OSWEGO, N.Y. -- Oswego Women's Hockey returned to the Deborah F. Stanley Arena this afternoon for their first major SUNYAC contest against the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons. With both programs coming off 1-goal losses, it was essential for the Lakers to start their conference campaign off on a forward foot. A hot start for Oswego would be matched promptly by the Red Dragons, who managed to find an early 2-0 lead in the middle minutes of the opening period. The Lakers were unsatisfied by their lackluster performance in the first, earning a powerplay opportunity and goal in the beginning minutes of the second period. Consistently chipping away on offense, Oswego netted 2 more unanswered goals, gaining a 3-2 heading into the final frame. A back-and-forth 3rd period would be defined by a connected performance by the Lakers on the penalty kill, shutting down any final chances for Cortland. A persistent effort by Oswego would be enough to etch out the Red Dragons 3-2 in the final moments and collect their first SUNYAC points of the year.  

THE BASICS  
 
Final Score:  

Oswego 3 (3-2-0, 1-0-0 SUNYAC)   

Cortland 2 (1-3-0, 0-1-0 SUNYAC) 

Location: Deborah F. Stanely Ice Arena | Oswego, N.Y.  

HOW IT HAPPENED 

Oswego's excited energy would be promptly matched by the Red Dragons in the early minutes of the first period. A couple of early shots released by the Lakers did not find their way through to the net but would keep Cortland on their heels on defense for a series of minutes. Finally finding their legs, the Red Dragons gained some momentum on their breakout, spearheading an offensive surge over the Lakers' blue line. A good response from Oswego would be fleeting, as Dragon Emma McLean found a way to muscle out a five-hole goal off a footrace just 6:10 into the opening period. Now 1-0, Cortland continued to churn out offense, netting a second goal 3 minutes later at the 9:38 mark. Struggling to regain their rhythm in the remaining minutes, the Lakers set their sights on the second period.  

Unsatisfied with their performance in the first period, the Lakers came out firing in the second frame, earning a powerplay opportunity in the opening minute. A composed effort by Oswego on the advantage would allow them to maintain possession. Solid puck movement gave junior Leah Coley a quality chance, tucking the puck near the left ear of opposing netminder Eline Gillodes. Now trailing just 1-goal, the Lakers kept their foot on the gas, winning puck battles and forcing turnovers at both ends of the ice. A shot off the back of Gillodes by Jenna Majewski neutralized the score at the 8:22 mark. In the following minutes, Oswego's hunger could not be tamed, adding a third goal to the scoreline at 13:08. Hanging on to their lead, the Lakers would head into the third leading 3-2.  

Determined to find the scoresheet once more, the Red Dragons held Oswego on defense for much of the third period, earning multiple man-up opportunities. A connected effort by the Lakers on the penalty kill would disrupt Cortland's patterns and block a handful of shots. As the clock slowly disappeared, tensions began to rise, causing a few tussles after the whistle. Despite a persistent effort on offense, the Dragons were unable to respond, falling 3-2 to the Lakers as the buzzer sounded.  

WHAT'S NEXT  

Oswego Women's Hockey will have a quick turnaround, facing off against the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs in the second conference matchup of the weekend. Puck drop is set for 3:00PM tomorrow, November 15th in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena. Go Lakers! 

Written by Matilda Pethrick 

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