While most Oswego State students were busy with a summer job, vacationing in paradise or just binge watching Netflix, men’s hockey forward Andrew Barton was busy getting faster and stronger for the upcoming season.

All of the opportunities given and the success achieved by Barton can be linked back to his training by pulling a sled around a track near his Western Ontario home in Stratford.

Barton has stepped into a much larger role for the Lakers this season. He earned power play minutes and more overall ice time because of the work he put in during the offseason.

After two years of playing up on the shores of Lake Ontario, the junior realized that he would have to improve his strengths to get the additional playing time he desired.

“You get to learn the game a little bit and what it’s going to take to get those chances,” Barton said.

The effort did not go unnoticed by head coach Ed Gosek. Gosek said that he believed Barton was the most conditioned athlete coming into the season. The biggest thing that stood out to the head coach was Barton’s ability to play one hundred percent for his entire shift. “His last 20 seconds are as good as his first 20 seconds,” Gosek said.

The opportunity to get more ice time has led to results on the scoreboard. After scoring seven goals and 15 assists in the 49 games he played in his first two seasons, Barton has already amassed eight goals and four assists in 19 games as of the beginning of February.

Though Barton is pleased that his goal totals have gone up, as well as his shot percentage, which went up from .089 percent last season to .148 percent this season, the Laker forward is not thinking about his individual accolades and more so on just helping the team.

Barton’s ability to move up the ladder on the special teams units from where he solely played on the penalty kill to where now he plays on the power play, as well.

This allowed him to take all of his focus away from playing like a defender to now enjoying scoring more and being on the offensive end of the success.

Barton is currently tied for second-most goals scored on the team with All-American, Shawn Hulshof. Junior Kenny Neil is at the top with 11. Though they are the top trio on the stat sheet, Barton doesn’t believe they are the main portion of the offseason with so much talent across the Oswego State lineup.

“There are a lot of guys that can put the puck in the net,” Barton said. This leap in offense for the junior is no surprise to Gosek, as he knew he had the talent to be a top scorer. He just believed Barton did not realize his potential until now.

“He’s got more confidence, he’s got more patience around the net,” Gosek said. “He’s getting more of the second and third opportunities as opposed to one-and-done.”

It what has culminated into a spectacular season by the junior with many games on the horizon as the Lakers come down the homestretch of the regular season and the push to the playoffs.

Barton’s story serves as an example to the Oswego State student body, athletes and non-athletes alike. Summer is a time to relax and recharge, but the time off can also be an opportunity to improve and hone skills to get ahead for the semesters that follow.