OSWEGO, N.Y. – Oswego Field Hockey hosted the Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks on this beautiful Saturday in a non-conference Senior Day matchup. The Lakers came out firing, securing a 1-0 lead just 3 minutes into the first quarter. Play remained neutral throughout the remainder of the first and much of the 2nd, but Oswego continued to push the pace. The 1-0 scoreline persisted heading into halftime, but the Redhawks did not give up, turning the tables early in the third quarter by controlling play and challenging the Lakers on defense. A physical final quarter would be riddled with fouls, but Oswego did not waver, pulling away from today's match with a 1-0 win.   

THE BASICS 
 
Final Score:  
Oswego 1 (4-6, 0-1 SUNYAC)  
Roberts Wesleyan University 0 (0-9, 0-0 ECC) 
 
Location: Laker Turf Stadium | Oswego, N.Y.  
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
The Lakers came out firing on all cylinders, pushing the pace in the midfield right off the center pass. With Oswego gaining offensive entry, the Redhawks would find themselves on defense early in the first quarter. A few strong clears by Roberts Wesleyan would be returned by a determined Laker offense. Junior midfielder Madi Stuckart would take a chance, sending a nice, flat drive across the Wesleyan baseline. Stuckart's drive would be kicked into play by opposing goaltender Avery Richardson. Graduate student Bryleigh Beauchat capitalized on this rebound, putting it through the legs of an unbalanced Richardson at 3:27. After the early tally from Oswego, play remained neutral in the midfield, but would still be controlled by the Lakers.
 
Oswego would open the second quarter just like the first, on offense, earning their first penalty corner of the game at 17:03. A deceptive play by the Lakers would leave Nancy Pagliaroli alone at the top of the RedHawks' circle. A strong shot from Pagliaroli would miss the net wide right, returning possession to Roberts Wesleyan. A good clear from the Redhawk defensive unit would give RW a turn on offense, on which they would return an unsuccessful penalty corner of their own at the19:36 mark. Another corner attempt by the Redhawks would be shut down and cleared out by a connected Laker defense. Despite both teams having multiple quality scoring opportunities, the 1-0 scoreline would persist heading into halftime.  

As both squads regained momentum in the opening minutes of the 3^rd quarter, the tables turned slightly, with Roberts Wesleyan setting the tone and keeping the Lakers in their defensive zone. A solid transition off a foul would give Oswego some steam heading down the field. This speed would award the Lakers with two back-to-back penalty corners, but neither of which would find the back of the net. A heavy collision, at the top of the RW circle, between Senior Kate McNally and Redhawk Makena Tooley would stop play momentarily at 38:50. As play resumed, Roberts Wesleyan continued to push the pace and challenge first-year goalkeeper Sam Krautheim with passings plays and shots deep in Oswego's circle.  

The physical nature of the third quarter would riddle the early minutes of the fourth with numerous fouls per play. Despite multiple referee warnings, neither team let up, as the Lakers desperately held on to their 1-0 lead and held off a hungry Roberts Wesleyan offense. A crucial series of corners awarded to the Lakers with just 2 minutes left in the final quarter, would be shut down by the Redhawks and transitioned up the field with just a minute remaining. Oswego was content with playing a keep-away game as the clock ticked down, allowing them to pull away with a 1-0 victory over Roberts Wesleyan on Senior Day.  

Thank you Seniors!
Kate McNally
Nancy Pagliaroli
Ellie Kazel
Kaitlyn Jordan
 
WHAT'S NEXT 
Oswego Field Hockey will have a quick turnaround, returning to action in Laker Turf Stadium this Tuesday, October 8^th at 4:00 PM when they face off against the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles in a non-conference matchup. 

Written By: Matilda Pethrick