OSWEGO, N.Y. – Oswego Men's Hockey hosted historical rival SUNY Plattsburgh this evening in this year's coveted Whiteout Weekend game. An energized start by the Lakers would catch the Cardinals off guard, notching the first goal of the game in the final minutes of a power play. The scoreline would remain 1-0 in the second period as both teams took turns on the penalty kill and on the power play. After a lackluster 2nd period, the Lakers meant business in the third, improving their lead to 5-1 before the final buzzer.
THE BASICS
Final Score:
Oswego 5 (1-2-1, 1-0 SUNYAC)
Plattsburgh 1 (1-2-0, 0-1 SUNYAC)
Location: Deborah F. Stanley Arena | Oswego, N.Y.
HOW IT HAPPENED
An opening face off win by the Lakers would award them immediate offensive entry and shooting opportunities. A handful of heavy shots by Oswego would test Plattsburgh's starting goaltender Eli Shiller, but the game would remain scoreless. As the period got underway, the Cardinals would suffer two consecutive too-many-men penalties giving Oswego an extended turn on offense, on which first year Brandon Cohen would net the first of the game at 15:13 off a rebound generated by first years Colin Vassallo and Mike Urgo.
The early minutes of the second period would quickly turn into a back-forth-battle. With both teams fighting for every inch, the physicality of the game ramped up. The Lakers and Cardinals would take turns in the penalty box and on the power play, but neither would breakthrough, leaving the score 1-0 in favor of Oswego, heading into the 3rd period.
After a lackluster second period, the Lakers came out hot, extending their lead to 2-0 on the opening shift with goal scored by first year Jesse Horacek at 1:04. The following minutes would be a test of grit, as the Cardinals desperately tried to break it out of their zone, but Oswego continued to pepper Shiller with shots and keep the puck below their goal line. A deceptive low-to-high play gave sophomore Travis Baker a clear shooting lane to the net. His shot would sneak between the right arm and pad of Shiller, adding a third goal to the tally. An unfortunate bounce behind the Laker defensemen would send a Plattsburgh forward on a highly pressured breakaway. A series of saves by junior net minder Brandon Milberg would shutdown the Cardinals momentarily, but it wouldn't take long for Plattsburgh to finally push one over the line at the 15:45 mark. Undeterred by this goal, a determined Oswego offense continued to push, sending Connor Gatto on a breakaway, finishing on Plattsburgh's empty net. Despite their comfortable 4-1 lead, sophomore Cameron Symons found the back of the net once more before the buzzer, closing out their first competition of this weekend with a 5-1 win over No.12 SUNY Plattsburgh.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Lakers will return to action tomorrow night as they take on the SUNY Potsdam Bears in their second conference matchup of the weekend. Puck drop will commence at 7:00 PM in Deborah F. Stanley Arena. Go Lakers!!
Written By: Matilda Pethrick
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