This past weekend, the Oswego State men’s hockey team wrapped their 2021-22 season with a loss to SUNY Geneseo in the SUNYAC Championship. For the third straight time, Oswego State traveled on the road to face off against the Ice Knights and could not get it done in the final game of the conference playoffs. The Lakers lost by a score of 6-1 in the Ira S. Wilson Arena Saturday evening. Head coach Ed Gosek had a few comments on the contest.

“I liked the way we played,” Gosek said. “We played well in the first period, and they got the one powerplay goal off the post. Second period they got two more powerplay goals and an odd man rush. The mistakes we made they capitalized on. Their goaltender played very well and in big games the goaltender must be the best player.”

SUNY Geneseo will go on to play in the NCAA Division III national tournament after their automatic bid for winning the conference. The Ice Knights will receive a bye into the next round and will host either Babson or Trinity depending on the winner this Saturday, March 12th.

Oswego State finishes its season with an overall record of 18-7-1 and a SUNYAC conference record of 12-3-1. The squad was the second seed in the postseason for the second straight year and hosted a semifinal game in the playoffs.

“It’s disappointing and I feel bad for our seniors,” Gosek said. “We have come a long way and we are proud of their efforts. We have made strives for the future, but it sucks to see our senior’s careers come to an end especially after COVID last year.”

The team with 21 new players was able to come together and have a successful season. The Lakers started the season 0-2 after dropping nonconference games to Hobart College and Elmira College, teams that are playing in the national tournament via at-large bids.

The Lakers found success in conference play like any past Lakers squad. The team’s only SUNYAC losses came against SUNY Geneseo twice and SUNY Fredonia who stole a game from Oswego State late in the season while the Lakers traveled on the road. For most of the season, Oswego State was one of the top teams chasing the SUNY Geneseo squad that held the top of the standings all season.

There were plenty of returning Oswego State players that contributed to the leadership core of the Lakers team this season. Captains Travis Broughman and Josh LeBlanc helped the coaching staff by guiding the team to returning to hockey this year after not playing during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Broughman also contributed on the statistic sheet night in and night out as the senior forward lead the team in points at the end of the year. The Virginia native had 29 points in 25 games played which featured 13 goals and 16 assists over the course of the season.

Alex DiCarlo was back at the top of the statistic list in his second season with the Oswego State team. The junior lead the team in goals with 16 and finished second in points with 26. Broughman and DiCarlo were the only Lakers above a point per game when the season came to an end.

Newcomers Connor Sleeth, Shane Bull, and Tyler Flack all broke out during their first seasons on the offensive side of the puck. The three forwards finished third, fourth, and fifth in points and were key parts of the offense. Tommy Cahill also found his form in the second half of the season after being a healthy scratch during the fall semester. Cahill finished the season as the second line center alongside linemates Bull and Flack.

On the defensive side of the puck, the newer defensive core featured six new players with two returners leading the group of skaters. Tyler Antonucci and Ryan Bunka played a key role in supporting the new players and transfers added to the Oswego State line up this season.

In between the pipes, Steven Kozikoski played as an anchor for the Oswego State team as the Lakers relied on his play to steal a few games this season against some solid oppoents. The netminder finished with a statistic line 1.90 goals against average and a .930 save percentage.

The Lakers will now look ahead to the off season and improve in the weight room and away from the rink. Oswego State will get back on the ice next fall for another full season in the SUNYAC conference for the 2022-23 season.

“The sun will come up tomorrow and we need to get better,” Gosek said. “We are recruiting the best players we can and developing the players that are here. Next season won’t start as a work in progress because we have so many guys with a season under their belt.”

Photo By William Rogers | The Oswegonian