Tonight at 7 p.m., the Oswego State men’s ice hockey team will host SUNY Fredonia at the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena, looking to capture a third-straight win. Last night against Buffalo State, the Lakers were victorious, 4-2, in a game which they had 58 shots on goal.
Fredonia went to overtime against SUNY Cortland last night and came away with one point in a 5-5 overtime tie. With Buffalo State’s loss, the Blue Devils jumped the Bengals in the SUNYAC conference standings and now sit at sit at sixth place, with six points.
The Lakers have won the last four contests against the Blue Devils, outscoring them 25-6 in those four games.
It looks as if Adrian Ignagni will start between the pipes for Oswego again today, collecting his third win in four starts this season. Although Ignagni surrenedered a pair of goals last night, one came on a 2-1 breakaway the defense allowed and another came on a 5-3 disadvantage. Ignagni’s save percentage is at .930 this year and is allowing 1.66 goals per game.
Today’s game is the ‘Teal Gate’ game for both men’s and women’s team, as each will be wearing teal jerseys in support of raising awareness for ovarian cancer. Head coach Ed Gosek’s wife, Mary, has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer twice within the past three years and has beat it both times. There will be jerseys for sale and proceeds will be going toward ovarian cancer awareness and research.
Team Statistics:
Goals Per Game:
Oswego State – 2.91 [39th in Div. III]
SUNY Fredonia – 3.56 [22nd in Div. III]
Goals Allowed Per Game:
Oswego State – 2.20 [17th in Div. III]
SUNY Fredonia – 3.67 [60th in Div. III]
Power Play:
Oswego State – 5 of 31 (16.3%) [42nd in Div. III]
SUNY Fredonia – 9 of 45 (20.0%) [26th in Div. III]
Penalty Kill:
Oswego State – 31 of 37 (83.8%) [42nd in Div. III]
SUNY Fredonia – 29 of 39 (74.4%) [68th in Div. III]
What To Watch For:
Kenny Neil has recorded a point in five straight games for the Lakers and has begun to be looked at as a primary offensive option for Oswego. With Shawn Hulshof and Mitchell Herlihey both battling with injuries, although still playing, Neil should continue to get extra looks near the crease and continue his scoring streak.
Prediction: Oswego State – 5, SUNY Fredonia – 2
Oswego State comes in with back-to-back wins and have seen the offense pick up some momentum. If the Lakers can continue to crash the net and play near the crease, rather than focusing on slap shots and one-timers from the blue line, they should see an increase of grade-A chances.
