Women’s hockey ties with Nazareth in offensive-powered affair

In a thrilling exhibition contest that went the distance, the Oswego State women’s hockey team tied with Nazareth University, 6-6, on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Nazareth entered the Deborah F. Stanley Ice Arena ranked third in the nation, coming off a 4-0 loss to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in the NCAA Division III championship. Alternatively, the Lakers looked to rebound after a narrow 2-1 loss to SUNY Cortland in the first round of the SUNYAC tournament.

Oswego started the scrimmage on the right foot, with graduate transfer goalie Annie-Pier Gilbert making a textbook glove save about 30 seconds in. The team then flipped their momentum onto the offensive side, as sophomore forward Liliana Ficaro shoveled a rebound past opposing goalie Sophia Sidell to put the Lakers up 1-0.

The team then kept their tempo afloat with two more goals. Efficient puck movement led to a shot-and-score from freshman defender Logan McCreight just above the blue line, before sophomore forward Fiona Sierens used a powerful one-timer to leverage a shot past Sidell, just four minutes later. 

The Lakers entered the first intermission up 3-0, converting once again in the second period before the Golden Flyers connected on three consecutive opportunities to cut the deficit to just one goal. The home squad kept their foot on the gas pedal though, as senior forward Jenna Majewski found the puck amidst chaos in front of the net, sneaking it past the outstretched glove of Sidell to put the Lakers up 5-4.

Three more total goals were scored before the game’s end, as Oswego and Nazareth ended their respective preseasons in a 6-6 tie. The Lakers will now turn their attention towards Arcadia in their season opener, set for Oct. 30 and 31.