Heading into this weekend, the 6-4 Oswego State Lakers women’s lacrosse team is looking to get over the .500 record mark in conference play, as they are 2-2 in conference play after defeating SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday by a score of 14-5.
A prominent success factor for the Lakers is senior goalie Angela Ponto, who was just named Laker Athlete of the Week for the second time in three weeks and reached 500 saves for her career.
These individual accomplishments come with no surprise, as she has been an integral part of the team since her freshman year. In fact, she has started every game for the Lakers since the start of the 2015 season, which was her first year at Oswego State. Since then, she has racked up nearly every single personal award, including second and third team All-SUNYAC, All-Tournament team at the SUNYAC championship, and is a two-time defensive player of the week for the SUNYAC. Having such a talented goaltender is crucial for lacrosse teams, especially those trying to make a postseason run.
“It is very important [to have one of the best goalies,]” head coach Britt Howard said. “I look to Angela for a lot of things, especially in high heat game situations. [During a timeout, I] ask her how things are on the defensive end and make those adjustments. I have all the confidence in the world in her and I know if I need her to make a key save, she is going to make it.”
In a game where the best goalie in NCAA Div. I has a save percentage of .574, it is extremely important to make the big save. Giving up an early goal is tough, but in the waning seconds, it is even more necessary to make those stops. Giving up goals is inevitable. However, how goalies bounce back is what really matters.
“My defense helps me a lot, trying to keep my head up,” Ponto said. “I used to play soccer goalie, and you let one goal in and that could cost you the game. Lacrosse is a different pace, and you need to know good teams are going to score and you just have to move on with [the game.]”
Despite accomplishments like second team All-SUNYAC, she has improved her play every single season. She has gone from a .416 save percentage during her freshman year to an astonishing .547 last season.
“Freshman year I called it freshman fluke,” Ponto said. “I was not terrible, but from freshman to sophomore year, there was a huge improvement, and it came down to working harder and building a little confidence in myself.”
As Ponto has improved year after year, the team has followed. When Ponta was a freshman, the team was 6-10 and won just one game of all eight conference games. One season later, the team’s goals against dropped precipitously from 11.94 to 10.25. Aside from the improved defense, Ponto’s development was huge. She was no longer a rookie, but instead a second-year goalie who went on to lead the SUNYAC in ground balls with 53.
Leading the conference in ground balls was extremely beneficial to the Lakers because she was able to shift the possession and keep the ball out of her own end. This, alongside her additional save per game on average, propelled Oswego State to the postseason for over a decade.
Not only has she developed as a player, but also as a leader. Now a senior, Ponto is relied on to show the underclassmen the ropes and how things are done within the program. Aside from things off the field, she is a play caller on the field. She is able to control the ball in the defensive end and settle her teammates down if they get a little too jittery.
“Getting to coach her the last two seasons have been great,” Howard said. “She has an amazing personality and great leadership qualities that she has shown on and off the field. Coaching her from last year to [now,] she has improved in her leadership role. She has really stepped it up on the field, and the players really look to her for key plays or adjustments on the field.”
Photo provided by Sports Information via C. Perkins
