There is no denying the firepower Oswego State has on offense going into this season. The team averaged 3.8 goals per game and 30.1 shots per game in 2018-19 and did not lose much in terms of offensive production. Nine of the team’s top 10 scorers from last year will be returning for 2019-20. The Lakers scored nine goals in their first exhibition game against Carleton Place, coming away with a big 9-1 victory. But, at the Oswego State preseason press conference, there was one quote that stood out from head coach Ed Gosek that alludes to just how far this season could go, and it does not rely on the offensive fireworks. Rather, it is about the guy, or guys, inbetween the pipes.

“We talked about it at the end of last year, you would prefer and need a goalie that’s over a .930 save percentage,” Gosek said. “Look at the goalies in the final four. If you went back and looked at the last 10 years of all the goaltenders and the teams that were in the final four, you would see that their save percentages were all over .930. Both of our goaltenders, we like [them] and have confidence in them, but they weren’t there. Bottom line is, they need to be better.”

That .930 save percentage Gosek alludes to is a number that Oswego State goaltender David Richer hit in his sophomore season, finishing the year with a .934 save percentage. Last season, Richer struggled, especially down the stretch, finishing with a .903 save percentage. Backup goaltender Cedric Hansen led the team with a .920 save percentage, but he only appeared in seven games.

Hovering near or above .930 has become a measuring stick for determining team success. The Lakers saw this first hand in SUNY Geneseo star goaltender Devin McDonald. McDonald’s senior year in 2018-19 was his best, finishing with a 1.22 GAA and .940 save percentage. McDonald’s play, paired with a dynamic Knights offense and stout defense, led SUNY Geneseo to a SUNYAC championship and all the way to the Div. III NCAA Tournament semifinals. The Knights also had the advantage of a defense that was strong in front of McDonald and willing to block shots.

“Let’s use Geneseo [as an example],” Gosek said. “[McDonald is] a good goalie, there’s a lot of good goalies in our league, he’s national player of the year. They have the number one defense in the country. They’ve got some pretty good players in front of him, they keep the puck at the other end. They do play good defense, that is willing to block shots. It’s a combination of all of those things that are going to lead to your goaltender’s success and their save percentage.”

The team the Knights would fall to was Norwich University. In net for the Cadets was Tom Auburn, a junior with a 1.70 GAA and .929 save percentage. Rounded up, it’s a .930, but either way it is right on the edge.

On the other side of the bracket was the team that eliminated Oswego State, the Hobart College Statesmen. The Statesmen were a team that closely resembled the Lakers last season, scoring an identical 3.9 goals per game. But it was goaltender Liam Lascelle that gave Hobart College the edge. He made 26 saves on 28 shots in the Statesmen’s 3-2 victory over Oswego State in the quarterfinals. On the other side, Lakers goaltender David Richer only faced 15 shots, but allowed three of them to get past him and into the back of the net. Lascelle would finish with perhaps the most impressive season of any goaltender in the country. As a freshman, he posted a 1.64 GAA and .935 save percentage.

It should be no surprise that the 2018-19 national champions University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point met the .930 save percentage  criteria. Goaltender Connor Ryckman finished the national championship campaign with a .933 save percentage and 1.44 GAA.

The bottom line here is that all four semi-finalists last season had elite offenses that were paired with very solid goaltending. Oswego State has the offense to make the NCAA Div. III Tournament once again. But without better goaltending, a first round exit would seem more likely than a national championship. When the Lakers struggle to score or go up against a stout opposing goaltender, they will need their goaltender, whether it be Richer or Hansen, to match the opposition save for save. One aspect of the 2019-20 campaign that is different than last year is that there does not seem to be a clear cut starting goaltender for the Lakers.

“We get a hot goalie, whichever one it is, and the team’s got confidence in that goaltender, then, unlike the past couple years, it probably would not stay the same,” Gosek said. “With the group that we have, we’ll ride the hot hand. If someone clearly proves that they’re number one, and we have a number two, then so be it. If not, then it would probably be the same as the last year or two. We’re hoping [that] one can rise to the occasion and take a hold of it.”

Hansen, Richer and Steven Kozikowski all saw one period in the team’s first exhibition game. Hansen got the start for the Lakers, allowing one goal on three shots. The goal came after the Oswego State defense failed to clear the puck out of their own defensive zone, leaving Hansen out to dry for a goal that was not his fault. Richer stopped all nine shots he faced in the second period and Kozikowski closed the door with eight saves in the third period without allowing a goal. Although Kozikowski will not start in the regular season most likely, he did make a couple big saves that could be in the back of Gosek’s mind moving forward. If Gosek wants to play the hot hand, it is realistic to assume that all three goaltenders could possibly be in play.

Following the SUNY Geneseo model, Oswego State has preached blocking shots as something to work on this offseason.

“Our team defense needs to be better,” Gosek said. “Our team, as a whole, needs to block more shots or we need to, at least, alter the path of shots so that we’re not giving teams second-chance opportunities by getting pucks to the net. There’s a commitment. We say it’s non-negotiable. It starts with what’s in front.”

The best-case scenario for the Lakers would be Richer stepping up this season like he did his sophomore year. With a defense that looks to be strong in front of the net even with the departure of Devin Campbell, Oswego State now just needs consistency in net to take them back to the NCAA Div. III Tournament.