The Oswego State women's ice hockey team captured a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over visiting Castleton University on Saturday afternoon at the Marano Campus Center. With the victory, the Lakers improve to 2-0 on the year while the Spartans drop to 1-1.
Oswego – sporting its teal jerseys for ovarian cancer awareness – earned the game-winner from sophomore Kate Randazzo with just 39.2 seconds remaining in extra time. The Lakers put a good deal of pressure on the goalie in the final minute but a rebound was attempted to be cleared by a Spartan defender. Randazzo settled the puck in front of the blue line and ripped the unassisted winner past the goalie's right side.
The Lakers owned most of the afternoon but Castleton was able to score on a 5-on-3 early in the third. Later in the period, the Spartans notched a hectic goal with less than a second left in regulation to force overtime. Laker defenders were all over the puck but a few narrow misses to clear the puck out of the zone led to a backhanded goal with 0.9 showing on the clock.
Oswego's first two goals came during the middle portions of the first two periods. At 11:20 of the first, freshman Emma Morisette scored her first collegiate goal off assists from sophomore Eryn Stewart and Leah Czerwinski. It was also Czerwinski's first collegiate point. In the second period, senior Olivia Ellis dished a pass from behind the net, which was slightly redirected by Morisette to Stewart. Stewart tallied her first goal of the season and eighth of her career with a low shot past the goalie who was blinded by a Laker forward in front of the net.
The Lakers were in control for the majority of the contest, outshooting the Spartans 66-26, including a 39-16 advantage in on-goal chances. Both teams' penalty-kill units were in rare form, allowing just one goal each. Oswego stopped Castleton on four of its five attempts while the Spartans warded off three of the Lakers' four opportunities.
Senior goalie Mariah Madrigal moved to 2-0 on the year, making 14 saves in the victory.
Oswego will return to the ice at 3 p.m. on Saturday when Elmira College comes to campus for the Lakers' annual Pink the Rink game. A pink jersey auction is currently underway and can be bid on HERE.
