Oswego Downs Bengals, Move On To Next Round

For the fourth year in a row, the Oswego State Women's Hockey team played in the ECAC West Playoffs. For the 3rd year in a row they hosted an ECAC West playoff game. The last three years it has been the Neumann College Knights that the Lakers have faced in the opening round of the playoffs. This year it wasn't the case as the Buffalo State Bengals provided the opposition this past weekend. Oswego has found themselves involved in 3-0 shutouts in each of the last two years in the playoffs, but that was the case this time around as the Lakers prevailed with a 3-1 victory.

Buffalo State came into the contest dressing only ten skaters and two goalies for the game, giving Oswego all they could handle early on. The Bengals actually jumped out to an early 1-0 lead at 7:25 of the 1st period when Kara Goodwin scored her 16th of the season. That Bengals goal would hold up through 40 minutes of play. Oswego dominated the entire hockey game, and in the 3rd period it payed off. Emma Smetaniuk scored her 6th of the season at the 3:04 mark of the 3rd to get Oswego on the board. The Lakers would take the lead at the 7:51 mark when Melissa Seamont netted her 11th of the year. Then at the 8:10 mark Mady Paul put the game away with a beautiful forehand deke, depositing the puck in the roof of the net on the backhand for her 3rd of the year, a powerplay goal, to seal the deal on the 3-1 win.

Jordan Lee took the loss for the Bengals, dropping her record to 3-17-2 on the year, as she stopped 37 of the 40 shots she faced. Tori Trovato picked up the win for Oswego, improving her record to 6-3-0 on the year, as she stopped 8 of the 9 shots she faced. Buffalo State went 0 for 4 with the man advantage while Oswego's powerplay went 1 for 5.

Oswego had kept pressure on the Bengals all day long and were able to capitalize on their chances in the 3rd period with the three goals. Now the real test comes for Oswego as they have to face off against the Elmira Soaring Eagles in the ECAC West semifinal. Oswego dropped both games to Elmira this season, by 5-2 and 2-1 (OT) scores this year. Both those games were played at the Campus Center Ice Arena. The matchup this weekend is taking place in Plattsburgh at Ronald B Stafford Ice Arena, as Plattsburgh is hosting the finals of the tournament this year. Faceoff for this huge playoff matchup between the Lakers and Soaring Eagles is this Saturday at 3PM!

(Photo provided by Oswego State Athletics)