The Oswego State field hockey team is off to a 6-0 start this season thanks to outstanding defense. Through six games, the Lakers have allowed 7.3 shots on goal per game and have given up a total of 5 goals.
The reason for the great defensive play is communication, said junior defender Heidi Reichert.
“Communication has been key for us,” Reichert said. “The mentality is that we’re not going to let that ball cross the line.”
The communication between defenders comes from their increased comfort level after playing together for so long. The starting defensive unit consists of senior Corinne Kimmelman, Reichert and junior Emily Brockwell. This group of players has had the opportunity to play as a group for a long time and it’s helped them work as one unit on the field.
“We’ve been playing together for so long that we kind of know how each other works, like who goes to balls and who handles other situations,” Brockwell said.
Over the years, the Lakers have gotten the opportunity to play together more and it has helped them build chemistry and improve on what was a disappointing record last year.
Last season’s record of 3-11 did not sit well with the team and they changed their mentality going into the 2016 season. They are practicing and preparing harder to erase the memory of the 2015 season.
Not only are they practicing hard on the field, but head coach Brandi Lusk has been having her players watch more tape. They are studying their own field tendencies as well as scouting future opponents and strategizing how they can stop them. Looking at opponents’ stats and studying more has helped this defense shut down the opposition. An increased emphasis on preparation along with a number of returning players has been a major key to Oswego State’s success.
Over the years the team has gotten to be around one another on a regular basis which has built their chemistry.
“We’re an older team so we’ve all been working together, we all do a lot of team bonding things, we do everything as a team,” Reichert said.
Being around the same teammates and doing a lot of things together has helped not only the defense, but the whole team succeed on the field because the chemistry is there.
That chemistry and hard work built over the last couple of years has resulted the Laker’s best start to a season under Lusk’s tenure as head coach. The pieces are clicking for this team on all cylinders, especially on the defensive end.
They’re not allowing the opposition to score or even produce chances. The team’s shot differential has been the key to its successful 6-0 start.
This is something that coach Lusk and the defense core stress each time out on the field.
“Our goal for each game is to hold the team to single digit shots,” Brockwell said.
When the opponent does get a shot off, it rarely goes in. Only 11 percent of the opposing team’s shots are beating Sarita Charap.
Charap currently leads the SUNYAC in goals allowed with five and in goals against average with a mark of 0.84.
The defense is setting the tone and by quickly stopping the opponent’s attack and getting it to their offense, it allows them to be aggressors.
The old saying that solid defense leads to a good offense summarizes the Lakers’ success to this point in the season.
The Lakers plan to build on the perfect start by staying confident, but not cocky.
After their 2-0 win over Morrisville State on Wednesday afternoon, Reichert said that Lusk was already talking about having them watch tape on this game. That speaks to the work ethic of not only the coaching staff but the players. Starting 6-0 can make some teams complacent, but the goal is the same as it was day one for the Lakers, play harder and play smarter.
The Oswego State field hockey team looks to stay perfect and continue to put up impressive defensive numbers when they play William Smith on the road on Oct. 4.
