This week it was a tale of two very different games for the Oswego State field hockey team. One was a triumph of epic proportions, one was a fall to a giant of the sport. This time it was an hour and a half road trip to the crown city of Cortland to take on the Red Dragons in their lair. These Dragons were particularly fierce because they came into the matchup ranked 10th in the country and standing at an undefeated 8-0 record. 

The Red Dragons quickly burst out on offense, giving the Lakers no time to mess around. They began peppering goalie Sam Krautheim with five shots in about three minutes. One of them found twine courtesy of Carolena Purpura, following a rebounded shot that hit the post. Not a minute later the Red Dragons found themselves back in the Oswego end, letting loose every shot they could and Cortland got their second goal of the quarter minutes later via Hanna Corrigan. 

The second quarter told much the same story. The Red Dragons were given two penalty corners in the first few minutes and following the second, Ava Passante potted Cortland’s third goal. With five minutes to play in the half, Madison Oliver netted Cortland’s fourth goal of the game off a penalty corner opportunity. The first half ended with the same score as their previous loss to SUNY Geneseo, 4-0. 

Cortland took charge again emerging from halftime and it was Gianna Trunfio who was firing shots at Krautheim. Three of hers were stopped by the goalie, but the fourth found the back of the net. Then it was Corrigan who wanted to imitate her teammate. Another three were launched, all blocked or saved, but the fourth left a mark. Her second of the game and Cortland’s sixth of the night. Only a minute and a half passed before goal number seven came from Isabel Adams. 

The final fifteen started with a small bit of hope for the Lakers. They were given three penalty corners, but none were capitalized on. Then with a minute and a half to play, Jamie Snyder put the Lakers away with the Red Dragons’ eighth goal of the game. Cortland showed why they were ranked so high and it came at the cost of 8 goals in 1 hour of play at the Dragons’ Den. 42 shots were launched by Cortland. It’s a wonder less than a fifth of them found twine. 

After that, it was a trip further south towards the PA border, to face off against the winless Elmira University Soaring Eagles. From the get-go it would be a complete change of pace. The Lakers took to putting on an offensive clinic, with much of the possession being in their hands. They let loose eight shots in just the first quarter and were given six penalty corners, but none were scored on. 

The second quarter was a fair bit lighter than the first, with the Lakers only putting on half as many shots. Only two penalty corners went the Lakers’ way, again neither of which bore fruit. In the final minute of the half, Elmira would take advantage of their penalty corner and Madison Fleming netted the Soaring Eagles’ first and only goal of the game. 

Coming out of halftime, the Lakers poured on the pressure, putting on five shots in the first four minutes. Ten minutes in, the Lakers finally got the equalizer, courtesy of Nancy Pagliaroli, her first of the year. 

The Lakers finally found their top gear in the fourth quarter, hammering the Soaring Eagles with shots. They’d get the go-ahead goal three minutes in, with Madi Stuckart getting her third of the season. Not to be outdone, Natalie Shields soon got her first goal of the year, putting the Lakers up to their eventual final of 3-1. 

It was a tragedy and triumph that the Lakers experienced this week, arguably their lowest low and one of their highest highs. For their next adventure the Lakers return home to host the Roberts Wesleyan University Redhawks on Oct. 5 and will host the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles on Oct. 8.

Photo by: Oswego Athletics