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Despite a goal from Alex Slauson (23) on this shot past the Western New England goalie to pull within three again, the Western New England Golden Bears tucked the ball inside the near post with only 9.1 seconds remaining in the third quarter for an 11-7 lead.  WNEC went on to eliminate the Saints 13-9 in the second round of the national NCAA Men's Lacrosse Playoffs. (Bob LaRue photo)   Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University's Scott Smith (10) gets squeezed
with a double hit from the Western New England defense.

May 10: Western New England College’s Jon Hayes scored six goals in the first half while goaltender Chris Body made 12 saves as the Golden Bears defeated the St. Lawrence University men’s lacrosse team 13-9 in the Second Round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament at North Country Field on Saturday afternoon. It is the second consecutive season WNEC has advanced to the National Quarterfinals, while the Saints bow out of the national tournament in the Second Round for the second straight season. The Golden Bears, who improved to 15-4 on the season with the win, advance to face Ithaca College while the Saints’ season comes to a close with a final record of 11-3. Though both teams got off to shaky starts which included several turnovers each way, it was the visiting team that would score the first goal on 90 second man-up chance. Hayes took a long pass from Scott Kukis to the right of St. Lawrence netminder Thomas Hollingsworth and buried a shot for his first of the game. Junior Kyle Benton would tie the score only 1:14 later when sophomore Will McKee hit him with a crossing pass in front of Body. However, a great save by Body only minutes later would lead to a man-down goal in transition for Brody Savoie at 10:38. Hayes would then wrap around the net 2:21 later and use a low shot to fool Hollingsworth and put WNEC up 3-1. Junior Peter Carroll would answer for the Saints with an unassisted goal to cut his team’s deficit in half. McKee set a pick for Carroll on the right side of the cage, and the attackman used the screen to loop around the goal and score the final goal of the first quarter with 23 seconds remaining to pull St. Lawrence to within a goal at 3-2. The second quarter, though, would belong to Hayes and the Golden Bears, as they scored five times to take a three-goal advantage into halftime. Hayes made it 4-2 as he used a fantastic move to elude a defender and free up a one-on-one with Hollingsworth. McKee seemed to get the home team rolling with back-to-back goals only 47 seconds apart to tie the game at 4-4, but Hayes gave WNEC a lead they wouldn’t relinquish at 5-4 with a bouncing shot at 6:33 of the second quarter. With St. Lawrence’s defensive doing all they could to limit Hayes’ touches, it freed up Tim Santye on a man-up chance at 7:19 to beat Hollingsworth and give the Golden Bears a 6-4 lead. On the ensuing face-off, Carroll took a long outlet pass and found himself on a free one-on-one chance with Body. However, the goaltender stood his ground, made the save and kept WNEC ahead by two. After Hayes and junior Alex Slauson exchanged goals at 9:52 and 10:13 of the second quarter, Hayes fittingly put the finishing touches on an incredible first half by completing the scoring with 1:58 on the clock to put the Golden Bears ahead 8-5 at the half. St. Lawrence hoped to get some momentum on their side when sophomore Scott Smith scored an unassisted goal 4:53 into the third quarter to pull the Scarlet and Brown back to within two at 8-6. However, they would never get closer, as Bryan Cofrin and Tim Heffernan scored goals for WNEC only 22 seconds apart for a 10-6 advantage. Despite Slauson’s best effort, ripping a shot past Body at 11:37 to pull to within three again, Cofrin delivered a crucial goal as he tucked the ball between Hollingsworth and the near post with only 9.1 seconds remaining in the quarter for an 11-7 lead. Kukis took advantage of a man-up chance only 37 seconds into the fourth quarter, putting the visiting team ahead by five goals, their largest margin of the game. Though Slauson added his third goal only 1:10 later, Hayes once again took over as he backed down a St. Lawrence defender, turned and fired a shot past Hollingsworth for his seventh and final goal of the day which all but punched WNEC’s ticket to the national quarterfinals. Senior Ben Prime did keep St. Lawrence’s hopes alive in the final minutes of the game with a goal at 11:51 to pull the Saints to within four goals at 13-9. However, the Golden Bears’ defense, anchored by Steve Toomy and Jared Pabis, shut down the Saints’ offensive chances and ran out the clock to set up a date with Ithaca College on Wednesday, May 14. “I thought Western New England played a fantastic game. They’re a very well-coached team and they were able to take away Will (McKee) in the second half,” said Saints’ head coach Mike Mahoney. “They play a much faster style of play, and if you get into a run-and-gun game with them, you’re going to get in trouble.” The Golden Bears finished with an impressive mark in clears, 21-of-23, while their pressure in the midfield stifled St. Lawrence, which finished 16-of-23. Though the Saints led in shots (36-30), ground balls (34-30) and face-offs (15-of-25), a 1-for-7 showing with man-up chances compared to WNEC’s 4-of-8 did in the home team. “I can’t say enough about this team and the leadership we’ve gotten this season from our seniors,” added Mahoney, whose team fell to Cortland State last season in the NCAA Tournament. “This group is a great group of players, leaders and gentlemen that have represented our program to the highest extent.” WNEC extended their winning streak to eight games, while snapping St. Lawrence’s 11-game run. Body’s 12-save performance moved his record to 12-5 on the season, while Hollingsworth, who made five saves in the contest, falls to 11-3.

St. Lawrence University’s Will McKee (35), is the Liberty League Player of the Year, looks for room as he winds up for a shot near the R.P.I .net.   Will McKee scored his only goal of the contest at 4:27, but the top-seeded Saints used an eight-goal third quarter to pull away from No. 4 Rensselaer on Friday in the 2008 Liberty League semifinals. The Saints, led by senior Ben Prime’s three goals, advanced to Sunday’s conference championship tilt with a 15-6 win over the Red Hawks.  S.L.U. will face Union, who upset Clarkson 8-7.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Scott Smith hangs onto the ball while absorbing the hit from RPI’s Alex MacDiarmid (1).

NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship Bracket (.pdf)

May 4: Sophomore Will McKee, named the Liberty League’s Player of the Year earlier this week, scored all four of his goals in the second half including the game-winner with 3:31 remaining in the contest as the No. 12 St. Lawrence University men’s lacrosse team rallied past Union College to claim their third consecutive conference championship. The Saints (11-2, 6-0) were given a first round bye in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and will play host to the winner of Western New England College (13-4) and Western Connecticut State (13-6) on Saturday, May 10 at North Country Field. The Dutchmen came out clicking on all cylinders offensively, as they scored the game’s opening three goals for a 3-0 advantage. After Tom Simmons and Chris Collison put the visitors on top 2-0, Union’s senior captain Jon Miller used a great move to elude a defender and fired a shot past St. Lawrence goaltender Thomas Hollingsworth, forcing the Saints to burn a timeout only 4:26 into the game. St. Lawrence, who ran the table with a perfect 6-0 mark in conference play this season including a 17-3 win over Union, regrouped in the timeout and was able to pull to within a goal at the end of the first quarter. Junior Peter Carroll picked up a rebound behind Union goaltender Christopher Keinath and used a wrap-around move to get the Scarlet and Brown on the board at 3-1. Fellow classmate Alex Slauson then made it 3-2 when he bounced a shot that hit the netting just below the cross bar to complete the first quarter scoring at 13:48. After senior Kevin Russell evened the score at 3-3 on a great touch pass by Carroll, senior Ben Prime gave the Saints their first lead at 4-3 with 6:32 to play in the second quarter. Carroll again set up the goal, as he hit Prime with a great entry pass in front of the crease. With the momentum clearly on their side, the Saints’ took their largest lead of the day at 5-3 when senior Brian Chamberlain took the ball from the midfield and beat Keinath for his first goal of the season. With the second quarter winding down, a penalty to St. Lawrence’s Carl Festa gave Union the first man-up chance of the game. Collison made the most of the opportunity, launching a long shot past Hollingsworth to send the Dutchmen to the locker room after the opening half facing only a one-goal deficit at 5-4. Union would again seize control early the third quarter, scoring four straight goals to build an 8-5 lead. Dana Lasher sent a long shot towards Hollingsworth, and with a screen in front, bounced into the goal to tie the score at 5-5. Miller then added his second of the game when he snuck a shot between the goaltender and the near post for a 6-5 cushion and Simmons blew a shot past Hollingsworth’s stick from just outside the crease for a two-goal advantage. Collison would put the finishing touches on the five-goal run with a man-up goal for an 8-5 Union lead with 6:36 to play in the third quarter. Needing a jolt to get back into the game, the Saints were given a man-up chance and capitalized when sophomore Scott Smith took a pass from Carroll and tucked it behind Keinath. The goal got St. Lawrence rolling yet again, with McKee scoring back-to-back goals to close out the third quarter, including one with only 2.6 seconds left on the clock, to even the score at 8-8 heading to the final 15 minutes. Miller, who has been the cornerstone of Union’s team for four seasons, gave his team the lead for the third time on the afternoon at 9-8 when he fired a shot past Hollingsworth at 2:53 of the fourth quarter during a man-up chance. McKee would even the score at 9-9 only 1:36 later when Russell came away with a key ground ball, fed his fellow attackmen and McKee sniped a shot between the goaltender’s legs for his third goal of the game. Though Union was able to take control offensively midway through the fourth quarter, a costly turnover along the sidelines would give St. Lawrence possession. Using an ensuing man-up opportunity, Russell and McKee once again made Union pay, as Russell found McKee on the doorstep for his fourth goal of the second half to put the Saints ahead 10-9 with 3:31 remaining in regulation. With less than two minutes to play in the game, St. Lawrence controlled the ball in the offensive zone. Two unnecessary roughness penalties would end Union’s hopes, as the Dutchmen were forced to play the final minute of the game down two players. St. Lawrence was able to keep possession and run the clock out for their 11th straight victory, third consecutive Liberty League title and an NCAA Tournament bid. “I’m extremely proud of the way we battled back several times today against a very determined and talented Union team,” said St. Lawrence head coach Mike Mahoney. “We’re excited to be heading back to the NCAA Tournament and are looking forward to finding out who we’re going to square off with.” Sunday’s game proved to be very evenly played, as St. Lawrence finished with 35 shots to Union’s 32, each team scored three man-up goals and won 11-of-22 face-offs. St. Lawrence is 1-2 in the last two NCAA Tournaments with a win against Endicott and losses coming to Geneseo and Cortland State.

St. Lawrence nets a goal in the upper right corner of the net, jumping to an 11-1 lead, before Clarkson answered with seven straight markers at the end of the game.  No. 12 St. Lawrence University defeated No. 18 Clarkson 11-8 for sole possession of first place in the Liberty League standings. It was the first meeting since 2002 with both teams ranked in the national polls.  The Saints improved to 4-0.  Clarkson fell to 3-1.
(Jeremy Hendricks photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Nick Stefans (7) races down the field being marked by Clarkson’s Steve Kennedy (23).
 

Union goaltender Chris Keinath has the corner covered, making a save on the low shot from Clarkson’s Jon Cathcart. A cross-crease pass from Brendan Kinnane found Scott Garibaldi open on the other side and the sophomore's shot found the back of the net with just 40.3 seconds remaining as third-seeded Union upset the second-seeded Clarkson 8-7 in the opening round of the Liberty League Playoffs.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Jon Cathcart (4) reaches down to scoop up the loose ball coming out of the scrum.

May 2: A cross-crease pass from Brendan Kinnane found Scott Garibaldi open on the other side and the sophomore's shot found the back of the net with just 40.3 seconds remaining as third-seeded Union College upset the second-seeded Clarkson University Men's Lacrosse team 8-7 in the opening round of the Liberty League Tournament Friday afternoon at Hantz Field. The Golden Knights' loss sends them to 9-4 overall, while Union improved to 12-3 on the season. The Dutchmen will take on St. Lawrence in the Liberty League Championship at 12:00 noon on Sunday. Most of the first half saw very few shots finding their way on net as Clarkson was up 3-2 at the half. A long possession by Clarkson in the opening minutes finally ended on a goal as Erik Hilfinger (Ann Arbor, MI) flung a shot from 25 feet over the right shoulder of Union goalie Chris Keinath. Union came back seven minutes later with a goal from Matt Douglas as he sprinted across the midfield with a shorter shot over the left shoulder of Clarkson goalie Greg Lamb (Baldwinsville, NY). It appeared as if Clarkson would take control of the contest in the second quarter, as the Knights scored twice in a span of just five seconds. Hilfinger tallied his second goal of the game at 13:36 as the Dutchmen were being sent down a man. A delay of game gave the Knights a quick start and Greg Gibbons (Baldwinsville, NY) capitalized on a pass from Tyler Long (Liverpool, NY) at 13:31. Union's Kinnane snuck in a shot around the post late in the period to cut the lead to 3-2. The third period had a flurry of goals over the course the final eight minutes with the Dutchmen scoring five times in the final 7:56. Clarkson struck just twice in that same span and found itself down a pair of scores with just a quarter to go. The Golden Knights slowly climbed back into the contest as Tom Ross (Adams, NY) scored on a man-up opportunity from Brian Hoey (Auburn, NY) at the 6:10 mark and Hoey tied the game with 2:41 left in the game when he flipped a shot in as he was pushed into the crease. With just over a minute remaining, the Golden Knights called a timeout to set things up, but a turnover forced Clarkson on the defensive as the Dutchmen picked up the groundball and raced back into the offensive zone. A timeout by Union with 52 seconds left drew up what proved to be the game-winning goal when Kinnane came from behind the net on Lamb's left side and was quickly doubled. He sent a pass over the Clarkson defenders to Garibaldi on the right side and he threw the shot back over Lamb's left shoulder for the go-ahead goal. Clarkson gained possession and had a few opportunities but Greg Gibbons' final shot went wide and short of the net as the clock expired. Gibbons scored two goals, including his 100th career score, and Hilfinger added in two goals, while Hoey led the team with three points on a goal and two assists. Ross and Cory Schneider (Yorktown, NY) also scored for Clarkson. Kinnane had three points on a goal and two assists and Garibaldi scored three times to lead Union. Keinath made nine saves in the win for the Dutchmen and Lamb stopped 11 shots for Clarkson. The Dutchmen out shot Clarkson 31-25 and won 27 groundballs compared to 21 for the Knights.

Clarkson’s Andrew Kott (35) reaches over a St. Lawrence
player to attempt and knock the ball away.
Clarkson’s John Weinhold (2) looks to move the ball upfield while S.L.U.’s Ben Buskey (25) was too late to knock the ball away.

April 26: Juniors Greg Gibbons (Baldwinsville, NY) and Brian Hoey (Auburn, NY) each tallied three points and lifted the 17th-ranked Clarkson University Men's Lacrosse team to an 8-5 win over Rensselaer, helping the Golden Knights take the second seed in the upcoming Liberty League Conference Tournament. The Golden Knights improved to 9-3 overall and 5-1 in the Liberty League standings, claiming the second seed in the Liberty League Tournament next Friday, where they will face third-seeded Union College. Rensselaer dropped to 9-5 overall and 3-3 in conference action, and will take on top-seeded St. Lawrence University. Both teams started slowly on the offensive end, but neither would fall behind early as the two squads traded goals back and forth all the way into the second half, finding themselves tied 3-3 early in the third. After Rensselaer's first goal of the third quarter, Clarkson untied the contest just 24 seconds later with a Tom Ross (Adams, NY) goal, starting a four-goal run that saw the Knights virtually put the game out of reach. The Clarkson defense stayed strong throughout the second half, not allowing a goal for a stretch of 23 minutes, 47 seconds through the third and fourth quarters. Gibbons scored two goals and assisted on another, pushing his season totals to 26 goals and 19 assists for 45 points. Those points pushed him into sole possession of 10th-place all-time on the Clarkson's scoring leaderboard (154 career points on 99 goals and 55 assists). Hoey's three points came on a goal and two assists, and Jon Cathcart (Homer, NY) added two goals. Tyler Long (Liverpool, NY) and Steve Kennedy (Niskayuna, NY) also scored a goal apiece. Senior goalie Greg Lamb (Baldwinsville, NY) finished off his impressive regular season by allowing just five goals and making 12 saves.

Clarkson’s Mitchel Collins (20) zeroes in on the cage while defended by Vassar’s Ross Mackenzie.  Collins notched a goal.  Ten different Golden Knights scored goals, led by junior Greg Gibbon’s three tallies, while the Green and Gold defense put in another solid effort as 20th-ranked Clarkson University defeated Vassar College 14-6 on Saturday afternoon in Liberty League play at SUNY Canton.  Clarkson improved its record to 7-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Erik Hilfinger (29) celebrates after scoring his goal midway through the 2nd quarter.  Ten Knights scored in the win.
 

SUNY Potsdam’s Ben McCullough (20) celebrates with a teammate after scoring a goal to lift the Bears to a 6-5 lead.
(Eric Foote photos)  Game Gallery  NCSN's Game Broadcast
SUNY Plattsburgh’s Ryan Price (4) wins the faceoff but SUNY Potsdam’s David Blackburn (29) of Heuvelton forces the ball free.

April 26: The SUNY Potsdam men’s lacrosse team fell to the visiting Cortland State Red Dragons, 19-8, Saturday afternoon. The Bears finish the regular season 7-6 overall and 4-3 in the SUNYAC. The Bears finished in a three-way tie for third place with Plattsburgh and Oneonta in the SUNYAC standings. The Red Dragons, ranked 17th in the nation and SUNYAC regular season champions, end their regular season 13-1 overall and 7-0 in the conference. Cortland controlled the first 15 minutes of play, netting three unanswered goals to gain an early lead against the Bears. Potsdam fought back to open the second quarter with their first goal of the game coming from Dustin Dunn (Peterborough, Ont./St. Peter’s Secondary), on an extra man opportunity. The Bears followed with back-to-back goals, as junior Corey Reinhart (Albany/Colonie) netted his first goal of the day to tie the game 3-3. The Red Dragons responded with four consecutive goals to close the first half with a 7-3 lead. The third quarter opened with Cortland netting four more goals, to grab an eight point lead, before Potsdam’s Ryan McHugh (Lake Clear/Saranac Lake) scored for the Bears. With 4:16 remaining in the third period, Justin Wilson-Kirby (Burlington, Ont./T.A. Blakelock) netted Potsdam’s fifth goal of the game but the Red Dragons scored three more times to gain a substantial, 16-5, lead by the end of the third quarter. The Bears had three more goals in the final quarter but Cortland held on to their 11 point lead for the win. The Red Dragons out-shot the Bears, 49-25, but Potsdam goalies Chris Ehde (Minoa/East Syracuse-Minoa) and Pat Corbine (Canton/Canton) combined for 20 saves to keep Potsdam alive. Freshman Cody Schroeder (Fayetteville/East Syracuse-Minoa) led the Bears with two goals. Dunn, Wilson-Kirby, Reinhart, McHugh, Jordan Joncas (Kanata, Ont.) and senior Chris Kowalczyk (Burlington, Ont.) all had one goal and Dan MacRae (Oakville, Ont./Holy Trinity Catholic) had one assist for Potsdam. Ehde had 18 saves in the loss with Corbine making two.

April 23: The SUNY Potsdam men’s lacrosse team defeated the Oswego State Lakers, 10-7, Wednesday afternoon. The win improves the Bears to 7-5 on the season and 4-2 in the SUNYAC. The Lakers drop to 2-11 overall and 1-5 in the conference. Freshman Cody Schroeder (Fayetteville/East Syracuse-Minoa) led Potsdam with two goals, followed by attackman Justin Wilson-Kirby (Burlington, Ont./T.A. Blakelock) with one goal and two assists. Senior Goerge Nolan (Marcellus/Marcellus) added a one goal and one assist for Potsdam. The Bears also got single goals from Corey Reinhart (Albany/Colonie), Zac McIlmoyle (Peterborough, Ont./Berkshire School), Dustin Dunn (Peterborough, Ont./St. Peter’s Secondary), Kyle Phelix (North Lawrence/St. Lawrence Central), Ben McCullough (Brampton, Ont./Turner-Fenton) and Chris Kowalczyk (Burlington, Ont./Burlington). Oswego dominated the first 19 minutes of play scoring two unanswered goals in the first quarter followed by two more to open the second. McCullough netted a goal for Potsdam at 10:27 in the second quarter to put the Bears on the board. Schroeder added his first goal of the game to cut the Lakers’ lead to two, but Oswego responded with their fifth goal just 30 seconds later. Potsdam closed out the first half with two more goals to head into halftime down 5-4. The Bears took control of the second half, outscoring the Lakers 6-2. Reinhart tied the game 5-5 just 2:29 into the third quarter. The Bears grabbed their first lead of the game four minutes later, which they would hold for the remainder of the match. Wilson-Kirby’s goal at 6:57 in the third gave Potsdam a 7-5 lead. The Bears scored three consecutive goals in the final quarter to gain a five point advantage against the Lakers. Oswego fought back to net the last two goals of the game to finish 10-7. Mike Strohm (Waterloo/Waterloo) had two goals to lead the Lakers, followed by Dan Scarazzo (Fairport/Fairport) with one goal and one assist. Oswego goalie Judd Robinson (Guilderland/Guilderland) made 12 saves. Potsdam goalie Billy Richards (Niskayuna/Niskayuna) had one save in the first 18:25 of play, with Chris Ehde (Minoa/East Syracuse-Minoa) making seven saves for the win.

SUNY Potsdam’s Garrett Sharp (11) of Canton, NY gets robbed on off the point blank shot with a twisting save by SUNY Oneonta goalie Kyle Reich (3).  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam goalie Billy Richards (2) makes a save on a shot from the stick of SUNY Oneonta’s Tyler Dunne (22).
    

SUNY Plattsburgh's Kyle Norchi (11) comes streaking up the
wing looking for the shot on net.  Unbeaten Oneonta kept the Plattsburgh Cardinals at bay in etching a 15-12 victory in a key SUNYAC matchup that slowed the Cardinals bid for a
postseason berth.  (Kyle Coryea photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Plattsburgh's Tom Spencer (9) comes around the edge of the crease looking for the shot on net.

April 23: Oneonta State snapped the Cardinals four-game win streak this afternoon as the Red Dragons defeated the Cardinals 15-12 in a State University of New York Athletic Conference lacrosse game at the Fieldhouse Lacrosse Complex. Plattsburgh drops to 8-7 overall including 4-2 in SUNYAC, while the Red Dragons improve to 6-7 and 3-3 in conference play. Luke Weidlein and Matt Maes led the Cardinals in scoring each tallying six points. Weidlein led with four goals and Maes followed with three. Five other Cardinals scored one goal apiece: Tom Cerny, Bryan Copius, Pat Haertel, Frank Sangiovanni and Pat Nastro. Oneonta scored just 1:26 into the game, but Plattsburgh's Weidlein scored three unanswered goals to put the Cardinals up 3-1. However, the Red Dragons scored the next two goals to even the score at 3-3 entering the second period. Plattsburgh trailed 9-7 midway through the game as Oneonta outscored Plattsburgh 6-4 in the second quarter. Plattsburgh scored the first four goals of the third period and was able to bridge the gap slightly outscoring the Red Dragons 4-3 in the third. The momentum shifted again, this time in Oneonta's favor, as they scored the last 6 out of 7 goals in the game to edge the Cardinals. Goalie Matt Billia played the second half making seven saves in the loss. Kyle Reich stopped 21 shots in the victory. Plattsburgh held advantages in shots (44-39) while going 1-for-2 in man-up situations. Oneonta held a slight 36-34 advantage in ground balls while going 0-for-3 in man up opportunities.

SUNY Plattsburgh's Luke Widelin (6) scores on a turnaround jump shot as part of his six-goal game.  Plattsburgh jumped out to a quick lead and sustained that momentum to top Brockport 18-12 in a SUNYAC Conference game on Saturday afternoon. The Cardinals improve to 8-6 overall and 4-1 in SUNYAC play. 
(Kyle Coryea photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Plattsburgh's Matt Maes (12), on the breakaway, takes a running jump shot to score as part of his multiple-goal game.

April 19: SUNY Plattsburgh jumped out to a quick lead and sustained that momentum to top Brockport 18-12 in a State University of New York Athletic Conference game on Saturday afternoon at the Fieldhouse Lacrosse Complex. The Cardinals improve to 8-6 overall and 4-1 in SUNYAC while the Golden Eagles fall to 5-6 and 0-5. Frank Sangiovanni, Luke Weidlein and Pat Haertel all had multiple-goal games for the Cardinals with six, five and two, respectively. Weidlein added four assists and Haertel added one. Mike Sanderson, Mike Tammaro, and Anthony Ventresca led the Golden Eagles with two goals apiece. Tammaro and Ventresca each tallied two assists. Plattsburgh jumped to an early 5-0 lead after the first quarter. The Golden Eagles registered their first goal with 11:24 remaining in the second period but the Cardinals scored the next three. At the half, Plattsburgh led 12-4, but the Golden Eagles continued to battle scoring eight of their twelve goals in the second half. Goalie Billy Hughes played the first half and compiled four saves to earn the victory for the Cardinals. Matt Billia played 28 minutes and made seven saves for Plattsburgh. Garret Allwes stopped 20 shots in taking the loss. Potsdam held advantages in shots (64-45) and ground balls (39-27) while going 1-for-2 in man-up situations. Brockport held the advantage in face-offs winning 18 of 33.

After scooting past SUNY Potsdam’s Ben McCullough (20),.SUNY Plattsburgh’s Matt Maes (12) winds up and fires a shot.  Maes sliced through the slot almost unchallenged and rifled home the game winner at 1:53 of the second overtime period to deliver the Plattsburgh Cardinals to a 12-11 road win.  For Potsdam, the loss was their first in SUNYAC play.  Both teams are now 3-1 in the SUNYAC Conference. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery 
Listen to NCSN's Broadcast of This Exciting  Game
 

SUNY Potsdam’s Connie Williams (15) has her stick ripped out of her hands while going for the loose ball.  The SUNY Potsdam women’s lacrosse team was defeated by the Buffalo State Bengals, 19-9, Saturday afternoon. The Bears drop to 4-5 overall and 1-3 in the SUNYAC.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Potsdam’s Jen Pike (9) of Canton, NY leaps into the air looking to snatch the loose ball along side Buffalo State’s Katie Henderson.

April 26: The SUNY Potsdam women’s lacrosse team fell to the Fredonia State Blue Devils, 10-5, Saturday afternoon. The Bears, who finished their conference schedule, 4-9 on the season and 1-7 in the SUNYAC. The Blue Devils improve to 11-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference. Fredonia opened the first half with two goals within the first 10 minutes of play to gain an early 2-0 advantage against the Potsdam. The Bears responded with two consecutive goals from leading scorer Alisha Schaad (Central Square/P.V. Moore) to tie the game 2-2 before heading into halftime. The Blue Devils came back strong for the second half, netting three goals for a 5-2 advantage. Naomi Flint (Georgetown, Ont./Georgetown) scored for Potsdam at 19:47 to cut Fredonia’s lead to two. The Blue Devils sixth goal came just 42 seconds later and started off a 5-2 run to give Fredonia the win. Schaad led the Potsdam women with three goals. Flint and Kendra Lamb (Niskayuna/Niskayuna) each had one goal for the Bears. Lindsay Myers (Syracuse/Corcoran) made eight saves for the Bears in goal. Katie Monaghan (Fairport/Fairport) and Christie Zaganiaczyk (Lancaster/Lancaster) led the Blue Devils with three goals each. Monaghan also had one assist. Goalie Sarah Wright (Rochester/Irondequoit) made 10 saves for the win. The women will return to action tomorrow, April 27th, for their final game of the season against cross-town rival Clarkson University. Game time is set for noon, at Clarkson.

April 22: The SUNY Potsdam women’s lacrosse team lost their final home game of the season, falling to the SUNY Geneseo Blue Knights, 19-6, Tuesday afternoon. The women are now 4-8 on the season and 1-6 in the SUNYAC. Geneseo improves to 10-3 overall and 4-2 in the conference. The Blue Knights started off strong with leading scorer Shauna Leonard (W. Henrietta/Rush-Henrietta) netting back-to-back goals to help give Geneseo a 3 point lead less than eight minutes into the game. The Bears responded with a goal of their own from sophomore Molly Lehman-Lewis (Canandaigua/Canandaigua), to bring the score to 3-1. Geneseo would score twice more before Potsdam netted their second goal on a free position shot from freshman Jessica Ayrassian (Georgetown, Ont./Georgetown). The Blue Knights then closed the half with four unanswered goals to lead 9-2 at halftime. Geneseo kept the momentum going, scoring five consecutive goals to open the second period and gain a decided 12 point lead over the Bears. Potsdam’s Lehman-Lewis scored her second goal of the game with 12:27 remaining in the second half followed by a goal from Kelsey Shoen (Waddington/Madrid-Waddington) which cut the Blue Knights’ lead to 10. After two more Geneseo goals, senior Liz Clohessy (Queensbury/Queensbury) scored her first goal of the game but three more goals ensured Geneseo the win. Shoen netted one more goal for the Bears to end the game 19-6. Shoen led the Potsdam women with two goals and one assist, followed by Lehman-Lewis with two goals. Clohessy and Ayrassian each had one goal for the Bears. Freshman goalie Lindsay Myers made 14 saves in the loss. Leonard led the Blue Knights with five goals followed by Abby Hungerford (Syracuse/Corcoran) with two goals and one assist. Tara Murphy (St. James/Smithtown), Maggie Morris (Massapequa/Massapequa), Lauren Burgoon (Syracuse/West Genesee) and Laura Kitts (Camillus/West Genesee) also had two goals each for Geneseo. Hannah McKee (Ithaca/Ithaca) made 10 saves and Annie Smith (Rochester/Penfield) had two for Geneseo. Potsdam women’s lacrosse will return to action Saturday, when they travel to Fredonia for a 1 p.m. contest.

SUNY Potsdam Lady Bears' Liz Clohessy (7) fires a shot but it was turned away by Utica goaltender Jessica Leclerc.  Clohessy scored three goals.  Despite a four-goal game by junior Alisha Schaad, the Bears suffered an 19-11 loss in Wednesday’s home opener with Utica College. (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

SUNY Potsdam’s Kelsey Shoen (17) of Waddington, NY looks for a teammate to pass to while she has drawn a double-team.
 

St. Lawrence University’s Julie Wooters (12) avoids the stick check from defender Carly Strife (1) and fights through the R.P.I. double team.  Wooters connected for one goal.  However, it was Mary Jane Sweetland who tallied the game-winning goal with just six seconds left in double overtime to lead the the Saints to a 12-11 triumph over Liberty League opponent Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Friday.  The Saints improve to a 10-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference. It is the first time since 2003 the squad has won ten games in a season, (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

St. Lawrence University’s Amanda Forbes (7) lunges through the defense to keep control of the ball right next to the RPI cage.

April 19: The ringing of the St. Lawrence Liberty Bell hasn’t sounded as sweet as it did to the St. Lawrence women’s lacrosse team on Saturday afternoon, as the Saints clinched their first Liberty League playoff spot since 2005 after playing catch-up from the first half and recording an astounding 8-0 run to beat conference opponent Vassar College 15-12 on a sunny North Country Field in the home team’s final regular season game of their 2008 campaign. For the Class of 2008, which includes Liz Skinner (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), Stephanie Walter (Syracuse, NY/Nottingham), Alanna Waters (Darien, CT/Taft) and Michaela Wipfler (Portland, ME/Deering), it was their last game on their home turf, but that didn’t stop them from contributing to the team’s winning efforts, as the seniors contributed four points and four ground balls to the victory. St. Lawrence improves to 11-4 overall and 5-3 in the Liberty League, while Vassar falls to 9-3 overall and 4-3 in the conference. Junior Amanda Forbes ( Glens Falls, NY/ Glens Falls) continued to be an important contributor to St. Lawrence, as she tallied a team-high four goals. Waters had three goals, including the game-winner, and an assist for four points in the contest, while junior Brittany Misercola ( Watertown, NY/ Watertown) had her best game of her collegiate career, scoring two goals and tallying two assists. Also scoring for the Saints was first-year Kelsey Redpath (Norwich, VT/Hanover) who had two goals, and sophomores Julie Wooters (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan), Mary Jane Sweetland (Hopewell, NJ/Stuart Country Day) and Lexi Wisnowski (Middlebury, VT/Middlebury Union), as well as rookie Kim Morse (Peaks Island, ME/Yarmouth Academy) each tallied one. Wooters, Morse, and first-year Kaitlyn Fahsel ( Watertown, NY/South Jefferson) each recorded an assist. Despite an early goal from Wooters, Vassar quickly poured on the pressure early on in the opening half and scored three unanswered goals to give them a 3-1 edge with 23:25 on the scoreboard. St. Lawrence was able to tie the Brewers after Forbes tallied two and Redpath had one with a Vassar goal in between to make the score 4-4 with 18:32 remaining. The visiting team responded with two of their own goals to grab a two point lead with just under eight minutes to go, but Forbes slid another one past Vassar’s goalie Ariel Nelson to get back within a goal. A St. Lawrence foul sent Vassar to the eight, where they were able to slip one past Saints’ first-year goalie Anna Marchand (Concord, MA/Middlesex) to give Vassar a 7-5 lead that they maintained throughout the remainder of the half. The Brewer duo of Christine Castellan and Allie Morgan led Vassar’s offense in the first period, with Castellan scoring the visitor’s first five goals, with Morgan closing out the half with two to give Vassar a 7-5 advantage at halftime. Despite the halftime deficit, the Saints were not at all worn down as they got back onto the field for the second half. Vassar’s Sarah Warner scored another goal to give Vassar their biggest lead of the half with a score of 8-5 while Sweetland followed suit and scored to get back within two. Castellan was able to find a way for the ball to make it to the back of the net from a free-position shot to score Vassar’s ninth goal, pushing the visiting team back into a three-goal lead with a score of 9-6 with 22:41 left. But a calm St. Lawrence squad took control of the contest from that point forward and the momentum of the game changed as Morse tallied a goal that sparked a stunning 8-0 run that bewildered the Brewers, who were unable to find any way to stop the Saints. The Scarlet and Brown kept Vassar scoreless for nearly 16 minutes until they had two free-position shot opportunities that they cashed in on. Each team saw another goal scored before the Saints were able to enjoy their 15-12 win over the Brewers. “We finally relaxed and really stopped making the errors that cost us the lead in the first half,” said Saints’ head coach Jodi Canfield. “We were in charge of our own destiny, and when we finally played the way were capable of playing, we took control of the game.” Canfield said some adjustments were made in order to make it a more successful second half for St. Lawrence. “We started moving the ball around the eight-meter and had two key plays that created a lot more drives to goal. We were able to see the gaps and find open people, while also making better decisions on shots to take.” “This team has worked so hard this year, and we knew coming into this game we needed this win in order to go to Liberty Leagues, and we rose to that challenge,” she added. St. Lawrence enjoyed a 33-23 advantage in shots, while picking up 15 ground balls, compared to the Brewer’s nine. The teams were nearly even in draw control winds, while Vassar honed in on its expertise in free position shots, making five of their eight. Nelson tallied ten saves, while Marchand recorded five. St. Lawrence will face the Liberty League regular season champion on Friday, May 2, with the site and time yet to be determined.

April 18: Sophomore Mary Jane Sweetland tallied the game-winning goal with just six seconds left in double overtime to lead the St. Lawrence University women’s lacrosse team to a 12-11 triumph over Liberty League opponent Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Friday on a sunny North Country Field, avenging their 10-9 loss to the Red Hawks in 2007. Sweetland’s ( Hopewell, NJ/Stuart Country Day) goal, her first game-winner of the season and her second of her collegiate career, helps the Saints improve to a 10-4 overall and 4-3 in the conference. It is the first time since 2003 the squad has won ten games in a season, and the Scarlet and Brown maintain their perfect overtime record this season with the win, tallying their third of their 2008 campaign. Rensselaer fell to 6-5 overall and 1-4 in the Liberty League with the loss. Junior Amanda Forbes (Glens Falls, NY/ Glens Falls) was critical to the Saints’ success, tallying two goals and an assist, but also winning 10 of St. Lawrence’s 19 draw controls that led to several fast break chances. Others scoring for St. Lawrence were senior co-captain Alanna Waters (Darien, CT/Taft), who added three goals and an assist, rookie Kim Morse (Peaks Island, ME/Yarmouth Academy) and Sweetland who each had two while adding an assist, while sophomores Julie Wooters (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) and Katrina Knickerbocker (Clinton Corners, NY/The Gunnery), and first-year Kelsey Redpath (Norwich, VT/Hanover) each had a goal. Senior co-captain Liz Skinner (Liverpool, NY/ Liverpool) tallied an assist. A goal from Forbes and two from Waters opened up a first half that belonged to the Saints, as the home team enjoyed a 3-0 lead just a 1:48 into the contest. Smooth transitions, taking advantage of fast break opportunities and strong defensive efforts defined the Scarlet and Brown in the first part of the half, only allowing one Red Hawk goal in the opening 25 minutes. Sweetland tallied her first goal of the afternoon, while Morse and Knickerbocker each added one to give the Saints a 6-1 lead with 7:20 remaining in the first. Rensselaer’s Stephanie Caouette recorded her first of the contest, while teammate Sam Fennessey, who recorded the first goal for the Big Red, added another to cut St. Lawrence’s lead in half to end the first period with a 6-3 score in favor of the Saints. The tables turned in the second as Rensselaer was able to hone in on their stronger offensive players and find ways to the goal en route to overcoming their first half deficit. The Red Hawks outscored the Saints 5-2 in the first 16 minutes of the second period to tie the game 8-8. Waters was fed the ball by Sweetland to give the lead back to St. Lawrence, but the visiting team came back and scored on a free position to tie it once again. Rensselaer took a 10-9 lead, their first of the contest, with just 3:42 remaining on the clock after an unassisted goal from Caouette, but St. Lawrence continued to put on the pressure. Morse found herself in front of the net after a free-position shot by Forbes, and got the rebound and put it past Red Hawk Ariana Hood to tie the game 10-10 with 41 seconds to go in regulation, forcing the two teams into overtime. Rensselaer’s Emily Donowick tallied the first goal in overtime with just over three minutes to play to give the Red Hawks a bit of momentum heading into the last part of the period. But a turnover on the part of the visitors gave Redpath control of the ball, as she stormed down the field and shot it into the net to tie it once again at 11-11 with 1:20 to go. Neither team was able to take advantage of the final moments as they braced for a sudden death second overtime. Each team had a chance early on in the fourth period to end the contest, but neither was able to do so until Saints’ first-year goalie Anna Marchand (Concord, MA/Middlesex) made a crucial save and got the ball down in the opposite end, where St. Lawrence set up a play and fed the ball to Sweetland, who got the ball at the top of the eight-meter and headed towards goal. The sophomore hesitated slightly, as did her defender, giving Sweetland that much more control as she beat the Red Hawk defense and drove it into the net for the game-winner with only six seconds left in the period. “This team has found a way throughout the season to win the one goal games, and that says a lot for their character and composure, as well as their will to win,” said Saints’ Head Coach Jodi Canfield. “ Rensselaer played solid defensively with a strategy that frustrated some of our key players, but that didn’t stop any of them. [Marchand] came up big in goal for us in the final minutes, as we’ve seen a number of times this season, while [Forbes] was crucial in winning those draw controls.” The Saints out shot Rensselaer 35-20 and 26-18, while the Red Hawks had 19 ground ball pick ups, compared to St. Lawrence’s 16. Hood had 12 saves for the visitors, including a key save in overtime, while Marchand tallied seven. The Saints find themselves still in the running for a spot in the Liberty League Tournament heading into Saturday’s game with Vassar, the last regular season game for St. Lawrence. The contest with the Brewers is scheduled to begin at 3:00pm on North Country Field.

St. Lawrence University’s Alanna Waters looks for room to get to the net being defended by Hamilton’s Catie Gibbons.  The Saints could not bounce back from a 10-0 Hamilton run, bowing to the No. 7 ranked Continentals 18-5  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Saints' Kim Morse (2) shields the ball in front of her body away from Hamilton’s Liz Rave (15).  Morse scored a goal in the game.
 

Clarkson’s Kimberly Loucks (21) fires a shot for a goal just under the crossbar past Vassar goaltender Ariel Nelson (24).  Loucks continued her standout season with a four-point effort, but it was not enough as Clarkson fell to Vassar 18-8 in Liberty League play on Friday.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Emily Bojarski (12) keeps control of the ball while avoiding the stick check of Vassar’s Allie Morgan.

April 19: Junior Emily Bojarski (Syracuse, NY) scored a game-high four goals and five points, but the Clarkson University Women’s Lacrosse team’s bid for a comeback win over Liberty League rival Rensselaer fell short as the Golden Knights lost 13-11 at Clarkson Field on Saturday afternoon. Clarkson trailed 6-4 at the half, and then traded seven goals apiece with the RedHawks over the final 30 minutes with RPI scoring its 13th goal with one second left to play. Senior Alicia Chace (Cortland, NY) scored two goals and one assist, while sophomore Kimberly Loucks (Waterloo, NY) tallied twice. Senior Lindsay Walker (Syracuse, NY), junior Alyssa Breed (Macedon, NY) and sophomore Brittnie Carroll (Dexter, NY) all scored one goal apiece for the Green and Gold. Four different redHawks (7-5, 2-4) scored two goals apiece in the win. Senior Natalie White (Guilford, CT) and junior Emily Donowick (West Seneca, NY) led Rensselaer with three points (2-1) each. Rensselaer out shot Clarkson 28-26 and held a 24-15 advantage in ground balls. Senior Meagan Emlaw (Norfolk, NY) made seven saves for the Knights, while sophomore Ariana Hood (Severn, MD) posted eight stops for the RedHawks. Chace recorded a game-high seven draw controls, while Walker led Clarkson with four ground balls. The Knights are back in action on Wednesday when they play a non-league game at Utica College.

April 18: Kimberly Loucks (Waterloo, NY) continued her standout sophomore campaign on Friday afternoon with a four-point effort, but unfortunately it was not enough as the Clarkson University Women’s Lacrosse team fell to Vassar 18-8 in Liberty League play at Clarkson Field. The Golden Knights, who fall to 2-9 overall and 1-6 in the league, will host conference rival Rensselaer on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Vassar (9-2, 3-2) jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the game was 10 minutes old and held a 12-3 lead at the half. The Brewers out scored the Green and Gold 6-5 over the final 30 minutes. The Knights’ leading scorer, Loucks tallied three goals and one assist. Junior Emily Bojarski (Syracuse, NY) scored twice and set up a goal. Senior Lindsay Walker (Syracuse, NY) and Alicia Chace (Cortland, NY) and sophomore Brittnie Carroll (Dexter, NY) chipped in one goal apiece for Clarkson. Chace also recorded a game-high eight draw controls Junior Katama Martellucci (Montdare, PA) tallied a game-high seven points, including five goals for Vassar. Junior Christine Eaccarino (Old Saybrook, CT) chipped in four goals and two assists for the Brewers. Vassar out shot the Knights 25-23, while Clarkson held a slight edge in ground balls 20-19. Senior Meagan Emlaw (Norfolk, NY) posted four saves for Clarkson. Senior Ariel Nelson (Greenlawn, NY) (6) and freshman Nicole Engelhardt (Longhom, PA) (1) combined for seven saves in the Vassar goal. Vassar plays at St. Lawrence on Saturday.

Clarkson’s Alyssa Bandy (6) collides and whacks Rochester’s Allyson Hogan (1) with a stick check.  Clarkson out scored the Yellowjackets 6-4 in the second half, but could not gain back possession in the closing minutes for an attempt at tying the game.  (Eric Foote photo)  Game Gallery

Clarkson’s Alicia Chase (5) goes after the loose ball with Rochester’s Mary Kate Hannan (21).  Chace tallied two goals and one assist to help lead the Golden Knights' comeback.