Oswego State women’s hockey is officially underway, as the Lakers will look to start out this season with one in the win column in their first exhibition game against the London Junior Devilettes. Last year the Lakers defeated the Devilettes to start their season in a 4-3 victory. All Lakers who scored in the exhibition game from last year will return this year, which should give the team a boost of confidence heading into this exhibition. 

The Devilettes are off to a 9-5-3 start to this season, coming off a 5-4 victory against Utica College. London is on a two-game win streak, as well. The Devilettes will look to continue the success they have had, while they are on their three game New York Universities trip this weekend.

Keys to the Game

Oswego State

Faceoffs will be the key today for the Lakers. Last year as a team, the Lakers had a faceoff percentage of .533. If the Lakers can win key faceoffs, especially in the defensive zone, the Lakers should be able to come out of this game with a win against a Devilettes team who have already  played almost 20 games so far.

London

Finding the back of the net and taking advantage of scoring opportunities early is the key for the Devilettes. In the month of October, all the Devilettes wins have been by only one goal. If London can take advantage of Oswego State’s rust, like most teams do to start off their seasons, then the Devilettes can leave Oswego with their third straight victory.

Players to Watch

OSW: Avery Webster

The Laker to watch out for is sophomore Avery Webster on defense. Webster was not just one of the four players from last year that scored against the Devilettes, but she scored the game winning goal. Add that to head coach Diane Dillon expecting a big year from the sophomore, one can expect Webster to get off to a strong start against the Devilettes. 

LON: Nicole Gosling

Team captain Nicole Gosling has recorded only one assist this season and that should change tonight. The Ontario, Canada  native will be the one who gets her team going today with a great offensive performance that will propel the rest of her teammates. The defender is one of the best in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).  If the team captain is performing well, the rest of the team will surely follow.

Final Thoughts

The Lakers do have the advantage of their team being together longer than the Devilettes and are a lot older than most of the players for London. With the majority of the team from last year returning for this season, the Lakers have the advantage of team chemistry on their side. Expect to see both Rachael Farmer and Tia Trovato in net today, as Dillon likes to get all her players involved during exhibitions. With that, it is the first game of the season and some mistakes will be made, as the team looks to kick off the rust.

For London, they have the advantage of already playing games and developing some team chemistry among each other. We should expect London to do the little things better, like making the extra pass to score a goal. The team does not have an official starting goaltender as both Charley Wing and Katie Hinton have received playing time this year and have similar records heading into today’s game. 

Oswego State will look take advantage of this today and get off to a strong start for this season.