Box Score PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – After more than a month since its last home game, the Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team made the homecoming a historic one as the Cardinals defeated nationally-ranked No. 17 St. Lawrence, 16-12, to earn the program's first win over the Saints.
An evenly-matched first quarter saw the Saints (5-3) score first when Pierson Fowler scored his fourth of the year from Charlie Jennings at the 11:48 mark. Plattsburgh's State's Tim Lawrence evened the score at the 7:10 mark of the opening quarter to make it 1-1 game at the end of first.
Brendan Damm scored his first of the game with just one minute gone in the second and the Cardinals (8-2) never looked back. Cole Andersen and Anthony Pafundi followed to give Plattsburgh State a 4-1 lead before Alden Frelinghuysen of St. Lawrence cut the lead to 4-2 with 9:33 left in the half. The Saints picked up two more in the quarter but goals from Lawrence, Damm, Robbie Ashlaw and James Read handed the Cardinals an 8-4 advantage at the half.
Plattsburgh State's Jack Felter opened the second half with his first of two goals on the night before Damm struck again at the 11:21 mark. St. Lawrence answered back with goals from Caleb Kane and Conor Healey to trim the Plattsburgh State lead to 10-6 but the Cardinals rattled off four more goals to close out the quarter with a commanding 14-6 lead.
The Saints were able to break through the Plattsburgh State defense in the final quarter, outscoring the Cardinals 6-2, but goals from Ashlaw and Damm solidified the win for Plattsburgh State.
Ashlaw led the Cardinals' offense with four goals and two assists while Damm recorded five goals for the second time this season. Lawrence finished the day with two goals and two assists while Felter, Read, Duggan and Andersen contributed two points apiece. Rookie Joe Eiseman had another solid performance at the X, winning 16 of 28 draws and picking up a team-high seven ground balls.
The Cardinals outshot the Saints, 42-33, while the two teams scooped up 32 ground balls apiece.
Andrew Hauk recorded 10 saves to improve to 8-2 on the year for the Cardinals. Nick Ford got the start for the Saints allowing 12 goals and stopping 10 shots before Andrew Butturini took over in net in the third, suffering the loss with four goals allowed.
The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Cardinals this weekend as Plattsburgh State returns to league play with a game at No. 8 SUNY Cortland. The rematch of last year's SUNYAC Championship game is set for Saturday at 1 p.m.
