If fans want to catch the Oswego State women’s soccer team at Laker Turf Stadium anytime soon, they will have to wait awhile. The Lakers play nine of their next 10 games on the road and have started the season with playing three of five games away from home. 

The good news for the Lakers is that they have a handful of seniors that have been through the grind that comes with being on the road, especially early in the season. Corina Chambers and Grace Mueller know how to manage the stress that can come from being off-campus, and pass this knowledge on to the Lakers large freshman class.

“You really just have to get in the mindset,” Chambers said. “When you’re at home, it’s very hyped up, but during away games, you have to change your mindset.”

That mindset comes with knowing that when a game is over on a Friday, the players will not be sleeping in their beds back at Oswego. Sometimes, it is about being uncomfortable.

“Expect to wake up early and be ready to go once you get there,” Chambers said.

These early wake-ups paired with long bus rides have been tough for Oswego State to deal with, especially with so many new faces on the squad.

“This is not a great stretch for us,” head coach Brian McGrane said. “It is good because you have to get on a bus early Friday, play a game, then rest and recover to be ready for Saturday. The big test will be when we are on the road the first five SUNYAC games.”

The road has not been kind to the Lakers thus far. After a 3-3-1 road record last season, Oswego State is 0-3-0 in games played away from home. Last weekend, it was a two-game tournament in Fredonia that resulted in a pair of 2-1 losses. Those games came against non-conference opponents, University of Mount Union and D’Youville College. In both those games, the Lakers outshot their opponent.

“We definitely could have done a lot better,” Mueller said. “We had a lot of opportunities we didn’t finish. We could have won both games, but we didn’t.”

McGrane shared the same feelings as his senior leader. Once again, the theme in 2019 has become finishing at the net.

“Soccer is probably the unluckiest of sports,” McGrane said. “You can play really well and not get results. Case in point last weekend. I thought we were the better team in both games, but we just struggled to finish. Give credit to Mount Union and D’Youville, they were able to finish their chances.”

These road tests are especially tough for freshmen like Katherine Balog, who has seen significant minutes in her first season with the team.

“I’ve never been on the road for a high school soccer team before,” Balog said. “It’s all new to me.”

It falls on the seniors to help the younger players out.

“They tell us what to bring, what to expect, just things like that,” Balog said.

McGrane understands the trials of being on the road, especially for his freshman class.

“For the young players, they just have to give it all they can,” McGrane said. “There’s going to be ups and downs, the ball changes possession every couple of seconds so to expect a lot of success is sometimes foolish to think. Our young players are good, but it’ll be a work in progress.”

Oswego State had an especially rude awakening on Tuesday night. The Lakers lost on the road to Hamilton College, 4-0. In that game, the team was outshot 38-4.

“[The road] hasn’t been kind to us so far,” McGrane said. “And it probably will continue to be that way since we play our first five conference games on the road. Historically, four of our first five have been in the conference tournament.”

The first of those five conference games come against SUNY Geneseo. The Knights have won the SUNYAC playoff tournament each of the last two seasons. Before the tough SUNYAC slate begins, the Lakers go on the road once again this weekend. On Friday, Sept. 13, the Lakers matchup with Clarkson University, a team they have beaten in 26 of their 29 meetings all-time. On Saturday, the script is flipped against St. Lawrence University, whom they are 3-22-4 against.

“From the veterans, we look for their leadership,” McGrane said. “They’re the ones who have played these teams prior and know the level of play to be expected. We want them to bring that level of maturity and mentality to road games.”

These games become especially tough with the Lakers losing graduate student defenseman Rachel DiCocco for the season. In her absence, Oswego State has plugged in freshmen such as Fallon Lewis-Ellison in hopes of helping out Emma Allen in front of the net.

“It’s not an easy fill,” McGrane said. “She’s sitting over there with a torn ACL, she’ll be out for her season and actually her career because she graduated last spring. It’s not an easy one. One of those trial by fire type of deals.”

Even though it has not been an ideal start for the Lakers, the team feels it is close to turning that corner.

“We’re probably pretty close to one of these days getting four, five, maybe six goals and then things will settle in,” McGrane said.

Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian