OSWEGO, N.Y. -- Oswego Women's Ice Hockey hosted the SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals in an early, 12:00PM conference matchup in honor of Education Day. Determined to close out their SUNYAC campaign with a winning slate, the Lakers kept their foot on the gas pedal throughout regulation and overtime. A dominant effort by Oswego in the first and second periods tested Plattsburgh on defense and made it difficult for them to penetrate offensively. Despite both teams' trading possession and handfuls of scoring chances, it was a battle of the goalies, but Stetson and Devivo did not falter, leaving the deadlocked 0-0 scoreline to be decided in the final frame. But a competitive, powerplay filled third period was still not enough to dictate a winner. With critical conference points on the line, the Cardinals and Lakers strapped in for overtime. A back-and-forth OT period kept everyone on their toes, but an impressive 31 save performance by Mia Devivo secured the tie as the buzzer sounded.
THE BASICS
Final Score:
Oswego 0 (11-9-2, 5-4-2 SUNYAC)
Plattsburgh 0 (15-6-1, 9-1-1 SUNYAC) (Shootout Win)
Location: Deborah F. Stanley Ice Arena| Oswego, N.Y.
HOW IT HAPPENED
With a crowd of rowdy elementary school students behind them, Oswego kicked off Education Day on a forward foot. Plattsburgh quickly found themselves chasing, as the Lakers took control of the opening minutes of play, putting a handful of early shots on Cardinal net minder Maddy Stetson. While Plattsburgh worked to find their legs in transition, Oswego applied heavy defensive pressure without hesitation, keeping the Cards outnumbered in puck battles. A solid series of offensive plays generated by the Lakers in the middle minutes would produce a few quality rebound scoring chances, but Stetson managed to maintain the 0-0 scoreline. The puck stayed in neutral ice for much of the remaining minutes, but Oswego continued to dominate in 50/50 battles and restrict Plattsburgh access to their defensive zone.
Unsatisfied with their scoreless attempts in the first period, the Lakers were determined to finish on net, getting their feet moving right off the faceoff. This eagerness would be rewarded, earning the first powerplay of the game just 0:15 seconds in. But while Plattsburgh forward Zoe Puc served her time, her fellow Cardinals held down the fort on the penalty kill, disrupting the Lakers' breakout and taking away shooting lanes, returning to even-strength unscathed. In the following minutes Plattsburgh built off their Pk's success, connecting on breakouts and line rushes. But a lockdown defensive effort by Oswego made it easy to kill the Cards' offense at the blueline, immediately returning with possession and a full head of steam. The Lakers kept Plattsburgh on their heels on defense for a sequence of minutes towards the end of the period but still were unable to contribute to the scoreboard. First year Lauren Riccobelli would be charged with a hooking penalty with just 0:32 seconds left in the second, starting Oswego on the kill in the final frame.
With both teams vying for two critical conference points, it was a dogfight until the final buzzer. The Lakers shut down the Cardinals on the powerplay but remained vigilant on defense as 5-on-5 play got back underway. As play continued to unfold, the intensity quickly elevated, sending defenseman Leah Coley to the sin bin at the 3:47 mark. Despite this, Plattsburgh's advantage would be fleeting as Cardinal Bailey MacKellar joined Coley in her respective penalty box just 0:27 seconds later, evening the stakes 4-on-4. The Lakers looked to capitalize on their brief power play but could not break through. A final unsuccessful Cardinal powerplay attempt would close out regulation, leaving the 0-0 scorelines to be broken in overtime.
Keeping their nose to the grindstone, the Lakers won possession off the face off in OT but struggled to break man-on-man coverage. As the clock ticked down, the Cardinals decided to take things into their own hands, placing a couple shots on net and earning a breakaway opportunity. Like the rest of the game, Mia Devivo continued to stand tall in net rejecting Plattsburgh's offensive surge, securing a 0-0 tie for her team with 31 saves.
WHAT'S NEXT
Oswego Women's Hockey will return to the Deb tomorrow afternoon at 3:00PM to celebrate their lone 2026 senior, Brittany Iversen, in a Senior Day matchup against the SUNY Potsdam Bears.
Written by Matilda Pethrick
@OswegoAthletics | FB: OswegoAthleticsOfficial | IG: oswegoathletics
