Margaret O’Brien | September 13, 2021

After a year and a half without ACHA hockey in the Marano Campus Center, tryouts began on Monday, September 6, with over fifty student-athletes competing for just 30 spots that would make up the 2021-22 roster.

While there were some familiar faces, plenty of new faces arose including two at the helm: Head Coach, Travis Hyde and Assistant Coach, Tyler Ellor.

The impact of Hyde and Ellor was felt immediately with a competitive, fast paced approach to Day 1 of tryouts. “It was nice to be back on the ice coaching. Watching the players do what they enjoy most after many haven't played competitively in a year or two, that’s what it’s all about,” said Coach Hyde.  As tryouts played out, the coaching staff began to see the strengths and weakness of each player. The high-intensity tryouts saw numerous cuts after the first day and plenty more the second day.

With the home opener two weeks away, Hyde had to be watching each player closely to quickly put together a roster that has the potential to compete for an NECHL Championship in March. When asked what he was looking for most, Coach Hyde had this to say, “Plenty of speed and skill with a mix of grit and toughness that should equal to a very dynamic team and lineup on game days. Guys have to be able to skate. The fundamentals of the game doesn’t change much from one level to the next, so it’s important incoming players have the basics down so they can quickly adapt to the pace and physicality of college hockey. The level of leadership in the core of returners on the ice and in the locker room should make this transition much easier for the new guys. It’s something unlike anything I have witnessed before,” remarked Coach Hyde.

The coaching staff as a whole came together to build a team based around a fast, skilled, and aggressive style. “The entire staff is excited to finalize the roster and hit the ground running with the season,” said Assistant Coach, Tyler Ellor.

This week, the team has just three practices before they host their inter-squad, Green vs White scrimmage on September 17th at 8pm in the Marano Center. Following that, preparation turns to opening weekend, where the Lakers will see two conference matchups against the Rochester Institute of Technology on Friday night and Niagara University Saturday night. Listen in to a conversation amongst the team and you are sure to hear the date “September 24th” mentioned. Everyone is eager and excited to be back on the ice.

Oswego will be looking to start conference play off on a high note. Be sure to catch all the action live in person or on the Laker’s Live Stream coverage via Youtube (Oswego State ACHA Hockey) and follow along on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for live updates!