SUNYAC Semifinal Preview: Oswego Men’s Hockey vs Skidmore
The Oswego State Men’s Hockey Team will host the Skidmore Thoroughbreds in the second round of the SUNYAC Playoffs this Saturday, February 28th at 7:00PM.
The Lakers took care of business Wednesday night, steamrolling the Buffalo State Bengals in the first round by a score of 5-1. With 5 different Lakers finding the back of the net, the offense looked good, but Head Coach Ed Gosek credits his defense, saying “I’m proud of the guys’ effort. I thought we were strong defensively, and we’ll keep building on that.”
“You just need to take care of your own business this time of year. Survive and advance.” says Coach Gosek, and that is exactly what Skidmore found a way to do in the first round, fighting tooth-and-nail, buzzer-to-buzzer with the Plattsburgh Cardinals. They were able to scrape out a nailbiter 4-3 win, but nearly fell victim to a three goal comeback from the Cardinals.
With the matchup set for this Saturday, the #2 Lakers have the statistical edge, and have swept the Thoroughbreds this season. The first game ended 3-1 in Oswego, and was a special night, as the Oswego Men’s Hockey program retired the #1 jersey in honor of Pete Sears. The second game was even more of a blowout, as Connor Gatto netted 2 in a dominant 5-1 victory.
On the other side of the bracket, there’s arguably even more at stake for the Hobart Statesmen. Undefeated on the year, Hobart currently holds the NCAA record for most consecutive home wins (and counting) with 66. The Cortland Red Dragons were one of the few teams this season that kept it close against Hobart, and are looking to end the streak after a narrow 2-1 defeat just a few weeks ago.
You can catch the Oswego game this Saturday, February 28th at 7:00PM in the Deborah F. Stanley Ice Arena, or online at the link below on WTOP-10.