Last Time Out

The Oswego State Lakers defeated Neumann University 6-2 in the first game of the Middlebury Holiday Classic hosted by Middlebury College in Vermont. In the Lakers’ fourth straight win, five players posted multi-point nights, including a three-point performance from Tanner Spink with two goals and an assist. Head coach Ed Gosek also kept the rotation of the goaltenders, putting David Richer in net, facing only 16 shots.

Middlebury College won their second game of the season against St. Michael’s College by a score of 4-0. Two players finished with two points in the game. Trevor Turnbull and David Belluche both finished with a goal and an assist in the match. Along with the Panthers’ second win, it was also the second shutout for goaltender Stephen Klein on the season. The power play went 0-2 in the game, but also killed four penalties.

Looking at Middlebury College

Middlebury College is 2-7 on the season, after defeating St. Michael’s College. The last time the Panthers won was on Dec. 2 against Tufts University, where they won 2-0. The Panthers are also a part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference, where they are 1-5 with two points. They only lead against Tufts University, who has a single point.

Sophomore Owen Powers leads the team with six points, tallying four goals so far. Freshman Michael Fahie trails behind with five points, with a team-leading three assists on the season. Goaltender Stephen Klein has played in all nine games for Middlebury College but has only started eight of them. He has a .914 save percentage allowing 23 goals.

Lakers vs. Middlebury College History

The Lakers and Panthers have only faced each other twice since the 1999-2000 season. The two teams initially met in 2002-2003 at Oswego State and proved dominance by a score of 6-0.

The teams met in Superior, Wisconsin during the 2006-2007 season, with Oswego State winning 4-3 in overtime in the NCAA Div. III National Championship game. Ryan Scott, goaltender for the Lakers during the championship season, made 47 saves to set a championship game season. At the time, Middlebury College was the three-time defending national champion.

Player Spotlight

OSW: Tanner Spink

After a three-point performance against Neumann University, Tanner Spink hit ten points on the season, tallying four goals and six assists. The freshman has proven he deserves a spot on the roster, and will be a name to remember during his career as a Laker. He will look to continue his recent strong play against a struggling Middlebury College. He also had a three-point performance against Plattsburgh State, with a goal and two assists.

MID: Trevor Turnbull

Sophomore Trevor Turnbull had the second-most points for the Panthers last season when they went 3-19-2 overall. He had 12 points, with seven goals and five assists. Both of his points against St. Michael’s College were his first of the season, with the eighth goal of his career. Turnbull will look to return to his performance level of his freshman year against the Lakers.

By the Numbers

RECORD (vs. each other)

OSW: 9-1-1 (2-0-0)

MID: 2-7-0 (0-2-0)

GOALS (per game)

OSW: 43 (3.9)

MID: 13 (1.9)

SHOTS (per game)

OSW: 411 (37.4)

MID: 230 (25.6)

POWER PLAY (percentage)

OSW: 12-52 (23.1%)

MID: 1-26 (3.8%)

Prediction

The No. 2/3 Oswego State Lakers are looking to extend their win-streak to five games with a win over the host Middlebury College. While this is a non-conference game for the Lakers, this team holds a lot of memories for Ed Gosek. Oswego State was able to capture their first NCAA Div. III National Championship, and first ever championship in school history.

Tanner Spink, along with captain Mitch Herlihey who had a two-goal performance against Neumann University, will look to continue their scoring ways against the Panthers. Should the Lakers continue their goaltender rotation, Cedric Hansen should get the starting nod for the championship game in the classic.

The Panthers, who have seen a downfall in their records since the 2010-2011 season, have not seen a winning record since the 2014-2015 season. Once the three-time defending national champion, they now sit at 2-7-0 on the season. Former head coach, the legendary Bill Beaney, left after that season, possibly resulting in the downswing. In Beaney’s 28 years as head coach, he went 516-184-51 with eight national championships.

Neil Sinclair is now the head coach of the Panthers, in his third season after being Beaney’s assistant. He will try to lead a struggling Panthers team against a strong Oswego State Lakers.

Oswego State wins 5-0.