SUNYAC Supremacy Showdown

Two of the SUNYAC’s best in No. 4/4 Oswego State and No. 13/14 Buffalo State will square off tonight for two points that will give the winning team sole possession of first place in the conference. As of now, the Lakers are tied for first with No. 7/7 SUNY Geneseo, who has two non conference contests with SUNY Canton on their slate this weekend. As a result, the Ice Knights will remain at 19 points through the weekend, while the Lakers can put some separation between them with wins this weekend. Conversely, the Bengals can jump both teams with a win tonight and take control of first place moving toward the last two weeks off the season.

Streaking

The Bengals have not lost a single game in the SUNYAC since falling to Oswego State in the Marano Campus Center by a score of 4-3 on Nov. 17. Since then, Buffalo State has put together a conference record of 8-0-1, following a start of 0-2-1 in conference matchups. For the visiting team, the Lakers have not been knocked off since a Jan. 6 home loss at the hands of Manhattanville College. Since then, Oswego State has gone 4-0-1, with their lone tie coming on the road during a Saturday matinee on the tail end of a back to back at Utica College.

Lineup Card

OSW-

Offense

Herlihey-Zizek-Gillespie

Huffnagle-Emerson-Spink

Molinaro-Berry-Horn

Sullivan-Durocher-Ferreira

Defense

Currie-Campbell

Allen-Novick

MacMillan-Pelnik

Goalies

Richer

Hansen

Nolan

Players to Watch

OSW- Trent Durocher

The Lakers big center who has never played a strong offensive game has quietly put up four points in the last four games. In such an important game tonight, it will be a pleasant surprise for coach Gosek and his staff to get any production out of the Durocher led fourth line.

BUF- Mac Wood

Wood is third on the Bengals in total points with 22 points, but leads the team in goals with 13. The statistic that sticks out most though for the junior is .260 shooting percentage. That is far and away the best conversion rate of any player on Buffalo State and he is definitely a player that Lakers goaltender David Richer will have to keep on close watch.

Prediction

Oswego State has two games in hand on the Bengals, so the result of this game is lessened in importance a bit by the fact the Lakers will have a chance to make up ground. But, these two points can determine home ice for the SUNYAC playoffs. These two teams, along with SUNY Geneseo will likely make up the top three seeds in the playoffs, so these head to head matchups mean a lot. That said, the Bengals have been on a tear recently. Oswego State has not won in Buffalo since the 2014-15 season. Bet on that streak to continue as the Bengals take sole control of first place.

Buffalo State wins 5-4.