After a 1-2-3 start to the 2021 season, the Oswego State men’s soccer team picked up four massive points this past weekend with a 1-1 draw against Plattsburgh State on Sept. 24 and a 1-0 victory over SUNY Potsdam on Sept. 25. 

Led by great goaltending and a rock-solid defense, the Lakers have plenty to be proud of after their matches. Freshman midfielder Derek Rivera, from East Rockaway, New York, believes that the team’s performance over the weekend was a step in the right direction.

“It was very important that we got the tie for one point, but that win was well needed,” Rivera said. “It sets a tone for the rest of the season.”

The Lakers are on a roll and look to keep riding on their recent success. Junior defenseman Caleb Munski, from Liverpool, New York, thinks that the Lakers are close to reaching their peak potential heading into this weekend.

“I think we’re getting there. There’s a lot of new faces on the team, obviously with the COVID year, but there’s also a lot of returning talent,” Munski said. “I don’t think we’re at our best point yet, but we’re on the cusp of it.”

As Munski mentioned, there are many new faces on the team this season, which can make it difficult for players to mesh together and stay on the same page. After a poor start, the Lakers are in a groove and head coach Dan Kane believes that his team has grown substantially since the beginning of this season.

“It’s crazy, the growth has been tremendous. Not all a straight line, we’ve had some ups and downs this season,” Kane said. “I will say we are playing, by far, our best soccer right now and the guys have a great mindset.”

Goalie Brian Terra had himself a fantastic weekend as he stopped 10 of 11 shot attempts. Terra also picked up his second win along with his third shutout of the season on Saturday against SUNY Potsdam. The Lakers owe much of their recent success to the graduate student goalie.

“Brian’s amazing. All three of our keepers, Finn Costello and Matt D’Arpino as well, they help him out in practice,” Munski said. “It’s nice to know he has our back in net, and we have his on the field.”

The Lakers take on Buffalo State on Oct. 1, and SUNY Fredonia on Oct. 2, which are also the team’s final road games of the season. Heading into this weekend’s matchups, Kane believes that the team does need to make some improvements to their game.

“It’s only the second time our guys have played back-to-back weekends and they’re learning from that, it’s a challenge physically and mentally,” Kane said. “Just doing the simple things as well as we possibly can, each team we play in the SUNYAC presents different challenges and we have to embrace those challenges.”

Munski also said that the team should be more consistent with their ball movement and thinks that there is room for improvement for his squad following the previous two matches.

“There were moments in both games where you can see our short passes weren’t where they needed to be,” Munski said. “But when they were, we looked unstoppable.”

Revenge games always have a different feeling about them compared to others, especially for the team who’s seeking revenge. Back in the 2019 season, the Lakers lost to both Buffalo State and SUNY Fredonia, which Kane has certainly not forgotten about.

“It’s a revenge game. We went to Buffalo in 2019 and 2017, my first year here, and we haven’t done well,” Kane said. “The same was said about going into Plattsburgh though, and we had success there last weekend, so we’re ready to get to Buffalo and take care of business.”

The Lakers have their final two away games this weekend before playing their remaining five games at Laker turf. Having that many home games to end a season is certainly encouraging for a team looking to make a run at the SUNYAC playoffs, but before the homestand, the team looks forward to their final road trip of the regular season.

“The opportunity to get on the road is the opportunity to come together more,” Kane said. “So we’re looking forward to staying with each other and eating meals together, that’s a really fun and special thing we missed out on the last two years.”

Before the Lakers hit the road for their weekend matches, they had some messages for the fans and community about the immense support they have received from them.

“We really can’t ask much more from them,” Rivera said. “We appreciate their support.”

Munski, who is a captain for the Lakers, also had a message to the fans and community about how much they have done for the team.

“Their continuous support means a lot to us,” Munski said. “We have two games this weekend, so come and support, and we’ll put on a show.”

Sitting at 2-2-4 after a win and a draw over this past weekend puts Kane, Munski, Rivera and the Lakers in a prime spot to make a run for the playoffs. They travel to western New York on Oct. 1 afternoon to take on Buffalo State, followed by a trip to go up against SUNY Fredonia on Oct. 2 afternoon as they look to sweep their two-game weekend set.

William Rogers | The Oswegonian