to continue.

The first switch pertains to women’s tennis moving to the Spring 2021 season, which would align the conference with the current NCAA Division III tournament that already takes place in the spring season. The conference has eight of their ten members in the women’s tennis conference as Buffalo State and Potsdam do not offer the sport. The SUNYAC has been looking to make this change for several years, so the current situation allows the conference to evaluate the potential move. Some conferences have their season in the fall due to weather in the region, making their conference champion play for a NCAA title in the spring season.

For the other three sports, the SUNYAC has decided to split the conference into two different divisions that will compete against each other during the regular season. The divisions are split using Interstate 81 in Central New York, that goes from Oswego to Cortland. The West Division will contain Brockport, Buffalo State, Fredonia, Geneseo, and Oswego while the East Division will consist of Cortland, New Paltz, Oneonta, Plattsburgh, and Potsdam. The change will affect volleyball along with men’s and women’s soccer. Each team would play every opponent in their given division twice with a home and home series. At the end of the season, the top two teams of each division will secure a playoff berth to the SUNYAC playoffs. The same playoff format will be used from years past with all semi final games being played on November 4th, and all finals games being played on November 7th across all three sports. The main reason for this switch was of course to decrease travel time and costs as teams would not need to stay overnight for long road trips. The other benefit is over course the fact that players and team staff will be in contact with less individuals. This move can also be found around many other division III conferences like the NEAC, the conference Morrisville is a part of.

The conference has also stated that the institutions still have the authority to schedule non-conference match ups outside of division play. SUNYAC continued to say that colleges could schedule games against opponents from the other division, with these games not having any affect on the conference standings.

Moving forward, Oswego State Laker fans can expect fall sport’s schedules to be released by the end of July. The Lakers kicked off their season last year around the end of August. Till then, WTOP 10 will continue to update readers on all off season news to keep you up to date on your favorite Oswego State team.

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Oswego Women’s Hockey secures Interim Head Coach

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — On Wednesday, June 17, the announcement was made by Oswego State Interim Athletics Director Eric Summers that the Women’s Ice Hockey team would be getting a new head coach, that being Mark Digby. Digby was the associate head coach of the team last season along side Diane Dillon, who will most likely retire from coaching. Dillon coached the team for 14 seasons. Digby will now be the Interim Head Coach heading into the 2020-21 season.

Digby graduated from SUNY Brockport in 2005 with a B.S. in Physical Education and M.S. in Recreation Management (2008). He would stay west of Rochester to be an assistant coach of the Men’s Hockey program from 2006-2010 before being hired by Oswego in the summer of 2010. Under Ed Gosek, Digby would be with the team while the group appeared in six NCAA tournaments, two frozen fours, and two national championship games.

In the Spring of 2019, Digby would make the switch to Women’s Hockey and join the team as the Associate Head Coach. During his first season with the group, the team would finish with a record of 16-7-4, the most wins for the program since the 2016-17 campaign. The Lakers would fall to the Plattsburgh Cardinals, the top team in the nation, in the NEWHL Championship. This was the first time the team has made the championship game after joining the conference. Overall, the group has made steady improvements and is in a good spot heading into the 2020-21 season under Digby. There looks to be a continued healthy relationship between the players and the coaching staff after Digby joined prior to this past season. WTOP 10 will continue to update you on all of the Oswego State teams heading into the fall season.

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Sports

Ryan Enos repeats as CoSIDA Academic All-American

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — Ryan Enos of the Oswego State Lakers Baseball team was honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-American First Team this past Tuesday for the 2020 Season. This is the junior’s second time receiving the honors as the infielder finished with a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average this semester. The dual major in Wellness Management and Business Administration is one of a few repeat award winners. Enos is only the second Oswego State athlete to receive this honor over the years, along side Dan Saccocio back in 2015.

On the other side of being a student athlete, the Central New York native has been taking care of business on the field. At the end of his sophomore season, the 5’ 9” righty received First Team All-SUNYAC honors, the SUNYAC Championship Most Valuable Player Award, along with other spots on teams from media organizations like D3Baseball.com. Over the course of the season, Enos finished with a .356 batting average, 47 runs, 58 hits, 14 doubles, 89 total bases, leading the Lakers in all five of these stats. In SUNYAC conference play, Enos would lead all batters in hits with a total of 26. The player was an essential part of the 2019 SUNYAC Championship run for the Lakers, who have won the conference the past three seasons.

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New Interim Director of Athletics for Oswego State

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — Last week, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management announced that current Associate Athletic Director Eric Summers would be named Oswego’s Interim Director of Athletics. The Fayetteville, New York resident has been with the Lakers since June of 2014, and will take his new position immediately. Summers has been with a few other colligate programs before coming to Oswego. He was the head of the Hamilton College Crew Program for over a decade. Prior to Hamilton, Summers oversaw the men’s varsity crew program at Colgate University for two years. The team was ranked nationally for the first time during his stint with the team. This move comes after the retirement of Sue Viscomi, who retired at the end of May after seven years. The 24 team Athletic Department will now be led by Summers as the Lakers prepare for the 2020 Fall Season. WTOP 10 will continue to deliver coverage to Oswego State Athletics as teams prepare for their 2020 seasons.

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Oswego State Athletics honors Outstanding Senior Athletes

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — This past week, Oswego State Athletics released the Outstanding Senior Male Athlete and Outstanding Senior Female Athlete winners. These awards are based on individual’s sole athletic career over the time spent in a Lakers uniform. Lukas Olsson of the Oswego State Baseball team received the Outstanding Senior Male Athlete award while Sarah Yensan of the Oswego State Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field teams was awarded the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete for the 2019-2020 sports season.

Lukas Olsson appeared in 113 contests in the green and gold in his career position of catcher. The Bayport, New York native career was highlighted with three SUNYAC Conference Championship appearances along with two Division III World Series appearances. The 6’ 0” catcher put numbers up throughout his career, which featured a .318 batting average, 89 runs scored, and 79 RBIs over the course of his four seasons. Although the senior had a shortened season this spring, Olsson made the best of it with a batting average of .429 in 9 games played. In those games, the catcher had 9 runs at 35 at bats along with 14 RBIs. He helped lead the team to a strong start in which the group had a record of 6-3 which featured a four game win streak on the road.

Sarah Yensan, a native of Lockport, New York, was a part of the Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field teams for that past four years. After the addition of her new Assistant Coach Curtis Merrick in her sophomore year, Yensan began improving her long jump, which showed in 2018 at the Outdoor All-Atlantic Regional Meet with a new personal best of 5.68 meters. The following year, the long jumper would set a school record with a jump of 5.74 meters which qualified the junior for her first NCAA Division III National Championship. This past winter, she would jump 5.80 meters to qualify for her second Division III National Championship. Yensan was a five time All-Conference award winner, earning First Team honors in 2019 and 2020. The three-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region selection won these honors back in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in long jump.

Congratulations to the award winners and the rest of the graduating seniors for completing their college years. WTOP 10 would also like to extend congratulations to the Toppers graduating that have built our television station up with their involvement, the group appreciates the time you have put into the station. WTOP 10 will continue to give Oswego fan’s coverage of all Oswego sports into the summer before the return of fall sports. Schedules for most Laker teams will be released in the next two months, stay tuned.

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Men’s Hockey Releases Leadership for 2020-21 Season

By Zac Case — 6 years ago

OSWEGO, NY — On Thursday, May 14th, the Men’s Hockey team released their captains for the 2020-21 season. Three seniors were given letters to be the leadership group for next season. Defenseman Carter Allen will captain the group heading into the next season, along with Max Novick and Tanner Spink received A’s on their jerseys. The group will lead a new younger generation of Lakers into next season as a large group of underclassmen will join the team via recruitment. Here is some more insight into the players leading the Lakers.

Carter Allen was an assistant captain last season under former captain Josh Zizek. The defenseman has been with the team since his freshman year. Through three seasons, the Ontario native has played in 81 games for the Lakers, in which all his seasons featured being positive in the plus/minus rating. Allen has 22 points (4 goals & 18 assists) in those three seasons, with 9 points coming this past season. #2 tallied two multi point games his junior year with two assists against Morrisville State and Cortland. Allen also got one assist in the SUNYAC finals against Geneseo. Allen will become the captain in the 56th season of Lakers hockey.

Max Novick will be supporting Allen as an assistant captain next season. The defenseman was named to the Third All-American team for the East region this past season after tallying 24 points (6 goals & 18 assists) in 26 games played. The Ontario native’s season was highlighted by two three point performances against Cortland and Potsdam. Novick has played in 79 games over the course of three season for the Lakers in which the player has recorded a total of 56 points (14 goals & 42 assists). Novick’s collegiate career is also highlighted by three plus seasons after going +20 his junior year.

Tanner Spink will also be an assistant captain his senior year as the forward will join the leadership group next season. This past season, Spink recorded 13 points (3 goals and 10 assists) in 25 games played. The Ontario native ranked 2nd in SUNYAC conference players who have scored short handed goals as Spink recorded two this past season. In his past three seasons with the Lakers, the forward has played in 74 games and has tallied 41 points (14 goals and 27 assists) over the course of his career.

WTOP 10 will continue to give Oswego fan’s coverage of all Oswego sports into the summer before the return of fall sports. Schedules for most Laker teams will be released in the next two months.

Graphic provided by Laker’s Hockey on Twitter. Made by Lexi Fragapane

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