CORTLAND, N.Y. – Jocelyn St. Clair (Jr., Cambridge, Ontario) scored the eventual game-winning goal less than three minutes into the third period to help the Oswego State women’s ice hockey team (11-11-1, 9-6-0 ECAC West) clinch home-ice advantage for the first round of the ECAC West playoffs for the second consecutive season after a 3-2 win at Cortland Friday.
The Red Dragons struck the first blow when Chelsey Wright scored at 8:36 in the first period. Chelsea Hunt (Jr., Brockport, N.Y.) evened up the score when she scored an unassisted power-play goal with 1:04 left on the clock before intermission.
Maggie Giamo put the home team back in front at 6:35 in the second with assists going to Erika Osborne and Laura Drew, but it did not take long for Oswego State to knot the score again. Melissa Seamont (Jr., North Bay, Ontario) was the beneficiary of a series of passes from Emma Smetaniuk (Jr., Frankford, Ontario) and St. Clair at the 9:45 mark.
With the score standing at two-all heading into the third, St. Clair pounced on a rebound just outside the crease at 2:31, as Seamont earned the helper.
Laker goalie Bridget Smith (So., Hamburg, N.Y.) racked up ten saves in the pivotal third period to end the game with 24 stops, while Cortland’s Deanna Meunier compiled 31 saves.
The squads wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. If Oswego State can complete the sweep, the Lakers will lock up the #3-seed in the ECAC West playoffs.
