Coming off the back of a big win over the Keuka University Wolves, one that delivered to the tune of 7-1 in favor of the Lakers, the team was riding high, hoping to carry that momentum into arguably their toughest matchup of the season. On Sept. 21 the Lakers faced off against the Rochester University Yellowjackets, who came into the game at an undefeated record, 7-0. The Lakers on the other hand came in 2-3, with the aforementioned win giving them wind in their sails. 

The Lakers came out strong, but a rush back into Oswego’s end resulted in the first penalty corner of the game for the Yellowjackets. A clear shot for the Yellowjackets resulted in a tip-off of Hannah Mehta’s stick that found the back of the net. This would be her eighth goal of the year and it put her team up 1-0, where the score would stay at the end of the first. 

The early stages of the second quarter featured trading penalty corners on either end. Then a drive from the Lakers into the Yellowjacket’s end drew a foul and another penalty corner for Oswego. This one was the equalizer. In a chaotic battle in front of the Yellowjacket’s net, Mikayla Caldwell put one between the legs of the goalie, netting herself her third goal of the season. We went to halftime tied at 1-1. 

Emerging in the second half, Rochester started off with a charge. They got offense going early, but the Lakers held their ground. Halfway through the quarter, Mehta would find twine again off of another Yellowjackets corner opportunity. With the score still tight at 2-1, the Lakers gave it their all, but just could not break through to tie it again. The fourth would be dominated by the Jackets, putting on everything else they could muster, but the score would stay where it was. 2-1 was the final and even though Rochester walked away remaining undefeated, one must think that they gained a newfound respect for the Lakers. 

Now it was time for the Lakers to hit the road again. A two-hour bus ride out west lands them at SUNY Geneseo to take on the Knights. From the get-go it was Geneseo who looked to get the momentum flowing. A multitude of penalty corners in the first quarter gave them the edge. Then it was Geneseo who drew the first mark on the board, giving the Knights a 1-0 lead. Some back and forth play from there resulted in the score remaining 1-0 after 1. 

The second quarter started with more offense from the Knights, but some key saves from Sam Krautheim kept Geneseo at bay. A big steal by Aubrey Wenner nearly added to the score, but Krautheim stood tall, challenged the shooter and denied her as she came in. The first half would end with the same score of 1-0. 

Out of halftime, the Knights began to pour on the offense, resulting in a penalty corner that netted them their second goal. Then another penalty corner gave the Knights their second goal of the game, making it 3-0 in the span of 4 minutes. The Knights then controlled the pace for the rest of the quarter, tacking on a fourth goal in the last minute.

The Lakers had a much better time in the 4th quarter, with play being much more back and forth, including an Oswego penalty corner that sadly ended in a shot going wide. The Knights and the Lakers would trade possessions the rest of the quarter, but the game would ultimately end 4-0 in favor of the Geneseo Knights. The Lakers will look to bounce back as they take on the Cortland Red Dragons this Saturday night in Cortland.

Photo by: Oswego Athletics