Starting any season with a loss is not ideal, but the Oswego men’s soccer team has shown that after a tough loss, they are capable of brushing it off and coming into the next game with an improved mindset and a full head of steam. 

 After losing the season opener on Sept. 3 to Montclair State University, Oswego State bounced back the next day with an impressive 4-1 win against Baruch College. The following week, they were handed a 2-0 loss against a strong Hamilton College side. The team bounced back once again, and they won their next game against Ithaca College 3-1 on Sept. 11. 

Oswego State men’s soccer coach, Dan Kane, is looking to keep his players motivated all year, even after a tough loss. Entering his fifth year as the Oswego head coach, Kane said it is important to stay confident as a player.

 “A win always goes a long way, especially when you beat a good team that you can reflect back on and say, ok, we have what it takes to control the game and find a win,” Kane said. 

After the important win against Ithaca, both the team and Kane are looking to build on it. With divisional matches coming up next week, and the first one being at home against SUNY Fredonia, Kane knows he and his team are excited to start divisional play this season. 

“I would be lying if I didn’t say I had half an eye towards Fredonia and starting the conference season,” Kane said. “Especially at home, we cannot wait to put on a good performance for our fans who have been so loyal in supporting us.” 

Kieran Gilroy is currently leading the Lakers in goals and shots on goal this season. Gilroy has a great ability to move the ball and find the back of the net, even though he is listed as a midfielder. 

“[Gilroy] quickly took the role of pre-madonna forward and he is doing well with it. He is a tremendous ball striker, he has great feet, he really helps us with our build up play, and he definitely has the ability to score goals,” Kane said. “He started playing forward at the end of last season and he had some momentum for us so we have been keeping him up there and he’s been doing well.” 

Junior midfielder, Kyle Genrich, has taken on a veteran role on the team. Genrich, who played very well and recorded one goal and one assist in the teams win versus Baruch College emphasized how the team builds off of each other and off of every game. 

“The bond that we have between our team, I think the [freshman players] are very confident on the ball, and I think that is the biggest thing with soccer, if you are not confident on the ball, then you won’t succeed,” Gehnrich said.  “I just tell them, play how you usually play, and I think we have been playing very well. Especially against Montclair State, they were a good team, we fell short against them but we bounced back against Ithaca, big win.” 

As a team with eight new freshmen on the roster, it is important that the team has leaders like Genrich to help keep the team’s confidence flowing, especially for the new players.

“We can go straight down if we don’t pick it up,” Gehnrich said. “We were just telling them it’s gonna happen, we had our chances, if we finish those chances it’s a different game, we just have to stay true to ourselves and play our game and we’ll come out on top.”

Caleb Munski, a captain on the team, is aware that there are highs and lows of every season. Munski is also focused and ready for SUNYAC play this season. 

“We have Elmira [College] on the thirteenth, and we have Fredonia this weekend, and it is Alumni weekend as well so it is a very special weekend for all of us,” Munski said. “I think right now we are focusing on Elmira, we are focusing on their tactics, they are a very good side this year, but SUNYAC play is always something special. It is a very difficult league and every game is a dogfight so I think that the new players and even the returners have to keep in mind that even if you’re up 2-0 you can give up the lead, or if you are down 2-0, you can easily come back and steal a point.”

Since Munski is a long tenured veteran, he can identify which new players have what it takes to make an impact on this team. 

“Out of these new guys, their skill levels are tremendous,” Munski said. “They bring that level to the team. The veterans can show them the physicality and the calmness, but they bring eagerness, and rejuvenate our love for football, which is huge.”

With another loss against Elmira College on  Sept. 13, the Lakers are looking to bounce back yet again against Fredonia on Sept. 17.

Photo provided by Abigail Connolly