After a 2-0 start to the season, there is a reason for optimism within the Oswego State field hockey locker room.
The Lakers knocked off both Houghton and Nazareth College in one-goal affairs last week. Nazareth College finished their 2015 campaign with a 9-10 overall record, which was good enough for a fourth place finish in the Empire 8. Houghton College ended last season with an 8-9 record and finished seventh in the historic collegiate conference.
These season marks aren’t anything phenomenal, but they were far better than the Lakers’ 2015 finish. Oswego State completed another subpar slate with a 3-11 overall record and failed to win a single home game. The field hockey program has never had a winning season under Coach Brandi Lusk, but after two wins to start the season, they should easily eclipse that mark.
The big x-factor for the Lakers thus far has been Sarita Charap back in the cage. Charap appeared in only six games last year due to medical concerns, but her return to the Laker lineup has helped the team win two games over programs they failed to beat in 2015. The Ocean City native has made 10 saves on the year, posting a 0.97 goals against average and one shutout. Charap is poised to get back to her 2014, First Team All-SUNYAC form. She also took home SUNYAC Rookie of the Year honors that season with a 2.57 goals against average and a .825 save percentage.
Coach Lusk carries 12 upperclassmen on the roster. This experience throughout the team is another reason the Lakers could be poised for a breakout year. Senior Grace Rinaldi currently leads the Lakers in points with four and has garnered Oswego State Athlete of the Week honors. Corinne Kimmelman has helped lock down the Oswego State defensive end during her time with the Lakers. The senior has started every game since the beginning of her sophomore year, while leading the team with three defensive saves in 2015.
The progression of the class of 2018 is finally showing as well. Monica Harvey and Jordan Sheehy play big roles for the Lakers. Their speed helps them jumpstart the offense each game, taking over the void left by last year’s graduates Emily Lange, Grace Lombardi and Lisa O’Callaghan.
Lange and O’Callaghan, who were a majority of the offensive spark that helped the Lakers in their low-scoring battles, were sure to be missed as catalysts, but a new pair of Lakers have stepped up in their place.
It seems we’ve waited so long for this roster to show some progression from their time as freshmen and sophomores and it finally seems that they have taken the necessary steps to show they have matured both as athletes and leaders.
A few underclassmen have also had quality showings in the first two matchups of the year. Freshman Kendra Walker scored the lone goal in their win over Nazareth for her first collegiate goal. Sophomore Katie Reynolds netted the game winner in overtime to beat Houghton to cap off the team’s comeback victory. These performances will be needed all season if the Lakers want to stay relevant in the SUNYAC field hockey world.
All cylinders seem to be clicking for the Lakers early as they move through the beginning portion of their schedule. They have three more games before SUNYAC play begins.
Oswego State’s first conference matchup comes against Morrisville State on Sept. 28 at 4 p.m.
