OSWEGO, N.Y. – Oswego Women's Hockey had a quick turnaround, returning to action this afternoon for the second game of this weekend's doubleheader, against the SUNY Morrisville Mustangs. After yesterday's win, the Lakers geared up to fend off a physical Morrisville squad, determined to collect another conference sweep. A couple quick shots by the Mustangs off the starting faceoff would be turned around by the Lakers immediately, mounting a 2-0 lead heading into the 2nd period. Undeterred by a third Oswego goal, Morrisville returned two back-to-back goals before the final frame. With both teams determined to find one more before the buzzer, the physicality ramped up in the final minutes of play. Despite a handful of quality scoring chances at both ends, the Lakers would fend off the Mustangs, securing a weekend sweep over SUNY Morrisville.
THE BASICS
Final Score:
Oswego 3 (20-2-1, 14-1-1 SUNYAC)
Morrisville 2 (9-14-0, 6-10-0 SUNYAC)
Location: Deborah F. Stanley Ice Arena | Oswego, N.Y.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A couple quick shots by Morrisville off the starting faceoff would be turned around by the Lakers immediately. Senior Rachel Corbett would collect a bobbled puck at center ice and take it into the Mustangs' zone. A few nifty dangles around the Morrisville defenseman by Corbett would open a shooting lane in which she would secure the first goal of the game just 2:39 into the game. Undeterred, the Mustangs returned a series of shots in the following minutes, but all would be rejected by veteran netminder Lexi Levy. A quick breakout pass by sophomore Tilly Pethrick would send Elizabeth Cooley and Lizzie Burke over Morrisville's blueline. Helen Vandamme would crash in and one-time Burke's deflected shot generating a rebound that Cooley would bury back door at the 7:35 mark. Now leading 2-0, the Lakers kept their foot on the gas, dominating the Mustangs at both ends of the ice for the remainder of the period.
Two late penalties charged against Morrisville would put Oswego on the power play for the opening minute and a half of the second period. As play returned to even-strength, the Mustangs began to gain some momentum, with both teams trading turns on offense, but a few minutes later a tripping penalty drawn by Mustang Allie Davidson would award the Lakers their 2nd advantage of the period. A connected powerplay effort by Oswego would be hard to defend, allowing them to maintain offensive positioning and possession. A couple of missed scoring chances would finally be corrected by sophomore transfer Jenna Majewski, extending the scoreline to 3-0 at 9:25. As the clock began to tick down, tensions started to rise, sending Tilly Pethrick to the box for a high-sticking penalty after a scuffle near Morrisville's bench. The Mustangs would make right on their first powerplay, squeaking a rolling puck by the foot of Levy at 17:52. Fired up from their first tally of the weekend, Morrisville wasted no time adding a second to the board just thirteen seconds later at the 18:05 mark, closing out the period 3-2.
Morrisville would earn another go on the powerplay in the opening minute of the final frame, but they would be unsuccessful. With both teams determined to find one more before the buzzer, the physicality ramped up in the final minutes of play. Despite a handful of quality scoring chances at both ends, the Lakers would fend off the Mustangs, securing a weekend sweep over SUNY Morrisville. Today's 3-2 victory broke the program record for the most wins accomplished in a single season, with 20, and set a program record for the most SUNYAC wins in a season, with 14.
WHAT'S NEXT
Oswego Women's Hockey will have a week to prepare for their final regular season test, against the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons. The two-game series will be split regarding travel, but the Lakers are looking to rewrite history in terms of the score. The first matchup will commence at 7:00 PM in the Deborah F. Stanley Arena on February 21st.
Written by Tilly Pethrick
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