Despite entering the third period with a two-goal lead, the Oswego State Lakers left the ice after 65 minutes of play with a 3-3 tie.

Less than one minute into the first period at 0:28, Oswego State put a goal on the board, after Amber Thomas found Philomena Teggart at the point. Teggart rifled a hard slap shot, which went past SUNY Potsdam goalie Kayla McCabe. After getting shut out last night by Morrisville State, this was exactly what the Lakers needed to start out this game. Associate head coach Mark Digby thought it was a great response after last night’s shutout loss to Morrisville State.

“They were trying to bounce back from last night,” Digby said. “Just not being overly happy with how they played. I think it’s a fun way to spruce up the energy a bit.”

As the first period continued, Oswego State’s offensive surge continued, as it was able to keep the puck in the offensive zone and get multiple shots on goal. Not only was the Lakers offense playing well, but also the defense was doing a great job, as it did not let the Bears’ offense settle in.

Later in the first period, SUNY Potsdam got an opportunity on the power play after Emily Gustafson took a tripping penalty. At 9:37, the Bears tied the game after Kaylee Merrill scored off of a rebound that got away from Rachael Farmer on the right side of the net.

That power play seemed to give the Bears momentum, as they were able to move the puck better and get more shots on goal than at the start of the first period. However, it did not slow down the Lakers from continuing to play aggressive, as they were able to finish the first period with 19 shots on goal, which was more shots on goal than they had last night through 40 minutes of play.

The Oswego State offense did not slow down in the second period, as it continued to play aggressive offensively. SUNY Potsdam’s aggressive forecheck led to the Lakers getting an early opportunity on the power play.

SUNY Potsdam did a great job blocking shots from Oswego State throughout the majority of the power play. However, the strong defensive effort was not enough to stop the Lakers, as Sara Cruise was able to go top shelf, scoring at 3:18. Digby was very happy with the power play and offense as a whole.

“I thought we moved the puck really well,” Digby said. “We created a lot of chances, probably some of the best puck movement that we’ve had. We have got to just keep building on that.”

As the second period continued, it was a battle defensively for both teams. With that, Amber Thomas took a late cross-checking penalty that sent the Bears on the power play. Potsdam was not able to score a goal on the extra-woman advantage, and at the end of the power play, Amber Thomas immediately picked up the puck when she exited the box. Hustling towards the net, she was able to find an open Gustafson from behind the net, who was able to find the back of the net and give the Lakers a two-goal lead at 19:54 into the second period. Digby was very impressed with how Thomas’ hustle lead to a late second period goal

“She looked like she was playing with a little bit more of an edge on that shift,” Digby said. “She looked like she was flying, and it was nice to see her get rewarded.”

As play began in the third period, Oswego State continued to dominate offensively and SUNY Potsdam had difficulties getting something going on the offense. That soon changed at 8:39, when Kaylee Merrill split through the Lakers defense to score her second goal of the game. 

Both teams continued to play very aggressive on the forecheck through the rest of the period. The Bears had a great opportunity in front of the net, but Philomena Teggart took a slashing penalty to avoid the potential goal. Oswego State was able to kill off the SUNY Potsdam power play but immediately went back on the penalty kill, after a cross-checking penalty on Bailey Thomas. This proved to be too much for Oswego State, as Shelbi Thacker was able to score on the power play for the Bears at 12:05. Even though the Lakers allowed SUNY Potsdam to score two powerplay goals, Digby was happy with how the team was on the penalty kill.

“I thought they did a good job,” Digby said. “It’s just those plays in and around the net. They were throwing pucks to the net and banging home rebounds. We have got to figure out how to take away those seconds chance opportunities.”

Neither team was able to score a late goal, and the game ended up going into overtime. Oswego State had the best chance to win the game, after it had a power play opportunity with 1:09 left in the game. Kate Randazzo was able to find an open Megan Teachout on the left side of the net, but McCabe was able to get in front of the puck. Digby really liked how the team played in the first two periods but noticed that the third period was not the same based on how the team played.

“We got a little bit puck focused,” Digby said. “We weren’t really moving that much without the puck and that caused a lot more d-zone time than needed. Obviously the penalties slow you down, so we gotta find a to stay out of the box.”

Oswego State’s next game will be Wednesday night at home against Morrisville State. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm in the Marano Campus Center.

Photo by Nicole Hube | The Oswegonian