Fans of Oswego State hockey filled the Deborah F. Stanley Arena as the Oswego State men’s hockey team played back-to-back SUNYAC matchups over the weekend. 

The Lakers faced the Fredonia State Blue Devils on Nov. 3 to kick off the weekend.

Taking the initiative right from the start, an assist from Lakers captain Quinn Warmuth let defenseman Tristan Francis fire the puck into the net, scoring the first goal of the game only four minutes into the first period. 

“Being able to get the first goal early in the year, I kinda don’t have to beat myself up over it; it felt good,” Francis said.

This season is Francis’ first season back since the 2021-2022 season, being out for the majority of the 2022-2023 season. 

The fiery offensive of the Lakers did not slow down after Francis’ goal, as forward Daniel Colabufo attempted a shot seconds later, but the score remained 1-0. Johnny Malandruccolo of the Blue Devils tied the game up shortly after the missed attempt by the Lakers. The Lakers retaliated back quickly, with defenseman Nolan Barrett bringing the Lakers back into the lead seconds later. 

Barrett managed to bring the score up again in the remaining two minutes of the first period, the Lakers taking the win 3-1 for the first period. 

During the second period, both the Lakers and the Blue Devils amped up their defenses, with neither team making it onto the scoreboard this period. Each team had 24 shot attempts by the end of the second period, with the Lakers leading 3-1.

The Lakers kept up their defenses in the third period, trying to stay in the lead against the Blue Devils. Forward Tyler Flack seized an opportunity with just two minutes left in the game, giving the Lakers’ the 4-1 victory against the Blue Devils to start off their SUNYAC season. 

On Nov. 4, the Lakers returned to the Deb for a second SUNYAC matchup against the Buffalo State Bengals.

The first period began quite calmly, as neither team managed to get themselves on the scoreboard. Colabufo managed to get the puck in the back of the net with just three minutes left of the third period. The Lakers ended the first period in the lead 1-0, having 14 shots on goal against the Bengals four shots on goal. 

Both the Lakers and the Bengals kept their defenses up through the second period. With the Lakers having nine shots on goal and the Bengals having five, both teams were unsuccessful getting onto the scoreboard this period. The Lakers kept the score 1-0 throughout the second period. 

Entering the final period, the Lakers strenghtened their offense. Just five minutes in, forward Brock Krulicki managed to give the Lakers another point. Nearly two minutes later, forward Shane Bull found the back of the net, putting the Lakers up by 3 points against the Bengals. Bull kept up the scoring streak, scoring another goal four minutes later. 

The Lakers remained in the lead throughout the rest of the game, not giving the Bengals the chance to make it on the scoreboard. The Lakers took a 4-0 win against the Bengals. Lakers goaltender Cal Schell stopped all 17 of the Bengals’ shot attempts, making this Schell’s first shutout of the season. 

Following their matchup against the Bengals, the Lakers traveled for another SUNYAC matchup against the Morrisville State Mustangs on Nov. 8.

The Lakers took another successful win in their third SUNYAC match, beating the Mustangs with a final score of 8-2. They also took the lead with 71 shots on goal, with the Mustangs only having 20 shots on goal. Bull and forward Connor Gatto scored the most points of the game, through six assists total between them both and two goals scored by Bull. 

The Lakers now sit at an overall score of 4-1 and remain undefeated in conference with a score of 3-0. 

The Lakers will travel again for their next game against SUNY Brockport on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.

Photo via: Oswego Athletics