BRACKET

OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Oswego State men's ice hockey team (18-5-2 overall, 13-2-1 SUNYAC) will be hosting a SUNYAC Championship semifinal at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the Marano Campus Center Arena. Oswego will play the lowest remaining seed in the SUNYAC Championship, following Wednesday's first round matchups. Oswego earned a bye into the semifinal round after clinching the No. 1 seed on Feb. 9 with a 4-2 win over then-No. 7/7 Geneseo.

SUNYAC semifinal tickets for the public will be made available for purchase beginning on Wednesday. The box office will be open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for its normal hours of operation (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.). To purchase tickets in-person visit the Marano Campus Center Box Office.  Tickets can also be purchased by calling (315) 312-3073 or by buying online.

Third-seeded Buffalo State will host the sixth-seeded Potsdam Bears at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. For the other first round matchup, Plattsburgh, the fourth seed, will host fifth-seeded Fredonia. As the second seed, Geneseo receives a bye like Oswego. The Lakers hold a 7-2-1 regular season record against the remaining teams.

This is the ninth time Oswego has clinched the No. 1 seed under head coach Ed Gosek (in his 15th season). In the past 10 seasons, the Lakers have secured the top seed six times. Since the tournament moved to single-elimination games during the 2006-07 season, Oswego is 8-3 in semifinal matchups.

The Lakers currently boast the top scoring defense in the conference (1.68 GAA), which also ranks third in Division III. Oswego's defense was particularly effective in conference play, with a goals-against average of only 1.31.Sophomore goaltender David Richer is tied for the second-best save percentage in the nation, stopping .939 of shots he faces, along with the second-best goals-against average (1.44). As a team, Oswego only allowed 39 goals in 24 games for a goals-against average of 1.61, good for first place in the conference. The second place team, Buffalo State, finished more than 10 goals behind the Lakers (50).