Women’s Hockey

The 2009-10 Oswego State women’s hockey team aims to solidify itself as a perennial post-season contender in the ECAC West after qualifying for the league playoffs with a 5-12-1 record and an overall record of 8-16-1 last season. Head coach Diane Dillon will look to senior captain Angie Friesen and standout goaltender Emi Williams to lead a veteran squad that includes 19 returning players and six newcomers. The team will rely on its defensive core to stick with opponents, but must find a way to put points on the scoreboard to compete with the conference powers.

After reaching post-season play in just its third season of existence, Coach Dillon has established expectations of returning to the playoffs and anything less would be a disappointment for the squad.  Dillon has appointed Angie Friesen as the team captain to help make these expectations a reality.  Friesen tallied four goals and three assists in 25 games last season, and will be the anchor of a veteran blue line unit.  She is a proven leader who is extremely competitive and vocal. 

Seniors Jenna Kirkwood and Aprilyn Gush and junior Meagan Big Snake will assist Friesen with leadership duties. Kirkwood, who leads by example in every way on and off the ice, is the fittest player on the team and is the top returning scorer with four goals and five assists in 25 contests.  Gush provides a calming presence on the bench as a result of appearing in 67 career games, while Big Snake possesses the necessary communicating skills for a solid defender. 

In addition to Kirkwood, Coach Dillon will be looking to sophomore Jillian Bergeron to help replace the offensive production lost from the graduation of last season’s top two scorers.  Bergeron recorded nine points on three goals and six assists a year ago.  Sophomores Kelly Collins and Lauren Gilpin are expected to blossom further after last season’s success and provide additional scoring options for Oswego State. 

Another way in which Dillon looks to bolster production is to develop the Laker power play into a larger offensive weapon with the help of juniors Emily Grippin and Erica Shapey, who will play key roles in extra skater situations.  When facing penalties, seniors Tiarra Garrow, Kendra Lemire, Karly Armstrong, and Tiffany Duquette and junior Sarah Hannon will provide steadiness on the penalty kill unit. 

Coach Dillon has also recruited a group of freshmen that have a nose for putting the puck in the back of the goal.  Alex Szypryt, Bryanna Forrest, Becky Carra, and Kristin Metzger bring power to the squad, and will be competing with the veterans for playing time.

Joining Friesen, Big Snake, and Gush on defense are junior veterans Brenna Weber and Natalie Rossi.  Weber was plagued by injuries last season, appearing in just eight games, but is set to make an impact in her return to the lineup.  Rossi has earned her way into the depth chart by improving her skills with every practice.  Freshman Breanne Reith will be counted on to round out an already solid defensive core.  The defensive unit will need to remain healthy, as Big Snake will be away from the squad for several weeks serving as a flame attendant for the Olympic Torch Relay leading up to the 2010 Vancouver games.

The Oswego State defense will be centered around proven goaltender Emi Williams, who enters the season as the one of the top goaltenders in the ECAC West, having earned multiple weekly conference accolades.  Williams finished the 2008-09 season as the team Most Valuable Player after posting a 2.82 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. Sophomore Megan Amlinger and freshman Lana Peterson will fight for the backup spot behind Williams, but will push her to stay at the top of her game as well.

The Lakers boast one of the toughest schedules in Division III as a part of the ECAC West, which consists of perennial NCAA powers Elmira and Plattsburgh and emerging programs RIT, Utica, and Neumann.  In addition to playing top-notch competition, Oswego State must be road warriors early in the season as 11 of the first 14 games are away from the friendly confines of Campus Center Ice Arena.  The Lakers will also defend their title at the Rutland-Herald Invitational hosted by Castleton State in January.

Despite the challenging schedule, this group of veterans now knows how winning feels and will help show the in incoming players what it will take to make Oswego State a permanent fixture in post-season competition.

2009-10 Roster
2009-10 Schedule
2008-09 Statistics

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