Even though the temperature is dropping, the sports scene is heating up for Oswego State Athletics as playoff chases tighten up and conference championships are on the line.

Each of the Laker winter sports teams is preparing for the race down the stretch in an effort to reach postseason competition.  Regardless of the end result, February looks to provide an exciting month for Oswego State fans.

The No. 1-ranked men’s ice hockey team recently swept the season series against perennial rival Plattsburgh with a 3-2 win to improve to 20-1-0 and 12-0-0 in the SUNYAC.  Oswego State needs to claim three points in its final four games to clinch the top spot in the conference championship.  The Lakers have ascended to the top of the national polls due in part to ranking among the nation’s top teams in goals scored and defense. Eric Selleck ’12, Justin Fox ’11 and Chris Laganiere ’11 rank among the top five point-scorers in Division III, while Kyle Gunn-Taylor ’10 and Paul Beckwith ’12 have combined to post a .929 save percentage in goal.

The Oswego State women’s ice hockey team finds itself in a battle for one of the final spots in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference West tournament.  With an overall record of 6-11-1 and a league record of 4-7-1, the Lakers will continue to look to leading scorer Jenna Kirkwood ’10 and solid goaltender Emi Williams ’11 to help carry them into the postseason.  The schedule may help Oswego State, as five of its last seven games will be at the Campus Center Arena.

On the hardwood, both Laker men’s and women’s basketball squads are in the thick of the playoff hunt. The women’s basketball team sits tied for fourth place in the SUNYAC standings at 7-5 and 10-9 overall just barely past the halfway point of league play.  Oswego State has utilized the post presence of Kayla Ryan ’12 and Colleen McCready ’11, who are averaging over ten points and six rebounds per game, to help the squad contend for a playoff berth.  The Laker men started conference play 4-7 and boast an overall record of 9-8.  However, with seven teams separated by just two games and half of the schedule remaining, Oswego State is poised to make a charge towards the postseason.  Chad Burridge ’12 leads the squad, averaging more than 20 points and eight boards per contest.

The Laker men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams are preparing for the SUNYAC Championships Feb. 10 to 13.  The women’s squad, which has won three conference championships in the last five years, looks to again contend for the league title after finishing in second place one year ago.  The Oswego State men's team continues to push itself in an effort to improve on last season’s fourth place SUNYAC finish.

The swimming and diving teams are not the only squads getting ready for conference championships.  The wrestling team is gearing up for the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Championships on Feb. 20 hosted by RIT with 15 qualifiers earning a bid to the NCAA Championships March 5 to 6.  Eric Leusch ’10 leads the Laker grapplers with a record of 21-9 in the 285-pound weight class.

Men’s and women’s indoor track and field have reached the midway point of the season as the student-athletes take aim at qualifying for the SUNYAC Championships beginning Feb. 27.  Two athletes looking to make their mark are Mike Chamberlain ’12 and Roger Trigo ’13, who have each qualified for the ECAC Championships in the triple jump and shot put, respectively.

— Adele Burk

Oswego Alumni Association, Inc.
King Alumni Hall • SUNY Oswego • Oswego, NY 13126
315-312-2258 • 315-312-5570 (fax)
Email: alumni@oswego.edu
Web site: www.oswego.edu/alumni