The nationally-ranked Oswego State men's ice hockey team shuts out Buffalo State 6-0 Friday evening at home in the Marano Campus Center Arena. With the win, Oswego moves to 11-2-3 on the year and more importantly, adds another win to its SUNYAC record (6-1-1). Buffalo State drops to 6-10-2 overall and 2-2-2 in the conference.
The No. 4/4 Lakers flipped the script from their last meeting with the Bengals, scoring two goals in less than a minute in the first period. Mike Montagna was the first to get on the board as Krystian Yorke outlet the puck to Stehpen Johnson who entered the zone and drew the defender. Johnson then flicked the puck across the goal mouth to Montagna who ushered the puck into the net at the 8:20 mark. Just 35 seconds later, Oswego was on the board again as Matt Galati was able to corral a rebound off a Kenny Neil shot and hammer it home. The Lakers continued to apply pressure, scoring a third goal right before the break, as Neil took the puck off a defenders stick and beat the Bengal goalie high, stick side with.
Special teams also played a big role for the Lakers Friday evening. While on the power play, Galati received a pass from Bobby Gertsakis at the top of the face-off circle. The sophomore wound up a knocked a slapper into the back of the net, earning his second goal of the night. Oswego's penalty kill was also able to ward off two separate 5-on-3s, denying all of Buffalo State's power-play opportunities.
Entering the third with a 4-0, Oswego didn't let up. Shawn Hulshof joined the goal club, scoring on a shot taken from a nearly impossible angle with 2:20 left in the game. Just nine seconds later, Mitchell Herlihey rang in the team's final goal, scoring at the far post from a Hulshof pass.
Matt Zawadzki played big in the net, recording 25 saves on the night and notching his first shutout of the season and fifth of his career. This is Zawadzki's first shutout since denying Babson College a goal in the quarterfinal game of the NCAA Championship on March 16, 2014.
Men's ice hockey will return to the ice at 7 p.m. on Saturday as it hosts the Fredonia Blue Devils.
