OSWEGO, N.Y. – In its first ever meeting with Amherst (3-3-0, 3-1-0 NESCAC) last season, the Oswego State women's ice hockey team (6-4-1, 6-2-0 SUNYAC) was overmatched in a 6-0 loss in early December. On Saturday, the Lakers will look to avenge their loss in the Oswego State Game of the Week.

The Lakers enter the weekend riding a two-game winning streak, having won four of their last five games. Oswego State's only loss in its last five contests came at the hands of Hamilton, a team that is receiving votes in the USCHO.com Division III Women's Poll, but one the Lakers beat in overtime last season.

The Lord Jeffs kicked off the season with a home-and-home against Hamilton, splitting the series. They then hung with No. 1-ranked Plattsburgh for two periods, before being outplayed in the third in an 8-3 loss. Amherst is 2-1 in its last three games, and received five votes in the USCHO.com Division III Women's Poll on Dec. 3.

Last season, the Lord Jeffs qualified for the NCAA Tournament after a 21-5-1 campaign which included a runner-up finish in the NESCAC Tournament. Amherst was ousted by Norwich, 5-0, in the first round of the national tournament.
On the other side, Oswego State won its first ECAC West postseason game, advancing to the semifinals before losing to conference powerhouse Plattsburgh, who finished third in the NCAA Tournament.

With 18 goals in their first nine games, the Lakers had concerns about their ability to score the puck. However, junior captain Jocelyn St. Clair (Cambridge, Ontario) says two games against Chatham helped in that regard.

“Our communication has been getting a lot better and it still has room for improvement,” St. Clair said. “That's going to help us all over the ice. Scoring is going to be huge. The fact that we were able to put in so many goals against Chatham is going to be good going into the Amherst game.”

Fellow captain Olivia Boersen (Jr., Stratford, Ontario) posted six points during the weekend, with one goal and five assists in 6-1 and 4-0 wins over the Cougars. For her efforts, the junior was named Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) West Women's Ice Hockey Player of the Week.

Boersen knows the difference between the Lord Jeffs and a conference opponent.

“Last year, we lost to them (Amherst) pretty badly. It set us back a bit,” Boersen said. “We had a lot of injuries that game. We couldn't find our edge or play our game. That division (NESCAC) is all about finesse and being little and fast. In our division (SUNYAC) the girls are bigger and it's a gritty game. Now we know what to expect and how to adjust.”

St. Clair says the team's hot start was important for the 2012-13 season.

“It was huge for us, especially this year,” St. Clair said. “Because we have a small team (17 players), everyone was a little worried and skeptical and thought we wouldn't do anything this year. Our start has put us on the map and proved what we can do.”

Amherst's style has helped them to national success, having captured the National Championship in 2009 and 2010. With three losses already this season, the Lord Jeffs are halfway to their total from last season, which includes their loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Boersen expects the team to keep improving as the season progresses.

“We have more of a family atmosphere,” Boersen said. “We've been working well together and we've been more positive about the season. Our practice habits are going to start getting better. We're going to start being a little tougher on each other.”

Saturday's game will also be part of the United Way Food and Toy Drive. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items, unwrapped toys and disposable baby diapers.

The game will be broadcasted on the Oswego State Athletics website at athletics.oswego.edu/showcase and live stats will also be available for the 7 p.m. contest.