The 2016-2017 season marks the 10th anniversary of the Lakers’ memorable ride to the Div. III promised land.
In just his fourth season as Oswego State head coach, Ed Gosek was able to bring the first national championship to Oswego with a 4-3 overtime win over the Middlebury College Panthers.
The Lakers started the season with an impressive 14-0-3 overall record. Oswego State then suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of Utica College with a 5-2 defeat.
The Lakers then rolled into the SUNYAC semifinal losing only one more regular season matchup. Oswego State would then meet SUNY Fredonia on home ice.
Blue Devils’ defenseman, Francois Gagnon, buried the game-tying goal with 1:47 left in regulation. His second goal of the year was enough to push the underdog Blue Devils into overtime against Oswego State.
At the 5:41 mark of overtime, the Lakers were knocked out of the SUNYAC playoffs earlier than expected. Fredonia forward Matt McKeown was able to deflect Steve Albert’s point shot passed Ryan Scott on the power play to propel SUNY Fredonia into the SUNYAC Championship to face SUNY Plattsburgh.
“We really thought we were going to be winning the SUNYACs, going to the NCAAs,” then sophomore forward Garren Reisweber said. “So, when we lost it was a little bit of a shock, maybe woke us up a little.”
Oswego State was given an at-large bid to the DIV. III NCAA Tournament and rolled past Norwich University with a 3-0 win in the quarterfinal.
In the semifinal against St. Norbert College, the Lakers were able to to tie the game and send this one to overtime. At this point of the season, the Lakers were outscoring opponents in the final frame, 49-12.
The Lakers had better overtime fortunes against the top-seeded Green Knights. Lakers captain Ryan Woodward was able to bang home a loose puck in front of the net for his ninth goal of the season, just 3:51 into overtime.
That overtime dagger set up a date with Middlebury in the NCAA final.
The Lakers were heavily outshot all game, surrendering 50 shots to their 33. Oswego State goalie Ryan Scott stood tall though and kept his team alive, making 47 saves against a team that won three-straight NCAA Championships coming in.
Scott was huge for the Lakers that season, posting a 1.99 goals against average and a 19-3-3 overall record to help back their championship hopes.
“He was able to keep himself really calm and cool,” Reisweber said. “I think that kind of rubs off on everyone else. When you look back and your goalie is having fun and digging so much into the pressure, that’s huge.”
Forward Peter Magagna was able to give the Lakers a 3-2 lead on the power play in the third before Middlebury responded roughly 12 minutes later when John Sullivan scored his eighth goal of the year. Oswego State would yet again have to play an extra stanza.
This one for all the marbles.
Reisweber took a pass from teammate Ryan Koresky that sprung him through the neutral zone and into the Middlebury end. Reisweber beat goaltender Ross Cherry to score the biggest goal of his career, as well as the biggest in Oswego State history.
“That move was a move I just practiced a lot,” Reisweber said. “Things kind of just fell in place.”
According to Reisweber, winning the first national title in program history did not set in at first.
“I was in complete shock,” Reisweber said. “I didn’t really feel like we won it until we were on the plane flying home.”
The on-ice production would have never come to fruition without the Laker coaching staff. Gosek’s second trip to the NCAA final came with the result the entire team wanted. Constant improvement and attention to detail was at the root of the Lakers’ trophy-winning season.
“He was really good at the Xs and Os,” Reisweber said. “We ran our systems really well. Whether there was a guy out of our lineup with injury, or whatever, it was easy for guys to fill in different roles.”
Ten years later, the Lakers’ sole national championship is still displayed proudly in front of the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena.
With the large senior class primed and ready to go, the Lakers seem confident they can recreate some magic and make a deep run in the postseason.
