Following an upset loss to Hobart College in the NCAA Div. III quarterfinals, the Oswego State men’s hockey team has a new-found hunger entering the 2019-2020 season.

With only two new faces on the roster for the season, 24 of those players remember the sting of losing back-to-back games against SUNY Geneseo in the SUNYAC championship and then the loss to the Statesmen just two weeks later.

Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek said the team has used the experience of the loss along with other games to learn different things.

“Anytime you end the way that we did, there’s disappointment,” Gosek said. “Now, those lessons are in our data bank. We’re done talking about them. Everything is moving forward and about the future.”

While there are 24 returning players, the Lakers lost a couple key components, including Devin Campbell, who was a two-time SUNYAC defensive player of the year. He was also an alternate captain his junior year and the captain his senior year.

But, with a strong leadership group, including Josh Zizek as the captain, and a bulk of the defensive core coming back, Gosek said there are high expectations on the back end.

“There’s a lot of depth and competition for positions,” Gosek said. “By committee, we can make up for what we lost in Devin.”

With that large depth, junior Carter Allen said another big loss from defense was Kristoffer Brun as a leadership presence, welcoming in new players. But, the nine defensemen on this year’s roster have been able to mesh well.

“No one seems to have an issue playing with anyone on the backend. You could draw names out of a hat and guys are ready to go,” Allen said. “We [have] a really close group and I don’t know how much else there is to say.”

All of the early team chemistry can be tracked back to Oswego State’s summer trip to Europe in the middle of August. The Lakers played three games in Switzerland and Italy and swept the series. 

The team came back to Oswego on Aug. 1 to begin a training camp in preparation for the trip. During the camp and the actual 10-day trip, there was “no escaping each other,” according to Gosek. While the team already meshed well, players were able to meet their teammates’ families or spend time with teammates that they normally do not hang out with, resulting in even more connections.

“Really, our focus was on ourselves and us becoming a tighter knit group,” Gosek said. “I think it was just another avenue for us to get tighter as a team, and especially with 14 seniors, put our best foot forward on the season.”

Another big change for Oswego State this season happened on the bench, with former assistant coach Mark Digby leaving the program to join the women’s team as the associate head coach. Jon Whitelaw, who graduated from the team in 2013 and was both a graduate assistant and volunteer assistant, was promoted to assistant coach.

Gosek said he will miss Digby and the friendship they formed over the last nine years during Digby’s tenure. 

 “He helped me get through a difficult time in my life and my kids, watching his kids be born and all of it. We’ll miss that part,” Gosek said. “The positive is, he’s moving 50 feet up the hallway. It’s not like he’s going to another program or another school.”

Whitelaw was the captain his senior year and recorded 139 total points during his career. He helped the team attend four NCAA Frozen Four matchups and two national title games. Whitelaw was also an All-American while playing for the Lakers.

“You need young, enthusiastic energy. Jon will provide that,” Gosek said. “[As coaches], we’re really just the caretakers here and here to do what’s best for the players to be successful. Jon certainly carries that torch.”

Outside of Zizek, three new alternate captains were named, including Allen, along with Anthony Passero and Jody Sullivan, who are both seniors. Allen is the lone junior for the leadership council. 

With 14 seniors, Gosek said there were a lot of players that were “certainly deserving and capable,” but chose four players that have led the program with strong attitudes and have the commitment to what the Lakers stand for.

“I think that these four guys have certainly earned the respect of their teammates in different ways,” Gosek said. “After our experience overseas in Italy, these four gentlemen, along with a lot of our seniors, did an outstanding job early on with that opportunity. We’re sure it’ll go into the season.”

Passero transferred to Oswego State last season after a two-year stint at Buffalo State, where he was also an alternate captain his sophomore year. In his first year as a Laker, Passero led the team with 30 points, recording 21 assists.

“Being a captain in college, we joke about it all the time, it’s not as exciting as everyone thinks. There’s a lot that goes into it,” Passero said. “As long as guys are pulling their weight and you’re doing your job, it’s fun.”

Gosek said that the team’s goal is to win the SUNYACs during the regular season, and finish on top during the playoffs and that they will “worry about the NCAA tournament if and when it happens.”

With how the team’s schedule works out, there are big games scattered throughout the season. Zizek said it does not matter when the Lakers are on the road or at home, they just want the two points out of every SUNYAC matchup.

“We want to win every single SUNYAC game this year. It doesn’t matter if we’re in front of 2,500 or 25 fans,” Zizek said. “We’re coming every day for those two points because we want to be on top of the SUNYAC at the end of the year.”

But the SUNYACs are not on the team’s mind quite yet. Oswego State is just focusing on the regular season, which starts on Nov. 1 against SUNY Cortland.

“It’s been a long preseason, especially coming back in August. I feel like we’ve been back an eternity here with the extra month, but I think it’s a good thing,” Gosek said. “We certainly want to enjoy every game this year and not be in a hurry to get to the end of the year.”

The Oswegonian file photo from 2018