Following David Jacobson’s departure from Oswego State, a new crop of goalies are looking to step up and take the number one spot.

Jacobson split starts with senior Matt Zawadzki last season in goal as a sophomore transfer from Arizona State University. He played 17 games for the Lakers, going 12-3-0 with a 2.02 goals against average. Jacobson would have presumably been the man in net this season, but he decided to stop playing hockey and instead followed a career path that takes him back to his home of Los Angeles.

“It was a difficult decision, but he had a career opportunity back in L.A. with something that he’s always wanted to do,” Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek said. “We’re happy for him. We hope it works out.”

Jacobson decided to end his hockey career to be involved in the music industry. Gosek said that he is going to be a curator for a hip-hop group in Los Angeles.

“He felt that it was an opportunity that, if he turned it down, he might not get another one,” Gosek said.

With Zawadzki graduating and Jacobson leaving for greener pastures, Cedric Hansen is the only returning Laker goaltender from last season. Hansen played in only two games for Oswego State as the third string last season, totaling 40 minutes of game time. In those games against SUNY Morrisville and SUNY Canton, Hansen stopped all 16 shots he faced.

“Cedric came to practice every day last year, played minimal, had a great attitude, stayed in shape, never made excuses and is an outstanding student,” Gosek said. “So, character wise, chemistry wise, we’re excited with the group that we have.”

Gosek and his staff also added David Richer from the Kingston Voyageurs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Richer redshirted last season for the Lakers, but was ineligible to play due to playing for the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the QMJHL in the 2012-13 season. NCAA restrictions strongly affected Richer and his participation in team activities.

“I was not allowed to be around the team at all,” Richer said. “I was allowed to practice with the team actually two weeks before the season started, and then I was just by myself.”

Richer last played for the Kingston Voyageurs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League in the 2015-2016 season. He had a 2.43 goals against average and a .921 save percentage in 33 games with the Voyageurs. At the time, Richer was not aware that playing in the QMJHL would cost him a year of NCAA eligibility, yet he still made the decision to attend Oswego State and made his best effort to be around the team as much as he was allowed.

“I’ve been around the guys before practice. I was working out while they were on the ice, so I was seeing the guys before and after practice,” Richer said. “It was hard, but I tried to do what I could just to be part of the team, and they did a great job to make me a part of the team even though I didn’t play.”

Going into this season, there is no clear number one goaltender. Gosek is going to let Hansen and Richer’s performance in practice and in the exhibition game against the CCHL All-Graduate team this Saturday determine who is going to start against Elmira next week and so on.

“David’s played zero games, and Cedric’s played part of two, and we have a walk-on third goalie now in Teddy Nolan who has agreed to come on board,” Gosek said. “As far as a number one or number two, we’ll base it upon practice. We’ll base it upon how they do in the exhibition game, and that’s the way they want it. They want to earn what they get.”

Gosek is hoping that Hansen and Richer play equally well so they can have a rotation of two guys they have confidence in between the pipes. It would be similar to the system the Lakers had last season with Zawadzki and Jacobson.

“We’re hoping that they’re equal, that they’re both very good and we can get into a rotation like last year,” Gosek said. “You need to have two guys that are capable. If one currently separates himself as a number one, then, hey, we got a number one and we have a number two.”