Katelynn Ferguson is now in her second year with the Lakers. This Friday, she will face off against her former team in the SUNY Canton Kangaroos as they travel to Oswego State.

Ferguson is from Lake Cowichan, British Columbia, Canada, where she began playing hockey when she was nine years old. She got into hockey because of her father, Lonny, who played hockey at the Jr. A level. Ferguson’s father was also the hockey player she looked up to most when she was growing up.

This being Ferguson’s second year on the Lakers and being from British Columbia, which is on the Canadian pacific coast, one would think it would be a tough adjustment, but her experience was exactly the opposite. Playing junior hockey in Canada helped her fit right in when she left SUNY Canton for Oswego State.

“It has been easy,” Ferguson said. “I have been living away from home since I was about 15. So there’s been a lot of moving around and playing with different teams.”

Last season, in Ferguson’s first year at Oswego State, she finished the year with four goals, three assists and was tied for third on the team in shooting percentage. She brings more to the team than what can be seen on the ice. 

Head coach Diane Dillon described Ferguson’s attitude and personality as being the glue of the team, which is important with such a young team.

“Katie is one of those kids that brings a lot of life to a locker room,” Dillon said. “She’s got a great attitude, just likes being around all her teammates and loves to play hockey. She’s definitely a fun player to have on the team.”

Ferguson’s teammate, Eryn Stewart, added to that, discussing how she brings a positive attitude on and off the ice.

“She works really hard and always tries to be the best she can be,” Stewart said. “She is someone that’s very positive on the bench and is always cheering hard for everyone.”

When Ferguson decided to transfer to Oswego State, she looked at it as an easy decision with how successful the Lakers have been in the past when it comes to hockey.

“There’s a lot to it,” Ferguson said. “I wanted to be a part of a more established program and jumped at the chance to come to Oswego.”

Ferguson did not hide that she was very excited to be facing her old team this weekend. It has been noticeable, as her coaches and teammates saw her practice with an extra edge this week.

“Playing an old team is definitely exciting for her,” Stewart said. “She still knows some players on that team, and it will be interesting to see how she plays against them.”

Dillon does not see her as one of SUNY Canton’s old players even though she played 25 games with the Roos. In Dillon’s eyes, she sees Ferguson only as a Laker after being with the program for over a year now.

“We don’t really think of her as a former Canton player anymore,” Dillon said. “I’m sure it will still be fun for her to see some of her old teammates.”

This matchup against SUNY Canton is going to be an important one for the Lakers as the Roos are a Northeast Women’s Hockey League opponent and a win would help them in the standings. SUNY Canton has not won a game yet, but Dillon is not looking past what the team can bring as an opponent.

“We haven’t played them in a while,” Dillon said. “It’s kind of an unsettling situation because they haven’t won a game yet. They’re going to be hungry and teams that are like that can play desperate hockey sometimes. It can be hard to match that intensity they will bring.”

Being her old team, Ferguson is not looking past them either and had plenty of positive things to say when discussing her old team by describing them as hard working with a lot of heart. 

With her teammates and coaching staff looking forward to Ferguson bringing even more energy than she usually does against SUNY Canton she is definitely going to be a player that will have some extra eyes on her. 

Photo by Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian