The Oswego State women’s ice hockey team brought in 10 new freshmen for the 2016-2017 season in hopes of being a top team in the ECAC West.

According to women’s ice hockey assistant coach Greg Haney, the recruitment process for the freshmen class was rather intricate.

“Multiple things come into it,” Haney said. “You always want to bring in good talent, but also good kids too.”

Haney claims that the recruitment team notices most players at hockey showcases. Some other players are recruited by word of mouth by previous coaches.

“A lot of the coaches do promote for their kids so it’s easy to get a hold of them,” Haney said.

The new recruits have been blending into the team in a seemingly perfect way, Haney said. He is quite pleased with the outcome of the recruitment season.

The new players come from all across the U.S. and some in parts of Canada. Their previous teams helped showcase their potential for Laker recruitment, earning them a spot on the  head coach Diane Dillon’s final roster.

Madison Byrne

Byrne is from Commerce Township, Michigan. She previously played for the HoneyBaked Hockey Club 19U girls team. She is considered a defensive-minded defenseman who sees the ice well, making the smart play when needed. Her ability to slow the game down will continue with playing experience at this level.

Victoria Rankin

Rankin is from Yellowknife, Northwestern Territory in Canada. She previously played for the Northern Alberta Extreme team in the Canadain Sports School Hockey League for the 2015-2016 season. There she played in eight games, scoring four goals with one assist. She is currently positioned as a forward on the Lakers’ 2016-2017 team.

Eryn Stewart

Stewart is from Stonewall, Manitoba in Canada. In the 2015-2016 hockey season she played for the AAA Midget Capitals. There she played in 60 games, scored 12 goals, and had 22 assists on the season. She is quick and holds a great team persona on and off the ice. Stewart scored her first collegiate goal in the Lakers first exhibition game against the Toronto Midget Aeros on Oct. 22.

Lauren Martel

Martel’s hometown is Washington, Illinois. Martel played on the Chicago Fury U19 team in the 2015-2016 season. Her position for the Lakers in the 2016-2017 season is forward.

Jacquelin White

White’s hometown is Royal Oak, Michigan. She previously played with the HoneyBaked Hockey Club. She has exceptional hands when it comes to stick handling and a heavy shot. White scored her first tie-breaking collegiate goal in the Lakers’ exhibition game on Oct. 22. She currently is a forward for the Lakers.

Kate Randazzo

Randazzo is from Ancaster, Ontario. She previously played for the Burlington Barracudas in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League. With her quick skating abilities she is going to help the Lakers add an offensive dimension from the blue line, a similar trait in a lot of the Laker defense recruits.

Natalie Giglio

Giglio’s hometown is Ogdensburg, New York. She committed to the Lakers in 2015 but then de-committed and continued to try out for the 2016-2017 team as a walk-on. She previously played for the Northwood School hockey team in Lake Placid, New York. There she was assistant captain and was considered a standout player. She currently is a defenseman for the Lakers.

Brianna Colucci

Colucci is from Lancaster, New York, where she previously played for the Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles. Colucci has a rocket of a shot from the point and could help the Laker power play in the future when spots open up to graduation.  

Julieann White

White’s hometown is Royal Oak, Michigan. She, alongside her sister, Jacquelin White, and friend, Madison Byrne, played for the HoneyBaked Hockey Club. White is considered a finesse forward because of her quick pace and abilities in small spaces in the offensive zone, which is even more important in today’s emphasis on possession-based style hockey.

Amber Samonek

Samonek is from Cary, Illinois. She is a traditional butterfly-style goaltender that is going to give the Lakers a bright future with consistent play between the pipes. Samonek previously played for the Chicago Mission U19 team, playing in three games, making 24 saves that resulted in a .857 save percentage. She played in her first collegiate game on Oct. 22. Playing the second half, she made nine saves, not letting in a single goal and contributed to sealing the game against the Midget Aeros.

According to Haney, the freshmen recruits show great potential to fill in the spots of graduated veterans and have the ability to take the team far into the postseason.

“They all have one thing in common and it’s that they work hard,” Haney said. “We have quite a few seniors and upperclassmen and hopefully they can kind of lead the way and show them what to do here.”

Haney hopes that the freshmen can add to the goal production and possibly get their power play up for the season.

“They’re good kids who seem to be getting along and finding themselves at home here,” Haney said. “They’re excited and to have that many kids be excited about something can change the whole culture of a program.”

After winning their first exhibition game on Oct. 22, Haney, along with the rest of the team, plan to keep the momentum going to advance throughout the season in hopes to compete in the ECAC West Championship come late February and early March.