Men’s hockey seniors gear up for one last game
By Sam Watkins
OSWEGO, NY– The Oswego State men’s hockey team has their sights set on a national title, but first they’ll have to take down the rival Plattsburgh Cardinals, to win the SUNYAC Championship this Saturday.
With 12 seniors on this years team, it’s more than just a fight a title, it’s a fight to keep their collegiate hockey careers alive.
Though senior goaltender Matt Zawadzki knows there is still work to be done, he can’t help but marvel at how quickly the years have passed.
“One of the first thing the older guys said, was it’s gonna go quick,” Zawadzki said. “Enjoy it, and when the opportunity comes like Saturday night, do your best to go out there and enjoy it, embrace it and make the most of it.”
Zawadzki has been in the net for big playoff games since his freshman year and isn’t quite ready to hand over the reigns.
“It’s a championship game, it’s exciting,” Zawadzki said. “Having Plattsburgh come to our rink isn’t something that our class has been able to do, so we’re looking forward to the opportunity to get out there Saturday night and win a championship.”
This year the team has been focused on keeping their thoughts in the present, but assistant coach Mark Digby believes the newfound sense of urgency, has led to the improved play from the seniors.
“There’s definitely urgency there,” Digby said. “I think we’ve seen it right since opening day. You know we were first doing workouts with the guys, you can see that every guy is playing with a little bit of a chip on their shoulder.”
The Lakers will host the Cardinals for the SUNYAC Championship game on Saturday, with puck drop scheduled for 7 pm.