The Oswego State women’s Lacrosse team played SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Geneseo for the first two rounds of the SUNYAC conference. The Lakers dominated the first game with a 21-3 score and lost the second with a close and low-score game. The Lakers played both games at home at the Laker Turf Stadium. 

The Lakers started with a good impression in the SUNYAC season, having a great game against the Bears. The game started with the Lakers attacking, and during the first period, the Lakers shot nine times while the Bears only had three shots. The star of the day, Isabella Lembo, scored the first goal by opening the score at 12:28 on the clock. 

At 8:18, Oswego scored another goal, by Cassidy Croce, to expand the score. Sela Wiley was crucial in helping the Lakers finish the first period scoreless. She assisted three consecutive times and extended the score to 5-0 at the end of the first period. 

The second period started with the Bears trying to reduce the score by scoring a goal. However, less than two minutes later, the Lakers scored another goal and kept up their good form, scoring five goals in six minutes. At halftime, the score was 11-1, and the Lakers were determined to attack and score more. The Lakers defended well against the Bears, only conceding two shots in the second period, while the attack created many chances, having 16 shots.

In the third period, the Lakers got even better on defense, conceding only one shot, a goal scored by the Bears when the game was reduced to 2-13 after the Lakers scored two quick goals in the first five minutes. After the Bears’ goal, Oswego finished the period by scoring three more times, and two of which were scored by Lembo. 

In the fourth period, the Bears started scoring again, making their last goal with 13:39 remaining. With a 17-3 score for the Lakers, the game was practically over. However, the Lakers decided to score more goals and finished 21-3 for their first win at the SUNYAC conference. The MVP was Lembo, scoring six goals for the win. 

The second game was against the Geneseo Knights, against whom the Lakers recently struggled. The Knights have an eight-game winning streak against the Lakers and have not lost since 2019. The game started with a lightning goal scored just eight seconds in by the Lakers. Wiley took the early chance and scored. After that, the Lakers suffered to attack and defend, conceding three goals in less than five minutes. Sophie Ruschin reduced the score by one goal with four minutes remaining, but that was not enough to start a comeback, conceding two more goals for the Knights. 

The second period started with the Knights scoring one more goal and opening a 6-2 score. Madison Davis and Lembo scored trying to tie the game, but the Lakers failed to defend themselves well and conceded two consecutive goals, going into the break with 8-4 on the scoreboard.

The third period had the fewest goals during the match, with just one goal for each side. In the fourth period, the Lakers had to make a four-goal comeback. However, the Knights started by scoring two goals in ten minutes, leaving the hope of a comeback increasingly distant. The Lakers only scored with 2:23 remaining and again with 0:46 remaining to end the game. 

The Lakers will now face the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons on Saturday, March 30 at noon at home at Laker Turf Stadium. The game will be unique because the team will have six graduating seniors, who will be honored. 

Photo by: Oswego Athletics