Spring is a great time of year when the snow starts to melt, and the sun starts to shine. Lacrosse players go from sweatpants and sweatshirts to game day uniforms. That is happening in Oswego as the Oswego State Lakers have kicked off their 2020 season.  

The women’s lacrosse team started its regular season on Feb. 26, hosting Morrisville State. The Lakers defeated the Mustangs in a rainy contest 13-8. Senior captains Molly Beck and Montana Garrett led the team with three goals each; Beck also added an assist. 

The Lakers next matchup, on Feb. 29, was on the road against No. 15 ranked William Smith College. The Lakers looked to capitalize on a great opportunity but ultimately fell 18-3. Beck led the team again, scoring two out of its three goals on the night. Despite the loss, head coach Britt Howard was pleased with the team’s performance.

 “Obviously, the score on Saturday didn’t show it but they are doing all the things that we ask them to do,” Howard said. 

On Wednesday, Oswego State hosted Clarkson University. The Golden Knights won their season opener 18-6 against SUNY Potsdam and took down the Lakers 9-5. All five goals for the Lakers came from Garrett and Beck.

This year the Oswego State team looks a little different, missing First Team All-SUNYAC players Teresa Shattuck, Brigid Regin and Danielle Walker. Shattuck graduated Oswego State last year with 333 points, making her the all-time leader in points scored in program history. Other players will need to step up this year without the team’s top three point scorers from last season. 

“We have our senior captains, Montana Garrett and Molly Beck, who have done well for us so far,” Howard said. “But I’m also looking for some of our freshman and some of our other seniors to step up into the position … just hoping people can gain their confidence and really take it onto the field with them.” 

The Lakers finished the season last year on a high note finishing 11-5 overall and 6-3 in SUNYAC play. They fell short to top-seeded SUNY Geneseo 18-5 in the SUNYAC Semifinals. The team graduated eight seniors with four of them making a SUNYAC All-Conference team. 

This season, the team returns 14 players to the roster and added four new players to the team. Newcomers to the team include midfielder Sela Wiley, attacker Kiara McKercher and defenders Savannah Connor and Riley Mallett. 

“We have a lot of new faces that are helping us out, one of our freshman [that] is going to make a big difference for us is Sela Wiley,” Beck said.

Wiley has started in both contests for the Lakers and added a goal and an assist against Morrisville State.  

The team enters the season as the No. 4 ranked team in the SUNYAC, behind nationally ranked No. 22 SUNY Cortland, No. 23 SUNY Geneseo and defending SUNYAC champions No. 20 The College at Brockport. Aside from facing these three tough teams, the Lakers have a difficult schedule.

 “We don’t have an easy game this year, we looked to strengthen our schedule for this year and next year, so everyone is going to be a hard competition,” Howard said. “For the SUNYAC there is always those top three teams Brockport, Geneseo and Cortland who are all ranked in the top 25. They’re good to have within our conference, and hopefully we can play well against them this year.” 

Key SUNYAC games to look forward to this season are against The College at Brockport, SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Cortland. The first of those three games start on April 1, when the team hits the road against The College at Brockport. Home games against SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Cortland are on April 15 and April 25 to conclude the regular season. SUNY Geneseo is led by junior attackwoman Hannah Marafioti who won offensive player of the year in the SUNYAC as a sophomore last season. The College at Brockport is headlined by second year graduate student Heather Conklin who is looking to help defend her team’s SUNYAC Championship from last season. 

While the Golden Eagles will look to win another SUNYAC title, Oswego State has high expectations of its own.

“We have seen spurts of good things on the field but we need to put it together and work through the kinks that we have seen so far this season,” Howard said. “Hopefully that will push us toward the conference championship.”

Photo by Casey Stone | The Oswegonian