OSWEGO, N.Y. – Oswego Men's Lacrosse took to Laker Turf Stadium this afternoon for their long-awaited home opener against SUNYAC rival, SUNY Potsdam. With both teams looking to add to their conference campaigns, the Lakers and the Bears came out of the gate flying. Potsdam wasted no time achieving a two goal-lead, but after finding their legs, Oswego found a way to respond before the 2nd. The Lakers' one-goal deficit did not survive long, as they would find the equalizer and two more unanswered goals in the beginning minutes of the second quarter. Oswego struck first in the third, but it did not take long for it to turn into a back-and-forth battle, with both programs trading goals and possessions throughout. A scoreless start to the fourth quarter would be remedied by a couple more goals from both squads, but Oswego managed to pull away with a hard-fought 9-7 win over the Bears.  

THE BASICS 
 
Final Score:  

Oswego 9 (6-3, 2-0 SUNYAC) 

Potsdam 7 (5-4, 1-1 SUNYAC) 
Location: Laker Turf Stadium | Oswego, N.Y. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

A deadlocked opening faceoff between Drew Costello and Logan Prescott would be broken up by junior Rob Nelson, taking it down for a quick turn on offense before being turned back by an excited Bears squad. Potsdam wasted no time showing their offensive prowess, finding the first goal of the game just a minute and a half into the 1st quarter. Jackson Cummings secured possession on the following faceoff, but the Bears shut down the few quality scoring chances generated by the Lakers. A connected Potsdam transition would catch Oswego on their heels, extending their lead to 2-0 at the 9:11 mark, off the rush. A handful back-and-forth minutes would result in a long-awaited response by Oswego with an initial tally from Corey O'Connor at 5:52. Now a one-goal game, both teams kept their foot on the gas in the remaining minutes of the first, but the score would remain 2-1.  

Continuing to dominate at the faceoff circle, Oswego collected possession and headed down the field immediately. Some disciplined ball movement by the Laker attackmen would give senior midfielder Nate Ham a clear lane, evading opposing netminder Saka Thompson with a forceful shot down low at 12:41. Moments later, Gavin Elston finished on his short-side drive, achieving Oswego's first lead of the game at the 8:34 mark. A few evenly matched minutes following Elston's goal would be disrupted by an illegal body check penalty charged to Laker Austin Shroda. Undeterred by Potsdam's advantage, Corey O'Connor found his second goal of the day, extending Oswego's lead to 4-2 with 4:43 remaining in the half. Not more than 0:20 seconds later, Potsdam midfielder, Owen Walsh, would rip a shot past the head of Seamus Hand lessening their deficit to 4-3 4:23. As the clock began to tick down, Gavin Elston matched O'Connor's 2-goal stat line, adding a fifth goal to the board heading into halftime.  

Eager to respond to Oswego's offensive surge, Potsdam would be penalized for a faceoff violation, awarding the Lakers immediate possession. Oswego would produce a wide selection of shots on net, none would fall their way until Emmett Starowizc added to the scoresheet at the 11:40 mark. Not accepting defeat just yet, the Bears responded with a fourth goal of their own just over a minute later, at 10:45. Both programs continued to trade possession and goals for the remainder of the 3rd, but towards the end of the 3rd Logan Prescott would be caught up in a wrestling match of a faceoff, earning a faceoff violation of his own. In attempts to defend Potsdam's fast break from centerfield, Connor Aspinall found himself in the box for a holding penalty. Despite this prime offensive opportunity for the Bears, Oswego came out on top, entering the final frame up 8-5. 

A scoreless start to the fourth quarter, until Owen Walsh would make good on a delayed penalty against the Lakers, with a sixth goal at the 7:41 mark. On the next play, a huge save by Seamus Hand would turn the Lakers up field on a speedy transition but Corey O'Connor would fumble a pass from Jason Dongelelic on the doorstep, turning possession back over to the Bears. The 8-6 scoreline would persist for another couple of minutes, but as regulation started to disappear a nifty dodge and spin move by Emmett Starwizc would bait two Potsdam defenders, leaving Ethan Mcconnell all alone to find the bottom right corner with just 2:51 remaining. A last-ditch offensive effort from Sebastien Laughing improved the scoreline before the final buzzer, but it just wasn't enough, falling 9-7 to the Lakers.  

WHAT'S NEXT 

Oswego Men's Lacrosse will have a few days to recover before returning to Laker Turf Stadium to host the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons this Wednesday, April 9th at 4:00 PM.  

Written By: Matilda Pethrick 

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