The Oswego State men’s soccer team is currently in a good position within the standings considering how the season started, with the team stumbling to a 1-2-4 start. Luckily for the Lakers, their playoff chances are only defined by their play in the SUNYAC and currently, the team has rebounded to sit third in the standings at 4-1-1 against conference foes. 

Still, that record is in jeopardy as the Lakers are set to face the three toughest teams in the conference other than themselves to finish off the regular season. With a four point edge over fifth place Buffalo State, as of now, the Lakers would host a first-round matchup against the Bengals.

The team has to be able to squeeze a tie out of the next three games against SUNY Cortland, SUNY New Paltz and SUNY Oneonta to be able to clinch a playoff bid without the help of other teams. The chances of hosting a playoff game will come down to the Lakers’ ability to secure victory against the formidable teams entering Oswego State over the next two weekends. 

There is hope for a tie or win to occur due to the excellent play of the Lakers defense throughout the entire SUNYAC schedule, allowing only 1.00 goals per game since conference play began. The six goals against the green and gold in the SUNYAC have Oswego State ranked third overall in goals against. 

The problem that could cancel that out is that the Lakers have only scored more than one goal in four of their 12 matchups this season. The team has shown flashes of offensive potential since the return of forward Slater Bushen from injury five games ago. Bushen has put three goals in the back of the net, this coming off of just 10 shots taken. Putting his shots resulting in a goal percentage at .300, the highest on the Lakers. 

The team also received an answered prayer off the ricochet score of forward Ryan Young in the 108 minute on Oct. 8 against SUNY Brockport, to give the Lakers a 1-0 win. Young’s goal propelled the team to 13 points in the SUNYAC standings and gave the team its fourth consecutive victory. That goal may prove vital in determining where Oswego State ends up in the playoff bracket. 

The goal for the men’s soccer team will be avoiding what happened in 2019 to the team over the last two weekends of the regular season; being outscored by a margin of 5-0 over its last three games, losing all three. This resulted in the team losing its home playoff game and having to travel to SUNY Cortland for the first round of the SUNYAC playoffs. A game in which the Lakers saw their season disappear on penalty kicks in a 1-1 tie, with penalty kicks going in the Red Dragons favor 6-5. 

Oswego State did close the 2019 regular season with three straight games on the road. This year it will be three straight at home. The standings could fluctuate heavily the next two weekends, the Lakers hope to shift them in their direction this time around. 

Kailee Montross | The Oswegonian