After the Student Association ruled in favor of “Equal Play, Equal Pay” last season, the Oswego State women’s club hockey team was able to make the jump to the American Collegiate Hockey Association. The Lakers will join the likes of big-name schools like Notre Dame, Maryland, the University of Connecticut, Ohio State and in-state rival University at Buffalo after receiving a $16,199 fund increase for the 2018-19 season.
First-year coach and Oswego State student Cole Parzych said it gives the players more opportunities.
“They all love hockey, or else, they wouldn’t be playing at the club level,” Parzych said. “It should be a fun challenge for them, and we’ll see how that gets going in the next couple weeks.”
Parzych has had to battle the duties of being both a full-time student and a hockey coach, but as he said it has been a rewarding experience.
“So far it hasn’t been too difficult, but it’s early on in the semester and only time will tell,” Parzych said. “I love the game of hockey, and being around it for an extra three to five hours a week or so isn’t too bad.”
Parzych, a former high school defenseman and goaltender, said his prior hockey experience helps a lot with his coaching.
“The first practice we did was drills that I remembered from my playing days in high school and on travel teams,” Parzych said. “I’ve basically been playing since I was 4 or 5 years old and skating before then. It’s been an easy transition. Hockey is second nature to me, and that makes it easier for me to describe to them what they need to do, where they need to be, things like that.”
Lakers forward Maddie Block agreed that the Lakers were up to the challenge. The junior from Ithaca said she is eager to show her skills.
“We want to show people that we can do it. Last year, we did beat Buffalo, and they were in the league,” Block said. “We want to prove that we can succeed and be just as good as the rest of the teams in the conference.”
Beating a talented Buffalo team last season is sure to be a confidence boost for the Lakers, as the Bulls went 10-2 in ACHA play last season.
Jumping from no conference to the ACHA Div. II level is no easy task, but the Lakers are up to the challenge, Parzych said.
“They’re committed. There’s a lot of hard-working girls on this team,” Parzych said. “They like being out there, and they’re very receptive of what I’m telling them. It’s a committed bunch, and I hope that translates onto the ice.”
Although the Lakers are in the Division II level of the ACHA, they will be going up against some of the biggest universities in the country.
Senior Tahirah Abdo said she looks to shoulder some of the leadership load on this Lakers team. She said there are important differences between this year’s team and those in the past.
“I’ve been with the team the past three years, and we do recognize in years past we’ve had girls that put in work, but those girls are gone now,” Abdo said. “We just have to continue their intensity.”
Making the jump from no conference to the ACHA Div. II level certainly will not be easy for the Oswego State women’s club hockey team, but this team seems eager to succeed. From asking coaches to run conditioning drills during practice to keeping up the intensity level, the Lakers are sure to compete with the rest of their new conference.
Photo by Ben Grieco | The Oswegonian
