After several years, Oswego State was able to debut its history of hockey display on Oct. 20. This display is located on the concourse of the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena.
The exhibit showcases a timeline of Lakers’ hockey dating back over 50 years. The timeline highlights significant players and coaches from both programs. Some of the more unique names include former Athletic Director Gardner “Tully” Wells. Wells purchased an old airplane hangar, which became Romney Field House, where the Lakers played hockey until 2006.
The display showcases some of the elite players in Oswego State history like Pierre Belanger, who donned the nickname “the flying frenchman.” According to the display, Belanger was the first elite star in Laker history. The forward scored 131 points in just 39 games. The Lakers also paid homage to one of their Oswego natives, as Mike Cullinan has a blurb of his own. The gritty forward scored 33 points from 1975-1979. Perhaps the biggest attraction is in the center of the cove, the 2007 NCAA Div. III National Championship trophy.
Even though the Lakers have had an extensive history spanning decades, there have only been four coaches for the men’s program. The first coach was Herb Hammond, who led the team for 12 seasons and helped put the Lakers on the map in Div. III hockey. Oswego State was able to create the display thanks to the Herb Hammond Foundation, which was established in 2010.
While the women’s hockey program has not been around as long, it has had some success of its own. The program’s inaugural season dates back to 1976; however, it disbanded in the mid-1980s. Fast forward nearly 20 years to 2006, as head coach Diane Dillon restarted the women’s hockey team. Since then, Dillon has had success, appearing in seven consecutive ECAC West Championships and one NEWHL Championship.
With success in the near future for both programs, it is important for the players to remember where they came from. Being able to look back through the decades will keep both teams grounded, and provide them with additional motivation and goals to stride to achieve.
Photos by Ben Grieco
