Oswego Women’s Hockey Prepares for 3rd SUNYAC Postseason

OSWEGO, NY – After a grueling regular season full of highs and lows, the Oswego State Lakers are back in a familiar position, the SUNYAC Playoffs. This year, the stakes feel different as the team prepares to face a formidable opponent, the Cortland Red Dragons.

To overcome Cortland, the Lakers are focusing on one major priority: puck management. Head Coach Mark Digby knows that every possession counts in the postseason.

“I think managing the puck is probably our biggest thing that we’ve been talking about. Cortland is a team that’s really good on the fore-check. When we get pucks in our own zone, we have to find a way to get them out so we’re not allowing them second-chance opportunities.” — Mark Digby, Women’s Ice Hockey Coach

A major key to the Lakers’ success this season has been their stellar defense. Leading the conference with a 90.8% penalty kill rate, the team has found a reliable anchor in sophomore goalie Mia DeVivo. With 307 saves in conference play, DeVivo is prepared for the high-pressure environment of the postseason.

As the team transitions from the regular season to the playoffs, the mindset has shifted to one of absolute urgency. For the players, there is no tomorrow, only the next shift.

“It’s definitely a different mindset. In the regular season, you’re kind of like, ‘Oh, we have more games next weekend,’ but now it’s like, ‘This could be our last game.’ So you have to put everything out there and play for the person next to you.” — Mia DeVivo, Lakers Goalie

Coach Digby believes that at this stage, the game is won in the minds of the players just as much as it is on the scoreboard.

“It’s just getting everybody on the team to have confidence and have faith in what it is that they’re doing… so that once the puck drops, they can just kind of go out and play with a clear mind and, you know, hopefully do enough to get the job done.” — Mark Digby, Lakers Head Coach

This marks the Lakers’ third consecutive appearance in the SUNYAC postseason. After a heartbreaking 2-0 loss in last year’s championship game against SUNY Plattsburgh, the team is more motivated than ever. This year, they aren’t just playing for a win, they are playing to bring home the first SUNYAC trophy in program history. Can they finally stop the “fiery breath of the Dragons” and secure their place in the finals?