The Oswego State club hockey team has been steadily improving over the years under the helm of head coach Travis Hyde.  It’s all because of culture, as Hyde’s way of coaching has all the players bought in.

They all have one thing on their mind: winning their division and making a statement at nationals. In an interview I had with Trevor Jubran, the top scorer on last year’s team, I asked him to call his shot on his statline for this season, but he couldn’t resist the aspirations for championship gold.

“I hope my statline is a lot of blocked shots,” Jubran said. “A few goals, a few assists…and hopefully a ring on my finger.”

The Lakers have been knocking on the door for a while now, just recently losing to Buffalo State in their division’s semifinals after going 9-2 and placing second, so obviously the Lakers are coming into the season very hungry to make a splash in the Northeast Collegiate Hockey League (NECHL).

Their first matchup will not be easy as Villanova also finished second in their own division the previous season.  Last time the Lakers faced the Wildcats was Hyde’s first year coaching the team. Each team took a win in their two games back in 2021.

It’s crucial to start the season off with a win, and the Lakers look to do that as they face the Villanova University Wildcats on Sept. 15 and 16.