The Oswego State men’s soccer team currently has a conference record of 1-2-2. They are tied in fifth place with SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Plattsburgh. The Laker matchup against Plattsburgh is going to be an important one on Oct. 8. SUNY Brockport leads the conference with an undefeated conference record of 5-0. The Lakers only lost to Brockport by a score of 1-0 on Sept. 21. That game shows how close the SUNYAC contests can be. 

   The Lakers matchup against Plattsburgh this Oct. 8 is going to be very important in terms of rankings. Since they both have five points so far this season, they will be dueling it out to get ahead in the rankings. The farther up a team is in the rankings, the better. High ranked teams play the low ranked teams, so the higher the Lakers finish, the better chance they have this year in the playoffs. Their path to the finals for a second year in a row will be easier if they finish out the season strong.

   Caleb Munski, captain of the Laker soccer team, is looking to continue his strong defensive showing this season. He is going to be a focal point for the Lakers to finish out the season. With only four matchups left before playoffs, Munski knows it is important to finish strong. Munski has expressed that the energy needs to stay consistent throughout the season.

   “We are just trying to keep the momentum rolling. We are trying to string a few good games together,” Munski said. “We beat Utica [University] and then came back out and put up a strong performance against [SUNY] Potsdam. But to really prove yourself in the SUNYACs you have to put multiple games in a row together.” 

   As a fifth year player on the team, Munski knows ways he can bring the team together through off the field activities. 

   “The energy needs to stay high at practice, not everyone is going to have a good day, but as long as most people on the team can keep their energy up I think it’s contagious,” Munski said. “We are also trying to stick together as a team and hangout outside of practice. Maybe grab some lunch together or let the underclassmen swipe the upperclassmen in for some meals.” 

     One player that will be important for the Lakers to keep moving up the ranks is freshman goalkeeper Andre Bourjolly. Bourjolly has started in goal for the past three games for the Lakers. There is always going to be pressure put on the underclassmen when they have to perform in big games. But Borjoully has stepped up to that level. In an interview with Laker head coach Dan Kane, he said he is confident in Bourjolly after his recent performances. 

      “Andre comes from one of the best club systems in New York,” Kane said. We saw him play a lot and we had a tremendous amount of confidence in him and he’s got some natural gifts. He has grown into his position and it is exciting to see his confidence rise as well as the team’s confidence in him grow as well. He has played well these past couple games.” 

       Bourjolly said he has accepted his new role on the team after he made his start in a Laker win over Utica.

     “It was my first time playing the full 90 minutes, but with the help of my teammates and captains in the defense, I was able to have a successful game when we got the win,” Bourjolly said. 

       Bourjolly has said that the whole team has been behind him, helping to boost his confidence.

       “All the upperclassmen, they support me, the other two goalies, Finnian Costello and Matt D’Arpino, they help me,” Bourjolly said. “When they work hard it pushes me to work hard. I give credit to my teammates for the wins, everyone in training has been pushing me to work hard.” 

     Since the Lakers tied 2-2 against SUNY Geneseo on Oct. 5, the Laker team will be looking to stay connected to close out the season. The game against SUNY Geneseo was a hard fought match, the Lakers scorers were Kieran Gilroy (5) and Hajoon Lee (2). It was close the whole game, and it was another exhibit of why SUNYAC matches are so important and how they can swing either way.  The Lakers season gets serious starting on Oct. 8 against Plattsburgh. If the Lakers come out of the weekend with a win their heads will be held high and their ranking will rise. 

Photo via Oswego Athletics