On Saturday, Feb. 13, the Oswego Lakers are holding their annual senior night, where seniors Brandon Adams and Mac Scott will be honored. Both seniors are captains, and have held an important role with the team in their three years at Oswego.

This year’s senior game comes on the back end of a home and home against SUNY Canton. Since the Lakers are losing these two players, it is definitely going to open a significant leadership void in the locker room. As the two assistant captains, they both have a role to show the younger players how to conduct themselves on and off the ice.

Adams and Scott both transferred to Oswego following playing out their freshman years for Holy Cross College and Canisius College, respectively. Neither of the forwards has ever been known or relied upon to light up the scoreboard, even in their junior hockey days. But they both fill a role that is integral to any successful hockey team.

The two have combined for seven points on the season, but the ability they have to affect the team is incredible. The two popular locker room guys received a ringing endorsement from Gosek even from day one.

He gave many reasons for recruiting Adams and Scott, with “their character and wanting to be involved in the program” being the most important.

Gosek also highlighted that their willingness to come to the program, from the places that they were playing at the time showed the staff and the team that “they’re winners, they want to win, they want to be associated with winning and they were willing to sacrifice to make that happen.”

With a Laker squad that is falling below expectations, players who have experienced winning like Adams and Scott can provide invaluable experience to the younger players.

Both seniors said that their favorite Laker memory is winning the SUNYAC Championship in their first season here. That type of game experience alone is enough to inspire the younger players to push as hard as possible to reach the same heights their captains did.

The role that the pair have on the team can be felt more significantly behind the scenes than anywhere else, with them both being leaders by example rather than words, and that type of leadership has been necessary for this season specifically.

With more turmoil record wise this year than most years in the past, the Lakers have needed more stability than ever.

Coach Gosek praised both the players when asked about the tough losses this season, saying that the guys have “stayed close when there easily could have been back-stabbing.”

Both seniors take a similar approach in leadership tactics, which has kept the locker room afloat this season, even through the toughest times.

The team has stayed tight-knit all season, weathering the storm through tough stretches in what had the potential to be multiple back-breaking losses in intense games against division rivals.

Yet, the confidence in the voices of Adams and Scott show their initial goals haven’t wavered in the slightest bit.

This team attitude was shown when Adams was asked about his personal goals remaining for the rest of the season, and he immediately replied that the team was the first priority.

“If we were able to make it the Frozen Four… that would be our first goal.” Scott followed that up by saying “at this stage of the season getting a good playoff spot, playing at home, winning out, and getting a chance at the tournament. That’s the only goal in mind for us right now.”

The importance of the team first attitude personified in both of these men can’t be overstated.

In a season of turmoil, Oswego couldn’t ask for a better pair of seniors to be the glue that holds them together.

Since neither of the two men are big speakers, everyone in the room can follow the example they set by creating an atmosphere of success and winning. They both stated the need for the team to play desperate and lay everything out on the ice.

The Lakers, who are currently tied for fourth place in the SUNYAC standings, have yet to clinch a playoff spot in SUNYAC playoffs.

With the season soon coming to a close, everyone on the team is dedicated to sending off the seniors with a string of wins culminating in a SUNYAC Championship and beyond.

No matter what has occurred so far this year, the most important part of the season begins this weekend against Canton.

With the players having captains to play for like Brandon Adams and Mac Scott, there are plenty of reasons to have faith in the Lakers to run the table.