Oswego State is back in the Marano Campus Center for a Wednesday night matchup against Buffalo State, starting at 7:00 p.m. Oswego State is coming off a weekend where it lost to Plattsburgh State in back to back games, dropping its record to 2-2.

Last season, the Lakers went 4-0 against the Bengals in four games, surrendering just one goal. The Bengals will look to end their season-long struggle against Oswego State tonight.

Keys to the Game

Oswego State

Faceoffs will definitely be key to Oswego State getting a win. Against Plattsburgh State, the Lakers won just 48% of faceoffs. Coming off a weekend where they did not have a lot of success offensively, faceoffs will definitely help the Lakers generate offense, especially if they can win draws in the offensive zone.

Buffalo State

Limiting turnovers is the key for Buffalo State against Oswego State. In the Bengals first three games this season, they failed to score a single goal. However, in their last game against SUNY Canton, they scored six goals to lead them to their first win. If the Bengals can limit their turnovers and move the puck better, they should be plenty of opportunities in their offensive zone.

By the Numbers

Record (Conference)

OSW: 2-2 (0-2)
BUF: 1-3 (1-3)

Goals (Per Game)

OSW: 9 (2.3)
BUF: 6 (1.5)

Shots (Per Game)

OSW: 113 (28.3)
BUF: 84 (21)

Power Play (Percentage)

OSW: 4-21 (19%)
BUF: 2-18 (11.1%)

Players to Watch

OSW: Kate Randazzo

The captain for the Lakers is tied for second on the team in assists (2) but has not been able to find the back of the net this season. With the Lakers looking to bounce back offensively against a Buffalo State team that has been struggling, Randazzo should be heavily involved and looking for her first goal for the season.

BUF: Natasha Steinle

Steinle is coming off of a game where she scored a hat trick in the Bengals 6-2 win over SUNY Canton. Whether it is by scoring goals or setting up her teammates, Steinle is the Bengals most dangerous players offensively. Expect Steinle to see a lot of ice time and have plenty of scoring opportunities against the Lakers.

Final Thoughts

Oswego State should be the favorites to win this game tonight. Despite two tough losses to Plattsburgh State, these are almost expected coming against the best team in the nation according to the USCHO polls. Before they faced Plattsburgh State, the Lakers showed lot of improvement on both ends of the ice against Castleton University.

As previously mentioned, Buffalo State scored six goals in their last game against SUNY Canton. With that, the Bengals will look to build off that and win their second game of the season. This should be a close game for the Lakers, as the Bengals looked very dangerous against Buffalo State.

Photo by Casey Stone | The Oswegonian