PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team locked up the No. 2 seed in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament with a 13-8 win over North Country rival SUNY Potsdam in its regular-season home finale Wednesday evening in SUNYAC action at the Field House Complex.
 
The Cardinals move to 7-7 overall (4-1 SUNYAC) with the win and will host third-seeded SUNY Geneseo in the SUNYAC Tournament semifinals on Wednesday, May 1. First, however, Plattsburgh State will have to visit The College at Brockport in its regular-season finale on Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m. Potsdam slips to 4-9 overall (1-4 SUNYAC) with the loss and hosts Geneseo on Saturday, April 27, at 12 p.m.
 
In a physical game, Plattsburgh State relied on a strong man-up offense to go 4-for-8 with the extra-man advantage. Potsdam, meanwhile, was limited to five goals on 13 extra-man chances, and the Cardinals were able to net two man-down goals as well.
 
The Cardinals finished with a 43-25 edge in shots and a 32-24 advantage in ground balls while going 17-for-21 on clears. Plattsburgh State was also dominant on face-offs, going 16-for-23.
 
Sophomore midfielder James Sherwood (Manorville, N.Y./Eastport-South Manor) put the Cardinals on the board with a goal 51 seconds into the contest before senior attackman Jake Carroll (East Northport, N.Y./Northport) scored man-down on a feed in transition from senior short-stick defensive midfielder Nick Della Ratta (Huntington, N.Y./St. Anthony's). Junior midfielder Josh Huiatt buried a man-up goal on a pass from junior attackman Tayte Murray at 2:01 of the first quarter to put Potsdam on the board, while Carroll scored unassisted with 26 seconds left in the period to send the Cardinals into the second quarter with a 3-1 lead.
 
Sophomore attackman Stephen Kane (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) scored man-up on a feed from junior attackman Jack Mullen (Long Beach, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) 3:01 into the second quarter, while Della Ratta fed sophomore short-stick defensive midfielder Justin Wise (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) for a man-down goal at 8:32 of the second quarter. Murray scored man-down for Potsdam at 5:33 of the second quarter, cashing in on a Huiatt pass, while Kane scored unassisted with 4:28 to go in the second. Huiatt found twine on a Murray feed with the extra-man advantage with just under a minute to go before Plattsburgh State countered with a goal by sophomore attackman Connor Wolff (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) that was assisted by Carroll just eight seconds before the halftime intermission.
 
Potsdam charged back early in the third quarter. After senior attackman Sean Coe scored on a Huiatt pass, junior midfielder Kevin Litchauer (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) fed Wolff for a man-up goal just more than a minute later. Senior midfielder Kyle Smith connected with freshman attackman Cam Talcott for a man-up score at 9:48 of the third quarter before freshman attackman Keenan O'Gorman cashed in on a feed from freshman midfielder Alec Miller to draw Potsdam within two at 8-6. Plattsburgh State took momentum into the fourth quarter with goals by Sherwood (Carroll assist) and Carroll (Sherwood assist).
 
After Talcott scored man-up for Potsdam on a Smith pass to kick off scoring in the fourth quarter, senior midfielder Kevin Murphy (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) tallied for the Cardinals. Wolff (Carroll assist) and Kane (Litchauer assist) scored man-up before Potsdam's senior midfielder Josh Bradford found the back of the cage on a Smith feed with the extra-man advantage 1:16 before the final horn.
 
Carroll led the Cardinal attack with a career-high six points on three goals and three assists, while Sherwood (two goals, one assist) and Wolff (three goals) also established career-highs in points with three apiece. Kane also registered three points with three goals, while Litchauer and Della Ratta dished out two assists apiece. Murphy and Wise each scored once, while Mullen had an assist. Wise led the Cardinals in the possession game with six ground balls, while senior defenseman Chris Rupp (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) caused two turnovers. Freshman face-off specialist Daniel Umbro (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) was dominant at the X, going 11-for-14 on face-offs.
 
For Potsdam, Huiatt recorded four points on two goals and two assists, while Smith (three assists) and Murray (one goal, two assists) tallied three points apiece. Talcott found the back of the net twice, while Bradford, Coe and O'Gorman also scored. Senior long-stick midfielder Colby Chapman helped reinforce the Bears' defensive efforts with four ground balls and three caused turnovers.
 
Sophomore goalie Joe Falco (Middletown, N.Y./Valley Central) made five saves in the win for Plattsburgh State, while senior goalie Zach Sheridan turned aside 11 shots in the loss for Potsdam.