Oswego State improved to 6-2-2 overall tonight with a 3-1 win over the Neumann University Knights with two third period goals. The Lakers were backed by a 26 save performance by their captain, Tori Trovato. The Knights fell to 1-8-1 on the year and were stymied by the Lakers back end for most of the night.

The Lakers started the game strong but without anything to show for it. Oswego State generated some quality chances and finally scored at the 8:20 mark as Brianna Rice took a centering pass from Brianna McFall, the former ECAC West Rookie of the Week but couldn’t bury it. She finished on the next chance she got as she deflected the puck in off an Alli Ullrich shot to put the Lakers up 1-0. They led in shots (12-3) and won the faceoff battle (11-5) in the first but despite all of that Coach Diane Dillon and the rest of the coaching staff thought it could have been a better period.

“Certaintly we got a goal. I don’t think we played our best,” Dillon said. “The coaching staff was not very happy with our compete level in that period. I think we started off pretty good and just seemed to play to their level. We just seemed to lose a second or two in our compete level and that is what was frustrating for us. I thought we had a better start and we have been working on that quite a bit.”

Neumann tied the game late in the second when Bek Lucas scored her sixth goal of the season. The Knights had nothing going their way when they tried to set up in their offensive zone. In the middle frame they adjusted and Neumann would force stretch passes to catch the Oswego State defense in odd man breaks and it finally worked. Steph Grundy found Lucas on a two-on-one chance to even the score at the 17:30 mark.

“It was a good shot,” Trovato said. “I think if we played it a little bit differently it was something we could’ve prevented but it was a good play I thought.”

Overall the Lakers looked the best in the third period. They scored two goals and seemed the most determined all night in the final 20 minutes.  Oswego State put 16 shots on net, most out of any period, that led to two goals and they were able to pull away in this game thanks to some adjustments made by the coaching staff between periods.

“We dropped a forward back into the high slot,” Dillon said. “We played a 2-3, if you will. Our [defense] and a forward are up high in the zone and so that picks up either a stretch pass or a forward cutting across on their breakout. We weren’t doing a very good job of that at all in the first period and they had three two-on-ones against us in the first period and we shut that down.”

Olivia Ellis scored the go ahead goal and eventual game winner at the 6:58 mark of the third. She put home a rebound off a Jayme McCreary shot from the half wall.  Ashley Lyman got the secondary assist on that marker.

The line combination of Alexa Aramburu, Andrea Noss and Olivia Ellis but more so the duo of Noss and Ellis seemed to work and despite the fact they forced some things they were the Lakers best line. The reunion of Noss and Ellis was a big factor in their win tonight. Alexa Aramburu made it 3-1 when she went bar down from the slot. Andrea Noss won the draw and right off the face-off the Lakers scored.

“I think we are all fast skaters and we move the puck so we can see each other and find each other and put the puck in the net a lot,” Ellis said. “I love playing with [Noss] and now with Alexa on the line everything is going good and hopefully go good in the future.”

Neumann pulled their goalie, Justina Mayr just before their timeout taken with 1:33 left in regulation. The Lakers lost the draw but a great defensive play to chip the puck out and to out muscle two Neumann defenders by the sophomore, Laura Thacker, negated anymore chances the Knights may have had in the early part of that hectic last minute and a half.

Three Stars

1- Olivia Ellis

Her goal tonight and countless other opportunities made her the most noticeable player on the ice all night.  She was a +2 rating and totaled a whopping 12 shots on goal.

2- Justina Mayr

The New Westminster, B.C. native stopped 39 out of 42 shots she faced tonight. The relentless Laker offense didn’t phase her much and Mayr finished with a .929 save percentage on the night.

3- Laura Thacker

Thacker was chosen late to help kill off the six on five hockey game and didn’t disappoint. She had a huge clear to kill the Knights’ momentum. She played solid defensively all night, as always. Thacker also created a good scoring chance late in the third. Her work ethic was what earned her my third star rating.

Looking Ahead 

Oswego State now has 10 points and is tied for second with Plattsburgh, for the time being. The Lakers can own 12 points and could be in a three way tie for second in the ECAC West at the end of the weekend if Plattsburgh wins both over Buffalo State, who is undefeated.  Elmira plays Potsdam twice and should win both of those meetings, as well. If all that happens Oswego State, Elmira and Buffalo State will all have 12 points and sit two points out of first place behind Plattsburgh. Oswego State may finally break into the top 15 if that happens.

The Lakers square off tomorrow against Neumann University again. Puck drop is at 3 p.m. at the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena.