OSWEGO, N.Y. – Oswego Men's Hockey returned to Deborah F. Stanley this evening after weeks of being on the road to host the SUNY Canton Kangaroos. Looking to secure another dominant win against the Kangaroos and to continue their three-game winning streak, the Lakers came out hot from the first puck drop. Oswego's energy would be matched by a determined Canton squad, but it wasn't long before the Lakers opened their scoring reign, notching 2 goals before the end of the first period. As the 2nd period got underway, Oswego let up on their pressure, allowing Canton to find some rythym and net their first (and only) of the game. A back-and-forth end to the second would leave the score 2-1, in favor of the Lakers, heading into the final frame. The back-and-forth nature of the second persisted throughout the beginning half of the 3rd period, but towards the end the Lakers would run away with a 5-1 victory.  

THE BASICS 

Final Score: 

Oswego 5 (10-5-2, 6-1-0 SUNYAC) 

Canton 1 (5-12-1, 2-5-0 SUNYAC) 

 
Location: Deborah F. Stanley Ice Arena | Oswego, N.Y. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

An excited start by Oswego would be matched with an energetic Canton bench, but as both teams settled in the Lakers began to control the pace. An early hooking penalty called against Canton forward Brendan Morrow would give the Lakers the first turn on the power play just 2:23 into the first period. Hungry to open the scoreline, Oswego did not hold back from battering opposing net minder Nate Hopkins with a handful of heavy shots. Daniel Colabufo put one off the right pad of Hopkins, generating a prime rebound junior Connor Gatto would tap in on the backdoor at the 3:58 mark. Gatto's goal ignited a spark in the Lakers' offense as they would keep the Kangaroos contained in their zone for much of the period. As the 1st period clock began to expire it looked like the Lakers would have to settle for a 1-0 lead, but first year Ryan Burke found a way to add a second tally to the board before the buzzer.  

Another opening faceoff win would award the Lakers immediate zone entry and possession, putting the Kangaroos back on their heels, on defense. As the period got underway, Oswego let up on their pressure, allowing Canton to find some rythym and net their first (and only) of the night at the 6:37 mark. Colton Slipperley's goal gave his teammates some jump in the following minutes, but the Lakers would be undeterred, continuing to win puck battles and put shots on net. The remainder of 2nd period play would turn into a back-and-forth battle between programs, but neither would be able to improve the scoreboard, leaving the score 2-1 in the Lakers' favor heading into the final frame.  

The back-and-forth nature of the second persisted throughout the beginning half of the 3rd period. With both teams taking turns in possession at both ends of the ice made it hard for either team to gain consistent momentum. An offensive surge by team captain Matthew McQuade would generate a cross-crease shot pass to linemate Cameron Symons who would tip it top shelf behind Nate Hopkins, adding a third goal to the Lakers scoreline with 13 minutes left to play. A couple minutes later, Oswego would find themselves on the powerplay, once again, on which Ryan Burke would collect his second goal of the night, improving the Lakers' lead to 4-1 at the 12:48 mark. First year Brandon Cohen would follow his teammates scoring initiatives, notching a goal of his own just 3 minutes later at 15:30. As time began to expire, the Lakers kept up their second wave of energy, securing a 5-1 victory over the SUNY Canton Kangaroos and adding two more SUNYAC points to their campaign.  

WHAT'S NEXT 

Oswego Men's Hockey will make a quick trip to Cortland, N.Y. tomorrow Saturday, January 25th, looking to secure another dominant conference win but this time over the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons in their rescheduled matchup from 12/7/24. Puck drop is set to commence at 5:00 PM in Alumni Arena.  

Written by Matilda Pethrick 

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