Lakers end losing streak
The Oswego State womenโs soccer team guaranteed at least a .500 record with a 1-0 victory over St. Lawrence on Tuesday. The win was the ninth of the year for the Lakers, who improved to 7-1 in non-conference play.
โThis was a really good win for our program and it gave us a lot of confidence,โ head coach Brian McGrane said. โSt. Lawrence is a very good team and they are coming off a recent win where they defeated the 16th ranked team in the country.โ
Senior captain Laura Ambron scored in the sixth minute and was the only goal the Lakers needed to prevail over the Saints. It was Ambronโs first goal of the season, which was not only the gameโs deciding goal, but gave the senior an opportunity to have one last special moment on her teamโs home field.
โIt felt good to score today, Iโm a little upset that today is the last game at home, but it felt good all the same,โ Ambron said.
The score was a one-on-one with Saints goalie Abby van Geldern off a go-ahead pass from junior forward Shelly Bateman, whom is second on the team in points this season.
Defense prevailed the rest of the way for the Lakers en route to their fifth shutout of the season, the third by junior goalkeeper Emily Varonier.
โThe girls looked phenomenal today,โ Ambron said. โIt was a team win with everyoneโs effort, even the girls on the bench.โ
Coming off two straight losses to conference opponents SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo, the Lakers maintained the same strategy going into Tuesdayโs contest.
โWe put a new system in before last Friday and we played very well with it in place over the weekend,โ McGrane said. โLuckily we were able to perfect it over the week in time to for the last home game.โ
After halftime, the Lakers remained under control and killed clock by having possession of the ball for a majority of the second half.
โWe knew they were going to try and push numbers in the second half so we had to come out and try to get a second goal,โ McGrane said.
The team has already improved immensely from a 7-10-1 record last season and the highest points have yet to be reached.
The Lakers have two games remaining in the 2011 season before the team parts way with its eight seniors. The Lakers will travel to SUNY Cortland on Saturday, Oct. 22, who is the No. 1 in the SUNYAC, for their final conference game of the season, before closing out the year with an away game against Clarkson. A strategy that is easier said than done was put in place for the former of the two games.
โWhen we play Cortland this weekend weโre trying to knock them from the ranks,โ McGrane said.
