Last Time Out

The Oswego State men’s hockey team defeated the College at Brockport on Feb. 10 by a score of 4-1 to bring their win streak to six games. The win also kept them perfect in the SUNYAC conference, with two games left this weekend. Three players had multi-point games. Mitchell Herlihey and Josh Zizek both had a goal and an assist, and Michael Gillespie had two assists. David Richer stopped 34 of 35 shots to improve his third-in-the-nation save percentage to .939.

SUNY Potsdam on Feb. 10 against Buffalo State. In the 3-2 victory against the Bengals, three different forwards from the Bears scored. Sean Winikates, Ben Mariano and Vinny Guimond all tallied a goal. Brendan McMenimen made 16 saves during the victory. There was only one penalty recorded in the game, with Joey Gilhooly committing an elbowing minor. This is their first win since Jan. 27 in a win against the College at Brockport.

Looking at the Bears

SUNY Potsdam is tied for fourth place in the SUNYAC standings with Plattsburgh State. They have a 5-7-2 conference record, with Plattsburgh State sitting at 6-8-0. Unless another team overtakes fourth place, these two teams will play each other in the opening round of the playoffs, as well.

Dylan Vander Esch leads the team 23 points. He has a team-leading 12 goals and is in second with 11 assists. The senior from San Jose, California has led the team in scoring all four years at SUNY Potsdam. He also leads the team in plus-minus rating with a plus-11. Kyle Thacker is second on the team with 18 points and leads the team with 18 assists. The senior defenseman also leads the team with 17 blocks.

Brendan McMenimen has played and started 17 games for SUNY Potsdam. He has a .899 save percentage and allows more than three goals a game. His best season, as of Feb. 16, was his sophomore season with a 2.97 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. He only has one shutout with from Nov. 3 against the SUNY Canton Roos.

Lakers vs. SUNY Potsdam History

Since the 1999-2000 season, the Lakers and Bears have played 45 times. As SUNYAC rivals, the two teams play against each other at least twice a season. The Lakers hold a 34-11-0 advantage over the Bears.

The senior class for Oswego State, which has played since the 2014-2015 season, have a 4-3-0 record against SUNY Potsdam. The team will look to overtake the Bears for their fourth straight win to close out their career series against the Bears.

Mitchell Herlihey has a career three goals and two assists against SUNY Potsdam from the 2014-2015 season. Mitch Emerson also has two goals and two assists against the Bears.

Player Spotlight

OSW: Mitchell Herlihey

Mitchell Herlihey had a four-point weekend during the games against the College at Brockport and SUNY Geneseo. He scored two goals against the Ice Knights, including an empty-net goal that was the 100th point of his career. Against the Golden Eagles, he had a goal and an assist in the victory. With his final two games of the regular season, including his senior game, the Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, native will look to increase his collegiate point total against the Bears.

POT: Kyle Thacker

Currently on a two-game point streak with three assists, Kyle Thacker has been a strong passer all season with 16 assists. Thacker had two assists against SUNY Fredonia on Feb. 9, and one assist against Buffalo State on Feb. 10. Until this season, he had a mere 15 assists in his SUNY Potsdam career. He has doubled his career assist total in just one season. The senior from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, native will look to help Dylan Vander Esch in his goal total in their last games of the regular season, as well.

By the Numbers

RECORD (vs. each other) [conference]

OSW: 18-3-2 (34-11-0) [13-0-1]

POT: 9-9-5 (11-34-0) [5-7-2]

GOALS (per game) [against each other this season]

OSW: 89 (3.9) [7]

POT: 66 (2.9) [1]

SHOTS (per game) [against each other this season]

OSW: 799 (34.7) [42]

POT: 769 (33.4) [25]

POWER PLAY (percentage) [against each other this season]

OSW: 21-91 (23.1%) [3-6 / 50.0%]

POT: 12-91 (13.2%) [1-3 / 33.3%]

Lineup Card

OSW:

No SUNY Potsdam lines were given at time of publication.

Prediction

Riding a nine-game point streak, the Oswego State Lakers have a slight advantage over the SUNY Potsdam Bears heading into tonight’s matchup. After the 7-1 victory on Dec. 8 for the Lakers, they will also know what to expect as the Bears get on the ice.

The game, outside of the rink, is also the first game of the Whiteout Weekend, giving the Lakers a little more momentum knowing the atmosphere that will be present in the arena. As of Thursday, Feb. 15, tickets were being sold for standing room only, meaning that game is sold out.

David Richer will get the start tonight, after strong outings last weekend against the Golden Eagles and the Ice Knights. Mitchell Herlihey should also shine brightly after the four-point weekend. Aaron Huffnagle, who was hurt during practice this week, according to assistant coach Mark Digby, will be scratched for the game against the Bears.

Given the advantage of goals and shots per game for the Lakers and recent history, the Lakers should come out on top during the first game of Whiteout Weekend.

Lakers win 5-1.