After a hard fought battle, the Lakers won their fifth game in row, after defeating Buffalo State 3-2. This win was extra special for the senior’s on the roster as it was Senior Day for Oswego State.

The first period did not start off the way the Lakers would have liked. Buffalo State was took an early lead one minute into the first period thanks to Jessica Carter. Carter was able to score off of a rebound where Rachael Farmer lost sight of the puck, after the initial shot by Lila Toczek. Associate head coach Mark Digby thought there might have been some distractions at the beginning of the game with tonight being Senior Day. 

“They came out with jump,” Digby said. “We were excited, but we weren’t really focused on the details of our game. One turnover ends up in the back of our net.”

The early goal from Buffalo State really woke up the Lakers offense, as it was able to get some quick chances on net. Oswego State’s aggressive play resulted in a penalty, as Emily Gustafson took a roughing minor. The team did a good job of blocking shots, which led to a successful penalty kill.

As the first period continued, both teams exchanged offensive chances, and eventually each team sent a player to the penalty box for a four-on-four. Very quickly into the coincidental penalties, at 15:45 freshman Morgan Shines scored off of a deflection from a Kate Randazzo shot from the blue line to tie the game. 

That late goal from Shines helped carry the offensive momentum into the second period, as the Lakers were able to get some quick shots on goal. The Lakers were able to get an extra skater advantage to give them an opportunity on the power play but could not get the puck to find the back of the net.

However, shortly after the Lakers power play opportunity, Eryn Stewart was able to score, shooting top shelf to give her team a one goal lead at 10:26. Digby credited the senior for making a big play for her team and how special that goal was for her.

“It’s nice when seniors make senior plays,” Digby said. “That was a huge momentum play in the game. Scoring on senior night was special for her. She had a lot of family here tonight and who knows when that’ll happen again, when she can score a goal in front of them.”

As the second period continued, the Lakers played aggressively on both ends of the ice. Buffalo State did get two late period scoring opportunities, and Rachael Farmer made some big saves in order for her team to head into the third period with a one goal lead.

Buffalo State continued to pressure the Lakers to start the third period, as Farmer had to fight off an early breakaway. The Bengals had another scoring opportunity shortly after, where there was a lot of traffic in front of the net for Farmer, but she did a great job of making some key saves to keep the puck out of the net.

The offensive momentum began to shift in favor of Oswego State, which led to power play. Off the first faceoff at 9:28 Emily Gustafson was able to give the Lakers a two goal lead. Gustafson was able to put the puck in the net off of a rebound that got away from Buffalo State goaltender Bri Gawronski. 

A little over two minutes later, at 11:38 Buffalo State was able to gain some third period momentum, as Natasha Steinle picked up the puck at the attacking blue line. She went one-on-one with Bailey Thomas and cut to the slot. Steinle scored an impressive top shelf goal to cut the Lakers lead to one goal. Digby made sure the team stuck to its style of play and not change what it had been doing throughout the game.

“Just do what you do and don’t change anything,” Digby said. “You’re controlling the tempo of the game and possession of the puck. Then, they catch one break and score a goal. We showed a lot of puck after they scored, and I think it’s a huge testament to the character of the players that we have.

As the third period came to an end, this strategy worked for the Lakers, as they were able to fight off Buffalo State and win on senior day. Digby addressed how special it is for the seniors on the team to win tonight on top of their incredible play.

“They played like seniors,” Digby said. “On senior night, it’s nice to see them not just show up, but to perform the way they did that was impressive.”

Oswego State will look to finish the season off on another high note next week where they will travel to Canon to take SUNY Canton before the NEWHL playoffs.

Photo by Ben Grieco | The Oswegonian