PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Senior midfielder Zach Gill (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point) netted nine points on two goals and seven assists to lead the Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team in its 18-6 season-opening win against non-conference SUNY Canton on Wednesday afternoon at the Field House Complex.
 
Gill's seven assists are tied for second most in a single game alongside Matt Virga's performance on March 15, 2000, and Brendan Damm's performance on March 3, 2016. His nine points also tied for the fifth-most points recorded in a single game in program history.
 
Plattsburgh State outshot SUNY Canton by a margin of 62-36 and held a 17-for-26 advantage in face-offs. The Cardinals finished 19-for-27 on clears, while the Kangaroos were 11-for-19. Plattsburgh State also outgained Canton in ground balls, 39-15. On extra-man opportunities, the Kangaroos went scored once in 10 chances, while Plattsburgh State was able to capitalize and go 7-for-11 with the extra-man advantage. 
 
Plattsburgh State moves to 1-0 overall with the win and next take on Norwich University on the road on Saturday, March 5, at 4 p.m. SUNY Canton falls to 0-3 with the loss and looks to rebound at Castleton University on Saturday, March 5, at 1 p.m.
 
Senior midfielder Stephen Kane (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) opened up scoring off an assist from Gill just 42 seconds into the contest. Canton quickly answered back by a crease dump pass from senior attackman Hunter Olsen to first-year attackman Alex Jacobs to finish on the doorstep of the crease, tying the game at 1-1 with 13:23 left in the first quarter. Gill later answered back with a snipe of a shot to give the Cardinals the lead with 11:55 to go. However, Jacobs gave Canton the equalizer with 7:19 to play in the opening frame. 
 
The next seven goals that were scored all came from the Cardinals. First-year attackman Donald Woods (Rocky Point N.Y./Rocky Point) scored with 5:01 remaining in the first quarter, and two minutes later, Kane would score again to end the first. Gill would assist senior midfielder Matt Trypaluk (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point), junior attackman Michael Swift (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) and sophomore attackman John Eiseman (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem East) to take the Cardinals out of the second quarter and into the third. With 8:54 left in the third, Canton's junior attackman Kyle Fingar scored off an assist from senior midfielder Trent Dow, but Plattsburgh State went on to bury another six goals before they could answer back. 
 
In the fourth quarter, Canton was able to net three goals, but it was not enough to overcome the lead that Plattsburgh State had been able to build. The Kangaroos scored with 11:56 left in the fourth, but the Cardinals were able to convert two extra-man opportunities coming at 11:33 and 9:55 left in the fourth, when Swift and Kane were both able to score off assists from Gill. Canton was able to score on an extra-man opportunity with 7:55 left in the fourth quarter from junior midfielder Noah Robinson, off an assist from Olsen, and Robinson would close out scoring with 2:54 left in regulation. 
 
The Cardinal attack was ignited by Gill's nine points on two goals and seven assists and Kane's six points on five goals and one assist. Swift tallied fourth points on two goals and two assists, while Eiseman scored three times. Eiseman, Trypaluk, Woods and first-year midfielder Logan Vilardi (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) each netted their first collegiate goals in the victory.
 
The defense was led by senior defenseman Justin Rocovich (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) and junior defenseman Jack Brien (Eastchester, N.Y./Eastchester). Rocovich managed to scoop five ground balls and cause two turnovers, while Brien picked up two ground balls and caused one turnover. Face-off contributions included senior Daniel Umbro (Harrison, N.Y./Harrison) going 12-for-16 at the 'X' along with help from first-year student Jimbo Farrelly (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South), who went 2-for-4, senior Brendan Heggers (Rocky Point, N.Y./Rocky Point), who went 2-for-3, and first-year student Justin Duval Lapaix (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes), who went 1-for-3. 
 
For Canton, Jacobs scored three goals, while Olsen tallied three assists.
 
Senior goalie Christian Bassi (Windham, N.H./Kimball Union Academy) earned the win with three saves through three quarters of action, while sophomore goalie Dan Clements (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) turned aside five shots in the fourth quarter. First-year goalie Sam Servati took the loss for the Kangaroos, making 15 saves in the loss.