The SUNY Oswego women’s soccer team currently sits at 5-3 while they are 2-2 within their conference. They are looking to bounce back from a loss from their last game and turn it into a win next game.
The team recently had their senior day game against SUNY Fredonia, which they had lost 1-0. Despite the loss to SUNY Fredonia, coach Brian McGrane was proud of his team’s playing during their game.
“We played well but we couldn’t finish,” McGrane said. “Our goalie Hayley Muehl didn’t have to do much. We put in a good effort, but I thought it was a successful senior day in terms of honoring the kids who have been with our program and playing well. Obviously not getting the win is the one disappointment.”
McGrane did notice some improvement from senior Maggie Riordan in their last game.
“She played great in the midfield for us,” McGrane said. “She played the full 90 minutes for us which is not easy in that position because we ask a lot of them to go 18-18 but I thought she was fantastic.”
McGrane hopes his team can improve in certain areas before they play their next game on Friday against SUNY Brockport.
“I think just finishing and being a little more patient and being a little more clinical in front of the goal,” McGrane said. “When we have chances, even if it is one to twenty chances, and being able to put a few away.”
Despite the loss to SUNY Fredonia, McGrane is just happy to have a team that is able to play after a year hiatus due to COVID-19 and said he thinks his team would agree.
“I think any game is win or lose, you are just excited about playing,” McGrane said. “But I think whenever you’re in a conference and it’s about getting points and you’re still kind of in the hunt. I think that is the exciting part for the girls and they feel the same way.”
Sophomore Haley Muehl is the team’s goalie, and said it is difficult because she is “the only one.”
Muehl said an area of her game that she had been most impressed with so far this season is her teammates and how well everyone works together.
“[I am] trusting my defenders, trusting the players who are on the field with me to help me out,” Muehl said. “I know in high school I was on my own, so now here at Oswego I can actually trust them. It’s a new experience for me and I absolutely love it.”
Katie DelGrosso is a newcomer on the team but has already made up her mind about a goal she would like to achieve by the end of the season.
“[I want to] score a couple of more goals this season because I definitely want to have more goals as a freshman,” DelGrosso said.
DelGrosso agreed with Muehl that teamwork is one of the most important aspects of playing a good game but said that being on her high school team only partially prepared her for joining the Lakers.
“I learned that teamwork is a big role in your play, it’s not just about how skilled you are, it’s about how well you work together,” Delgrasso said. “ I also learned that it’s important to come in shape and be very fit because the games are very fast paced and it’s nothing like I had played before in high school or anything like that”.
As the final SUNYAC game is approaching soon McGrane goal is to make sure that he can motivate his team for the game.
“Hopefully, the fact that we are a couple wins away from potentially getting a postseason win … is enough motivation,” McGrane said. “But I think being part of the conference and playing every team in our conference is kind of a rival. We have a number of kids from the Buffalo and Rochester area who have friends on both teams this weekend and the other teammates have friends on the opposing teams, hopefully that is motivation as well.”
The Oswego State women’s soccer team is looking for their sixth win of the season on Oct. 8 at SUNY Brockport at 4 p.m. McGrane and the Lakers will look to rebound this weekend after a subpar senior day weekend.
Matthew Hernandez| The Oswegonian
