After a successful weekend for the Lakers, they have moved into the No.1 spot for the SUNYAC men’s hockey standings. Oswego State took home a 7-3 win over Buffalo State on Feb. 17 and 9-0 win over SUNY Fredonia on Feb. 18.

Oswego State forward Trent Grimshaw scored a hat trick in the Lakers win over Buffalo State. Grimshaw now has 14 points tallied this season. Another hat trick was recorded over the weekend by Lakers junior forward Conor Smart. Smart electrified the Lakers and their fans in the 9-0 win over Fredonia.

  The two wins over the weekend gave the Lakers a first-round playoff bye. SUNY Plattsburgh also received a first-round playoff bye. Plattsburgh is listed as the SUNYAC No.2 seed. Having a first-round bye is beneficial for any team because they get more time to rest and practice than whichever team they are facing. 

Oswego will play against the winner of SUNY Geneseo and Fredonia. Plattsburgh awaits the winner of SUNY Cortland and Buffalo State. 

Lakers senior forward, Tommy Cahill, explains the team’s focus while going into the playoffs: “Same as last weekend, keep our focus, keep firing the puck from all cylinders. Stick to our game, and I think we’ll have a successful weekend here,” Cahill said. 

Cahill tallied one goal and two assists in the Lakers win over Fredonia. Cahill now has 19 points on the season and he will be looking to add more come playoff time. 

Another positive about being the No.1 seed is having home ice advantage for the playoffs. Cahill and his team are excited about receiving home ice advantage.

“We are pumped to be in front of our crowd too, with the atmosphere here it’s unbeatable. This is the first time we’ve had the home ice advantage in several years so we are excited about that too. We’re gonna do what we can to make the most of it,” Cahill said. 

Playing at home also makes it easier on the hockey players because they will not have to stress as much and take a long bus ride to a different campus. This can really throw off a player’s mentality going into the game. The longer you travel, the more tired you will feel upon arrival. Having the playoffs games here at the Deborah F. Stanley Arena is definitely a plus for hockey players here at Oswego State. 

Lakers men’s hockey head coach, Ed Gosek, acknowledges that the mindset for his team is different when entering the SUNYAC playoffs. 

“We have learned over the years that come playoff time, it’s survive and advance. Doesn’t matter whether it’s pretty like Saturday night, ugly like Friday night, you have to find a way,” Gosek said. “That’s the bottom line, and in the playoffs you have to have that mindset and openness that  you are going to get the best effort out of everyone you play here on out” 

Playoff games are always more exciting than regular season games. Coach Gosek knows that his players need to stay sharp and on top of their game heading into their SUNYAC semi-final matchup. 

“Power play and penalty kill in the playoffs are usually the difference in games,” Gosek said. 

Special teams in hockey will play a key part in these playoff games. The teams looking to take advantage on the power-play are the teams that are going to score goals. The Lakers currently have 19 goals on the power play this season and will be looking to add more to their tally during the playoffs. 

“The losses that we have had early on have helped us grow. It’s helped us address areas that we have to get better at,” Gosek said. 

Coach Gosek says that the out-of-conference matchups that they have had this season have helped the team grow and become better as a unit. Out of 25 games, the Lakers played top flight out of conference teams such as: Hobart College, Utica University and Adrian College. The results from these games have forced Oswego State to regroup and prepare for their next games. 

Photo provided by: Nate Zim