The Oswego State and Buffalo State men’s ice hockey teams meet two times during the regular seasons as members of the SUNYAC. Now, one of those players has traded in the Bengals’ orange and black jerseys for the Lakers’ green and gold.

After two seasons with Buffalo State, junior Anthony Passero said he realized it was time for a change. He had a strong freshman season, leading the team with 29 points during the 2016-2017 season. Passero was named an assistant captain his sophomore year and continued to excel with a 28-point season. But, following the conclusion of the 2017-2018 season, Passero said he realized he was not as involved on the team as he wanted to be.

By the end of that second semester of his sophomore year, Passero said he did not have an interest in playing hockey at Buffalo State. He was either just going to go to school at Buffalo State or transfer to Oswego State and play hockey at the same time.

“It was just a decision I had to make, where I was either going to school or make a jump and transfer to Oswego,” Passero said.

Originally from Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, Passero’s family is only 15 minutes away from Buffalo State. While he played for the Bengals, he said he still lived at home.

“I was with them all the time. It was nice,” Passero said. “At the end of the day, it just wasn’t what I wanted it to be.”

While still at Buffalo State, Passero said he always admired what the Oswego State program had between the fan base, tight-knit community and the hockey rink. Passero said he reached out to one of his close friends, Josh Zizek, a junior at Oswego State, about the Lakers’ program.

Passero and Zizeked train together throughout the summer and played junior hockey together. The two talked all summer about the program, the Oswego community and classes, Passero said.

“Having him here and just being able to call him and really understand what it’s about was definitely easier,” Passero said. “Josh did a lot for me. I owe a lot to him.”

Before playing college hockey with Buffalo State, Passero was with the Fort Erie Meteors of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. He said he was not heavily recruited out of juniors, but Buffalo State gave him a chance. By the time Oswego State head coach Ed Gosek started to have interest in Passero, he had already committed to the Bengals.

Gosek said he was still able to watch Passero in the league games against Buffalo State. When Passero initially contacted Gosek about transferring to Oswego State, Gosek said he knew what he was getting before Passero even stepped foot on the ice.

“We knew he was a very effective player, and you had to limit his space because he was good at distributing the puck and making plays, which is what he is doing here,” Gosek said.

One of the biggest differences for Passero has been the distance from home, he said, as this is his first time living away from home. Passero said the first month was tough, especially since he was not on the ice yet. Past athletics, he said the academic transition has been smooth since Buffalo State and Oswego State are both state schools.

“It’s like I’m a freshman again, except I’m 23 years old,” Passero said. “It’s a new experience that not everyone gets to take in and get to experience.”

During the transfer process, Gosek said that he did not promise Passero anything other than a spot in the lineup, and it was up to Passero to determine how he fit in with the team. Currently, Passero plays on the second offensive line with freshman Travis Broughman and sophomore Tanner Spink.

“We don’t try to talk anybody into coming here, to be honest. We want people to want to come here,” Gosek said. “But, once we get them to visit or take a look and see that it’s the right fit, then obviously, they have to be comfortable with it.”

When Passero was with Buffalo State, he said one of the biggest weekends in both seasons was the one where the Bengals would square off against the Lakers. During his freshman season, Oswego State had the strong senior class with players like Kenny Neil and Steven Johnson. During his sophomore season, he said he enjoyed playing against Zizek.

“You knew what was coming your way. You brought your best every night,” Passero said.

Passero said all of the players admired some of the aspects of the Oswego State program, especially the crowd the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena brings which brings in, on average, 3,000 fans per game.

“You look at [Oswego State’s] record and even [Gosek’s] record and, it’s just insane how much success they’ve had,” Passero said. “They get every team’s best every night and that’s a cool opportunity.”

Passero is now looking through the other side of the lens as he prepares to travel to Buffalo State as a member of Oswego State’s team. He said he might feel bittersweet about the game, but he knows what is on the line.

“I’m excited to get there and see some of the people, like the trainers…I didn’t get to say goodbye to them when I left,” Passero said. “At the end of the day, it’s a SUNYAC game and we need two points.”

Even though Passero left all he knew in Buffalo, he said he does not regret going there for his first two years of college. But he said transferring to Oswego State was the best personal decision he has ever made for his hockey career.

“That was the first real ‘me’ decision that I’ve made in my hockey career,” Passero said. “At the end of the day, my closest friends really understood what I was doing. They appreciated that I had the passion to move on if I had to.”

Photo by Shea McCarthy | The Oswegonian