By Brandon Ladd

WTOP-10 TV continued its excellence with its last hockey broadcast of the season on March 2. The broadcast featured the SUNYAC men’s hockey Semifinal matchup between the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons and the Oswego State Lakers. The game saw the Lakers take a 4-0 win on their home ice. 

WNYO 88.9 FM, the student-run radio station on campus has at least one more game remaining on March 5 at 7 p.m. at SUNY Geneseo for the SUNYAC Championship Game. The crew at WNYO has covered all men’s hockey games this season, except for the two Thanksgiving Break games. They have provided a way for Lakers faithful to listen wherever the team travels to. 

This opinion column is an appreciation to the two organizations for their hardwork and the continuous effort to provide professional level coverage. 

WTOP’s Sports Director Brian Rudman took a stepaway from on-air talent for most of the season to lead the charge from behind the scenes. Rudman produced all the major broadcasts that came with the season. This includes the opening game of the season, the Whiteout Weekend Game against Plattsburgh State on Jan. 22 and the regular season game against SUNY Geneseo. Rudman capped off his season with a long week preparing to produce the playoff game. Rudman stayed in the office until 3 a.m. each night this week, just to make sure the crew was in a position for success. 

WNYO’s Sports Director Aaron Valentino has had to put in similar prep for his crew to be successful. Valentino has had to coordinate all away trips, travel with the crew to most road broadcasts on the weekends and has provided in-depth coverage of the team through interviews. His crew has expanded WNYO’s coverage of games, taking social media by storm with the elegant graphics of the station’s Public Relations Director Lily Clark’s pre-game graphics. 

The two have grown each respective sports department two-folds at least, as the games have been tracked feverishly by fan’s who missed the men’s hockey team during the year-long pause for COVID-19. They deserve a thank you for being able to take advantage of the moment and provide a source for all fan’s to follow and for fellow broadcasters the chance to grow their career aspirations. 

The duo of Jake Johnson and Liam Gotimer in the booth on the radio call have grown throughout the season, developing an unbreakable chemistry. I have had the opportunity to stand next to them for several home games this season in the booth and listen to them countless other times on the radio, they make the game come to life. A retro throwback of how voices can make the picture vivid in the mind of the listener when the chemistry and energy comes through. 

The WTOP crew had to keep its effort consistent all season long as the crew grew to around 20 people for the larger broadcasts. Any single night though during hockey season, countless members of the club were spotted cutting videos in the office and working through versions of rundowns. Trying to preproduce a vision that had to come together for three hours every game. 

Congratulations to the two groups for a hardworking season and giving countless students the chance to grow their careers. The memories made by the students involved will stick with them for the rest of their lives. 

Abigail Connolly | The Oswegonian