PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team scored two goals in the final minute of regulation to force overtime, but the Cardinals wound up falling to SUNY Potsdam, 11-10, in overtime in State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) action Wednesday afternoon at the Field House Complex.
 
Potsdam's first-year midfielder Tyler Gould scored with 9:37 left in the fourth quarter to give the Bears a 10-8 lead, and that score held up until sophomore attackman Mike Walsh (Westchester, N.Y./Lakeland) scored with 53.4 seconds to go. Walsh started with the ball at 'X' on a restart, and he dodged right before ripping an over-the-shoulder shot past the Potsdam goalie. After the ensuing face-off, senior midfielder Owen Lorenzetti (Seneca Falls, N.Y./Mynderse Academy) scooped up the ground ball in a scrum of players toward the Cardinals' attacking end, and Lorenzetti fed senior midfielder Gustav Rugg (Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) with a pass. Rugg won a footrace to the goal and wound up scoring on a diving shot with 39.9 seconds left in regulation.
 
The Bears won the first face-off of overtime, and while senior midfielder Peyton Walsh initially appeared to have scored the game winner, the referees called off the goal and gave possession to the Cardinals due to a crease violation. Plattsburgh State nearly scored the game winner on the ensuing possession, as sophomore midfielder Logan Vilardi (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) threaded a pass to junior attackman John Eiseman (Farmingville, N.Y./Sachem East), but Eiseman took a shot at close range that Potsdam's first-year goalie Saka Thompson turned aside. Gould wound up providing the golden goal for the Bears on the next possession, as he started at 'X,' ran out in front and used a spin move to separate himself from the defense before scoring on a bounce shot.
 
Plattsburgh State falls to 2-12 overall (0-6 SUNYAC) with the loss and closes out its season on Saturday, April 29, against SUNY Cortland at 1 p.m. on Senior Day. Potsdam rises to 7-7 overall (1-5 SUNYAC) with the win and wraps up its 2023 campaign on Saturday, April 29, at 1 p.m. against Oswego State.
 
Senior defenseman Julian Pigliavento (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) netted the first goal of the game on a feed from Rugg 1:14 into the opening quarter, while Potsdam's sophomore attackman Owen Walsh tallied less than a minute later to tie the game. Lorenzetti found the back of the cage with 11:42 remaining in the opening stanza, while Gould's goal (senior midfielder Ayden LaFave assist) midway through the first quarter knotted the score at 2-all. Senior midfielder Michael Swift (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle) entered the scoring column before Potsdam's Owen Walsh and senior midfielder Bryce Tyler scored two goals late in the period to hand the visitors a 4-3 advantage through 15 minutes of play.
 
Vilardi buried a shot early in the second quarter to tie it up, while Mike Walsh found junior midfielder Anthony Faber (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) for a goal with 7:45 left in the second to hand Plattsburgh State a 5-4 edge. Potsdam countered with three unanswered goals, with sophomore midfielder Drew Rose's marker with 4:36 to go putting the Bears up, 7-5. First-year midfielder Tim Keenan (Poughquag, N.Y./Arlington) converted on a pass from Mike Walsh with 3:10 remaining in the second to stop the run, but Rose scored unassisted 1:05 later to give the Bears an 8-6 halftime lead.
 
Plattsburgh State outscored Potsdam, 2-1, in the third quarter, with Eiseman and Mike Walsh each scoring for the Cardinals and Peyton Walsh (Owen Walsh assist) scoring for the Bears.
 
The Cardinals finished with a commanding 52-33 edge in shots, owned a 39-32 cushion in ground balls and went 20-for-23 on clears, while the Bears were 18-for-25 at the 'X.' Neither team was able to convert with the extra man, with Plattsburgh State going 0-for-5 and Potsdam going 0-for-3.
 
Mike Walsh led the Cardinal attack with four points on two goals and two assists, while Lorenzetti collected a career-high six ground balls and caused two turnovers.
 
For Potsdam, Gould scored three goals, while Owen Walsh notched four points on two goals and two assists. Defensively, sophomore defenseman Ben Welch caused five turnovers and collected four ground balls, while first-year face-off specialist Drew Costello was 13-for-16 at the 'X.'
 
Junior goalie Dan Clements (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) made 11 saves in the loss for the Cardinals, while Thompson turned aside 19 shots in the win for the Bears.