OSWEGO, N.Y. – Fresh off the Oswego State men's ice hockey team's astounding rise to the No. 1 spot in both the USCHO and D3Hockey.com polls, the Lakers will look to continuing riding the momentum, while also helping out those in need.

During the backend of a home-and-home series with Morrisville State at 7 p.m. on Saturday, men's ice hockey will take part in the program's first-annual "Teddy Bear Toss."

Dating back to the 1993-94 season when the Western Hockey League's Kamloops Blazers showered the ice with furry friends, venues all across the world have begun to follow suit. Generally occurring during the Christmas season, fans bring teddy bears and throw them onto the ice after the home team's first goal.

The animals are collected and, in this case, donated to the United Way, which sends them off as gifts to benefit the area. Those interested in participating should bring a new or gently used stuffed animal to toss. Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways Troop 10245 will also be in attendance to provide a teddy bear to those who do not have. In lieu of participating in the toss, donations are always welcomed.

As part of its annual campaign to help the United Way/SEFA, both the men's and women's ice hockey teams will be collecting canned goods and toys, prior to their respective games. The women will host Canton at 3 p.m. and the aforementioned men's team plays at 7 p.m.

On the ice, Oswego will look to keep its emotions in check and stay the course that has the team riding a 7-0-0 record overall and a 5-0-0 slate in the conference. Equally impressive, according to D3hockey.com, it is the first time a men's team has gone from unranked to the top spot in a single season. Since the teams' 2006-07 NCAA Division III Championship winning season, when the Lakers and Mustangs met for the first time, Oswego has dominated. Currently the all-time series record is 17-1-2 in the Lakers' favor.

Last season, Oswego swept both ends of the home-and-home series by scores of 5-1 and 4-0. In the first contest, Andrew Barton recorded a hat trick by sending a puck to the back of the net in each period. Shawn Hulshof and Alex Botten were the dominant players in the latter game. Hulshof tallied two goals, while Botten notched one and added two assists.

Tickets for Saturday's game are available at the box office, by phone at 315-312-3073 or online at tickets.oswego.edu.