PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Head coach Kelly Wall became the program's all-time wins leader, as the Plattsburgh State women's lacrosse team defeated Buffalo State, 13-9, on Senior Day in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opener for both teams on Saturday at the Field House Complex. It marked Plattsburgh State's first-ever win over Buffalo State.
 
Wall earned her ninth win in two years at the helm of the program, bettering the former mark of eight that Julia Decker set from 2019-21. The 2020 and 2021 seasons were shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
In addition, with her fourth victory of the year, junior goalie Johanna Malone (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue) set the single-season program record in wins.
 
Prior to the start of the game, the program honored their six seniors: attacker Kate Kennedy (Waddington, N.Y./Massena), midfielders Emma McLaughlin (Northport, N.Y./Northport), Caroline Noia (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) and Lindsay Guzzetta (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip) and defenders Nikki Scioscia (Riverhead, N.Y./Riverhead) and Bri Prosser (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Ogdensburg Free Academy).
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 4-2 overall (1-0 SUNYAC) with the victory and next visits SUNY New Paltz on Wednesday, March 29, at 4 p.m. Buffalo State falls to 3-3 overall (0-1 SUNYAC) with the loss and next hosts SUNY Geneseo on Wednesday, March 29, at 4 p.m.
 
Guzzetta put the Cardinals on the board 2:18 into the contest, scoring on a feed from McLaughlin, while Buffalo State's sophomore midfielder Lauren Rinow tallied on a pass from senior midfielder Kacey Stack 1:33 later to knot the tally at 1-all. Plattsburgh State ended the first quarter on a three-goal surge, with Kennedy finding the back of the net on an assist from first-year attacker Cynthia Barnosky (Shirley, N.Y./William Floyd) before McLaughlin scored with 2:02 left and Kennedy tallied with 1:02 remaining to give the home team a 4-1 lead through 15 minutes of play.
 
McLaughlin connected with Kennedy 1:23 into the second quarter before Buffalo State's first-year attacker Emilee Josker broke up the run with a woman-up free-position goal 38 seconds later. Just 14 seconds after Josker's goal, sophomore midfielder Caitlin Nash (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) scored woman-up on a free-position shot, and Barnosky deposited a free-position attempt into the back of the net 33 seconds later to extend the Cardinal advantage to 7-2. Sophomore attacker Sage Running Rabbit scored for the Bengals (junior defender Anastacia Wells assist) before Kennedy found twine on a free-position shot midway through the period. Buffalo State's first-year attacker Vanessa Willick then rattled off a natural hat trick to cut the gap to 8-6 before Nash converted on an 8-meter shot 55 seconds before the halftime intermission.
 
Buffalo State made it a two-goal game when Stack scored unassisted 1:46 into the third quarter, but the Cardinals netted four consecutive goals to build a six-goal lead. Barnosky and Guzzetta scored unassisted before Barnosky's free-position goal with 3:24 left in the third put Plattsburgh State in front, 12-7, through three quarters of play, while McLaughlin capped off the surge with 11:29 left in regulation to push the advantage to 13-7. Josker scored the final two goals of the game for Buffalo State, burying a marker on a feed from Running Rabbit before netting a free-position strike with 2:56 left.
 
Plattsburgh State finished with a 34-18 edge in shots, a 13-11 cushion in draw controls and a 31-21 advantage in ground balls in addition to going 15-for-20 on clear attempts. Buffalo State was 21-for-27 on clears.
 
Kennedy scored a career-high four goals, while Barnosky (three goals, one assist) and McLaughlin (two goals, two assists) also finished with four points for the Cardinals. McLaughlin also led the way in the possession game with six ground balls in addition to causing two turnovers, while Nash controlled a career-high five draws.
 
For Buffalo State, Josker and Willick each scored three goals, while Josker added eight draw controls. Wells led the way defensively with three ground balls and three caused turnovers.
 
Malone made five saves in the win for the Cardinals, while first-year goalies Beth Kulikowski and Moira Penot combined for 13 stops in the loss for the Bengals.