Utica, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly men's lacrosse team came up short Wednesday, falling to Russell Sage College by a final score of 12-5. Four different Wildcats found the back of the net in the contest, with Ryan Carroll leading the way with a pair of goals. With the loss, SUNY Poly moves to 5-9 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED: 

The game opened as a defensive grind, with both teams struggling to capitalize early despite numerous offensive opportunities. Goaltenders Jordon Hankel (Gators) and Joseph VanZandt (Wildcats) were tested often, each coming up with a flurry of saves in a scoreless early stretch. But it was Russell Sage who finally broke through, scoring three goals in the final five minutes of the first period — including a buzzer-beating strike from Joe Johnson — to take a 3–0 lead after the first 15 minutes. 

SUNY Poly found life in the second quarter when Payton Thomas netted their first goal at the 10:05 mark. However, the Gators continued to control possession and responded with a goal from Bailey Martin to keep their cushion at three, heading into halftime up 4–1.

The third period saw momentum swing wildly. After Russell Sage extended their lead to 5–1 thanks to Adam Willig's second of the day, the Wildcats stormed back with four straight goals — including a man-up tally from Ryan Carroll — to tie the game at 5–5. But just as the tide seemed to shift, the Gators answered.  

Anthony Marrone, who was persistently active all game despite early misses and saves, found the back of the net on a man-up goal to reclaim the lead. Russell Sage added three more goals to close the quarter ahead 9–5.

In the fourth, the Gators would add a few more. John Hankel opened the scoring and Marrone capped off his night with two more, finishing with a game-high four goals. SUNY Poly, meanwhile, was plagued by turnovers and penalties that stalled any hope of a late comeback. The Wildcats would fall by a score of 12-5.