Keuka, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly men's lacrosse team secured their first ever Empire 8 Conference win, defeating the Keuka College Wolves by a score of 18-11. Griffin LaFleur lead the charge for the Wildcats, scoring seven goals, while Joseph VanZandt made 15 saves in net. The win propels the Wildcats to a 5-2 record. 

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead with goals from Payton Thomas and Cooper Fitzgerald. Despite Keuka's best efforts, including a goal by Harrison Root, Poly held a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. The teams battled hard at the faceoff dot, with Graham Genevick winning several important draws for Poly, but Keuka's goalie, Jaxson Tucker, kept them within striking distance with key saves.

Poly continued to build their lead in the second quarter. Griffin LaFleur scored two quick goals, one assisted by Payton Thomas, and another off a feed from Luke Taylor, extending the lead to 6-2. SUNY Poly's man-up unit capitalized on opportunities throughout the quarter, with Payton Thomas finding the back of the net once more. The first half ended with the Wildcats leading 9-4. 

Keuka attempted to mount a comeback in the third quarter, as Daniel Rustay netted a goal to cut the deficit to 10-5. However, Poly responded quickly. Cooper Fitzgerald and LaFleur added goals, and kept Poly comfortably ahead. Luke Taylor also added a goal, taking the score to 14-7 heading into the final frame.

The final frame saw Poly pull away for good. LaFleur continued his dominant performance, scoring twice more.  The offense was clicking on all cylinders, and despite a strong effort from Keuka, including a late goal from Kaleb Glessing, Poly's lead was insurmountable and the Wildcats would end the game on top by a score of 18-11.