Women's Softball Departs For SUNYAC Playoffs

Neither the world wide web nor the SUNYAC Commissioner's Office could tell me the last time the Oswego State softball team qualified for their conference tournament. Head coach Chyrisse Conte cleared that up for me with one word.

"Never."

Yes, for the first time in their 58-year history, Birnie Bus Service, Inc. is transporting a playoff-bound Oswego State softball team. The Lakers finished sixth in the conference with a 12-10 mark. They'll play top-seed, and host, Plattsburgh bright and early tomorrow at 9 a.m. The Cards recently swept a doubleheader from Oswego at Laker field, but that did little to quell the confidence of the playoff rookies.

"We can totally beat Plattsburgh," said senior catcher Sarah Castaldo. "We came close in the first game. If we can hit tomorrow, we'll be fine." Castaldo's demeanor is mirrored in her teammates according to coach Conte.

"I said to the kids we have to be up at six and onto the bus at seven. They all shrugged and said, 'Bring [Plattsburgh] on," said Conte. "We played them tough, so I think we have a real good shot at being competitive with them." Just moments before the team bus (pictured) departed, no one seemed more poised than pitcher Michelle Jackson. The junior has yet to defeat the Cardinals in her Laker career, but felt that her offense wouldn't need to give her much to change that.

"I'd say three or four runs. Three or four and we'll get the win," said Jackson. The ace may not feel as though she needs much from her teammates at the plate, but they'll need plenty from her on the rubber.

"I think she's gonna [pitch] about 98% of the post season," said Castaldo. "We're pretty much relying on her." The Lakers may be saying the same about Castaldo in the top half of each inning this weekend. The Oswego native leads the Lakers in batting average (.456), home runs (7), RBI (30), total bases (73), on base percentage (.500), and is second on the team in steals (5 in 6 chances).

"Every coach this year has mentioned Sarah Castaldo to me during the game," said Conte. "Her skills are amazing. I can't replace her. She catches every single game, her legs are bruised, she's a mess, but she plays hard all the time. She's the toughest kid I've ever coached."

Castaldo's toughness may meet its greatest test this weekend. Should the Lakers lose their early-morning game with Plattsburgh, they'll play again Thursday at 3 p.m. If they win, it's back to the field Friday for another 9 a.m. contest. The tournament is double-elimination format and could last until Sunday.

Ryan Maloney

It Ends Tonight?

We'll be at the War Memorial at OnCenter tonight for game six of the Calder Cup Playoff series between Manitoba and Syracuse. The Crunch hold a 3-2 lead and look to advance to the second round tonight. The game will be broadcast on Time Warner 26, faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Crunch beat writer Lindsey Kramer says the Crunch may be playing for more than the Calder Cup.

Laker Baseball Falls Six Outs Short Of SUNYACs

Brockport swept today's doubleheader from Oswego State to move into the fourth and final playoff spot in the SUNY Athletic Conference. The Lakers were a game up on the Golden Eagles entering today. After an 11-1 rout in game one, the Eagles put up four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for a come-from-behind 7-6 victory in game two. Laker hurler Dustin Lefave (4-1) suffered his first collegiate loss in relief.

Pem-Choke! Lumber Kings Lose Page Cup

The Pictou County Weeks Crushers defeated Pembroke 4-1 in today's Fred Page Cup Championship in the Canadian Junior "A" Hockey League. The Lumber Kings had destroyed the host Crushers 7-1 just days earlier in round robin action. Laker recruit Eric Selleck had two markers and an assist in that game, but was held scoreless today. Fellow Laker recruit Paul Beckith stopped 28 of 29 shots in the initial meeting, but allowed four goals on 28 shots this afternoon. The game was tied 1-1 before the Crushers scored the game-winner with seven minutes remaining in the third period.

Ryan Maloney

Storm Throttles Lakers in Season Finale'

The Keuka Storm beat Oswego State 15-8 in men's lacrosse action at Laker Field today. The Lakers end the season with a record of 3-12, their sixth straight losing season and fifth straight with 10 or more losses. During that stretch, head coach Dan Witmer's (pictured) career record has fallen from 130-118 to 169-199. The Lakers' 12 losses tie them with the 2005 team for most losses in program history.

Brohm Hits Century Mark

Oswego State senior Mike Brohm became the 19th member of the Oswego State men's lacrosse 100-point club just moments ago in a 20-5 Laker victory over Morrisville. Brohm reached the milestone with a goal late in the fourth quarter. Oswego is now 3-11 on the year and will close out their fifth-consecutive double-digit loss season tomorrow when they host Keuka at 1 p.m. The Mustangs fell to 0-11 with the loss.

UPDATE: I am retarded. Mike Strohm reached the century mark on Saturday. No word on what Mike Brohm did that day.

NOW ON AIR: Laker Baseball

Mike Toper and Ernie Acosta are live at Laker Field for today's doubleheader between CCNY and Oswego State. The Lakers have lost four of their last five and will look to right the ship with three games against the Beavers in two days.

WNYO Sports Exclusive: 2008-09 Hockey Recruits

WNYO has just learned the names of several Oswego State Lakers men's hockey recruits. Here is part one of this six-post series.

Paul Beckwith - Starting goaltender for Canada's #1 ranked junior team, the Pembroke Lumber Kings. Beckwith earned a shutout on Apr. 15 in Game 5 of the CJHL championship to help the Kings clinch their second-straight Bogart Cup.

BIO: After leading the Cleveland Junior Lumberjacks to the National Championships in 2006, he once again proved himself as a "big game" goalie as he was nearly unbeatable during the Kings 2007 championship run which saw him get recognized as the MVP of the CJHL playoffs.

YEAR	TEAM	GP	W	L	T	SO	GA	GAA	SV%
2007/2008	Pembroke	44	29	9	2	6	100	2.40	0.911

BIO & STATS COURTESY OF PEMBROKE LUMBER KINGS WEBSITE

Ryan Maloney

Hockey Recruits: Eric Selleck

Eric Selleck - Forward for the Pembroke Lumber Kings. Selleck assisted on the game-winning goal in the Kings' Game 5 CJHL Championship victory. He may be called upon to fill the role vacated by the graduating C.J. Thompson as a "power" forward.

BIO: Eric returns to the Kings after scoring 23 goals last season and developing into one of the top power forwards in the CJHL with a reputation as a tough and competitive player. He was named the Lumber Kings rookie of the year for the 2005-2006 season.

YEAR	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	PPG	PPA	SHG	SHA	GWG
2007/2008	Pembroke	49	43	38	81	120	14	14	1	0	6

BIO & STATS COURTESY OF PEMBROKE LUMBER KINGS WEBSITE

Hockey Recruits: Andrew Mather

Andrew Mather - Forward with the Nepean Raiders who has the near-identical listed build of Derrell Levy (Levy listed as 5-10, 187 lbs while Mather listed as 5-10, 185 lbs). Currently plays center and could be a valuable addition to a Laker power play group that struggled in 2007-08 (18.7 % success rate), although Nepean wasn't any better (18.4 %).

YEAR	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	PPG	PPA	SHG	SHA	GWG
2007/2008	Nepean	57	28	43	71	64	10	14	2	2	4

STATS COURTESY OF NEPEAN WARRIORS WEBSITE

Hockey Recruits: Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson - Captain defensemen for the Wellington Dukes. Anderson was an OHPHL All-Star this season and will join a strong Laker defensive unit that returns all of its members from the 2007-08 season. That means Anderson will have his work cut out from him if he is going to earn ice time as a freshman.

Bio: Steady, mobile and tough, Jared makes a great first pass and is a gifted skater.

Season	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		+/-	PPG	SHG	GW
2007 (R)	31	2	11	13	57		0	0	0	0

Hockey Recruits: Hank Van Boxmeer

Hank Van Boxmeer - Defensemen for the Salmon Arm River Backs. At 6-1, 195 he will be one of the bigger bodies on the Lakers for the 2008-09 season. He also appears to be rocking a sweet retro 'stache.

GP: 41 G:1 A: 12 Pts: 13 PIM: 76

Hockey Recruits: Cory Callen

Cory Callen - At 5-10, 165 pounds this New Jersey native may need to pack on some pounds before he sees serious ice time for Oswego. By comparison, he is about three inches taller than Laker midget forward Brendan McLaughlin, but weighs the same.

YEAR	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	PPG	PPA	GWG
2007/2008	Jersey Hitmen	44	16	29	45	99	3	7	2

THE LAKE SHOW ON-AIR TODAY

Today marks the return of "The Lake Show with Ryan Maloney" at 4 p.m. Brendan McLaughlin and Kyle McCutcheon are the in-studio guests. They'll be discussing the 2007-08 Laker hockey season, previewing next year's team, and ewill be asked to explain why there are a number of photographs of them posing in a high school-prom stance online.

Our webcast and phone lines are still down, so the only way to listen is on the radio at 88.9 FM in Oswego. The only way to be heard is to send the guys an instant message. The screen name is WNYOsports using AOL Instant Messenger.

Soaring Eagles Use 9-Goal Rally To Down Lakers

Elmira beat Oswego State 16-12 in women's lax action at Laker Field today. Laker sophomore Rachel Ventresca (pictured) found the back of the net for the game's first goal, her 43rd of the season, less than a minute into the game. Elmira answered with a 9-0 run over the next 19 minutes to take a 9-1 lead. The closest the Lakers would get from that point on was within two goals late in the second half as the Eagles held on for the win.

Ryan Maloney

Women's Lax Beats Potsdam

The Oswego State women's lax team topped Potsdam 17-12 yesterday despite five second-half goals from the Bears' Alisha Schaad. Schaad is the SUNYAC's leading goal-scorer and pushed her season total to 50 markers when she found the net with 7:46 remaining in the second half. Michelle MenDell and Rachel Ventresca (pictured) scored five goals apiece for the Lakers. The loss marked the fourth in a row for the Bears, while Oswego State snapped their two-game losing streak. The Lakers are now 5-6 overall and 2-2 in the SUNYAC.

Beckwith Earns Shutout in Bogart Cup-Clinching Win

Oswego State goalie recruit Paul Beckwith and the Pembroke Lumber Kings shut out Smiths Falls 5-0 Sunday to earn their second straight Central Junior Hockey League championship. The Kings dropped the first game in the best-of-seven series last week before winning four straight. Beckwith stopped 32 shots in the series-clincher.

Pemrboke now moves on to the 2008 Fred Page Cup Championship. They'll play host Weeks Apr. 23 at 8 p.m. The Kings are currently the top-ranked junior team in all of Canada.

Schaad Twins Invade Oswego @ 4

The Potsdam Bears travel to the shores of Lake Ontario today for a women's lax battle with Oswego State. They'll bring with them the leading scorer in the SUNYAC, Alisha Schaad (pictured). Schaad has scored 45 goals this season, 13 more than any other player in the conference. Her twin sister, Ashley, is among the conference leaders in ground balls.

Both Potsdam and Oswego are looking to get back to winning ways. The Lakers have lost two in a row while the Bears have dropped three straight and four of their last five. Faceoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Laker Field. Plenty of good seats are still available.

SUNYAC STANDINGS
1. Buff St 4-0
2. Cortland 3-0
3. Geneseo 2-1
4. Brockport 2-2
4. Fredonia 2-2
6. Oneonta 1-2
6. Oswego 1-2
8. Potsdam 1-3
9. Mo-ville 0-4

Ryan Maloney

Lakers, Plattsburgh Split Doubleheader

The Oswego State Lakers crushed Plattsburgh 16-0 in the first game of a baseball doubleheader today at Laker Field. Oz hurler Dave Widrick tossed a complete game shutout, allowing eight hits. The Cards then managed a split of the twin bill with a 10-3 victory in the second game.

FINAL: Oswego 12 SUNYIT 3

The Lakers take the first game of the doubleheader 12-3. Andy Salvatore threw eight strong innings allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out nine for his first win of the season. Outfielder Evan Shaffer laced four singles and drove in a pair for the Lakers.

UPDATE: Oswego took game two by a score of 17-4. They have now won seven straight

Live Baseball Blog: Lakers 8 Wildcats 1

SUNYIT Wildcats hurler Adam Shea has just walked in two runs to give the Lakers an 8-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Oswego State left fielder Wes O'Connor has a double, a triple and an RBI in his first two trips to the plate. Laker pitcher Andy Salvatore has allowed just two hits through four innings of work while striking out six.

Saints Sustain Laker Rally

Neither rain, mud, nor a red-hot goalkeeper could keep St. Lawrence from their eighth win of the season Friday. The Saints outlasted Oswego State 15-13 in women's lacrosse action at Laker field. St. Lawrence came out victorious despite a scoreless stretch of 18:21 in the second half during which their lead shrunk from 13-8 to 13-12.

Oswego State goalie Shannon O'Brien (pictured) made several saves during that run to aid the Lakers' comeback bid, she finished the contest with 13 stops altogether. Laker senior Michelle MenDell found the back of the net with 13:04 remaining in regulation to close the gap to one with her second goal of the day. The teams then traded several possessions without a score as a muddy field wreaked havoc on attackers and defenders alike.

Then just as the sun began to peak over the clouds, Saint senior Alanna Waters found freshman Kelsey Redpath through a seam in the defense. Redpath rifled the ball pasty O'Brien and into the twine for her third marker of the game as St. Lawrence took a 14-12 lead with 9:05 to play.

Oswego State would answer by going on the offensive and creating several chances against Saint goalie Anna Marchand. The freshman made several key saves to sustain the two-goal lead. But MenDell eventually broke free once again and netted goal number three with just over five minutes remaining. However, that would be the closest the Lakers would get to erasing the deficit.

Waters recorded her second goal of the game with 3:07 left to put the Saints up 15-13. Eight seconds later Laker midfielder Alisha Sarubbi took her second yellow card of the day for a blow to the head and was disqualified. The card was also the fourth the Lakers had earned as a team, putting them a man down for the remainder of the contest. That allowed the Saints to employ a stall offense and run out the remainder of regulation and improve their record to 8-3.

The loss dropped Oswego to 4-5 and 0-3 in games when they have a chance to move above .500. The Lakers return to action Sunday afternoon in non-conference action at Clarkson. Faceoff is scheduled for noon. In other Laker news, today's baseball doubleheader with Plattsburgh has been moved to Monday.

Ryan Maloney

Women's Lax Looking To Move Above .500 Today

The Oswego State women's lax team is in action today. The Lakers (4-4) will host St. Lawrence (7-3) in non-conference action at 4 p.m. Both teams are coming off of victories as the Saints beat Rochester 16-15 at home on Apr. 5 while Oswego crushed Keuka 19-10 Thursday on the road.

In other news, WNYO is back on the air from their new studio at The Point. DJ training is scheduled for next week and the jockeys should be making asses of themselves on the airwaves soon thereafter. Look for us to return to Greene's Ale House soon with remote broadcasts.

Ryan Maloney

Laker Fields Kind to Cortland

Cortland hurler Matt Tone (pictured, left) has been named NCAA Division III Pitcher of the Week after tossing a no-hitter against Oswego State at Laker Field on Apr. 5 in an 11-0 victory. Tone struck out 13 Laker hitters in the contest, a career high for the sophomore.

Oswego has since recovered to win five straight games and improve their overall record to 6-4 while evening their conference mark at 2-2. The fourth-place Lakers will look to improve on that streak this weekend with doubleheaders against third-place Plattsburgh and last-place SUNYIT.

Cortland continued their spring dominance over the Lakers on Tuesday by sweeping a softball double-header at Laker Field by scores of 5-0 and 11-1. Freshman Donalynn Cross (pictured, right) hit a home run in each game as Cortland handed Oswego their first two conference losses of the season.

Cortland would make it a complete spring sweep of Oswego with a 19-3 men's lacrosse victory at Laker Field on Wednesday. Senior Kyle Simensky (pictured, left) tallied five goals as the Red Dragons held Oswego scoreless for the final 31:38. Cortland outshow the Lakers 58-20 and won 18-of-24 faceoffs.

Ryan Maloney

Gheorghe Muresan Cologne

Snickers parody of the Michael Jordan cologne commercials. When done with that, check out the Muresan Sportscenter commercial.

Posted by Pat Morgan

Oneonta Routs Women's Lax 19-9

The Oswego State women's lacrosse team dropped their SUNY Athletic Conference opener 19-9 to Oneonta this afternoon at Laker Field. Gusting winds and a muddy field made play difficult as the Lakers and Red Dragons went scoreless for more than four minutes in the opening half. Oneonta's Brianne Ruzek broke the seal with an unassisted goal with 25:57 left in the first. She added another marker more than four minutes later to put the Dragons up 2-0 with 21:31 left before half.

The Lakers wasted little time responding as Rachel Ventresca and Ashley Andersen scored within 42 seconds of each other to tie the score at 2-2. That was the last time the Lakers would be in contention as Oneonta scored seven of the game's next eight goals. The Dragons outshot Oswego State 39-22 as Ruzek finished with four goals and an assist.

Senior Michelle Mendell scored four goals on the afternoon for the Lakers pushing her season total to a team-best 23. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Oswego State and dropped their overall record to 2-3, 0-1 in SUNYAC play. Oneonta is now 6-3 on the season, 1-0 in conference.

Ryan Maloney