By Jack Perdek

Youth and experience has begun to pay off for the 2021-2022 Oswego State Lakers, now with an overall record of 7-2 including a 2-0 start in conference play.

Men’s lacrosse has been gaining respect around the SUNYAC conference following last year’s shortened season and 0-7 conference record. They have already crossed SUNY Plattsburgh and SUNY Potsdam off their to-beat list, and now face five more SUNYAC games until playoff time.

First year head coach Sean Eccles has started to soak in his passion of coaching and getting to know his team. The relationships he has made and the intensity he has received from his players has given him something to smile at.

“It’s been amazing, everyday has been fun,” Sean Eccles said. “Everyday has been energetic, everyday they learn [the team] and I learn from them as a coach. They are constantly teaching me new things, I know it sounds a little bit backwards but for me as a young coach they show me the right way to do things.”

Although this team is young and has a lot of new faces on the block, they are not the only ones in the SUNYAC aiming to earn respect. This April 9 the Lakers will host SUNY New Paltz, a second year lacrosse program. Even if the Lakers have the edge 0ver the Hawks with experience, Sean Eccles says there is no room to look over a hungry opponent in this conference. He has a lot of respect for this opposition and what they will need to do to continue playing good lacrosse.

“I actually know coach Stewart very well, he’s an awesome coach. There guys play with an energy that’s hard to come by honestly,” Sean Eccles said “He knows how to get them excited to play, they have really good players, we don’t look at them as a second year program, we look at them as a team that could beat us every given day because in this league that’s how it goes.”

This should be a good match up for both teams considering this is the first time these players have ever matched-up. With a lot of offensive firepower like this year’s Laker team has; they should be able to rely on their leading scorers such as Gavin Elston, Weston Gray and Sean Eccles’ brother Ryan Eccles. 

Looking more at these leading scorers, in the game of lacrosse it is important to set your attacks up with scoring chances. Eccles recognizes the talent of the top three scorers, but says it would not be possible of the other three guys including players like Liam Sexton. 

“I would say it’s the other three that open up space for them, they are very good at riding the ball back,” Sean Eccles said. “ For Liam Sexton, everyone’s looking at his offense but really it’s the way he rides. It’s the turnovers that they [Sexton, Corey O’Connor and Max Brodman] cause and the chaos they create by running hard. Our offense is playing good defense, they’re getting the ball back giving us more possessions. For me it’s not just looking at the three guys leading in points, it’s the guys around them that’s creating for them.”

Players on the team like O’Connor were large contributors in Oswego State’s 22-18 win against SUNY Potsdam on April 5. The freshman from Watertown was all over the stat sheet in the win, notching four goals through the net and assisting the ball twice. As a first year player, and in the eyes of his coach, O’Connor has been one of the most versatile players on the field.

“Corey’s growth has been outstanding from the time he got on campus,” Sean Eccles said. “Obviously my role has changed but when he got here we stuck him at middy and he just did his job. We had some lineup changes, we stuck him at attack. He’s one of those guys where his role changes game by game. Some games it’s hard, primary dodger, play off ball and with a kid like him no matter what it is he says ‘alright’ and does his job which is very impressive.” 

Despite O’Connors’ spark on the attack, the team had a near disaster in the third quarter against the Bears getting shut out five goals to zero. After the quarter ended the scoreboard read 17-12 Lakers but was something that Eccles and his coaching staff noted for defensive improvements. 

Sean Eccles credited his defense with an overall good performance. He said that although there was a third quarter collapse that it would be a focus of play to tweak and correct moving forward. Sean Eccles is proud of the way his team battled and rallied in their third closest game of the year.

“That was one of the more interesting games I’ve been a part of,” Sean Eccles said. “I think just the focus going out of halftime we just got out of it, we made some personnel changes. We took a lead for granted. Across the board offensively we did not value the ball, it really shifted into our defense. I thought our defense has been very good but struggled a bit against Potsdam. We just lost focus. That’s on us as a coaching staff.”

At least Sean Eccles is happy with the faceoff statistics that his team has been able to shine with of late. Oswego State is 64% on faceoff wins this season and winning the neutral field battles of late. Sean Eccles knows his guys as a collective unit are making their offensive players’ lives a whole lot easier. 

“Logan, Tyler Stevenson, Owen Spearing, Rob Nelson Scordo, other wing guys as a unit they have done outstanding. Everybody always looks at the guy who’s taking the draw, but really it’s six seven eight guys that are doing an outstanding job,” Eccles said. Getting dirty ground balls, making huge hustle plays between the retraining line, our units have been good. There’s still some things we’re looking to clean up, but it’s been impressive and we’re happy with it.”

To continue this momentum going into SUNY New Paltz tomorrow and SUNY Geneseo April 15, Eccles knows the key to success starts with the ‘do your job’ mindset.

“We just do our jobs, we get dirty when it’s time to get dirty on ground balls. We play good hard defense, we move the ballon offense, we run and we sprint. It’s not about the fancy stuff, it’s about the attitude we have right now, I think we’re going in the right direction. We would like to keep improving, our attitude will get us there ultimately.”

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics