Oswego Women's Hockey Sweep With A Shutout And A Thriller

The Oswego State Women's Hockey team kicked off the 2013-14 season with a big bang. They hosted the Oswego State Classic, their first ever home tournament, and did so in pretty convincing fashion. The first game of the tournament, and the season for that matter, Oswego dominated New England College, coming away with a 5-0 victory. Laker Captain Olivia Boersen got the scoring started, which turned out to be the game winner, at the 5:03 mark of the opening period, her first goal of the season. That would account for the only offense in the opening period.

To the 2nd period we go, and Oswego extended the lead to 2-0 at the 8:36 mark, when Bridget Hamlin scored her first career goal. Oswego increased the lead to 3-0 at the 17:49 mark when Erika Truschke knocked home her first career goal. Oswego would carry the 3-0 lead into the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd period, Oswego would deposit their final two goals of the game. First, at the 2:01 mark of the 3rd, Ashley Lyman scored her first career goal, and 3rd point of the game, to give Oswego the 4-0 lead. Finally at the 7:00 mark, Olivia Boersen scored her 2nd of the game, a powerplay goal, to seal the 5-0 victory.

Boersen (2 goals) and Ashley Lyman (goal, 2 assists) lead the offensive charge for the Lakers in the win, as they managed to fire 48 shots on goal, compared to just 11 by New England College. Lauren Hopps took the loss for New England, stopping 43 of 48 Oswego shots, while Cathrine Cote picked up the shutout win for Oswego, stopping all 11 shots she faced. The shutout was the 2nd career shutout for Cote, who also picked up her 8th career win.

So after the dominating win Saturday, Oswego had a bit more of a challenge in the contest on Sunday, beating Caselton State in an overtime thriller 3-2.  Oswego string of shutout hockey to start the season was broken at the 14:14 mark of the 1st period when Lisa Kilroy scored her 1st of the year. Oswego wouldn't go away quietly, as at the 16:15 mark of the period, Leslie Jarvis scored her first of the year, a powerplay goal, to get the game even. That's the way the score would stay going into the 1st intermission.

To the 2nd period we go, and the intensity picked up a little bit. Oswego scored the only goal of the period at the 3:54 mark when Mady Paul scored her 1st if the year. The Lakers were able to hold that one goal lead until the 12:14 mark of the 3rd period when BriAnna Narodowy tied the game up for Castelton. Neither team could break the tie during regulation, thus sending the game to overtime.  I took 2:31 of overtime for us to get a winner, and that goal came off the stick of Megan Hagg, lifting Oswego to the 3-2 victory.

Jess Cameron took the loss for Castelton, stopping 47 of 50 Oswego shots. Bridget Smith picked up the win for Oswego, stopping 19 of 21 Castelton shots. Laker captain Olivia Boersen as named MVP of the tournament.

With the two wins over the weekend, it is the first time since the 2009-10 season that Oswego has opened the season 2-0. Ironically, the Lakers' first win that season was against the Spartans of Castleton State.

Oswego takes their show on the road next weekend for a pair of games in Potsdam against the Bears.