OSWEGO, N.Y. – Oswego Women's Lacrosse returned to action this afternoon at Laker Turf Stadium for their 2026 home opener against the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles. Looking to build off their dominant 15-2 win over Nazareth, the Lakers were prepared for a physical battle against a strong Brockport squad. The beginning minutes of the game would quickly be taken control of by the Eagles, who would earn an early 4-1 lead, but Oswego was quick to match their eager energy, lessening their deficit to just 4-3 heading into the second. A back-and-forth second quarter would make it difficult for either team to gain consistent rhythm, but a late offensive surge by the Lakers allowed them to find a 7-6 advantage entering halftime. Using this late offensive success to their benefit, Oswego came out of the gate unfortunately leading to a series of powerplays for Brockport, on which they would struggle to capitalize, returning to even strength still trailing 7-6. A late penalty called against Oswego would give the Eagles the upper hand to start the fourth quarter, leveling the score 7-7 just seconds in. An eighth and final goal scored by the Lakers would keep their chances alive, but Brockport went on to tally three unanswered goals to secure a 10-8 victory at the final buzzer.
THE BASICS
Final Score:
Oswego 8 (2-4, 0-0 SUNYAC)
Brockport 10 (4-3, 0-0 Empire 8)
Location: Laker Turf Stadium | Oswego, N.Y.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening draw taken by senior Alexis Hill would be picked up and taken down field by Golden Eagle Christina Ross, awarding Brockport the first possession of the game. Unphased, the Lakers quickly settled in on defense, allowing only one quality shot on net that would be collected and successfully cleared out by Oswego netminder Alana Iacovissi. Despite a brief turn on offense, the Lakers were unable to find their legs, allowing the Golden Eagles to regain offensive positioning promptly. A solid passing play between Brockport, set Karaline McCarthy up to secure the first tally of the match at 11:50. Wasting no time off the following draw, Emily Schiffer followed her teammate's initiative, attaching a second goal to the scoreline at the 10:28 mark. A back-and-forth series of minutes would allow the Lakers to find their rhythm and the back of the net, with a goal scored by Hill at 6:55. Brockport managed to gain a 3-goal lead with just 3:43 to play in the first quarter. Not ready to back down just yet, Oswego kept their foot on the gas in the closing minutes, lessening their deficit to 4-3 just before the initial buzzer.
Determined to find their first lead, the Lakers continued to build off the momentum they found in the late minutes of the first, with an early turnover forced by Hill. A quick pass around by the Lakers allowed both teams to settle in, but Brockport's defense was unable to contain Oswego's urgency to score, awarding first year Abigail Dicks with a free-position shot and goal at 13:20. Keen on separating the 4-4 scoreline, the Golden Eagles remained steady in their approach on offense, netting 2 goals in the middle minutes of the 2nd quarter. But as the clock began to tick down, the Lakers began to heat up, leveling the game 6-6 at the 3:49 mark and securing a 7-6 lead heading into halftime.
Using their late offensive success to their benefit, Oswego came out of the gate flying in the third quarter. Unfortunately, the Lakers collected a few green cards at the 14:21 and 13:49 marks, awarding the Golden Eagles with a prime powerplay. Although having a series of advantages, Brockport struggled to maintain possession against a connected Laker defensive unit, returning to even strength still trailing 7-6. Regaining their grips, Oswego continued to tilt the field in their favor, holding the Eagles on defense for the majority of the third. Despite a compilation of free-position attempts and heavy shots generated by Oswego, a scoring drought would persist for the rest of the quarter, leaving a winner to be determined in the final frame.
A late penalty called against Oswego would give the Eagles the upper hand to start the fourth quarter, notching a 7th goal just 0:20 seconds in to level the scoreboard 7-7. Oswego, wasting little time on a powerplay, delivered a nifty feed to Alexis Hill, secured her third goal of the day and an 8-7 lead at the 10:50 mark. But Brockport went on to net three goals in 3 minutes. Now trailing 10-8, the Lakers began to search for offense in the final minutes, but a lockdown defensive effort by the Eagles made it difficult for them to produce anything of note, falling 10-8 in their home opener.
WHAT'S NEXT
Oswego Women's Lacrosse will have a quick turnaround, facing off against the Utica University Pioneers in their rescheduled matchup this Friday, March 20th. The opening draw is set to commence at 3:00PM in the Laker Turf Stadium. Go Lakers!
Written By: Matilda Pethrick
@OswegoAthletics | FB: OswegoAthleticsOfficial | IG: oswegoathletics
