The Oswego State women’s hockey team is set to play its second game this week, as it will travel to Canton to face SUNY Canton. The Lakers are coming off a 3-2 win against SUNY Cortland that moved them up to second in the NEWHL standings. SUNY Canton will look to get its first win on home ice.

Keys to the Game

Oswego State

Better puck movement is the key to Oswego State beating SUNY Canton. Something that seems to be a trend with the Lakers is that they get off to a slow start in the first period, especially offensively. One way to solve this is for the team to slow things down and focus on making the right plays. If the Lakers can have a strong first period and take away some of SUNY Canton confidence, they should be able to leave Canton with a win.

SUNY Canton

Staying out of the penalty box is going to be the key for SUNY Canton to beat Oswego State. The Lakers’ power play unit has scored a goal in five straight games and is arguably one of the best units in the NEWHL, scoring at a rate of 26.2%. Since SUNY Canton is looking to get its first win of the season, it will need to play a very disciplined game in order to prevent the Lakers red hot power play from having an impact in tonight’s game.  

By the Numbers

Record (Conference)

OSW: 6-2-1 (6-2-1)

CAN: 0-6-1 (0-6-1)

Goals (Per Game)

OSW: 26 (2.9)

CAN: 9 (1.3)

Shots (Per Game)

OSW: 294 (32.7)

CAN: 146 (20.9)

Power Play (Percentage)

OSW: 11-43 (.256)

CAN: 1-27 (.037)

Players to Watch

OSW: Megan Teachout

Teachout is coming off of a game where she scored a power play goal. With Oswego State looking to start the game off strong offensively, expect to see the freshman forward be heavily involved and get plenty of scoring chances.

CAN: Ashley Gillies

Gillies recorded an assist on SUNY Canton’s lone goal against Morrisville State and is tied for second on the team in scoring with three points. The sophomore forward will need to find the back of the net early in this game to help give her team more confidence and skate a full 60 minutes with Oswego State.

Final Thoughts

Oswego State should be considered the favorites heading into this matchup against SUNY Canton. It will be interesting to see if head coach Diane Dillon will let Rachael Farmer or Tia Trovato get the start in net tonight, with three games in five nights. In Oswego State’s last game against SUNY Canton, Trovato started in net. SUNY Canton will not be overlooked because the last time these two teams played against each other, SUNY Canton was very aggressive, looking for its first win. Since the Kangaroos are in the same situation, expect to see that same energy tonight. 

Photo By Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian