The Ice Knights head into their final two games of the semester coming off one of their best weekends of the season, skating to a 3-3 tie against Cortland on Nov. 21, before beating Oswego 4-2 on Nov. 22.
The upset win against Oswego, the No. 3 ranked team in the country, propelled Geneseo into the voting for the USCHO.com national poll for the first time this season, putting the Ice Knights in the category of "others receiving votes."
The victory over Oswego also marked a dramatic change from the game earlier in the season against Plattsburgh, now the No. 1 team in the country. Geneseo came out flat in the first period of that contest, getting outshot 18-0. By the time they settled down later in the game, it was too late.
"The difference between the two games was the fact that we showed a little too much respect for Plattsburgh and worried more about what they were doing rather than playing to our strengths," said Ice Knights coach Chris Schultz. "With Oswego, we focused on us and what we needed to do to win the game."
It was not long before the change in focus was seen on the scoreboard. Just 22 seconds into the game, sophomore forward Michael Forgione found junior Dan Brown in the slot, who beat the Oswego goalie to give Geneseo an early lead.
However, Geneseo could not hold off the swarming Oswego attack for too long, as the Lakers managed to tie the game just six minutes later.
The Lakers' goal did not go unanswered. Seven minutes after the Oswego goal, Forgione banged the puck home on a scramble in front of the net, with assists going to freshman Clint Olson and junior Jeff MacPhee. The score not only gave the Ice Knights a 2-1 lead, but also prompted a goaltending change for the Lakers.
The second period was scoreless, as Geneseo stuck to a defensive mindset, holding Oswego to only six shots in the period while only taking four themselves.
In the third, the Ice Knights took advantage of their opportunities on offense. Just five minutes into the period Olson found the scoresheet again, this time on the power play when he put home a pass from freshman Jonathan Redlick.
Although Oswego managed to cut the lead in half with three minutes left, senior captain Casey Balog scored an empty-net goal two minutes later to ensure the win.
Freshman goalie Cory Gershon was fantastic in net, holding Oswego to just two goals on 33 shots, including 13 saves in the third period.
Geneseo will look to continue their success during their two home games this weekend. They take the ice at 7 p.m. Friday against Buffalo State, whom they defeated 2-1 in their season opener, before playing Fredonia on Saturday at 7 p.m.