OSWEGO — Volleyball hosted non-conference opponent Wells College Wednesday night in a five-set loss after a comeback from the Wells Express. After the team took a 2-1 set led over the Express, the Lakers would drop the next two sets only by a margin of four points or less. Recent SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Week Shauna O’Flaherty once again led the Lakers with 15 kills and 4 blocks. Other notables included Melissa Lussier (14 kills and 11 digs) and Sarah Massie (12 kills) along with Emily Costa playing stellular defense with 24 digs. Oswego State looks to round out conference play this weekend as they play host to the Brockport Golden Eagles. The contest will be played at the Mark Ziel Gymnasium at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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Loss keeps field hockey out of conference tournament
Oswego, N.Y. — The Oswego State field hockey team took to the field Wednesday night against Cortland. The Lakers fought hard, but the final score was a 3-0 Cortland win. The first goal came five minutes into the game by Cortland’s Kierra Ettere, one of the best goal scorers in the country. The other two Cortland goals would come in the first half of the game by Lily Fox. The Oswego defense would hold strong in the second half of the game not allowing a goal on thirteen shots. Oswego would take their only eight shots of the game in the second half, four of them going on target. Oswego’s Chloe Parks would get off three of those shots, with two of them on target ones. Oswego’s goalie, Erica Scheblein, would have nine saves in the contest.
Unfortunately, this loss would keep the Lakers out of the conference tournament. With one game to go, the team sits at 8-8, but only 2-4 in SUNYAC play, putting them sixth in the conference. They play their last game of the season at Keuka College on Friday at 4:00 p.m.
Image Provided by Shelby Peplowski, WTOP 10 Photography Department
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Simzer shines as Lakers take down Keystone
LA PLUME, P.A. — The Lakers stay undefeated as they routed Keystone College 5-1. 13 seconds into the contest Senior Kacie Simzer scored the first goal of the game for the Lakers with Kaitlyn Ahle assisting. The Lakers were tested early as they faced a situation that they have not been in all year which was a team scoring a goal, effectively ending their four game streak of not allowing a single goal. It took the Lakers only one minute and 11 seconds to score another goal as Simzer scored her second of the game. The rest of the second quarter was a defensive battle where both Oswego and Keystone combined for three penalty corner kicks and four goals. Goalie Erica Scheblein was given her first test of the year and she was ready for the challenge. After giving up a goal early in the game, Scheblein had blocked five shots from the 36:08 to the 43:21 mark. She finished the game with nine total saves, which is almost half of her season’s total. Oswego adjusted in every quarter of the game as within one minute and 20 seconds of the second half beginning Kailtyn Mastracco scored for the Lakers off of a penalty shot.
After Keystone changed goalies during the fourth quarter, Simzer tested if their new goalie was up to the task. Simzer tied the all-time record for goals in a game for the Lakers as she finished the day with four goals. Oswego finished the day with 21 shots on goal. Throughout the game, the Lakers took advantage of Keystone penalties as they had ten penalty corner kicks.
This marks the first time the Lakers have started 5-0 since the 2016-2017 season. The Lakers travel north to take on the St. Lawrence Saints on Saturday, September 17th at 1:00 PM at North Country Field.
IMAGE PROVIDED BY OSWEGO ATHLETICS.
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Lakers Fly Past Cardinals in SUNYAC Tournament Berth
For the 19th straight season, the Oswego State Lakers have clinched the SUNYAC Tournament and what a better way to do it than on Valentine’s day. The Lakers defeated the Cardinals on Friday night during their six point victory thanks to a combined, 43 point effort from seniors Brandon Gartland and Joe Sullivan.
Plattsburgh kept it close throughout the first half while using their best rendition of ‘Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better’. Each time the Lakers grabbed a bucket on one end, the Cardinals always had an answer. Oswego held the lead by four points or less through the first ten minutes of the contest but three minutes later, with an already shallow selection on the bench, Plattsburgh Head Coach Mike Blaine had some decision making to do following the injury of Forward Jeremy Eisenmen. Eisenmen went down hard after crashing the boards and was clutching his left knee. He was able to put pressure on it but would not return to the game.
In his absence, Matt Bernhard, a 5’10” stud off the bench, executed a perfect first half of shooting off the bench. Aside from his one missed free throw, he shot 3-3 from distance and 4-4 from the field ending with 12 of the Cardinals 34 points at halftime.
Brandon Gartland shot five for eight from behind the arc in the first half, good enough to lead the book with 15 points at the break. Joe Sullivan was a vital part of the first half for the Lakers tallying nine free throw attempts and sinking five of them. Sullivan struggled to find his rhythm early on but that would change going into the second half.
General Joe flipped the switch coming out of the locker room scoring 12 of his 21 in the second frame. Sullivan shot 5-13 in the second half and ended with 8 rebounds and 8 assists to add onto his impressive scoring performance. Coach Leone was happy with his big man’s performance.
“Joe plays hard every night,” Leone said. “He’s a senior and he is doing what we would hope seniors do at this point in their senior season. I’m really pleased with the things he did tonight. He deserves it.”
However, Gartland went in the opposite direction having a rather quiet second half. He scored just seven points adding his total to 22 without a single three pointer in after the break. “They were sticking a little tighter to me,” Gartland expressed. “Other people were making plays and we were still scoring.” For what he lacked on the offensive end, he made up for on the defensive end with four steals and a couple big time stops down the stretch.
Plattsburgh got into some foul trouble five minutes into the second half when Erik Salo was charged with his fourth personal. Now with Eisenmen injured and Salo playing restricted and cautious minutes, the only other options off the bench were Marlon Todd and freshman Lamont Hough Jr. who never saw the floor.
With six to go, the Lakers turned on the after-burners going on an 8-2 run in a minute and 28 seconds taking a 69-61 lead with 4:05 remaining. The Cardinals never came back from this lead, falling short to the Lakers 75-69. It came down to protecting the ball tonight and Plattsburgh was not proficient in that category. Averaging 15 turnovers a game, Coach Blaine’s Cardinals exceeded that margin with 16 and 11 of those turnovers came in the second half.
Coach Jason Leone was excited about clinching the SUNYAC tournament for the ninth time in his nine years as the head coach of Oswego State but recognized that there was still work to do following Friday night. “We’re in the playoffs,” Leone expressed. “So now we are in a battle to try and get a home game. Every game has a significant meaning from here on out.” With Potsdam traveling to Laker hall at 4:00 pm for the second game of the back to back, the Lakers have a win under their belt and look to continue their winning ways after Improving to 16-5 on the year.
