PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – In a year in which the Plattsburgh State men’s lacrosse team has set a number of program firsts, that trend will continue Wednesday as the second-seeded Cardinals take the field against third-seeded Brockport in a State University of New York Athletic Conference Semifinal game. Game time is set for 4 p.m. at the Field House Lacrosse Complex.
 
Top-seeded Cortland will host Potsdam in the other semifinal matchup. The Bears enter this year’s tournament as the fourth seed.
 
Tickets for Wednesday’s SUNYAC Semifinal game are general admission and will be $6 per person. All SUNY students will a valid college ID will be admitted for free. All tickets will be sold at the turf complex.
 
Fans who cannot attend Wednesday’s game can follow all the action via live stats and live video at the links below.
Live Stats
Live Video – Courtesy of Northeast Sports Network
 
Road to the Semifinals
Wednesday will mark the first home playoff game in Plattsburgh State’s 15-year history after the Cardinals marched through the conference with a 5-1 record. The Cardinals’ only SUNYAC loss came in the league opener, a 15-12 defeat at the hands of top-seeded Cortland.
 
Plattsburgh State clinched the second seed last Wednesday with a 15-9 win against Potsdam before defeating Geneseo, 14-5, in the regular-season finale. The Cardinals are making their second straight tournament appearance and third overall.
 
Brockport closed out the regular season with two crucial conference victories to lock up the third seed. The Golden Eagles dropped Geneseo in overtime last week, 6-5, before securing their spot in the tournament on Saturday with an 11-9 win against Oneonta.
 
The Golden Eagles are making their second trip to the SUNYAC Tournament, with their first appearance coming in 2011.
 
Head-To-Head

• Earlier this season, four players scored two goals apiece to give Plattsburgh State a 9-5 win at Brockport.
• Last season, the Cardinals defeated Brockport, 10-9, in double overtime to clinch a SUNYAC Tournament berth.
• Plattsburgh State owns a 9-3 all-time record against Brockport. In the 12 meetings between the two teams, the Cardinals have scored 137 goals while the Golden Eagles have tallied 106. The two teams have never met in the postseason.

 
Scouting the Teams
 
Plattsburgh State Cardinals
A high-powered offense has been one of the keys to Plattsburgh State’s success this season as the Cardinals have outscored their opponents, 200-111. The Cardinals have four players with 40 or more points, led by senior Joey Kramer with 39 goals and 11 assists. Kramer is SUNYAC’s leading goal scorer and is tied for third in the league with 3.33 points per game.
 
Kramer is complemented by freshman Brendan Damm and junior Tim Lawrence, who have contributed 48 and 41 points respectively to give the Cardinals one of the best offensive trios in the conference. Brett McClelland has also provided some firepower from the midfield with 24 goals and 40 points.
 
Senior Nick Travers has added 26 points as the Cardinals’ primary face-off man, winning 117 of 216 draws (54.2 percent) and leading the team with 101 ground balls.
 
Junior Charlie Dullea has a team-high 29 caused turnovers while Ryan Phillips, Mike Lind and Courtney Cox have served as the defensive corps, holding opponents to 6.94 goals per game. On man-down defense, the Cardinals are ninth in Division III, allowing 14 goals in 99 attempts (85.9 percent) by the opposition.
 
Goalie Gordie Gehring is 12-3 on the year, setting a new single-season wins record. Gehring is second in the league with a 6.54 goals-against average and fourth with a .552 save percentage.
 
Brockport Golden Eagles
Brockport averaged eight goals a game, but has been outscored by its opponents by a slight 121-112 margin. Senior Jesse Elliott leads the Brockport offense with 33 goals and 16 assists for 49 points. Elliott has scored a team-high four man-up goals, three game-winning goals and one man-down goal. Elliott is backed up by junior midfielder Riley Austin with 19 goals and 29 points.
 
Junior Keenan Sullivan is the Golden Eagles’ primary face-off weapon, winning 149 of 243 face-offs (61.3 percent) and picking up a team-leading 105 ground balls. Defensively, Colin King leads Brockport with 10 caused turnovers.
 
Senior Cory Banwaree is the Golden Eagles’ primary goalie, posting a 6-8 record overall with an 8.20 goals-against average and a .530 save percentage.