Potsdam, N.Y. – The SUNY Poly men's lacrosse team fell on the road on Saturday afternoon,
dropping a 19–6 decision to SUNY Potsdam. Despite a brief push in the opening quarter and a man-up goal early in the fourth, the Wildcats were unable to overcome a fast start and sustained offensive pressure from the Bears. With the loss, SUNY Poly falls to 3–3 on the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SUNY Potsdam wasted no time establishing control, scoring just 12 seconds into the contest off the opening faceoff. The Bears continued to dominate possession early, adding another goal less than 30 seconds later to take a quick 2–0 lead. Potsdam extended its advantage to 4–0 midway through the first quarter behind strong ball movement and faceoff wins.
The Wildcats found a spark at the 6:30 mark when Luke Taylor broke through to put SUNY Poly on the board. After Potsdam answered with two more goals, Ryan Carroll added a late tally with 1:05 remaining in the quarter to cut the deficit to 6–2 heading into the second.
In the second period, Potsdam continued to control the pace, scoring twice in the opening minutes to extend its lead. Luke Taylor netted his second of the game at 12:09, but the Bears responded immediately and went on a sustained run. Potsdam added three more goals over the middle stretch of the quarter and capped the half with a man-up tally in the final 30 seconds, taking a commanding 12–4 lead into halftime.
The Bears carried that momentum into the third quarter, adding three more goals in the opening six minutes to push the margin to 15–4. SUNY Poly broke through midway through the period when Casey Ryan finished off a feed from Kai Hew, but Potsdam answered quickly and continued to capitalize on extra-man opportunities. The Bears closed the third quarter ahead 17–5.
SUNY Poly opened the fourth quarter with a man-up goal from Ryan Carroll, assisted by Kai Hew, but that would be the Wildcats' final tally of the afternoon. Potsdam added two more goals down the stretch, including one in the final two minutes, to secure the 19–6 victory.
Despite several strong saves from Tyler Baisley and Mac Fitzgerald throughout the contest, SUNY Poly struggled to maintain possession against Potsdam's faceoff unit and consistent offensive pressure. The Wildcats generated opportunities late but were unable to convert as the Bears closed out the game.
