No. 3 Oswego State was able to finish the season series sweep of the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons with a 7-3 victory in teal jerseys after wild start to this game.
The Oswego State Lakers seemed to feed off a lively crowd in the first game back with classes in session. A very solid start was slowed down as the period would go on, but the three-goal start gave the Lakers enough of a cushion to sit on.
The scoring started when Mitchell Herlihey was able to get some pressure on SUNY Cortland goaltender Drew Weigman from behind the net. The puck then squirted out to the slot and David Ferreira was able to tap home an easy one for the game’s opening goal at 1:29 of the first period.
A quick goal doubled the Lakers’ lead just over a minute later. Joey Scorpio scored his third of the year at 2:34 of the first after a slick pass across the slot from Chris Waterstreet opened up a shooting lane for Scorpio.
Ferreira’s second of period and fifth of the season made it a 3-0 contest just 3:21 into regulation. Room in the slot and juicy rebound allowed Ferreira another chance at a practically wide open net. Andrew Barton and Shawn Hulshof were credited with the assists on the final Laker goal of the period that prompted an early Red Dragon timeout.
SUNY Cortland then seemed to catch a little bit of a break. Chris Raguseo was sent off for holding at 5:49 to give the Red Dragons their 85th power play opportunity of the season. Oswego State was able to keep SUNY Cortland completely off the shot chart on the man advantage.
Drazen Zack was able to dig into the lead for SUNY Cortland’s first tally at 16:26. Zack waited on a slow moving puck through the far-side circle and fired home a one timer that cleanly beat David Jacobson. Dan Broderick was given the lone assist to make it a 3-1 game heading into the first intermission.
The second period opened with both teams trading goals in the first two minutes.
Broderick was able to tip a turnaround shot from Tommy Nolan in the high slot to get the Red Dragons within one just 1:18 into the middle stanza while on the power play.
Joey Davies continued his hot streak with his 10th goal of the year at 1:56. Shawn Hulshof cut through the slot untouched and was able to slide a puck to Davies on the far side to put the Lakers up 4-2. Kenny Neil was credited with the secondary assist on the marker.
Josh Zizek was able to get on the scoresheet with another easy Laker goal. Zizek was on the doorstep and tucked the puck past the outstretched pad of Weigman after Raguseo’s wrist shot from the point was able to make its way through the slot. Mitch Emerson was given the secondary helper to put the Lakers up 5-2 at 3:33 of the second.
SUNY Cortland’s power play continued to be efficient after a dreadful first attempt. The Red Dragons would be 2-3 on the man advantage through 40 minute after Darren McCormick netted his 17th of the season. Zack and Tony DeVito assisted on the second Red Dragon goal of the period.
Oswego State would lead 29-12 in shots and 5-3 on the score board after the horn sounded on the second period.
Th Lakers would convert on their third power play chance for the lone goal of the final period.
On a 5-on-3, Davies was able to dig the puck from the dot and move it to the point to set up shop in the offensive zone. Neil was able to complete a cross-ice pass with all the extra open ice to Hulshof on the far side, who buried his shot in Matt Galati’s usual spot. Davies was also given an assist to put the Lakers up 7-3 with under seven minutes remaining in regulation.
Oswego State would move to 15-3-1/10-1-1 after grabbing two conference points in the only game of the weekend. SUNY Cortland now sits at 8-10-1/4-6-0 on the season with tonight’s 7-3 loss. Final shot totals also favored Oswego State, 36-15.
