The Oswego State Women’s ice hockey team began their pre-season last Saturday, Oct. 18 with a clean slate and high energy, defeating the St. John Fisher Cardinals 3-1.

Even before the team took the ice for warm-ups, their shouts of excitement from the locker room echoed throughout the rink. The team of mostly newcomers started the first period with a quick jump to the offense, taking a whopping 30 shots on goal. However, Brynn Bacak, St. John Fisher’s goalie, turned each chance down. Compared to the 30 shots taken by the Lakers, the Cardinals’ 12 attempts at a goal were blocked by starting goalie Mia DeVivo. The Lakers kept the back-and-forth to a minimum, easily poking holes in both the Cardinals’ offense and defense. For the entirety of the first period, the visiting team’s only saving grace was Bacak, even when on the power play after #20 of the Lakers, Kayla Doerre, was given a penalty for roughing.

Despite a scoreless first period, the Lakers returned into the second with the same energy and determination. Now with freshman Erika Finney in goal, the home team managed another period of shutout. Early on, the Cardinals received a penalty on #22, Keira Reckley, for interference, then again for too many players on the ice not long after. While on the power play, Doerre, a freshman, would break the 0-0 score with a clean shot through the pads of Bacak. It was not long before the Lakers were back on the power play and scored again, taking the score to 2-0. Lauren Riccobelli, also a freshman, made the tip shot unassisted just before the end of the period.

Oswego began the third period on the defense after St. John Fisher won the center ice faceoff. The action remained on the home’s side of the ice once the Lakers received two penalties close together for tripping and cross-checking, returning Doerre to the box, accompanying fellow newcomer Abigail Dicks. It was not long after that the Cardinals scored their first and only goal of the game. Ready for more, they fought to keep the offensive and failed after Lilana Ficaro was able to swipe the puck and sail it into the back of the net unassisted.

As time began to run out of the game, St. John Fisher made the over-confident decision to pull their goalie. However, once again unable to maintain the offensive, the Lakers’ Erika Parenti viciously drove the puck down the ice to the open net, but shot just wide of the net. Yet, the missed shot made no difference once the clock ran out. For their first game of the year, the Lady Lakers were able to leave the ice in victory and start their season off right. Catch them this Saturday at 3 p.m. as they take on Nazareth at The Deb.