The Oswego State women’s soccer team fell short against SUNY Cortland on Nov. 2 after an intense overtime game. After the first half of overtime the score remained tied 0-0 and it looked as if both teams would be heading to penalties to determine who would advance to the SUNYAC finals. But during the second half of overtime, Cortland scored two goals in rapid fashion to make the final score 2-0 and end the Lakers championship chances.
The Lakers women’s soccer team ended their season with an overall record of 9-6-4 and a conference record of 3-3-3. graduate student Graisia Madden, freshman Brianna Winkler, and sophomore Katie Delgrosso each bagged five goals this season and led the team in that category. Freshman Amber McDermott led the team in assists with three on the season. McDermott also contributed two goals for the Lakers this season. Sophomore goalkeeper Perri Anderson recorded 56 saves on the season. She had her most saves this season in a Lakers loss against Hamilton College. Anderson started all 19 games for the Lakers and only allowed 18 goals on the whole season.
One upside for the future of this Lakers soccer team is the production of the underclassmen. As mentioned earlier, two out of three of the leading goalscarers on the team are underclassmen. Aggressive and impressive play by freshman Brianna Winkler helped her become a leading scorer on the team even though she came off of the bench in most games. The Lakers attack is looking promising for the future and they will look to bring in even more underclassmen talent this off-season.
“It’s really special because it proves all the hard work we’ve put in and been able to get the results we deserve,” Madden said. “We have a lot of talent on the team, so getting rewarded for the hard work we’ve put in is really great.”
Lakers goalkeeper Perri Anderson had a great first season with the Lakers and the team will be excited for her to be in between the posts for the next two seasons. Anderson realizes the team can play better, and if they eliminate the ups and downs and stay more consistent, they can win more games.
“I think there have been a lot of ups and downs, personally for me, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs and as a team as a whole there are a lot of things we have had to overcome and a lot of setbacks we’ve had,” Anderson said. “Through it all, I think we all know our worth as a team, and we all know we are a good team. No matter what or who we face we come back stronger and we step up to each challenge.”
Although the Lakers did not end their season the way they wanted, their confidence will be booming after this season and they will look to make an even longer playoff run next year.
“For each game we go into, nothing else matters except for the game you are playing in,” Anderson said. “Next game isn’t guaranteed and the last game, it doesn’t matter now. In the moment, leave every single thing you have on the field and hope for the best.”
Anderson is looking to band the team together even further next season, as they will be looking to push for a SUNYAC championship next year.
Photo via Oswego Athletics
