The Oswego State Women’s hockey team lost to the Barrie Junior Sharks 4-2 Saturday in an exhibition game.
The Lakers started off the first period rather slow but weathered the Junior Sharks’ attack and ended the first period with a 1-1 tie. They were a little rusty but that was expected going into your first contest of the season only practicing five times.
“We were going up against a team that has been skating for several months,” Coach Dillon said “So we knew we were going to be struggling with that a little bit but it was just a focus on moving your feet. We just got beat to too many loose pucks and made some bad decisions but I was looking for effort.
Tori Trovato was never really tested until late in the period when Kara Washer stepped off the half boards and roofed one glove side to beat Trovato. The Sharks kept up their attack but couldn’t bury any more chances.
As time expired Lizzy Marks won a draw back to Brianna Rice and she beat the Sharks’ goalie, Briar Hughes, to tie it. The Lakers didn’t have a constant attack on offense all period but managed to keep the game tied after 20 minutes of play.
The Lakers came out flying in the second and created the better chances but failed to put any pucks in the back of the net. They had shift after shift where the Sharks couldn’t get the puck out of their own zone.
Mariah Madrigal played the second period and gave up some big rebounds but was never beaten. She stopped an odd man rush midway through the second on top of a few more fantastic saves to keep the game tied.
“She stopped a point blank shot and picked up that one rebound, she played great,” Dillon said “She challenged, she didn’t lose her cool and I think that is a big difference between being a freshman and a sophomore.”
Both teams had to kill off a penalty that period. Darcie Roy for the Sharks took a cross checking penalty that the Lakers couldn’t convert on. Then Lizzy Marks went to the box for hooking at the 16:59 mark and they killed off their first penalty of the year after killing off 93 percent of penalties last year.
“Picking right up where we left off,” Dillon said. “Last year we were the number one team in the nation for [Div. III] PK so we take a lot of pride in that. “[Brennan] Butler was outstanding on PK and so was [Laura] Thacker. They both want that spot and that’s their kind of game.”
The first period woes for the Lakers returned in the third as they were in their own zone for most of the third. Mikaela Ditonto took over in net in the third and let in a goal on her first shot she faced, on a breakaway, but played well after that. Coach Dillon thought the final frame was alright but was not happy with the penalties taken by her team in the third.
“We took some dumb penalties and those weren’t rookies, that was a senior and a sophomore,” Dillon said. “Unacceptable, a hooking call five second in in the neutral zone, that’s just a lazy penalty so I’m not happy with that whatsoever.”
Jillian Banks scored on a breakaway to make it 2-1 and then Lori Murphy made it 3-1 Sharks. Late in the third period Kara Washer scored her second goal of the game on a move to walk around the Lakers defense in the slot and made it 4-1.
The Lakers made it interesting late as they tallied a power play goal to cut the lead to two but failed to tie the game. Kendll Appelbaum tipped a point shot in but the Lakers feel short in their first contest of the year.
Overall the Lakers had a good number of quality chances but failed to convert but the goals will come as the season progresses if they continue getting scoring chances.
The Lakers’ first regular season game will be Oct. 30 hosting New England College. Puck drop will at 7 p.m. at the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena.
