OSWEGO, N.Y. – The Oswego State women’s lacrosse team (5-6, 2-3 SUNYAC) capitalized on free-position plays, both offensively and defensively, to stay in the conference playoff race by defeating Potsdam (4-7, 1-4 SUNYAC), 15-9, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon at South Athletic Field.
Potsdam got on the board early, netting a free position goal less than two minutes into the game. That lead lasted all but 20 seconds before Esther Gabriel (Fr., Lancaster, N.Y.) found the back of the net off an assist from Danielle Citro (Sr., Miller Place, N.Y.) to tie the game at one.
Free-position goals played a big role in the game, starting with Kaila Curatalo (Jr., Rochester, N.Y.) and Corinne Marsh (Jr., Endwell, N.Y.) adding a goal each to put the Lakers up by two five minutes into the half. A minute later, Gabriel found teammate Erannan Shattuck (Fr., Syracuse, N.Y.), who kept the scoring going for the Lakers. After a Lindsey Eggers (Fr., Ridge, N.Y.) free-position goal and another Shattuck goal, Oswego State found themselves up, 6-1.
Brittany Blake ended a 15-minute scoring drought for the Bears, but the Lakers again answered back with goals from Curatalo and Shattuck off an Eggers assist. The Bears added another goal with 8:20 on the scoreboard, only to have Gabriel and Michelle Ruskey (Sr., Deerfield, N.Y.) find the back of the cage in less than a minute shortly after.
Both teams traded goals before the end of the half, as Oswego State took an 11-4 lead into intermission.
The Bears started the second half hot, tacking on three goals 12 minutes into the frame to pull Potsdam to within four goals before Oswego State goalie Nikki Greco (Jr., Syracuse, N.Y.) slowed the Bears’ momentum with a huge free-position save.
Both teams went back and forth throughout the second half, with the Bears trading two goals with Laker goals from Citro, Jayme McCreary (Fr., Waterloo, N.Y.), and Mackenzie Kjerstad (Jr., Baldwinsville, N.Y.). However, it was Marsh’s third goal of the game with 11 minutes remaining, while the Bears were a player down that proved to be the final blow. Greco made two more free-position saves, as the Lakers held on for a 15-9 victory.
Potsdam’s Jen Chmiel recorded six saves and allowed 15 goals, while Greco finished the game with six saves and nine goals. The Bears struggled with free-position shots as they went 2-for-11 compared to Oswego State, which was 4-for-9.
The Lakers take a break from conference play with a home game against Clarkson on Thursday at 4 p.m.
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