It was a weekend for the ages for Oswego State men’s soccer as they picked up six road points at Buffalo State and SUNY Fredonia behind some impressive offensive performances. 

Senior Slater Bushen scored three goals between Friday and Saturday last weekend, earning himself the Oswego State Athlete of the Week as well as SUNYAC Offensive Player of the week.

The Three Mile Bay native did not begin this season on a good note after being sidelined with a minor injury, but has turned it around in the second week of SUNYAC play. Bushen’s three goals are now tied with sophomores Kyle Genrich and Kyle Hanner for the team’s best in the first week of October. Bushen’s weekend showing was more than enough to attract some buzz in the SUNYAC soccer community and he is certainly excited to be in the thick of things regarding Laker soccer.

“I just do the same thing I usually do [which is] go out there and try and make an impact for the team,” Bushen said. “I try to score as many goals as I can to put us up and get a lead to give our team confidence. For me it does not really matter whether I start or come off the bench, I am just here to make an impact for the team because boy, does it feel good to win.”

Captain and senior defenseman Caleb Munski, who has two goals this year, was excited to get Bushen back up top in the formation. Munksi is aware that his side has not exactly been the goal scoring apparatus the team was set out to be this year but with Bushen back and better than ever, it felt good.

“It was good to have him back,” Munski said. “We do have attacking threats on the team but they just were not firing on all cylinders at the moment. So getting back a senior leader in Slater who has had some experience in big games and big moments, to have him finish two goals in a matter of a minute and twenty-eight seconds that got us going at Buffalo State and then one to get us going at SUNY Fredonia, it is just good to have him back.”

Even though Bushen’s recent goal scoring has created chances and wins for the team, it is not just the play on the field that has carried this Laker team to a sizzling start. The fans of the Oswego State men’s soccer team is a part of life for these athletes and coaches and that excitement they bring to each game will grow tremendously this weekend. 

Alumni weekend is on the horizon for the Lakers; on Oct. 8, they take on SUNY Brockport and on Oct. 9, SUNY Geneseo comes to town. This makes for a jam-packed weekend where former players, coaches and fans gather at Laker Turf Stadium to watch some soccer. Bushen said he is “stoked” and cannot wait to play this weekend in front of the alumni.

“It is just awesome that they are there and it really brings the spark that we need to get through the weekend,” Bushen said. “We are definitely ramping up and we could go this whole stretch without losing a game, partly due to all of the support from the fans and alumni. Seeing them in the stands just really gets me hyped up and I am sure it raises the level of play for everyone else too.”

Munski is just as ecstatic as Bushen about alumni weekend for many reasons. He gets to play in front of his older brother, Jacob Munski, who graduated in 2019, and all of the alumni who have put on the uniform before him. Not just the alumni but all of the fans that are returning to Oswego for alumni weekend makes things extra special to Munski. All of the experiences they have missed in the past couple years, to get them back, can certainly help carry the momentum the Lakers gained last weekend, in their attempt to capture six more points.

“It is my favorite weekend of the year,” Munski said. “Obviously beyond my brother coming back, having people who put on the same jersey as you, it is something special. Especially after a COVID-19 year, hearing they are coming back and seeing the tweets and media outlets surrounding this weekend with a lot of hype, it is amazing. Although, despite all of the hype, we still have to come out and do our jobs, get the six points again and give [the fans] something to look forward to come postseason.”

For the Lakers, Bushen and company are sitting fourth in the SUNYAC men’s soccer standings with three wins, a tie and no losses, good for 10 points. For the three powerhouses in front of them, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Cortland and SUNY Oneonta, all are undefeated through their first four contests. With five contests to go, Bushen is confident that no matter who the team suits up against, they will come ready to play.

“It does not matter whether [or not] they are [ranked] five, ten or eight million,” Bushen said. “We are coming to play and as long as we come to play, we play our game and we play with the intensity we know we are capable of then there will be no team that could stop us. I just believe that there is an aspect of this team that is unique to us. When we are together, when we have that vibe, when we have that culture, when we have that confidence, nobody is stopping us.”

William Rogers | The Oswegonian