Despite overcoming the physical play of Hobart College and a 3-0 first period start by Elmira College, the scoreboard still did not go the Lakers way this past weekend.  

The Oswego State men’s hockey team sits at 0-2 after challenging games against Hobart College and Elmira College. The two teams the Lakers faced are now ranked fifth and 13th respectively in the NCAA Div. III men’s hockey rankings this week and Oswego State is treated with unranked opponents on the schedule this upcoming week.

The Lakers are on the road for Nov. 5 and Nov. 6 at SUNY Potsdam and Plattsburgh State respectively. Two teams that the men’s hockey team have had a field day with in recent memory. The Lakers have won seven of their past eight matchups against the Bears and six of their past eight against the Cardinals. 

Oswego State will have to overcome poor special teams play if they want these results of the past few seasons to hold up. This past weekend, the Lakers went on the power play eight times but were only able to net one goal from these opportunities, translating to an early season power play percentage of 12.5 percent. Compared to the 2019-20 season, Oswego State is already down 9.2 percent on converting man-up chances, as the Lakers posted a 21.7 percent conversion rate the last season they took the ice. 

To go deeper into the numbers and why this matters for the team’s success going forward, if they continue to average four power play opportunities per affair, the Lakers would only score a special teams goal every two games. This is a worrisome number as the team’s success in SUNYAC play in 2019-20 was linked to scoring on these chances, scoring a power play goal in 12 of 16 conference games. 

Also, stirring the pot for the team’s success is the netminding situation, as all three of the Lakers goalies saw action in the first two games of the season. Leaving the door open going into the first two SUNYAC games of who will be in net for the team. 

Junior Eric Green started against Hobart College and went the full length of the game, allowing three goals. The first goal of the night was an unlucky bounce off of an Oswego State defender and past Green. The following night in Elmira, saw the Lakers start freshmen Richie Parent, who only made it through the first period after allowing three goals. The rest of the game featured returning 2019-20 second half of the season starter, Steven Kozikoski. Kozikoski allowed two goals including the game winner with three minutes remaining. 

A stagnant offense was revitalized over the last two periods against Elmira College, as the team scored four of its five goals on the weekend in a stretch of play just over 21 minutes. 

The Lakers go into the weekend’s matches with leading point scorers on the season being Travis Broughman, Alex DiCarlo and Jared Nash. The three are the only skaters on the team with multiple points. Broughman sits at three points and is poised to try to match his 2019-20 total of 27 points, which was tied for the team lead with now-graduated Anthony Passero. 

To make the SUNY Potsdam matchup even more favorable for Oswego State outside of the recent success on the scoreboard against the Bears is the fantastic play of DiCarlo and Broughman in separate games against them in 2019-20. In the first matchup against Potsdam State, Broughman netted two goals and added two assists in an 8-1 avalanche effect rout. The Feb. 1, 2020 matchup up in SUNY Potsdam, saw DiCarlo score two goals in a 5-1 victory. Interestingly enough, the two did not play in the game against the Bears opposite of their offensive explosion, meaning this will be the first time SUNY Potsdam will see the two at the same time. 

The team will have to not overlook the Bears on Friday night as the most coveted game of the “North Country” road trip will be against Plattsburgh State, the Lakers fiercest rival on the ice. The last time Oswego State went to Plattsburgh, resulted in a 4-2 win on Jan. 31, 2020. This game featured two goals from DiCarlo, as he scored four in total during the 2020 version of the road trip north of Oswego. 

This road trip marked the start of Kozikoski’s run of success as the Lakers goalie in 2019-20, as the weekend served as the then-sophomore’s first SUNYAC starts. A start in net by the now-junior, would serve as his first start of the 2021-22 campaign, who has only lost to SUNY Geneseo in his nine start career; 6-2-1 overall. 

Improved special teams play, relying on positive trends in recent matchup history and continuing to ride DiCarlo and Broughman will all be on the Lakers agenda this weekend seemingly. The trip serves as the start of SUNYAC play, as the Lakers will return to the Deborah F. Stanley Ice Arena, next on Nov. 12 to face Cortland State. 

William Rogers| The Oswegonian