The SUNY Oneonta women's lacrosse team went on the road yesterday for its SUNYAC tournament first round contest versus Oswego and came home an 8-7 winner to advance into the semifinals.  Oneonta (9-6) held off a late surge by Oswego (7-8) and will now face top-seeded and nationally ranked Brockport on Friday at 12:30pm on the road.
 
Entering the second half with the score knotted at 2-2, Gemma O'Kane gave the Lakers the lead with a juke and score off a pass from Teresa Shattuck. Fourteen seconds later, Oswego extended its lead to 4-2 with a tally from Toni Laneve, which was her 26th of the season.
 
The Red Dragons countered the two early goals with six straight of their own started by an unassisted tally from sophomore Kelsey Cohen (Baldwin/Baldwin).  Cohen was followed by five different scorers that included freshman Shannon Giddens (Franklin Square/H Frank Carey), juniors Taylor Casey (Garden City South/Kellenberg Memorial) and Jaime Morris (West Nyack/Clarkstown South), senior Katie Flannery (Massapequa/Plainedge) and sophomore Cara Zanta (Scotia/Scotia-Glenville Senior).
 
Laneve led the Lakers rebound effort and charge, effectively bringing the home team back within striking distance with help from Shattuck. Laneve scored twice, about three and a half minutes apart, to bring Oswego within a pair of goals with 3:08 remaining.
 
As the seconds on the game clock ticked away, a stingy defensive effort gave the Lakers hope. O'Kane pressed the Oneonta goalie as she left the crease with the ball in her stick, forcing a turnover. Montana Garrett scooped up the loose ball on the near side of the field, charged the empty cage, shot and scored, just inside the far post to bring the Lakers to within one goal with 2:14 remaining in the game.
 
Oswego won the ensuing draw control and did get a shot off that sailed high giving the ball back to Oneonta who executed a good clear and ran out the final 40 seconds on the game clock.
 
Neither team had a decided advantage in any statistical category.  Oneonta held an 18-17 edge in shots while the draw controls were even at eight apiece.  Oneonta was successful on 13-of-16 clears while the Lakers were 15-of-17.  Neither team converted a free position shot for the game.
 
Friday's appearance for the Red Dragons in the semifinals will be its first since 2014.  The winner of the semifinal match up will face the Cortland/Geneseo winner on Saturday at 1pm at Brockport.  Oneonta will be looking to make its first championship game appearance since 2003.