PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Please forgive the analogy from the hit HBO television series Game of Thrones, but after a hard-fought win at their home nest on Wednesday night, there is no doubt that the Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team is the king in the north.  

Defending SUNYAC Men's Lacrosse Player of the Week Brendan Damm recorded a game-best six points on three goals and three assists while his freshman line mate Ryan Hubbard amassed four goals and helped the Cardinals shake off a slow start and soar over North Country and conference adversary SUNY Potsdam 16-11 at the Field House Lacrosse Complex on a chilly Wednesday night.

With a win in their final regular season tilt of the 2015 campaign, the Cardinals (12-5, 4-2 SUNYAC) planted their flag firmly as the number-two seed in the upcoming SUNYAC Men's Lacrosse Championship Tournament, meaning they will host a tournament semifinal game for just the second time in program history.

The win also signifies the second time ever that the Cardinals have taken down the North Country triad of Clarkson, St. Lawrence and SUNY Potsdam in the same season. In 2014, Plattsburgh State bested St. Lawrence and Clarkson in the regular season and went on to avenge an early-season defeat at the hands of SUNY Potsdam with a win over the Bears in the SUNYAC tournament.  

Right from the opening whistle, it was clear there was to be no love lost between the two squads. By the time the final horn sounded, the dueling squads had gathered up some 18 penalties for 16:30. Senior Jack Felter brought a three-goal, one-assist performance to the table while sophomore Ryan Callahan put forth his second three-point effort of the year with a goal and two helpers.

 Hubbard made sure the home team got on the board first when his unassisted wrap-around score 1:16 in gave Plattsburgh State an early 1-0 lead. Austin Belz helped the Cardinals maintain their one-goal advantage with a score coming 5:33 into the initial frame. James Read found the sophomore for Plattsburgh State's first of five man-up conversions on the night.

Armed with a 2-1 edge after one, the Cardinals fell victim to an extremely efficient Potsdam attack in the second 15-minute stanza. Even-strength tallies from Matt Kennedy and Ed Doherty in the first 1:10 of the frame put the Bears up 3-2.

SUNY Potsdam's bench continued to rejoice when Dalston Day beat Plattsburgh State netminder Matt Massaria twice in the span of 46 seconds to up the Bears' edge to 5-3. Felter provided the Cardinals only two scores of the quarter, allowing the Cardinals to stay within one, 5-4, headed to halftime.

Limited to just four scores while shooting at reigning SUNYAC Goalie of the Week Pete Gropp, the Cardinals turned the offensive intensity up a number of notches in a high-scoring third quarter. Belz pumped in another man-up score which was just the opening salvo of the Cardinals' seven-goal outburst.

Jon Woodworth put the Bears up for the final time in the game when his second of the game made it 6-5 with 12:21 to go in the stanza. Over a span of 1:46, the Cardinals wrestled control of the game away from the Bears, receiving scoring rips from Damm, Hubbard and the go-ahead blast from the stick of Matt Renko.

Day countered with another Potsdam score to make it 8-7 Cardinals, but over the final 5:15 of the frame, Callahan, Renko and Damm saw their strikes sail past Gropp and increase the Cardinals' edge to 11-7.

Hubbard added his third of the night in the opening minute of the final frame when Damm found the freshman deep in the Bears' zone. The score made it a five-goal (12-7) lead for the Cardinals – their largest of the game.

Potsdam pulled within three, 13-10, when Brian Martin and Woodworth netted back-to-back scores, Damm and Hubbard kept up the Cardinals' unrelenting assault on Gropp by responding with unassisted strikes to push the home team's lead back to five, 15-10, with 4:15 to go.

Gay accepted a Felter pass and blasted a rocket past Gropp with three seconds left to close out the scoring.

Massaria came up big between the pipes for the Cardinals, making 14 saves and withstanding a 38-shot night by the Bears to improve to 12-5. Joey Kromer won 17 of his 30 face off opportunities and came up with a game-high nine ground balls.

Gropp made seven stops in the loss while Woodworth (four goals) and Day (three goals) led the Bears on offense.

Now, for just the second time in program history, Plattsburgh State will engage in a little scoreboard watching as they await word on who will be making the trek north to face the second-seeded Cardinals on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Depending on the results this Saturday, either SUNY Potsdam, Oneonta State or The College at Brockport will be heading to Plattsburgh.