It is the final SUNYAC game of the season, as the No. 1 SUNY Geneseo Ice Knights host the No. 3 Oswego State Lakers in the men’s hockey SUNYAC championship at the Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena.

Last Time Out

Both Oswego State and SUNY Geneseo won the SUNYAC semifinals to advance to the championship.

Oswego State

The Lakers overcame bitter rival Plattsburgh State 3-2 following a loss to the Cardinals just the weekend prior to end the regular season. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Jody Sullivan (shorthanded) and Josh Zizek (power-play), Oswego State allowed a Cardinal power play goal but added another from Joseph Molinaro on a two-on-zero breakaway along with Anthony Passero.

David Richer made 23 saves on 25 shots, including 10 saves in the third period. Oswego State threw 25 shots on net, with Jimmy Poreda stopping 22 of them. Special teams was a factor for both squads, as the Lakers went 2-3 on the power play, and went 4-5 on the penalty kill while scoring one short-handed goal from Sullivan.

For the season, Oswego State won two of the three games against Plattsburgh State, with two regular season games and one playoff game. Both of the Lakers’ wins were at the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena.

SUNY Geneseo

The No. 1 Ice Knights defeated SUNY Fredonia 5-2 on Feb. 23. After finishing the first period tied at one goal, SUNY Geneseo would pull away in the second period to score four unanswered goals until the Blue Devils scored in the middle of the third period.

Andrew Romano had four points in the game (1g, 3a). His goal was the third Ice Knights’ goal of the night, and second on the power play. Conlan Keenan, Dan Bosio, Tyson Empey and David Szmyd all scored for SUNY Geneseo, as well.

Devin McDonald, the No. 1 goaltender in the nation, made 15 saves on 17 shots, and the Ice Knights threw 38 shots on net with Eric Bogart stopping 33 of them. SUNY Geneseo went 2-5 on the power play and went 2-3 on the penalty kill.

Overall, during the season series, SUNY Geneseo swept the Blue Devils in all three games, scoring 14 goals in those three games. The Ice Knights allowed only four in the same amount of games.

Playoff History of Lakers and Ice Knights

Since Oswego State and SUNY Geneseo have already faced twice this season, it would be better suited for playoff history so that the same numbers are not repeated as they have been in the last two articles.

Compared to the Lakers’ last five playoff games against Plattsburgh State, the series between SUNY Geneseo and Oswego State is a lot more spread out. The last five playoff games between the two teams were during the 2014 playoffs, 2009 playoffs, 1991 playoffs, 1990 playoffs and the 1989 playoffs.

Oswego State has won four of the five last games, but the official statistics are not recorded for the playoff games from 1989-1991. The scores, however, are known. In 1991, Oswego State won 6-2, and it also won in 1989 by a score of 5-4. During the 1990 playoffs, the Ice Knights took the win 7-6.

During the 2009 matchup, the Lakers won 5-1 en route to the SUNYAC championship where Oswego State fell to top-seeded Plattsburgh State. In the win against the Ice Knights, Eric Selleck scored twice and added an assist for the Lakers.

The most recent playoff match in 2014 also was a Laker win at the Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena by a score of 7-6 in an upset, where SUNY Geneseo was the No. 1 seed. Matt Zawadski made 40 saves in the contest. Alex Botton registered five points (1g, 4a), while Chris Carr and Matt Galati both contributed two goals and an assist.

By the Numbers

RECORD (conference) [last five playoff games vs. each other]

OSW: 19-5-2 (11-4-1) [4-1-0]

GEN: 23-1-2 (13-1-2) [1-4-0]

GOALS (per game) [last five playoff games vs. each other]

OSW: 102 (3.9) [29 / 5.8]

GEN: 128 (4.9) [20 / 4.0]

SHOTS (per game) [last two playoff games vs. each other]

OSW: 795 (30.6) [88 / 44.0]

GEN: 1,046 (40.2) [74 / 37.0]

POWER PLAY (percentage) [last playoff games vs. each other]

OSW: 31-117 (26.5%) [2-3 / 66.6%]

GEN: 37-130 (28.5%) [3-5 / 60.0%]

Lines (provided by Oswego State / SUNY Geneseo athletics)

Oswego State

Forwards

Derek Brown – Mitch Emerson – Joseph Molinaro

Tanner Spink – Anthony Passero – Travis Broughman

Josh LeBlanc – Josh Zizek – Michael Gillespie

Jody Sullivan – Cameron Berry – Josh Nenadal

Defense

Carter Allen – Tyler Currie

Devin Campbell – Max Novick

Jeff Solow – Charlie Pelnik

Extra Skater: Joey Scorpio

Goalies: David Richer (starter), Cedric Hansen, Steven Kozikoski

SUNY Geneseo

Forwards

David Szmyd – Conlan Keenan – Andrew Romano

Tyson Empey – Anthony Marra – Arthur Gordon

Dan Bosio – Carson Kelley – Joe Serpico

Brendan Miller – Henry Cleghorn – Ryan Burnett

Defense

Cam Russell – Tanner Salsberry

Kyle Hartman – Will Campion

Mitch Ferguson – Duggie Lagrone

Extra Skater: Chris Perna

Goalies: Devin McDonald (starter), Aaron MacKay, Dylan Schoen

Players to Watch

OSW: Joseph Molinaro

Molinaro has been a clutch goal scorer all season, especially when the team needs it. In the SUNYAC championship against a team’s defense of SUNY Geneseo’s caliber, Molinaro will be heavily relied on for sure with the first line of Mitch Emerson and Derek Brown. He has 14 goals this season.

GEN: Devin McDonald

The No. 1 goaltender in the nation for Div. III hockey will be one of the toughest challenges for the Lakers this evening. He has a 1.04 goals against average and a .949 save percentage. He also has a nation-leading 12 shutouts; doubling his season total from last year.

Prediction

Oswego State has its match made of for it. The team is the clear underdog based on all the statistics that SUNY Geneseo leads in. Better yet, the game is on home ice for SUNY Geneseo.

The last time these two teams faced in the playoffs at the Ira S. Wilson Ice Arena, Oswego State won 7-6 in an upset. Now, the Lakers will look to return to the same status as in 2014.

It will take Oswego State’s “scoring by committee” to have a chance, and cannot rely on one line. Nor can the Lakers leave David Richer to hang out to dry.

Special teams will be key in this game, with the nation’s best power play of SUNY Geneseo going against a strong penalty kill for the Lakers, and vice versa.

For a prediction, SUNY Geneseo will take home the league crown 4-2 with an empty-net goal.