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The Oswego State women's ice hockey team closed out the regular season with one of its best performances of the year despite suffering a 3-2 loss to No. 1-ranked Plattsburgh on Saturday afternoon at the Campus Center Arena in Oswego. Laker goaltender
Emi Williams (Jr., Anchorage, Alaska) turned in one of the strongest outings of her career stopping 61 shots. Oswego State, which fell to 7-17-1 overall and 5-12-1 in the ECAC West, holds the final playoff spot in the league standings, but now must wait to see how the remaining conference games play out before knowing if it will make the post-season. Plattsburgh improved to 22-1-2 on the year and 17-0-1 in the conference.
At 5:21 in the first period, Jenna Kirkwood (Sr., Chilliwack, B.C.) gave Oswego State an early 1-0 lead with a five-hole goal after she received a pass by Kelly Collins (So., Fairport, N.Y.) from behind the net. Both squads went up-and-down rink for the rest of the period as the 1-0 score stood after one frame.
Laker goalie Emi Williams became the story in the second period as she continued to steer away shot after Plattsburgh shot, making 26 saves during the stanza. However, the Cardinals finally got the puck past her at the 15:27 mark when Brittany Meade recorded her ninth goal of the season 22 seconds into their second power play of the game. Megan DiJulio and Steph Moon were credited with assists on the goal.
The Cardinals took the 2-1 lead 37 seconds into the third period as Katie Fairfield's quick wrist shot from the left face-off circle went between Williams' legs with assists going to Kara Buehler and Meade. Plattsburgh struck again midway through the frame when Megan DiJulio ripped a slap shot in the slot that went top shelf into the left corner of the net.
Oswego State cut the deficit to one goal at 13:54 when Collins and Jillian Bergeron (So., Brockville, Ont.) created an odd-skater rush while on the power-play. Collins carried the puck up the left side drawing the defender before hitting Bergeron's stick with the pass, as Bergeron snapped the wrist shot through Cardinal goaltender Anne Loewen's five-hole. Erica Shapey (Jr., Plainview, N.Y.) also received an assist.
Laker coach Diane Dillon called timeout with under a minute to play after a Plattsburgh offsides. With Williams pulled, Oswego State gained the extra attacker and forced the Cardinals to commit a penalty with 15 seconds on the clock. After winning the face-off the Lakers put a couple of shots on goal, but were unable to force the game into overtime.
Oswego State recognized its seven seniors, Tiarra Garrow, Tiffany Duquette, Karly Armstrong, Kendra Lemire, Aprilyn Gush, Jenna Kirkwood, and Angie Friesen following the game. Six of the seven seniors comprise the first four-year class to graduate from the Laker women's ice hockey program after starting again for the 2006-07 season.
