Just over a month ago now, the Oswego State men’s hockey team’s season ended at the hands of their timeless rivals. Regardless of whether or not the Lakers season ended the way they wanted to, they still accomplished a lot in their 2023-24 season.

What the Lakers did not know at the time was that would be their last game of the 2023-24 season, and for some of the players, would be their last time playing on the Deborah F. Stanley Arena ice. 

“That is a game where truthfully, we thought we gave our best effort and probably deserved a little better fate,” Jon Whitelaw, the assistant coach for the men’s hockey team, said. “But sometimes, the hockey gods and the world work in weird ways and the outcome did not end in our favor.” 

The Lakers fell to the Plattsburgh State Cardinals in overtime with a final score of 3-2. 

Although it was not the outcome they hoped for, the Lakers still had a remarkable season, finishing the season with an overall record of 16-9-1 and a conference record of 12-5. 

“For us it is important to take away a lot of the positives that came from this season,” Whitelaw said. 

Whitelaw said that this season, the Lakers were faced with some of their highest highs and their lowest lows. 

“We had some very good games,” Whitelaw said. “Unfortunately, we were a little bit inconsistent and probably lost games we shouldn’t have.” 

Now that the season has come to a close, it comes time when the Lakers will face an even bigger loss, which involves 13 valuable seniors, one of those seniors is assistant captain Shane Bull, who recently signed with the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder. 

Bull had a remarkable season with the Lakers, accumulating 42 game points this season in just 26 games through 22 goals scored and 20 assists. His outstanding performance earned him the 2023-24 Herb Hammond Player of the Year award, which is a distinguished honor within the SUNYAC hockey community. 

“[Bull’s] legacy with us will be a story and example that we can use for other guys that are maybe in a similar situation,” Whitelaw said. “Success doesn’t come right away, but with effort and dedication guys typically get rewarded.” 

Bull was also named an East First Team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association, alongside his fellow assistant captain Tyler Flack, who was named an East Third Team All-American. 

Flack is also a part of this year’s senior class and had quite the season. During the 2022-23 season, he only managed four points off one goal and three assists. This season, Flack had a huge turnaround, accumulating 40 points off 17 goals and 23 assists. 

Flack and Bull were not the only seniors with quite the performance. Even after facing a tough injury during the 2022-23 season, Tristan Francis returned this season stronger than ever. 

All his effort on and off the ice led him to be named SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year. Created in 2016, Francis is only the fourth defenseman to receive this honor. 

“There were a lot of good personal stories this season,” Whitelaw said. “This group was a special group.” 

The Lakers may have had to say goodbye to many players who have made a great impact on Oswego hockey, but they also said hello to some new faces this season who did not disappoint. 

Travis Baker, Cam Symons, Brock Krulicki, Jonathan Balah and Brandon Milberg were a part of the new crew to rep the green and gold, all of them having their time to shine out on the ice. 

Of the new bunch, Krulicki appeared and accumulated the most points, appearing in 20 games and amassing nine points on six goals and three assists. 

As these players and other returners head into the postseason, they will slowly prepare for next season, as Whitelaw and head coach Ed Gosek continue to recruit new faces to fill the shoes of the seniors who have certainly left their mark on the Oswego hockey program. 

Photo by: Oswego Athletics