PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Playing in snowy conditions befitting of a North Country rivalry, the Plattsburgh State women's lacrosse team earned its first-ever State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory on Wednesday afternoon at the Field House Complex, scoring five of the game's final six goals to defeat SUNY Potsdam, 13-10.
 
Sophomore midfielder/defender Caroline Noia (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) came up big defensively for the Cardinals, recording a single-game program record seven caused turnovers. Junior attacker Allie Vangas (Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y./Cornwall) and Claire Wiley held the former mark of five, set on April 3, 2019, against Potsdam and April 27, 2019, against Buffalo State, respectively.
 
After the Cardinals took an 8-5 lead with 22:19 left in regulation, the Bears netted four unanswered goals and seized a 9-8 advantage. Sophomore defender/midfielder Emma McLaughlin (Northport, N.Y./Northport) tied the score on a pass from first-year midfielder Jordan Kowalski (Westfield, Mass./Westfield), while Vangas scored unassisted 31 seconds later to hand Plattsburgh State a 10-9 lead, one it would not relinquish. Senior midfielder Frankie Porcaro (Bellport, N.Y./Bellport) pushed the lead to two goals with 9:32 remaining, while Kowalski connected with Vangas for a woman-up goal to put the Cardinals on top, 12-9. Potsdam's freshman midfielder Lindsey LaDue broke up the run before Porcaro added insurance with a goal with 1:17 left.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 1-5 overall (1-5 SUNYAC) with the win, while Potsdam falls to 3-7 overall (0-6 SUNYAC) with the loss. The two teams will battle it out again tomorrow at 4 p.m. on Potsdam's campus to close out the season series.
 
Sophomore attacker Katie Kallamni (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) and Noia scored the first two goals of the game before sophomore attacker Hannah Stevenson put Potsdam on the board midway through the first half. The Cardinals built a 3-1 lead on a score from junior attacker Emily Caoili (Lagrangeville, N.Y./Arlington), but the Bears took a 4-3 advantage with three unanswered goals. Graduate student attacker Alli Stark cashed in on a pass from LaDue to start the run, while Stevenson scored twice. Porcaro and sophomore midfielder Lindsay Guzzetta (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) each found the back of the cage to put Plattsburgh State up, 5-4, but Potsdam's Stevenson buried the equalizer 2:11 before halftime to provide a 5-5 score at the intermission.
 
Sophomore defender/midfielder Nikki Scioscia (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) buried her first collegiate goal woman-up 5:15 into the second half, while Vangas scored unassisted and Guzzetta converted on a Kallamni pass to hand the home team an 8-5 advantage. Potsdam's 4-0 run that ensued included goals from four different goal scorers, setting the stage for Plattsburgh State's late offensive surge.
 
Plattsburgh State finished with the upper hand in shots (34-21), ground balls (34-22) and draw controls (14-11). Both teams struggled to move the ball at times in the snow, with the Cardinals going 15-for-23 on clears and the Bears going 15-for-28.
 
Porcaro and Vangas each led the offense with three goals, while Guzzetta scored twice, Kallamni had a goal and an assist and Kowalski distributed a pair of assists. Porcaro controlled eight draws, while Noia scooped up six ground balls.
 
For Potsdam, Stevenson scored five goals, while junior midfielder Calena Rodriguez controlled four draws and caused three turnovers.
 
First-year goalie Johanna Malone (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue) picked up her first collegiate victory in net with a six-save effort, while Potsdam's sophomore goalie Netta Terrance stopped 13 shots in the loss. Senior goalie Natalie Wasielewski made one save in 1:46 of action while Terrance served a yellow card.