Sudden-death thriller ends Oswego men’s soccer season

After securing a playoff berth with their victory over the Potsdam Bears, the Oswego State Lakers travelled to Fredonia for the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament, where they fell to the Blue Devils in a sudden-death shootout on Oct. 28.

Oswego struggled to get anything going on offense in the first half, only tallying one shot against the Blue Devils’ defense in the entire 45 minutes. Fredonia tried to capitalize on Oswego’s offensive troubles with four shots in the first five minutes, although the Lakers’ defense held up. The first half was also a very physical one, resulting in 16 total fouls in the game, with Oswego recording 11 of those.

After many opportunities for the Blue Devils to get on the board, Oswego responded with an offensive opportunity of their own as Vladimir Lavrynenko recorded the lone shot of the half. The Lakers went into halftime on a sour note, though, as striker Dylan Manriquez earned a yellow card.

The Blue Devils continued their sustained pressure in the second half, totaling eight shots in the period to the Lakers’ one. Despite the offensive dominance, Fredonia was unable to get past the Lakers goaltender Kyle Rose, who had a strong performance between the posts with four saves and not a goal allowed between four regulation periods. 

It was very evenly matched in the first overtime, with both teams going back and forth with possession. Each defense played very strongly, with neither team able to get a shot off, forcing a second overtime.

This period played out more like regulation, as Fredonia dominated possession and launched four shots. The Lakers’ defense held their ground, however, only allowing one of those shots on net at the 109th minute, leading to a shootout.

Laker midfielder Ian Husselbeck started the shootout strong, striking one past Blue Devil goaltender Thomas McDonald to give Oswego the advantage. Oswego State scored an impressive seven of its nine attempts in the shootout. However, it was not enough, as the Blue Devils scored on eight of their nine shots, securing a spot in the second round of the SUNYAC Tournament.

The Lakers end their season with an overall record of 4-7-4, making for their second consecutive season under .500.