Oswego, NY – The Lakers hosted the Buffalo State Bengals on Saturday night in the Deb. In this fiery match-up, the Lakers emerged victorious 6-1 on a night where they celebrated their seniors.  

BASICS 
Oswego: 6 (17-6-2, 14-4-0 SUNYAC)
Buffalo State: 1 (9-15-1, 6-11-1 SUNYAC)
Deborah F. Stanley Ice Arena | Oswego, NY 

HOW IT HAPPENED
Oswego dictated the pace from the opening puck drop, outshooting Buffalo State 43-20 and converting on four of six power-play opportunities in a statement win on home ice.

The Lakers broke through late in the first period after sustained pressure in the offensive zone. With Buffalo's Andrey Manov in the box for roughing, Colin Vassallo buried a power-play goal at 16:26, finishing a crisp sequence from Jesse Horacek and Nico Paone to give Oswego a 1-0 lead heading into the intermission.

The special team's unit wasted no time doubling the advantage in the second. Just 1:29 into the frame, Ryan Burke cashed in on another power play, redirecting a Paone feed with help from Vassallo for what proved to be the game-winning goal. Oswego struck again at 5:40 when Adam Grenier finished at even strength off a Vassallo setup, stretching the lead to 3-0 and putting Buffalo State on its heels.

While tempers flared midway through the second with a series of roughing and misconduct penalties assessed to both sides, the Lakers remained composed. Goaltender Brandon Milberg turned aside 19 shots, including key stops during Buffalo State's three power plays, to preserve the shutout bid deep into the third period.

Oswego put the game out of reach in the final stanza. Matt McQuade scored twice in a span of just under two minutes — first unassisted at 6:48, then on the power play at 8:44 off feeds from Connor Gatto and Tommy Bannister — to extend the margin to 5-0. After Buffalo State's Andrew Langlois spoiled the shutout at 11:07, Brandon Cohen answered quickly with a power-play strike at 12:43, set up by Horacek and Vassallo, restoring the five-goal cushion.

Vassallo led the charge with a goal and three assists, factoring in four of the Lakers' six tallies. Paone added two assists, while McQuade's two-goal effort highlighted a dominant performance in the faceoff circle as Oswego wothe battle at the dot, 39-29.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Lakers will host a first round game of the SUNYAC Tournament once again against Buffalo State on Wednesday February 25^th at 7:00 PM.