The Oswego State Lakers field hockey team started off the year red hot notching win after win to begin the season of play.
They suffered their first loss on the Sept. 17 losing to St. Lawrence University in a defensively powered game where the final score was only one to nothing. In the first quarter of the game, neither team scored but both had chances. At the end of the quarter, the Saints had narrowly outshot the Oswego State seven to five. In the second quarter, the Saints caught a second wind and were able to get a goal past goalkeeper Erica Scheblein.
Oswego State could not get anything going on offense as they were outshot overall 23-19 and 19- 9 in shots on goal. St. Lawrence played a successful defensive game to make sure no goal was scored against them. A sad loss for the Lakers but they sought to get right back to winning against the University of Rochester on Sept. 13. Unfortunately, they fell short again against the Yellow Jackets.
The Lakers played a defensive scheme again in this game. After going down 2-0 in the first four minutes of the game, Oswego State had to try their best and play catch up. For the rest of that quarter, the squad had to defend against multiple corner attempts and shots on goal. Scheblein had three saves in the first quarter alone.
In the second quarter, the squad pushed the pressure on offense. They had multiple shots on goal and also two penalty corners to finish out the half, but no goals scored. Then just as the third quarter started, the Lakers picked up two yellow cards. But they stayed strong fighting off the Yellow Jacket offense holding them to zero goals even while battling a two minute penalty and a five minute penalty.
When the fourth quarter began, it was more of the same as the Yellow Jackets continued the pressure on offense pushing the defense more and more. But the Laker back line once again pushed back not allowing a goal in the final quarter of play, but the Lakers didn’t answer back with anything of their own and the game ended with a score of 2-0. Scheblein finished the game with 12 saves on 14 shots on goal, which gives her 27 saves in the last two games.
This is the first loss of the season for the field hockey team after starting out 5-0 putting on an impressive run. In those five games the team had outscored their opponents 36-1, letting it be known that they were one of the top teams in the SUNYAC. The Lakers next, take on a former nationally ranked team and conference rival, the New Paltz Hawks. With a record of 4-1, this team is also looking for a bounce back win. Oswego State will travel to New Paltz for a 1 p.m. game on Sept. 24.
Photo provided by Abigail Connolly
