St. Lawrence Loses Heartbreaker in Semifinals; Clarkson Beaten

St. Lawrence University’s Dave Hovey (11) fires a shot that would get by Clarkson goalie Ryan Cole (15) but just sailed wide of the net.  St. Lawrence fended off a late rally to defeat Clarkson 8-7.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

May 4: The nationally-ranked St. Lawrence University men's lacrosse team saw a five-goal lead slip away on Friday in the 2012 Liberty League Tournament semifinals, as No. 11 Union College blanked the Saints in the second half and stormed back with a six-goal unanswered run for a 10-9 win in Schenectady, NY. The win moves the Dutchmen (11-3) into the Liberty League title game with RIT, which defeated Clarkson 12-4 on Friday.  Meanwhile, the loss drops St. Lawrence to 12-3. "As tough as the second half was, and I give a ton of credit for Union for battling for 60:00 minutes, it won't take away from our feeling of overall satisfaction on a great year," said St. Lawrence head coach Mike Mahoney.  "We had great senior leadership all season and guys that bought into things right from the start." Seniors Drake Paul and Matt Pope and junior Tucker Garfield each had a pair of goals for St. Lawrence, while Ethan Meyer and Ted McKenna led Union with three goals apiece.  Union closed with a 36-31 edge in shots and a 34-33 lead in ground balls.  St. Lawrence was a perfect 14-of-14 on clears and won 12-of-22 face-offs, but was 0-for-3 on man-up tries to Union's 1-for-6 mark. Defensively, Jake Wynn led the Scarlet and Brown with three caused turnovers and eight ground balls, while senior co-captain Craig Leach added two of each.  St. Lawrence came out of the gate rolling, building a 5-2 lead after one quarter.  Garfield, Paul and Pope each scored in a span of 3:30 to make it 3-0, while co-captain Peter Carpenter and sophomore Pierson Fowler both answered Union goals to keep the three-goal lead intact. Nolan Connors struck first in the second quarter for the Dutchmen to make it 5-3, but the Saints rattled off three straight tallies for an 8-3 advantage.  The same trio of Garfield, Paul and Pope did the damage again, while junior Cody Danforth made it 9-4 with 5:15 remaining before halftime. However, Danforth's third goal of the season would be all of the offense for the Saints, as Union began to turn the tide with two goals before intermission to keep the game manageable at 9-6.  A 2-0 third quarter behind tallies from Meyer and Adam Rosenthal made it 9-8 St. Lawrence and set up a dramatic fourth. St. Lawrence had three possessions in the fourth quarter but was done in by a pair of turnovers and a penalty, which allowed Union to knot the score at 9-9.  Meyer's 15th goal of the season came with a mere 4:37 on junior goaltender Jack Nuland. Both teams had a possession at 9-9, but Matt Livingston caused a turnover for Union in the defensive end.  His ground ball then allowed the Dutchmen to clear the field and score with 2:15 remaining in regulation, as Rob Santangelo netted his 22nd of the year for a 10-9 Union lead, its first of the game. Though Union won the ensuing face-off, Wynn gave the Saints a chance by causing a turnover and getting the ball up the field.  Though St. Lawrence got a pair of shots off in the final seconds, including one on goal by senior co-captain Kyle Jacobsen, Union goalie Sean Aaron made the key save as the clock ran out giving the home team a dramatic, come-from-behind 10-9 win. Nuland finished with three saves in the second half, while fellow junior Jeff Goeke made three stops in the first half.  Aaron, the Liberty League's Defensive Player of the Year, closed with seven saves despite a tough first half while back-up Stefan Basile made two stops in relief.

April 28: In a battle of nationally-ranked teams with a home playoff game on the line, No. 7 RIT sprinted out to a 7-0 halftime lead en route to a 15-5 victory over No. 17 St. Lawrence University on Saturday in Canton, NY.  A.J. Tingle led the Tigers with a five-goal game, while goaltender Anthony DeLeo turned in a solid 11-save performance. St. Lawrence falls to 12-2 overall and finishes the league schedule at 4-2, which will land them the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and a date with Union College in Schenectady, NY next Friday, May 4.  Meanwhile, RIT improves to the same record of 12-2, clinches a share of the regular season crown and will be the top seed in this year's tournament. "I thought RIT played an excellent game and we just dug too deep of a hole in the first half," said St. Lawrence head coach Mike Mahoney.  "We will learn from this and we look forward to the opportunity to play next weekend in the conference tournament." The visitors put together a fantastic first half, including a 19-10 advantage in shots, to take firm control of the game.  The Tigers also finished with a 35-16 edge in ground balls, which proved to be a key statistic as the Saints failed to control much of the possession throughout the contest. Both DeLeo and St. Lawrence goalie Jeff Goeke were sharp from the outset, as they kept the game scoreless until RIT broke through with 6:25 left in the first when Tom Riley made it 1-0.  After Tingle made it 2-0 only 1:07 later, Tyler Russell scored in the final minute of the stanza to make it 3-0 after one. The troubles continued for the Scarlet and Brown in the second quarter, as Brendan MacDonald scored back-to-back goals for RIT before Allister Warren made it 6-0 with 3:16 to go.  Tingle then scored with only 6.7 seconds left in the half to deliver a dagger heading into intermission. Tingle continued his strong play a mere :09 seconds into the second half, as PJ Hart won the faceoff and found his teammate for an 8-0 lead.  Though Tucker Garfield, Matt Pope and Dave Hovey would score for the Saints in the third quarter, RIT responded with goals following each tally to build an 11-3 lead heading to the fourth quarter. RIT would keep its offense rolling in the final period, reeling off four straight goals in a span of 5:11 to take a 15-3 lead.  Warren, Taylor Wisman, Riley and MacDonald capped the Tigers' scoring, while Marcus Emerson and Garrett Gagne would score for the Saints in the final 2:42 of regulation to bring the game to its final of 15-5. The Tigers finished with a 33-28 lead in shots, while both teams were 11-of-22 on face-offs.  RIT was 1-for-2 on man-up tries and scored a man down goal, while the Saints were 0-for-3 on man-up.  The visitors' defense did an excellent job in bottling up the St. Lawrence attack, including solid efforts from both Eric Horeth and Ellitt Cowburn, who combined for five caused turnovers and six ground balls. Jake Wynn closed with three caused turnovers to lead the home team, while Brian Wilber added two caused turnovers and a ground ball on the defensive end.  Goeke finished with five saves for St. Lawrence, while Jack Nuland (2) and Matt Ruscio (1) also made saves in the second half. Saturday's game was the last regular season home game for 10 members of the St. Lawrence class of 2012, including Drake Paul, Matt Ruscio, Steve Cargill, Kyle Jacobsen, Craig Leach, Peter Carpenter, Eric Newman, Matt Pope, Mick MacLaverty and Matt Parker. 
 

St. Lawrence University’s David Hovey (11) protects the ball from a stick check by Vassar’s Jeremy Gottlieb (24). St. Lawrence University defeated Vassar 11-8 on Saturday. The Saints, who were led offensively by Kyle Jacobsen and Mac Johnson with three goals each, outshot the Brewers 52-15 in the league victory.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Dave Schoettler (21) changes direction while being defended by SUNY Potsdam’s Brady Fremont (24).  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Matt Cyr (26) controls the ball while being defended by St. Lawrence University’s Oliver Dennis.  Clarkson rallied for two late goals, but came up one short in an 8-7 Liberty League loss on Wednesday.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

May 4: After scoring three times in the third quarter to pull within striking distance of seventh-ranked RIT, the Clarkson University Men’s Lacrosse team’s offense was held silent as the opponents ran off five straight goals to eliminate the Golden Knights from the Liberty League playoffs, 12-4, Friday afternoon at RIT Field. The Golden Knights concluded their season with a record of 9-6 overall, while RIT, the regular-season champion, improves to 13-2 and advances to the conference championship game. As it happened in the first meeting between the two teams, the Tigers jumped out in front in the first quarter while shutting out the Golden Knights. RIT held a 2-0 advantage after the first 15 minutes and held a 12-7 edge in shots and a 9-3 lead in shots on goal. Though the Knights were held without a score, the team trailed by just two and its defense was making things difficult for the Tigers on the offensive end. Clarkson finally got on the scoreboard late in the second period when freshmen Matt Gold (Pittsford, NY) and Corey Herrington (Camillus, NY) teamed up with 2:12 remaining. Unfortunately, the Tigers had expanded their lead to 6-1 with a steady offense that was producing a goal once every four minutes. However, the third period was more on Clarkson’s side as the Knights made a solid run to get back into the game. Gold and Herrington repeated with a man-up goal early in the frame and senior midfielder Eric Gollands (Chelmsford, MA) scored a pair of goals just 57 seconds apart to make the score 7-4. The three-goal differential would be as close as Clarkson would get, though, as RIT scored five times in less than three minutes midway through the fourth quarter, ending any hope of a Knight come-from-behind victory. Clarkson goaltender Ryan Cole (Orchard Park, NY) made 16 saves in just over 53 minutes of action before being relieved by Pat Briggs (Baldwinsville, NY), who wasn’t called upon to make a save in the final seven minutes. Gollands and Gold each had two goals, while Herrington added two assists to his team-leading total. For RIT, Brendan MacDonald had three goals and an assist and the Liberty League Player of the Year Tyler Russell added three goals. Kyle Aquin also had two goals and an assist. Defensively, Brian Freeland (East Berlin, CT) led Clarkson with four groundballs, and Matt Davidson (Hilton, NY) and Dylan Caldiero (Buffalo, NY) each had three groundballs. PJ Hart led RIT with five groundball pickups. The Tigers led in all of the team categories, holding an edge in shots (36-30), shots on goal (28-20), groundballs (40-28) and faceoffs (15-5).  

April 28: Liberty League postseason action officially begins next Friday, but for the Clarkson University Lacrosse team Saturday’s game at Vassar College possessed all the atmosphere of a playoff game. Battling for the final berth in the upcoming four-team conference tournament, the Golden Knights needed to win in Poughkeepsie in the final game of the regular season to keep their 2012 campaign alive, and the Green and Gold responded in a big way by dominating the Brewers 13-5 at Gordon Field.  Freshman attack Corey Herrington (Camillus, NY) scored a game-high four goals and six points and junior Ryan Cole (Orchard Park, NY) posted six saves to lead Clarkson against Vassar and into the playoffs for the third time over the past four years. The Knights, who stand at 9-5 overall, completed the regular season with a 3-3 Liberty League record to earn the fourth seed in the conference tournament. Clarkson tied with Rensselaer for fourth in the league standings, but won the tie breaker by defeating the Engineers 10-4 on March 31 at Hantz Turf Field. The Knights will now face off against top-seeded RIT (12-2, 5-1 LL) in Rochester in the Liberty League Tournament semifinal round on Friday, May 4. In the other semifinal game, St. Lawrence (12-2, 4-2), the third seed, will play at second-seeded Union (10-3, 5-1) in Schenectady on Friday. The winners of the semifinal round will meet in the Liberty League Tournament Championship game on Sunday, May 6 at the home site of the highest remaining seed. Clarkson lost at RIT on 7-5 on March 24. The Knights are 14-20 all-time in the series against the Tigers. Against Vassar (3-10, 0-6), Clarkson jumped out to a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter and took a 6-1 lead into the half. Vassar rallied back from a 10-2 deficit entering the fourth quarter with three goals in the final frame. Along with Herrington’s five-point outing, junior Kyle Kasprzyk (Orchard Park, NY) was strong offensively with three goals and one assist. Senior Bryan Huff (Hillsborough, NJ) chipped in two goals, while freshman Matthew Gold (Pittsford, NY) added one goal and a game-high three assists. Senior Eric Gollands (Chelmsford, MA) and juniors Brendon Shearin (Goffstown, NH) and Jeff Sciera (DeWitt, NY) rounded out the Clarkson goal scorers with one each. The Knights dominated shots, 41-23, ground balls, 37-24, and face-offs, 12-8. Senior defenseman Matt Davidson (Hilton, NY) and sophomore midfielder Jack Keenan (Brasher Falls, NY) both scooped up team-high five ground balls. Keenan won 11-of-18 faceoffs.

Clarkson attackman Brendon Shearin (21) spins and reels a shot top-shelf right past Union goaltender Sean Aaron who posted nine stops for the Dutchmen. Clarkson's Bryan Huff reached the century mark in points with a two-goal effort, but 10th-ranked Union College held off the Golden Knights in a 12-9 win.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

Union attacker Rob Santangelo (44) is knocked over, but still drills a sidewinding shot just inside the left post, past a screened Clarkson goaltender Ryan Cole.

Clarkson’s Eric Gollands (31) primes to fire a shot while defended by SUNY Potsdam’s Brady Fremont (24). The Knights trailed 6-5 at the half, but pulled away from the Bears 8-2 over the final 30 minutes in a 13-8 win.  (Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Matt McCabe (5) protects the ball from SUNY Plattsburgh’s Mike Lind (19). Freshman Matthew Gold scored a game-high three goals to lead Clarkson in a 10-7 victory over Plattsburgh. The Knights got off to a quick start with a pair of man-up goals by Kyle asprzyk and Corey Herrington just nine seconds apart.   (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Plattsburgh’s Tim Lawrence (1) fires a shot past SUNY Potsdam goalie Mike Quinlan (14) for a goal in the 2nd period. Plattsburgh beat Potsdam 14-9, dealing the Bears a serious blow to post-season hopes with only two games left in the season.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery  NCSN Broadcast

May 2: In a game with two evenly-matched teams, a scoreless second half sealed the fate of the Plattsburgh State men’s lacrosse team in a 7-5 loss to Geneseo in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) semifinals Wednesday.   With the win, second-seeded Geneseo (6-7) advances to the SUNYAC championship game on Saturday at Cortland. The Red Dragons defeated Oneonta in the other semifinal matchup, 20-3.   The Cardinals jumped on the Blue Knights early when Nick Travers scored an unassisted goal at the 6:42 mark of the 1st quarter. Geneseo’s Steven Cregan retaliated a minute later to tie it up, but goals from Plattsburgh’s Brett McClelland and James Read gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead after the first 15 minutes.   Brendan Kurpis opened the second quarter with back-to-back goals for Geneseo, tying the game at 3-all. The Cardinals regained the lead with a goal by Joe Kramer but Kurpis struck again to make it 4-4. The two teams would exchange goals one more time before the end of the quarter to end the half tied at 5-5.   John Wettack gave the Blue Knights their first lead of the afternoon with his unassisted goal at the 13:04 mark of the third quarter. Defense dominated the second half but Geneseo was able to add a goal in the fourth while quieting the Cardinal offense to get the victory.   Plattsburgh outshot Geneseo, 36-31, and picked up 32 groundballs while the Blue Knights had 28. The Cardinals were 0-for-6 on their extra-man opportunities while Geneseo went 1-for-3.   Lawrence led the Cardinals with a goal, an assist and seven groundballs. Mike Santisteban had all six faceoff wins for Plattsburgh while Will Hockenjos caused two turnovers.   Cregan paced the Geneseo offense with a goal and three assists. Kurpis finished the day with three goals while Frank DiSanti led the Blue Knights with six groundballs and 10 faceoff victories.   Michael Greubel recorded 11 stops in the win for Geneseo. Plattsburgh’s Gordie Gehring suffered the loss with nine saves and ends the year with an 11-7 record.   Wednesday’s game marked the final game for Plattsburgh’s Tucker Glass, Danny Caufield and Mike Santisteban.   Kramer and Lawrence close out the season atop the Plattsburgh offense with 47 points apiece. Kramer tallied a team-high 36 goals while Lawrence led the team with 17 assists. Travers scooped up 67 groundballs on the year and rookie Nick Parrella had a team-best 40 caused turnovers.   Under first-year head coach Ryan Cavanagh, Plattsburgh finishes the year with an 11-7 record to match the program high for single-season victories. The Cardinals made their second postseason appearance in program history and set a new school-record earlier this week with five All-SUNYAC honorees.

April 28: The Plattsburgh State men’s lacrosse team trailed by two at halftime, but Geneseo doubled up the Cardinals in the second half to hand them a 16-10 loss and snap a five-game win streak in the regular season finale Saturday afternoon.   With the loss, Plattsburgh (10-6, 4-2 SUNYAC) secures the No. 3 seed for the State University of New York Athletic Conference Tournament, while Geneseo (5-7, 5-1 SUNYAC) takes the No. 2 seed.   The Blue Knights attacked early as Jeff Watson scored the first goal of the afternoon with just 49 seconds gone in the game. Joe Kramer evened the score at the 12:19 mark before giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead at 9:26 with a man-up goal from Anthony Pafundi.   Geneseo’s Brendan Kurpis tied it at 2-all with 8:11 left in the first quarter but Kramer scored again to keep the Cardinals up by a goal. Kurpis and James Purpura tallied back-to-back goals to give the Blue Knights a 4-3 lead but with 1:36 left, Pafundi converted a man-up opportunity for Plattsburgh to end the first quarter tied at 4-4.   Two goals within the first four minutes of the second allowed Geneseo to take a lead they would not relinquish. Plattsburgh cut the deficit to 6-5 at the 8:00 mark of the second when Kramer netted his fourth of the afternoon but that was as close as the Cardinals would come.   The Cardinals trailed 8-6 at the half but Geneseo held Plattsburgh to four goals in the second half to get the win.   Kramer led the Plattsburgh offense with four goals. Tim Lawrence scored two goals and added an assist. Nick Travers tallied a pair of goals while Pafundi finished the day with a goal and an assist. Nick Parrella scooped up six groundballs and Ryan Phillips had three caused turnovers.   Steven Cregan paced the Blue Knights with a goal and four assists. Kurpis scored four goals while Purpura, Watson and John Wettack each added a pair of goals. Frank DiSanto had a team-high seven groundballs and won 16 faceoffs. Kyle Kerrigan caused three turnovers.   Penalties caused the Cardinals some problems as Plattsburgh took nine penalties for nine minutes. Geneseo was 3-for-8 on extra-man opportunities while the Cardinals were 4-for-6.   Geneseo outshot Plattsburgh, 38-33, and picked up 37 groundballs while the Cardinals had 28.   Plattsburgh’s Gordie Gehring made 11 saves in the loss. Michael Greubel recorded 10 stops to get the win for Geneseo.
 

SUNY Plattsburgh’s Mike Sapone (29) of Saranac Lake, NY gets off a point-blank shot that was saved by Clarkson netminder Ryan Cole (15).  (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

SUNY Canton's Pat Connelly rifles a shot with spin that hooked to the left and beat the SUNYIT goaltender Andre Chattell. After falling behind 3-0 early, the Kangaroos bounced back to take a three-goal lead at the half. SUNYIT rallied to tie and force overtime. SUNY Canton beat SUNYIT 17-16 in triple overtime.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Canton's Jason Thompson (formerly Salmon River) tries to flip the loose ball past the SUNYIT goalie in the 2nd quarter.

April 22: The SUNY Canton men’s lacrosse team scored the first seven goals of the game and never looked back as they topped Johnson State College 15-10 Sunday in Vermont. The Roos (4-6) quickly opened a 2-0 lead just 10 seconds into the contest when freshman Jason Thompson (Massena, N.Y.) tallied two of his five goals on the day.  Junior Pat Connelly (Chittenango, N.Y.) then scored twice in a four-minute stretch to make it 4-0.  Thompson scored again followed by goals from sophomore Alex Tibbles (Evans Mills, N.Y.) and freshman Trevor Wight (Clearwater, Fla.) for an early 7-0 advantage.  The Roos went into the locker at halftime on top 11-4 and got six saves in the second half from sophomore goalie Corey Spuck (Rochester, N.Y.) to hold on to their lead and claim the road win.  Spuck would finish with 15 saves. Thompson added three assists for a terrific eight-point outing.  Connelly finished with four goals and an assist.  Wight ended the game with three goals and an assist.  Tibbles scored twice and freshman James Kane (Jamison, Pa.) scored once. The Roos outshot the Badgers 44-37, posted a 44-38 advantage in ground balls and won the faceoff battle 20-9. Alex Petti scored five goals for Johnson State and Zach Jerome had 13 saves between the pipes. The Roos last game at Lyndon State was canceled, ending their season with a respectable 4-6 final record for an inaugural run.

April 17: Sophomore Alex Tibbles (Evans Mills, N.Y.) scored his team-leading 18th and 19th goals of the season in SUNY Canton's 22-5 loss at Medaille College Tuesday afternoon in Buffalo. Tibbles scored once in the first quarter and again in the third quarter and is currently second on the team in total points with 23. Freshmen Trevor Wight (Clearwater, Fla.) added a goal and an assist and tied teammate and fellow freshman Tony Carden (Franklin, Mass.) with five ground balls.  Freshman Taylor Caswell (Potsdam , N.Y.)  also had a goal and an assist.  Freshman Rob Gleason (Vestal, N.Y.) scored once,  freshman Shawn Spadaccini (Canton, N.Y.) added an assist and sophomore Corey Spuck (Rochester, N.Y.) stopped 14 shots in goal. Joe Kozovski led the Mavericks with one goal and seven assists. 

SUNY Potsdam’s Rob Kunz (10) dishes the ball off while being defended by SUNY Plattsburgh’s Mike Lind (19).  Plattsburgh rebounded from Potsdam's three-goal quick start to win 14-9.  Kunz had three goals and one assist, while Potsdam’s attack was led by Jared Flath who manufactured two goals and five assists. Joey Kramer led the Cardinals with five goals and three assists. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery  NCSN Broadcast

April 28: The second-ranked SUNY Cortland Red Dragons (16-0, 6-0 SUNYAC) rode a big first half lead to a 16-8 victory over the SUNY Potsdam men's lacrosse team (5-8, 1-5) on Saturday afternoon. Senior attackman Mike Tota had a big day for Cortland with seven goals and two assists and fellow Red Dragon senior Greg Wright contributed three goals and three assists. Senior attackman Peter Pike scored two goals in his final game as a Bear, as did sophomore attackman Rob Kunz. Cortland raced out to a 5-0 lead in the opening six and a half minutes. Tota had a goal and an assist in the barrage. Junior midfielder Pat Morrill got Potsdam on the board with an assist from sophomore midfielder Jared Flath at the 2:48 mark. Tota notched his second at 1:04 and the Red Dragons led 6-1 after one quarter. Freshman midfielder Dave Kunz won the opening faceoff of the second period, raced down field and set up Pike to make it 6-2 just five seconds in. Cortland closed the first half with an offensive show. The Red Dragons got seven in a row, including five from Tota. Three of the seven markers were man-up tallies. Freshman midfielder Mike Cantelli capped the run with a goal with 41 seconds on the clock. The Red Dragons took a 13-2 advantage into the break. Pike buried a pass from Rob Kunz at the 9:47 and Kunz notched his own at 6:36 to cut the gap to 13-4. The Red Dragons answered just over four minutes later as Wright and Tota hooked up for the only Cortland score of the third quarter. Potsdam finally got some momentum late in the quarter, starting a 4-0 run of its own on a goal from junior attackman Kyle Nicholas at 1:28. Kunz, sophomore midfielder Matt Donovan and freshman midfielder Dylan DiFante scored in succession to get the Bears to within 14-8 with 4:55 remaining. DiFante's goal was the first of his career. The Red Dragons tacked on the final two markers of the contest to seal the 16-8 win. In goal, senior Mike Quinlan stopped eight shots and allowed 13 goals in the first 30 minutes for the loss. Potsdam junior goalie Stefan Sloma made nine saves and allowed three goals in the second half. Red Dragon junior goalie Mike Kaminski earned the victory with two saves and two goals allowed in the first half. Senior Kyle Gaebel stopped four shots and allowed the final six Bear goals. The contest brings a close to the careers of seniors Pike, Quinlan, Chris Mazzeo, Steve Tupper, Rashaun Durden, Tyler Flath, Ryan Paparella and Jason Falk.

April 21: SUNY Geneseo (3-7, 3-1 SUNYAC) defeated the SUNY Potsdam men’s lacrosse team (5-7, 1-4) 11-2 in a cold and rainy SUNYAC contest on Saturday afternoon. James Purpura scored five goals to lead the Blue Knights. Freshman midfielder John Hawk had a goal and an assist for the Bears. Geneseo scored the first seven goals of the contest, including the last three in a row from Purpura, and led 7-0 at the break. Junior midfielder Mike Faltisco finally got Potsdam on the board at 13:36 of the third quarter with an assist from Hawk. Purpura scored the next two in a 3-0 Geneseo run to build a 10-1 advantage at 6:55. Senior captain Ryan Paparella set up Hawk at 4:04 to make it a 10-2 game. The Blue Knights tacked on a final marker with 1:21 left in the fourth quarter for the 11-2 victory. In goal, Bears senior Mike Quinlan allowed 10 goals and made 11 saves in the first 54:44 and junior Stefan Sloma allowed a goal and stopped one shot in the final 5:16. Michael Greubel finished with two goals allowed and six saves to earn the victory in 48:55. Potsdam wraps up the 2012 campaign with a home matchup against No. 2 SUNY Cortland at 1 p.m.

SUNY Potsdam’s Rob Kunz (10) from Watertown, NY attempts to spin around a SUNY Oneonta defender at the edge of the crease. Kunz scored three goals and dished three assists, but Oneonta scored the final seven goals of the game to rally past Potsdam 14-11. Daniel Stern had 4 goals and 2 assists for Oneonta.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam’s Jacob Gyder (25) knocks the ball loose from Clarkson’s Corey Herrington (24).  Clarkson University (7-2) used a strong second half to defeat SUNY Potsdam 13-8 in a non-conference battle.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam’s Rob Kunz (10) protects the ball from the long pole of St. Lawrence University’s Brian Wilber (32).  The Saints jumped to a 3-0 first-period lead, before the Bears closed the gap to 3-2. Saints won 10-6.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam's Maribeth Simmons (2) splits a pair of Fredonia defenders and focuses in for a close-range shot and a goal. Simmons scored three goals become just the fifth Bear to reach 100 points (78 goals, 22 assists) in her career on Senior Day. However, Fredonia pulled away in the second half for a 19-10 victory.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

Fredonia attacker gets jammed up by four Potsdam defenders.

April 29: The SUNY Potsdam women's lacrosse team (5-11) got a game-winning goal from junior captain Whitney Boshart to defeat Utica College (8-7) 8-7 in overtime. The Bears got three goals from freshman midfielder Margaret Wall and senior goalie Kaci Milligan made eight saves to become the program's all-time saves leader. Senior midfielder Katlyn Banker gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead just 4:12 into the contest. Utica would hold the lead until the last two minutes of regulation. Senior attack Maria Santucci doubled the advantage with a free position marker at 16:19. Junior attack Denise Johns got Potsdam on the board 10 minutes later. Next, the Pioneers struck twice in 24 seconds as freshman defender Patricia Kane and Banker scored in succession to give Utica a 4-1 lead at 2:15 of the first half. Senior attack Maribeth Simmons got the Bears to within 4-2 with a goal at the 1:37 mark. Wall made it 4-3 with her first of the contest just 2:50 into the final half, but the Pioneers answered with two straight to regain their three-goal advantage. Sophomore attack Janet Campo scored at 23:32 and Banker notched her third at 17:17. Wall connected with Boshart for her second tally at 12:57, but Santucci made it a 7-4 Utica lead with 11:57 remaining. Then the Bears offense shifted into gear. Simmons set up senior captain Sierra Langkammerer at 5:16. Wall buried her third exactly a minute later. With the score 7-6, the Pioneers called a timeout in an attempt to break Potsdam's momentum. It didn't work. With two minutes left, Langkammerer harassed Utica senior goalie Shelby Barbay into throwing a pass out of bounds. On the ensuing Bears' possession, Johns worked her way around the right side of the net and fired the ball past Barbay to tie the score at 7-7 with 1:13 remaining. The Pioneers grabbed the final draw control of regulation and controlled the play until time expired. Utica fired three shots on Milligan in the last minute, including a free position by freshman midfielder Megan Kane with 29 seconds on the clock, but Milligan caught each one. In the first half of the six-minute non-sudden victory overtime period, the Pioneers controlled the ball for 2:45, but never got a shot away. Wall captured the draw control to start the final three minutes and passed to Langkammerer who charged toward the Utica goal. Right before the crease she fired a pass to Boshart who beat Barbay to her left for the eventual game-winner with 2:31 left. The teams traded turnovers in the final minutes, but the Pioneers never threatened again. The victory brings a close to the impressive careers of seniors Simmons, Langkammerer, Milligan, Aubrey Macintosh, Carly Richards, Lizzy Penree and Shannon Miller. Richards, who was sidelined with an injury today, leaves Potsdam as the Bears all-time scoring leader with 218 points. She also holds the records for goals (147) and assists (71). Simmons finishes her career ranked fourth on Potsdam's scoring list (86g-24a-110pts) and is just the fifth Bear to reach the 100-point plateau. Langkammerer closes out her time at Potsdam at No. 7 on the all-time scoring list with 71 goals and 11 assists for 82 points. Milligan leaves Potsdam as the Bears all-time wins (15) and saves leader (487).

April 24: New Paltz (7-9, 2-5 SUNYAC) took the lead 1:27 into this afternoon's SUNYAC contest with the SUNY Potsdam women's lacrosse team (4-11, 1-7) and never relinquished it on the way to an 18-14 victory. Carissa Citro and Lianne Vivalda each scored five times to lead the Hawks. Seniors Maribeth Simmons and Sierra Langkammerer had six (5g, 1a) and four (3g, 1a) points, respectively to pace the Bears. New Paltz jumped out to a 4-1 lead by the 24:09 mark of the first quarter. Simmons, senior captain Aubrey Macintosh and Langkammerer answered over the next five minutes to tie the score at 4-4. The Hawks regained their three-goal lead by the 12:50 mark, but Langkammerer and Simmons responded again to make it a 7-6 contest with 9:58 left in the half. New Paltz closed the first period on a 5-1 run and took a 12-7 advantage into the break. The teams traded the first six goals of the second half. A goal by freshman midfielder Margaret Wall (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas) kept the Bears within 15-10 with 20:57 remaining. The Hawks scored three of the next four goals for their biggest lead of the game at 18-11 with 11:20 on the clock. Potsdam closed the contest on a 3-0 run with two markers from Simmons and a final tally from freshman midfielder Emily Petit, but lost the 18-14 decision. In goal, senior captain Kaci Milligan finished with 13 saves. Stefanie Mignone allowed nine goals and made five saves over the first 38:54 to earn the victory. Jackie Ulanoff allowed five goals on six shots on goal over the final 21:06. New Paltz outshot the Bears 41-23 and collected 39 ground balls to Potsdam's 28. The Bears wrap up the season on Sunday, April 29, when they host the Utica Pioneers at 1 p.m.
 

SUNY Potsdam's Caitlin Matalavage (5) snaps off a high-low shot on Geneseo goaltender Julie Bernatzky (22), then hustles for the rebound to score for the Bears. Bernatzky needed just four saves and Geneseo broke open a close league contest midway through the first half and went on to a 22-9 victory over Potsdam.  (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam goalie Kaci Milligan stuffs a shot from SUNY Oneonta’s Heidi Kissinger (11). Oneonta got eight goals and an assist from attacker Rebecca Monteith to defeat Potsdam 17-11. Whitney Boshart, formerly Indian River, and Margaret Wall each had a three goals and one assist for the Bears.  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam’s Emily Petit (11) carries the ball against a
St. Lawrence defender Kendall Harty (14).  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Kendall Harty (14) controls the ball while drawing a lot of attention from the Rochester defense. The Saints generated a nine-goal second half to pull away from two-goal halftime lead in defeating Liberty League opponent Rochester 14-6. Stephanie O'Rourke had a game-high four goals.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Abigail Horan (8) stops and changes direction to try and get by Rochester’s Sarah Skinner (17).

May 1: The St. Lawrence University women's lacrosse team dropped its 2012 season finale to St. John Fisher on Tuesday afternoon by the score of 15-8 in Canton, NY.  The Cardinals, ranked just outside the top-20 nationally, were led by seven-point outings by Melissa Leonhard (4g,3a) and Taylor Hughes (2g,5a) while Brigid Hurley, Margie Bailey and Kendall Harty each scored twice for the Saints. St. John Fisher enters the postseason on a five-game win streak and an overall record of 12-4, while the Saints fall to 9-7 after being outshot 32-14. "We played hard against a perennial powerhouse but fell into a hole early and couldn't climb all the way out," said St. Lawrence head coach Jodi Canfield.  "We showed a lot of character and heart and it bodes well for the future of the Saints, though I can't thank my seniors enough for their contributions to our program." St. Lawrence was unable to overcome 13 turnovers in the loss and failed to win the draw control battle as well (14-11).  Senior co-captain Paige Powell kept her team in the game between the pipes behind a solid 11-save showing. The Saints held a brief 1-0 lead early in the first half as Bailey scored on Fisher goalie Caroline Trpcevski only 1:22 into regulation for the home team.  However, the goal would be the only tally for the Saints in nearly 20:00 minutes, as the Cardinals ran off seven straight goals to take a 7-1 lead with 12:06 left in the half.  Hughes generated much of the offense, as she figured in on the last five tallies to help her team open up a solid cushion. St. Lawrence refused to quit, though, and battled back to within three goals before halftime at 8-5.  Hurley scored twice, while Harty and Stephanie O'Rourke added goals to keep their team within striking distance after 30:00 minutes. St. John Fisher would assert itself early in the second half, as Jill Zerrillo and Melissa Leonhard scored back-to-back goals to open the stanza and make it at 10-5 lead.  Though the Saints would answer with goals by Lanni Piroli and Bailey, a five-goal run by Fisher would put the game away with the Cardinals on top 15-7.  Harty would cap the game scoring at 15-8 with 3:32 remaining. Trpcevski closed with three saves in goal for Fisher to earn the win and improve to 6-2 on the season. Hurley finished with a team-high four points for St. Lawrence on two goals and two assists, while Bailey added two goals and one helper.  Junior Holly Noyes finished with a game-high five draw controls for the Scarlet and Brown as well.

April 28: The St. Lawrence University women's lacrosse team opened up a 12-2 halftime lead en route to an 18-3 win over Bard College in the Liberty League regular season finale in Canton, NY on Saturday afternoon.  Sophomore Abigail Horan scored a game-high five goals, while three other players including senior co-captain Paige Powell added two for the Saints. The victory moves St. Lawrence to 9-6 (6-3), but a come-from-behind 11-10 win by RIT over Union this afternoon eliminated the Scarlet and Brown from the playoff picture.  Bard falls to 5-11 (0-9) after the loss on St. Lawrence's "Senior Day." "We did what we had to do this weekend and stayed focused on our goals," said St. Lawrence head coach Jodi Canfield.  "We competed hard and I'm proud of that.  We're certainly disappointed to have missed the postseason, but RIT played outstanding this weekend and earned the final seed." The Saints closed with a 37-11 lead in shots, a 30-19 edge in ground balls and a solid 16-7 mark in draw controls.  Prior to the game, St. Lawrence's four senior co-captains, Margie Bailey, Lanni Piroli, Kendall Harty and Powell were honored for their contributions to the women's lacrosse program. Powell certainly had a memorable day for St. Lawrence, as she earned the victory in goal with three saves in the first half.  A converted midfielder from her first three seasons on the team, Powell then returned to her old position and scored a pair of goals in the second half. The Saints came out rolling in the first half and scored the first eight goals of the contest.  Bailey opened the scoring, while Brigid Hurley added two and Piroli tacked on another.  Stephanie O'Rourke, Mackenzie Collins, Kate Higgins and Horan pushed the lead to 8-0 with 8:25 remaining in the stanza. Bard would score a pair of goals only :25 seconds apart, as Farah Akhtar and Reed Mango made it 8-2.  However, the Saints closed the frame on a 4-0 run to up the cushion to 12-2 at intermission.  Carly VanTassel and Blythe Crasto got into the scoring late in the half. After Horan made it 13-2 early in the second half, Powell took to the midfield and scored quickly off a pass from Higgins at 4:51 to make it 14-2.  Harty would complete "Senior Day" in style by ensuring that all four members of the Class of 2012 would score in the game as she made it 17-3 midway through the half.  Powell would cap the scoring on a free position try in the final minute to give her team the 18-3 win. Bard's Simone Leitner made four saves in net for the Raptors, while first-year Adden Cunningham also made three saves for St. Lawrence in the second half.
 

St. Lawrence University’s Hanne Bailey (7) has the ball knocked from her cross while trying to run out of the SUNY Geneseo double team. The Saints suffered a 20-10 loss to Geneseo their home opener at Hall-et Stadium. Despite a 10-5 advantage in draws in the first half, the Saints trailed 9-5 at intermission.
(Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

Geneseo State’s Bridget McGovern (25) controls the ball while being tightly defended by St. Lawrence’s Margie Bailey (17).

St. Lawrence University’s Carly Van Tassel (20) emerges from a group of SUNY Potsdam players with the loose ball.
 (Eric Foote photo)   Game Gallery

R.I.T.’s Shelby Vakiener (24) attempts to get out of trouble after being surrounded by Clarkson defenders Kerrie Cline (23) and Alyssa Dausman (19). Clarkson scored first in the first overtime, but Rochester Institute of Technology scored the final two goals to pull out a 13-12 double overtime win over the Knights.
(Ryan Bercume photo)  Game Gallery

ClClarkson’s Cassie Grace (10) from Potsdam, NY, picks up the ground ball and looks to clear it out of the defensive end as RIT’s Marlee Vlassis (16) runs beside her.

April 28: Competing in their final collegiate game, seniors Saryn Campbell (West Bolton, VT) and Hannah Walters (Amherst, NH) played leading roles in the Clarkson University Women’s Lacrosse team’s 13-10 victory over Vassar College on Saturday in Liberty League action at Hantz Turf Field. Campbell scored a game-high four goals and five points to power the Golden Knights’ offense, while Walters posted seven saves as Clarkson closed out the 2012 campaign by setting a school-record for wins in a season with a 7-8 overall record. The Green and Gold also set a new school mark for victories in conference play with a 3-6 Liberty League slate. After battling Vassar (5-10, 2-7) even, 5-5, through the first 30 minutes, Clarkson took command early in the second half and then held off the Brewers in the final minutes to close out the season with their second consecutive conference victory. The Knights scored the first three goals of the second half, with Campbell tallying twice, and went on a 7-1 run to hold a 12-6 advantage with 16 minutes left to play. Vassar made it close with four of the last five goals, but ran out of time in its bid to complete the comeback. Junior Katie VanDeValk (Baldwinsville, NY) enjoyed a four-goal effort for Clarkson and came up just one score short for tying the Knights’ single-season record for goals (49). Junior Alyssa Cristaldi (North Syracuse, NY) connected for two goals and recorded one assist to set a new Clarkson record for points in a season with 67 on 47 goals and 20 assists through 15 games. Junior Nicole Kelly (Syracuse, NY) posted a career-high four points on one goal and three assists, while junior Jeanette Pendergast rounded out the Clarkson goal scorers with two tallies. Freshman Dara Davis led Vassar with four points, including three goals. Classmate Katherine Stegmann connected for two goals.  Emma Carter, who was one of five other Brewers to score a goal, finished with two points (1-1). Clarkson out shot Vassar 29-25, while the Brewers held a 25-21 edge in ground balls. The Knights dominated in draw controls, winning 18-of-25. Kelly picked up five ground balls for the Knights, while VanDeValk recorded a game-high six draw controls. Walters made two first-half saves and turned aside five Vassar shots in the second half to post her 18th career victory, setting a new Clarkson record for career wins. Senior Heather Kesselman started in goal for the Brewers and made 10 saves while allowing 11 goals through 38 minutes. Freshman Kate Pula  played the final 22 minutes for Vassar in goal and posted three saves on five shots.

April 27: With two goals in the opening four minutes, Bard College looked like it might end its winless drought in the Liberty League, but the Clarkson University Women’s Lacrosse team scored the next 15 goals en route to a 19-4 rout of the Raptors Friday afternoon at Hantz Turf Field. The Golden Knights improved to 6-8 overall and 2-6 in the Liberty League, tying its single-season mark for victories in a season, while the Raptors dropped to 5-10 overall and 0-8 in conference contests. Clarkson will close out the regular season against Vassar College on Saturday, while Bard will travel to play St. Lawrence. The Raptors scored a pair of goals early, taking the lead at 27:08 and a two-goal advantage at 26:13, but after those two scores it was all Clarkson. Saryn Campbell (West Bolton, VT) won the next two draws and came down to tally unassisted goals for the Knights as Clarkson produced six goals in less than five minutes to take a 6-2 lead and force a Bard timeout. The momentary cease in play didn’t stop Clarkson’s onslaught as the Knights were able to possess the ball for the majority of the half, despite not scoring for the final 10-plus minutes. The Knights held a 25-7 edge in shots in the second half and won 10 of the 13 draws. In the second half, Clarkson scored the first five goals to take a 15-2 lead with just seven minutes expired from the clock, but Bard finally stopped the barrage with a goal at 21:01. Three more Clarkson goals made the score 18-3 midway through the half, at which point the pace of play stalled and just two more goals were split among the teams. Junior Alyssa Cristaldi (North Syracuse, NY) scored six times and assisted on one other to lead Clarkson with seven points, while Campbell added four goals, four groundballs and eight draw controls. Junior Nicole Kelly (Syracuse, NY) had four points on two goals and two assists, and freshman Cassie Grace (Potsdam, NY) scored a pair of goals as well. Junior Katie VanDeValk (Baldwinsville, NY) also produced three points with a goal and two assists in addition to gaining five draw controls. Hannah Walters (Amherst, NH) made five saves and allowed three goals in 51 minutes of play, while Kara DiNatale (Auburn, NH) made three saves in eight-plus minutes of action for Clarkson. The victory was awarded to Walters, the 17th in her career at Clarkson, which sets her apart with the most goalie wins in program history. Simone Leitner made nine saves for Bard, allowing all 19 goals over the course of the 60 minutes. Stephanie LaMont scored twice for the Raptors, and Reed Mango and Victoria Fleisher each scored once. Clarkson held a 36-16 advantage in shots and gained control early by winning 19 of the 25 draws. The two teams were nearly even in groundballs, with the Knights leading 19-13.

Clarkson junior attacker Katie nDeValk (4) unleashes a close-range shot while trying to avoid stick checks from the Oswego defense. Clarkson fell behind early 3-0, but bounced back to take a 7-5 lead at the half. Clarkson pounded Oswego women 12-3 in the second half to capture their first home win of the season 19-8. (Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson's Alyssa Dausman (19) and SUNY Oswego's Michelle Ruskey (10) battle to chase down a loose bouncing ball.

SUNY Canton's Brooke Knight (from Madrid-Waddington) rips a shot past SUNYIT goaltender Aubrey Campbell. The Lady s earned their first win in their inaugural season in claiming a 14-9 comeback win. The Wildcats scored the game's first three goals, before the Roos came back to lead 7-5 at the half.
(Bob LaRue photo)  Game Gallery

A A stick check frees the ball from a New Paltz attacker.

April 26: The Lady Roos Lacrosse team closed out its inaugural season today on the road versus a tough SUNY Oswego team.  Captain Tressa Goolden (Canton, NY) scored two goals and had two assists on the day as SUNY Canton lost to the Lady Lakers by a score of 23-5.   Opening up the scoring for the Roos early in the first half was Brittany DiBenenedetto (Bronx, NY) with an assist from Brooke Knight (Madrid, NY).  Also scoring in the first half for Canton in front of her hometown crowd was Devyn Hutchinson (Oswego, NY) with an assist from Goolden.  Brittani Bessette (Canton, NY) closed out the first half scoring with a goal nine seconds from the halftime whistle and Goolden again had the assist. The half ended with a score of 14-3 in favor of the Lady Lakers.  In the net for the first 30 minutes was Holli-Jo Cota (Ogdensburg, NY) who faced 26 shots, making eight saves in the half.   The second period saw two goals by the Lady Roos, both unassisted efforts scored by Goolden.  Courtney Drake (Philadelphia, NY) took over between the posts and faced 17 shots, making three saves in the effort. "Oswego may have been the strongest team we faced all season.  Their players were skilled ad very athletic." remarked first-year head coach Dave Bradman.  "Our players fought hard the entire game and managed to score six goals against a very talented team.  Kirsten Skelly (Brier Hill, NY) was outstanding at defense and midfield and Laura Pratt (Binghamton, NY) played a solid defensive game.  Tressa, Brittany (DiBenenedetto), and Brittani (Bessette) played very well on offense.  We played well today against a tough team." The Roos ended their first season with a record of 2-9 and saw great improvements throughout the spring.  In all areas, their statistics improved and the coaching staff remarked on the great strides the team made.  Bradman reflected on the season "I am proud of the commitment and effort the players gave.  Each contributed to our steady progress and laid the foundation for the Women's Lacrosse program at SUNY Canton.  I am sure we will build each year to become a very successful program.  All of the players and the assistant coaches should be commended for a job well done!" 

April 19: On a day in which over forty goals scored, the SUNY Canton Kangaroos pulled out a double-overtime win against the Express of Wells College by a score of 23-21 today.  Six different Canton players scored in the effort.   The game had several lead changes with the Roos refusing to accept being down and battling back on every possible occasion. Tressa Goolden (Canton, NY) found the back of the net a remarkable seven times today, while providing one assist. The Roos finally took the lead with 13 minutes remaining in the first half and scored five unanswered goals, ending the first half ahead by a score of 12-9.  The first half had four goals scored by Brooke Knight (Madrid, NY), three goals each for Goolden and Brittani Bessette (Canton, NY) and one goal apiece for Kristi Vibbard (Sherburne, NY) and Ashley Amandor (Bronx, NY).   The second half saw another evenly contested period with goals being traded between the Roos and the Express.  The score tied at 18 with two minutes left in the half.  Goolden scored with 0:50 seconds to go, and Wells answered six seconds later to tie the game and send it into overtime.   Goolden scored four goals in the second half, and adding a goal each were Bessette, Vibbard, and Brittany DiBenenedetto (Bronx, NY).   Halfway into the first overtime period, Wells scored the go-ahead goal, but Canton retaliated with two quick goals, the first by Knight with 0:50 seconds to go and the second by DiBenenedetto.  The Roos went into the second overtime up 21-20.  The Roos quickly scored two goals, by Vibbard and Bessette, to go ahead 23-20.  Wells scored a goal with 0:54 left in the overtime but the Roos were able to stave off any effort and clinched the win.   Statistically, the game was as tight as the goal scoring reflected.  The Roos out-shot the Express 41-36, had the edge in ground balls 21-20, won 24 ground balls compared to 20 by Wells, and cleared the ball 16 out of 18 opportunities.  The Roos were one for three on utilizing their free position shots. First-year Coach Dave Bradman remarked, “We outlasted them.  Both teams were scoring quickly and while we maintained a lead for much of the game, they (Wells) scored when it counted to send the game into overtime.  While both teams were tired we played especially well in overtime to earn the win.  It was a real barn burner!”   Once again, Holli-Jo Cota (Ogdensburg, NY) spent the duration between the posts, making six saves in the effort.  Bradman recognized Caty Darling (Oswego, NY) and Laura Pratt (Binghamton, NY) for their defensive efforts throughout the contest.