OSWEGO, N.Y. – After a dominant 16-10 victory on the road, Oswego Men's Lacrosse was excited to put their boots down on home turf in this afternoon's matchup against the Clarkson University Golden Knights. A fiery start by the Knights would earn them the first turn on offense and the first goal of the contest. The 1-0 scoreline would persist for much of the first quarter until Clarkson began to heat up in the closing minutes, extending their lead to 3-0 heading into the second. Determined to lessen the deficit, the Lakers matched the Knights' offensive energy as the 2nd quarter got underway, finding their only goal of the day in the middle minutes. Struggling to connect in transition, the Lakers would battle on defense in the third quarter, facing an 11-1 debt as the final frame approached. Clarkson collected three more goals in the final frame to secure a 14-1 win.
THE BASICS
Final Score:
Oswego 1 (1-1, 0-0 SUNYAC)
Clarkson 14 (2-0, 0-0 Liberty League)
Location: Laker Turf Stadium | Oswego, N.Y.
https://oswegolakers.com/sports/mens-lacrosse/schedule
HOW IT HAPPENED
A groundball battle off the opening draw would be chased down and eventually picked up by Golden Knight Dylan Coan, giving Clarkson the forward foot in transition. A patient first possession by the Knights would be contained by a vigilant Laker defense but would still produce a pair of initial shots on keeper Seamus Hand. Oswego would find their legs in the midfield off a successful clear, wasting no time getting shots through to opposing netminder Griffin Emerson. Oswego's missed attempts would kickstart the Knights' offense, maintaining positioning for much of the rest of the quarter. A stepdown pass from Mario Streiff found Peter Siracuse on the doorstep, where he would open scoring off a low-to-high fake at 11:07. Siracuse's goal gave his teammates some jump, regaining offensive structure off the following draw. Despite both teams trading quality scoring chances in the closing minutes of the first quarter, the 1-0 scoreline would persist until Clarkson's William Goyette found the back of the net off a pass from midfielder Alex Alfieri with 4:09 left to play. The Knights continued to churn out offense, finding a 3rd goal on the following play, extending their lead to 3-0. Trying to collect a fourth before the horn, the Golden Knights maintained heavy offensive pressure but would be stuffed by Hand, who ran the ball coast-to-coast to the crease of Emerson, being nearly rejected by the corner post.
The early minutes of the second quarter would prove lackluster, with both teams struggling to produce high-percentage scoring chances off their brief possessions. A connected passing play between Garrett Elston, Emmett Starowicz, and Logan Postel, would steal the attention of Clarkson's defense, leaving Hayden Coney wide open on the far side to collect Oswego's first and only goal of the match at the 8:57 mark. Unphased, the Golden Knights regained a 3-goal cushion on the next play with a goal from Robert Fox at 8:01. Keeping his foot on the gas, Fox would pocket a second tally less than 3 minutes later at 4:53. A quick release from senior Trey Jones almost evaded Emerson but would be denied by the right post, turning Ethan Hopkins up the field for an unassisted sixth goal 2:38 before halftime. Staying in the fight, Oswego worked hard to keep Clarkson to the outside of their defensive zone, but Seamus Hand continued to anchor the Laker defense, finishing the half with 13 saves.
Picking up right where they left off, Clarkson did not hesitate to add to their comfortable 6-1 lead just a 1:27 into the third frame. A major hit by senior defenseman Colton Maher and a second effort by Jack Lamon slowed Clarkson's rush down on the following play, but would result in a double extra-man advantage for the Golden Knights at 10:44. Remaining composed, the Lakers managed to hold off the Knights, returning to full strength unscathed. But Oswego would not be safe for long, as Fox extended his hat trick and collected an eighth goal for Clarkson at the 7:29 mark. The remaining minutes would heed an unfortunate series of plays for Oswego, awarding the Knights with another handful of goals and a 11-1 lead heading into the final quarter.
Clarkson's consistent performance on the draw and groundball battles kept the pressure on Oswego's offense as the fourth got underway. A hot start by Peter Siracuse allowed him to join Fox in the hat trick club, attaching 2 back-to-back goals to the scoreline in the beginning minutes, tucking one right next to the ear of Hand. An offside call charged to Golden Knight Charlie Preheim off the proceeding draw, gave the Lakers a much-needed power play. Getting right to work, Oswego's offense generated several worthy scoring chances, but Griffin Emerson was quick to collect anything sent in his direction clearing the ball to the midfield as Clarkson regained even-strength. Fellow senior goaltender, Tyler Novak, would relieve Seamus Hand of his duties at 6:02, facing a handful of heavy shots right off the bat, but nothing could stop the Golden Knights' ferocious offense, giving up a 14th and final goal at the 5:09 mark.
WHAT'S NEXT
Oswego Men's Lacrosse will have a few days to prepare to host the Alfred University Saxons, this Saturday, March 7th. The opening draw will commence at 1:00PM in Laker Turf Stadium. Go Lakers!
Written By: Matilda Pethrick
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