The Oswego State women’s hockey team lives on as it was able to defeat Morrisville State 1-0 and move on to the NEWHL Championship against Plattsburgh State.

The first period got off to a very good start for the Lakers, as they were able to immediately take control of the game by firing quick shots on net. The team was also able to keep control of the puck in its own offensive zone and limit turnovers. This resulted in Morrisville State struggling to generate offense in the first few minutes of the first period.

The entire first period was an absolute battle between the two starting goaltenders for both teams in Rachael Farmer and Lacey Friesen. Both goaltenders were able to fight off power play chances to keep the game tied. Head coach Diane Dillon credited the Mustangs’ goalie for her strong play in net.

“She was solid in net,” Dillon said. “She settled in and made some very nice saves. [She] made some nice decisions on when to hold the puck for her team and when not to. She was very good and gave her team a chance to win.”

The Lakers were able to pick up right where they left off in the first period, as they continued to get shots on goal and not let Morrisville State to get comfortable offensively, but Friesen’s strong play in net kept her team in the game.

This did not change as the second period continued, when Oswego State got a power play. At 6:12, Oswego State was finally able to get the puck past Friesen thanks to Eryn Stewart, who deflected the puck off a Philomena Teggert shot in between Freisen’s legs to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead. When discussing the goal, Dillon credited Stewart for how hard she works and how good the power play was tonight.

“Eryn has been working her backside off,” Dillon said. “She was retrieving pucks, winning loose pucks and battling for the puck. We’re happy to see her get rewarded for all the hard work she puts in, but we were moving the puck efficiently. When you show patience with the puck you’re going to get opportunities.”

As the second period continued, Oswego State would go on the power play two more times, but Friesen’s play kept the score within one heading into the third period.

In the battle of the goaltenders, the third period was when Rachael Farmer saw the majority of shots, as she faced over 10 shots. She faced so many chances, as the Mustangs had two power play opportunities in the period. Dillon credits effort and dedication to the success of the penalty kill.

“We have players who are willing to pay the price and do those little things for their team,” Dillon said. “You look at the number of blocked shots, those don’t show up on a score sheet. I thought the effort was outstanding and our communication is getting better.”

As the game was coming to an end, Morrisville State pulled Friesen with less than two minutes to go for an extra skater. However, its last efforts were not enough to tie the game, as the Lakers did a tremendous job blocking shots and preventing the Mustangs from scoring late. Dillon was very proud of how the team responded to the Mustangs’ late game push.

“They played their hearts out,” Dillon said. “Came with playoff intensity and showed it. They were able to withstand the push in the third period from Morrisville. Just very proud of what they were able to do tonight.”

Oswego State will travel to Plattsburgh on Saturday to take on Plattsburgh State for the NEWHL Championship. The Cardinals have proven to be the Lakers toughest challenge this year, as thre Lakers were not able to beat them the three times they faced off against each other.

Photo by Ben Grieco | The Oswegonian