Oswego State field hockey has one more game left on their schedule: they face William Smith College on Saturday, Oct. 28. This matchup will take place on Saturday at Laker Turf Stadium at 11 a.m. William Smith College, which is on the same campus as Hobart College, is located in Geneva, NY. The William Smith Herons will be making the trip up to Oswego to play against the Lakers during the Lakers’ Senior Day. 

So far this season, the Lakers have an overall record of 5-12. Oswego is in sixth place out of seven teams in the SUNYAC field hockey conference. They have a conference record of 1-5. Only the top four teams make the SUNYAC field hockey playoffs, and Oswego has missed this mark. With only five wins to their name, the Lakers will be looking to secure a win during their last game of the season.

William Smith is a strong opponent though, they have an overall record of 10-6 and a conference record of 5-2. The Herons compete in the Liberty League for field hockey. Currently, the Herons have secured a playoff spot as they are tied for no. 2 place in the league with the University of Rochester. There are eight teams in the Liberty League. Some of the other schools in the Liberty League include Ithaca University, Rochester Institute of Technology and St. Lawrence University. 

Oswego State has five seniors that will be honored on Senior Day, including Bryleigh Beauchat from Sidney, N.Y.  Beauchat has been an important part of the Lakers’ attack this season. Beauchat has recorded two goals and two assists during just five starts for the Lakers this season.

  Senior Molly Darcy also recorded two goals and assists for the Lakers this season. Darcy is from Pearl River, NY, and plays as a midfielder for Oswego. Darcy was an important player for the Lakers midfield group, starting in 17 games this season.

  Erin Schaefer, a senior from Holbrook, NY, recorded two goals and two assists for the Lakers this year. Schaefer has also been an important attack option for the Lakers this season. One of Schaefer’s assists was during the Lakers 2-0 win over Nazareth University. 

  Oswego senior Abigail Redmond, from Bardonia, NY, registered one goal this season against SUNY Morrisville on Sept. 20. The Lakers ended up winning that contest by a score of 12-0. 

Last but not least, Oswego State field hockey goalkeeper Sydney Bialek from Clinton, NY, will be honored during senior day. Bialek recorded one save against Keuka College on Oct. 3. Oswego beat Keuka by a score of 5-1. 

During the season, the Lakers struggled against other SUNYAC teams. SUNY Cortland finished in first place in the conference. Cortland had a perfect SUNYAC record of 6-0. In second place, SUNY New Paltz had a conference record of 5-1. New Paltz recorded their only conference loss against Cortland. It is safe to say that Cortland is the strongest team in the conference. Cortland will play against SUNY Brockport in the first round of the SUNYAC playoffs. This game will be held at Cortland on Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. New Paltz will match up against SUNY Geneseo at New Paltz. This game will also be held on Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.

With only one conference win, the Lakers missed out on the SUNYAC playoffs. During that win, the Lakers traveled to Morrisville and beat them by a score of 12-0. Laker junior Kate McNally scored a team high and season high of four goals during their win over Morrisville. McNally tallied nine goals on the season, leading the team in that category. 

Another junior that helped this Oswego team was Ellie Kazel. Kazel recorded four goals and a team high of four assists. Graduate student Kacie Simzer also recorded four assists on the season, tying her with Kazel for the most on the team. 

Winning on Senior Day always brightens the mood for the players; it is much better to end the season on a positive note rather than a bad one. Looking forward to next season, the Lakers will be looking to recruit young talent to help them compete with other SUNYAC teams.

Photo via: Oswego Athletics