Oswego State welcomes William Smith College to the Marano Campus Center for its final exhibition game before hitting the road to start the regular season. After Oswego State lost to the London Jr. Devilettes 4-0 last Saturday, Oct. 19, it will look to turn things around to get its first win of the year.

Unlike Oswego State, William Smith College’s matchup against the Lakers will be its only exhibition game. The Herons are part of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference.

Keys to the Game

Oswego State

Staying out of the penalty box will be the key today for Oswego State. In their last game against London, the Lakers ended up in the penalty box five times. Even though Oswego State only allowed one goal on the penalty kill, the Lakers need to take advantage of this final exhibition game to find their best line combinations while at full strength. Keeping the game at full strength could also help the Lakers generate more scoring chances and offense, something they could not do against London.

William Smith College

Early scoring is the key for William Smith College to start their season off with a victory. With Oswego State coming off of a game where it was shut out, scoring early could take the wind out of the Lakers sails. For William Smith College, scoring early will give them a confidence boost that will result in better play as a team for the remainder of the game.

Starting Lineup

OSW

Mia Conboy – Morgan Shines – Megan Teachout

Eryn Stewart – Amber Thomas – Kyleigh Grugin

Annika Neufeld-Kreider – Emma Morisette – Natalie Giglio

Aislinn McAleer – Katelynn Ferguson – Maura McKeown

Emily Gustafson

Kate Randazzo – Avery Webster

Philomena Teggart – Madison Byrne

Bailey Thomas

Rachael Farmer

Tia Trovato

William Smith College did not provide lines at time of publishing.

Players to Watch

OSW: Megan Teachout

It is very clear that head coach Diane Dillon is using the Lakers two exhibition games to give freshmen more opportunities than usual. Forward Megan Teachout received plenty of ice time not just in regular play, but also during the power play and penalty kill. With her first college game under her belt and consistent shifts, Teachout could create even more offense than in game one.

WSM: Gina Scibetta

Last season as Scibetta was the leading scorer for William Smith College with 22 goals. Expect Scibetta to get off to a hot start for her senior season. Even though freshman could get more ice time than usual like Oswego State, Scibetta will still have plenty of opportunities to make a huge impact offensively.

Final Thoughts

Oswego State has the advantage in this game since it has already played one exhibition game. With another week of practice under their belts and adjustments to make, the Lakers should look a lot different. Last week the Lakers were not able to capitalize on their chances offensively, so the coaches should go into this game with a better idea of what line combinations will be the most productive. Also expect both goaltenders for Oswego State to see some ice time. Last week, Rachael Farmer played two periods while freshman Tia Trovato played in the third, giving up three goals.

For William Smith College, it is a very young team with 12 freshman skating in their first-ever college hockey game. However, three of its five double-digit scorers from last season are still on the team. The game could possibly see a strong offensive performance from a team who is going to be very excited to play their first game.

Photo by Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian