It is sometimes unbelievable how much change can happen over the course of a year, but as is the case with just about everything, some things stay the same. For the Oswego State men’s hockey program, all it will take

for everything to be the same as exactly a year ago is to commit one more fatal mistake. So many things have changed for Ed Gosek’s program since this time last year. Gone is the courageous leadership of former captain Mitch Herlihey, swapped out for a new class of players that must hold a record for the amount of Div. I transfers it contains. Gone is the hopefulness of a magical season, substituted by the aura of hard work and adversity. Things are different.

But, with that said, to an outsider, noth- ing has changed. Heading into the SUNYAC semi-final last season, the Lakers held an 18- 5-2 record, which is identical to the one gar- nered by this seasons team to this point. The journey to reach the same place could not have been more opposite for the two teams.

The 2017-18 campaign started with a lot of questions, frustrations and skeptics. Fol- lowing the devastating passing of Mary Gos- ek, the loss of both primary goaltenders from the year prior and the graduation of one of the best classes in the program’s history, things started off bleak. But the team pulled itself together through all the adversity and man- aged to go on an incredible run for nearly the entire regular season – until it ended.

Whiteout Weekend 2018 was one  of the most deflating experiences in terms of sports that I, and likely many others, have ever been a part of. With the first seed locked up, maybe it got in the heads of the players who must have been feeling untouchable at the time. Everything was going right: the in- credible narrative of playing for Gosek, the dominance over what was a super competitive SUNYAC and an aura surrounding them that felt like they could not be stopped. All that was left was to exorcise the Whiteout de- mons and erase the one final barrier between themselves and a clean conscience.

They got blanked 1-0 by both SUNY Pots-dam and Plattsburgh State. So much for getting rid of the demons.

Then they followed it up with a 3-1 dud against SUNY Fredonia in the conference semis, and that effectively forced the hand of the NCAA selection committee to leave the Lakers on the outside looking in, ending what could have been the most perfect hockey sea- son ever played.

This year, there was no magic narrative, but there were also way fewer questions about the team Gosek was icing. Sans the small graduating class, the same team was essentially coming back, only a year older and with a lot of new reinforcements.

Bringing in a three-year Div. I player like Josh Nenadal strikes a much different chord than Gosek not knowing where any of his scoring is going to come from before the sea- son. There were no doubts that this team was going to be good.

But the biggest difference between these two teams comes in how they took their losses. This 2018-19 team has had periodic letdowns, following up each of their first four losses with a win. Last season’s team faced a ton more adversity off the ice than they ever did on it, until it was far too late to learn how to correct it. With that experience in the back of their minds now, this team has a chance to follow up last weekend’s loss in Plattsburgh like they have with every other loss this sea- son: they can win, maybe make up for the bumps they took this time last year and make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Photo by Kyle Hurley | The Oswegonian