Laker Game Preview: men’s hockey SUNYAC Championship
The final game of the SUNYAC Championship, and possibly the last game for the Oswego State men’s hockey team in this historic 2021-22 season. The road to the NCAA Division III tournament goes through the SUNYAC conference this season as the Lakers head on the bus back to SUNY Geneseo to take on the Ice Knights in the Ira. S Wilson Arena.
What is expected to be a sold-out crowd will be a game in which the Lakers look to take the SUNYAC Championship for the first time since the 2013-14 season. SUNY Geneseo has won the last two in their own barn against the Oswego State Lakers.
There is a lot riding on this contest for both teams. A win could mean a bid to the national tournament for both sides. A loss for Oswego State will mean the end to their season. For the other side, SUNY Geneseo can rely on the at-large bid to keep their campaign alive.
Season History
Both teams have already played each other twice this season with one game in each location. SUNY Geneseo was able to sweep Oswego State with a 6-1 win in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena and a 4-2 victory back on SUNY Geneseo’s campus.
Back on Nov. 20th, 2021, SUNY Geneseo traveled to Oswego State to take on the Lakers in a regular season conference game. Geneseo would get hot to start and score four goals in the first period that resulted in Eric Green stepping in to relieve starting netminder Steven Kozikoski. Oswego State would net one goal all game which came off the twig of Alex DiCarlo in the third period, a little too late to think about mounting a comeback.
Later in the season, Oswego State would load the bus to make the journey to the south of Rochester to take on the Ice Knights. The recently renovated arena with a packed crowd saw another Geneseo win with a 4-2 result. The Lakers played a much better hockey game but still struggled in the first twenty minutes of the contest. Kozikoski struggled to make saves in the first period as the netminder finished with 34 saves and 58 minutes played.
Previous Game
OSWEGO STATE
The Lakers defeated SUNY Cortland on Wednesday night in the semifinal round of the SUNYAC Championship. The 4-0 victory put the Lakers back in the championship for the third straight time. The shutout was a result of the performance on the defensive side of the puck. Oswego State had 12 blocks in front of Kozikoski who received credit for the shutout.
Alex DiCarlo put Oswego State on the scoreboard in the first 23 seconds of the contest after the junior forward caused a turnover in the low slot and shot it past SUNYAC Co-Player of the Year Luca Durante. The story of the night was Oswego State’s second line which featured three goal scorers. Shane Bull, Tommy Cahill, and Tyler Flack all scored in the contest to push the Lakers to the next game in the post season.
SUNY GENESEO
On the other side of the playoff bracket, SUNY Geneseo beat Rochester rival SUNY Brockport by a score line of 3-1. An empty netter in the final stanza put the close contest away after the Golden Eagles were able to get a goal past Matt Petizian who made 18 saves in the contest.
SUNY Geneseo was led by Dan Bosio who scored two goals in the contest. Peter Morgan who leads the team in points also had two assists in the contest. Another bright spot for the Ice Knights was the powerplay that went two for three over the course of the contest.
By The Numbers
RECORD (conference) [vs. each other this season]
OSW: 18-6-1 (12-3-1) [0-2-0]
GEN: 21-3-1 (12-2-1) [2-0-0]
GOALS (per game) [vs. each other this season]
OSW: 88 (3.5) [1.5 vs. GEN]
GEN: 118 (4.72) [5.0 vs. OSW]
SHOTS (per game) [vs. each other this season]
OSW: 840 (33.6) [28.0 vs. GEN]
GEN: 957 (38.3) [22.5 vs. OSW]
POWER PLAY (percentage) [vs. each other this season]
OSW: 23 / 103 (22.3%) [1 for 10]
GEN: 29 / 104 (27.9%) [2 for 9]
PENATLY KILL (percentage) [vs. each other this season]
OSW: 72 / 84 (85.7%) [7 for 9]
GEN: 68 / 80 (85.0%) [9 for 10]
Statistic Leaders
OSWEGO STATE
GOALS
- Alex DiCarlo 14
- Travis Broughman 13
- Tyler Flack 7
- Tommy Cahill 7
ASSISTS
- Travis Broughman 16
- Connor Sleeth 16
- Alex DiCarlo 12
POINTS
- Travis Broughman 29
- Alex DiCarlo 26
- Connor Sleeth 22
SHOTS (percentage)
- Travis Broughman 101 (.129)
- Alex DiCarlo 77 (.182)
- Connor Sleeth 74 (.081)
PLUS-MINUS
- Ryan Bunka +16
- Travis Broughman +14
- Connor Sleeth +10
SAVE PERCENTAGE
- Steven Kozikoski .930
- Eric Green .889
- Richie Parent .667
GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE
- Steven Kozikoski 1.90
- Eric Green 2.15
- Richie Parent 9.00
SUNY GENESEO
GOALS
- Dan Bosio 20
- Justin Cmunt 16
- Peter Morgan 16
ASSISTS
- Peter Morgan 24
- Matthew Doran 16
- Brendan Miller 16
POINTS
- Peter Morgan 40
- Dan Bosio 27
- Brendan Miller 23
SHOTS
- Justin Cmunt 76
- Peter Morgan 76
- Dan Bosio 69
PLUS-MINUS
- Alex Wilkins +30
- Nathan Poolman +23
- Peter Morgan +21
SAVE PERCENTAGE
- Christian Roth 1.000
- Matt Petizian .935
- Adam Harris .925
GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE
- Christian Roth 0.00
- Matt Petizian 1.59
- Adam Harris 1.73
Players To Watch
OSWEGO STATE: RYAN BUNKA
Defenseman Ryan Bunka leads the Lakers in plus-minus this season sitting at +16. For the Lakers, the defenseman is a positive influence on the ice, both on offense and defense. Bunka had two goals and six assists for a total of eight points over the course of the season. The defenseman will need to make an impact in the defensive zone this evening to ensure the Lakers keep Geneseo from scoring. Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.
SUNY GENESEO: PETER MORGAN
The Ice Knights offense goes through Peter Morgan. The forward has 40 points in his rookie campaign with 16 goals and 24 assists. The freshman is also +21 when he is on the ice for SUNY Geneseo. If the SUNY Geneseo squad wants another SUNYAC Championship to add to their program, Morgan is going to need to have a night and lead the Ice Knights on the offensive end of the puck.
How We Got Here
SUNYAC First Round
No. 3 Plattsburgh State vs. No. 6 SUNY Brockport
PLA 6 – 7 BRO
No. 4 SUNY Cortland vs. No. 5 SUNY Fredonia
COR 5 – 1 FRE
SUNYAC Semifinal Round
No. 1 SUNY Geneseo vs. No. 6 SUNY Brockport
GEN 3 – 1 BRO
No. 2 Oswego State vs. No. 4 SUNY Cortland
OSW 4 – 0 COR
SUNYAC Championship Round
No. 1 SUNY Geneseo vs. No. 2 Oswego State
Location: Ira S. Wilson Arena
Score TBD
Final Thoughts and Prediction
The Lakers need a win tonight to keep their season alive as the Oswego State Lakers are too far out for an at-large bid. On the other side of the rink, the Ice Knights can afford to not win the SUNYAC Championship this evening on home ice. The rowdy barn is going to have a great playoff atmosphere that feels like a NCAA Division I rink.
Oswego State needs to have a good first twenty minutes to stay in this contest. If SUNY Geneseo is up by three at the end of the first period, the game is out of reach. If the Lakers play a good first stanza, the final forty minutes will decide who gets the conference championship. The name of the game is supporting netminder Steven Kozikoski and letting the top two lines carry the Oswego State offense.
Prediction: 3-2 OT Oswego State
Photo by Shelby Peplowski | WTOP 10 Photography Department
