Yet Again

Oswego State has played in its fair share of one-sided affairs.

This season, the Lakers have been in six games decided by four or more goals. Most recently, Oswego State was able to beat Nazareth College and the College at Brockport 8-0 and 10-1, respectively.

Tonight’s matchup seems to have the potential to be the exact same. The only team in the SUNYAC with more goals allowed per game is Morrisville State. Ranking 70th in Div. III hockey in that statistic cannot be how anyone in the Red Dragons hockey program wanted to see this season pan out.

Be on the look out for an offensive frenzy from Oswego State yet again.

Teal Gate

The Lakers will break out their fourth different sweater of the season tonight.

The annual Teal Gate supports ovarian cancer awareness in Oswego. Both men’s and women’s hockey teams will wear and auction off a teal jersey tonight. The proceeds of the jersey auction will go to Hope for Heather, a not-for-profit organization in Central New York dedicated to raising awareness of ovarian cancer.

Playoff Push

Oswego State has five regular season SUNYAC games remaining this year. Buffalo State and SUNY Plattsburgh should be the toughest matchups for the Lakers to finish the season. Yes, SUNY Geneseo and Buffalo State have games in hand, but the pace the Lakers are currently on bodes well for them to lock up the top seed.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Red Dragons come to town fighting for their playoff lives. They currently sit a point out of the last spot behind SUNY Fredonia, with one game in hand. Two points would be monumental tonight, but that does not seem too probable.

SUNY Cortland does have one thing going for it though. They still get to play Morrisville State. SUNY Fredonia does not.

                                                             *Collegehockeystats.net

Lineup Card

Matt Galati and Mitchell Herlihey were both forced to leave the game during the Lakers’ 5-5 tie with SUNY Geneseo last weekend. Assistant coach Mark Digby said both players looked ”fine” post game, but Galati will not dress tonight. This puts added pressure on the Lakers’ scorers with both Alex Botten and Galati unable to go.

This hole moves captain Kenny Neil to the wing with Shawn Hulshof and the red hot Joey Davies.

Josh Zizek, Mitch Emerson and Joey Rutkowski will draw in the lineup. TJ Sneath, Jody Sullivan and Sean Federow will sit tonight.

David Jacobson will start after being pulled during the first intermission of the SUNY Geneseo game. Three goals in the first gave way to Matt Zawadzki, who, as it sits right now, does not look like his turn in the goalie rotation will fall for the Whiteout game against SUNY Plattsburgh next Saturday.

Players to Watch

OSW: Joey Davies

Davies is officially hot. Putting it in perspective, the senior was able to tally only five points in his first 13 games of the season. He has apparently found his stride over the last four games though. Davies has seven goals and six assists in just the last string of games.

That is 13 points in four games after only tallying five in the first 13.

COR: Darren McCormick

The race for 20 goals has a home in Cortland.

McCormick is tied for second in the nation with 16 goals in 18 games played this season. Neumann Univeristy’s Jory Mullin sits atop Div. III scoring with 19. He could reach that mark tonight for his 20th of the season against Utica College, but McCormick could be the second player in the nation to reach that mark. It still would be a very impressive feat.

McCormick carries a five-game goal scoring streak into tonight. This includes a hat trick against Curry College on Jan. 14.

By the Numbers

Record

OSW: 14-3-1/9-1-1 (No. 3) [1st in SUNYAC]

COR: 8-9-1/4-5-0 [7th in SUNYAC]

Shots per Game

OSW: 36.7

COR: 30.8

Shots Against per Game

OSW: 22.8

COR: 38.3

Goals per Game

OSW: 4.83 [2nd in Div. III]

COR: 3.72 [T-20th in Div. III]

Goals Against per Game

OSW: 1.94 [T-5th in Div. III]

COR: 4.11 [70th in Div. III]

Power Play

OSW: 22-82 (26.83%) [5th in Div. III]

COR: 15-84 (17.86%) [41st in Div. III]

Penalty Kill

OSW: 73-84 (86.9%) [13th in Div. III]

COR: 88-113 (77.9%) [T-65th in Div. III]

*Overall Statistics from USCHO.com

Game Prediction

Oswego State should be able to handle anything the Red Dragons throw its way. The absence of Galati and Botten will put the Lakers shorthanded but as we’ve seen time and time again this season, someone in this lineup will step up.

SUNY Cortland has be hungry coming in, all teams are when they play a top five team in the nation, but the Red Dragons simply do not have enough skill at either end to keep up with Oswego State.

Lakers win 6-2