OSWEGO, N.Y. -- Oswego Women's Hockey returned to action, at the East West Classic, this afternoon against #12 ranked Plattsburgh Cardinals. After a mere 3-2 loss to the Norwich Cadets yesterday, the Lakers were looking to find their first win of the new year. Despite a solid start from Oswego, a quick shot on net by the Cardinals would give them a 1-0 advantage in the opening minutes of the first period. A valiant effort by the Lakers would turn the ice in their favor for the start of the second, but the puck would just not fall in their favor, entering the final frame down 3-0. An evenly matched 3rd period would go scoreless until Plattsburgh put the fourth and final nail in the coffin around the ten-minute mark. The Lakers and Cardinals will face off in their first SUNYAC matchup in a few weeks on January 24th at the Ronald B. Stafford Arena in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
THE BASICS
Final Score:
Oswego 0 (6-5-0, 3-1-0 SUNYAC)
#12 Plattsburgh 4 (6-5-0, 4-0-0 SUNYAC)
Location: Deborah F. Stanley Ice Arena | Oswego, N.Y.
HOW IT HAPPENED
An excited start by both teams would keep play in neutral ice for the opening minutes of the first period, until Plattsburgh managed to penetrate Oswego's zone and get their initial attempts on net. A pass from a Cardinal on the goal line would find the stick of Zoe Puc in the slot area, where she would notch her first of the game at the 2:26 mark. Determined to level the scoreboard, the Lakers came out firing on the next shift, but their intensity would unfortunately send Kayla Doerre to the box for a roughing penalty. Unphased, Oswego shut down the Cardinals on the penalty kill, returning to even strength unscathed. The Lakers would generate and defend a handful of quality scoring opportunities, but none would evade the grips of opposing netminder Maddy Stetson, heading into the second period still down 1-0.
The Lakers looked to build off the momentum they created towards the end of the first frame, but the Cardinals stood ready to defend any chances Oswego found in the beginning minutes. Sophomore defenseman Sydney Pinti would be charged with an interference just 3:34 into the second period, giving the Cardinals their second powerplay opportunity and Zoe Puc her second tally of the game at 4:09. Desperate to regain some offensive possession, the Lakers continued to battle hard in corner battles and generate breakout opportunities. A wide shot sent in by Elizabeth Cooley would send a row of Plattsburgh attackers on an odd man rush, netting a third goal at the 10:18 mark. In the following minutes, the Cardinals would find themselves on 3 back-to-back penalty kills. The Lakers maintained possession for much of their advantages, but Plattsburgh did their best to disrupt plays and take away shooting lanes. Play would return to 5-on-5 with just under three minutes to go, but a final cross-checking penalty on Zoe Puc awarded Oswego with another powerplay to start the third period.
The Lakers wasted no time on their fifth powerplay, battering Stetson with a handful of shots, almost notching their first goal off a quality tip by Cooley. But as Puc's penalty expired, Oswego was still empty-handed. While the period continued to unfold, both teams traded turns on offense, but a tired Oswego unit allowed Zoe Puc to collect herself a hat trick and extend the scoreline to 4-0. With the clock quickly disappearing, the Lakers did everything in their power to shut down any final scoring attempts generated by Plattsburgh, closing out the weekend 0-2.
WHAT'S NEXT
Oswego Women's Hockey will have a quick turnaround, returning to practice for a few days before another big road trip to West Springfield, Massachusetts where they will face off against the Western New England Golden Bears on Saturday, January 10th at 5:10PM and the Amherst College Mammoths on Sunday January 11th at 1:00PM. Go Lakers!
Written by Matilda Pethrick
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