PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State women's lacrosse team tied the single-game program record in assists (12), as the team rolled to an 18-5 victory over Russell Sage in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday evening. Sophomore attacker Cynthia Barnosky (Shirley, N.Y. / William Floyd) had a career day for the Cardinals as she led the team in points with nine, surpassing her previous career-high of five. Barnosky contributed to the Cardinals' 12 assists with five assists and tacked on four goals, both new career-highs.

Fiona Fitzgerald (Long Beach, N.Y. / Holy Trinity) also set new career highs in goals and assists as she had three goals and assists on the day. Maddy Garcia (New Paltz, N.Y. / New Paltz) also had three goals on the day, which was a career-high for her as well, to pair with an assist. Erica Dickinson (Yaphank, N.Y. / Bellport), Abby Guasconi (Ogdensburg, N.Y. / Ogdensburg Free Academy), and Mckenzie Francis-Chubb (Hogansburgh, N.Y. / Salmon River) all had two goals for the Cardinals with Guasconi and Francis-Chubb scoring their first collegiate goals. Caitlin Nash (Patchogue, N.Y. / Patchogue-Medford) and Nicole Resnick (Latham, N.Y. / Shaker) each had one goal while Nash also picked up an assist. Lillian Gilroy (Rome, N.Y. / Rome Free Academy) and Rachel LaMar (Ballston Like, N.Y. / Shenendehowa) each picked up an assist.

For the Gators, Madison Walter led the team with two goals while Alexandra Queeney, Ashley Hearn, and Aimee Rodriguez all had one goal each.

The Cardinals finished with a 29-19 edge in shots and a 13-12 advantage in draw controls. The Cardinals had a slight advantage in ground balls with 15 compared to the Gators' 13. On clear attempts, the Cardinals were 16-17 while the Gators were 10-20.

Plattsburgh State rises to 1-0 with the win and next visits SUNY Canton on Saturday, March 2 at 2 pm. Russell Sage falls to 0-1 with the loss and next hosts Marywood on Sunday, March 3 at 1 pm.

The Cardinals struck first with a goal from Barnosky 20 seconds into the game and she followed that up with another goal roughly five minutes later and put the Cardinals ahead 2-0. Both teams exchanged goals as Walter scored both goals for the Gators and Fitzgerald tacked on one for the Cardinals that made the score 3-2 Cardinals. The Cardinals closed the first with back-to-back goals coming from Dickinson and Garcia that made the score 5-2 after one.

The Cardinals struck first in the second at the 10:00 mark on a Nash goal off of a Barnosky assist and followed that up with three more goals. Hearn broke up the four-goal run for the Cardinals and scored the final goal of the second at the 2:55 mark as the Cardinals went into halftime up 9-3.

The Cardinals ran away with the game in the third period as they shut out the Gators en route to their six goals in the quarter and took a 15-3 lead into the final quarter. Garcia opened the quarter with a goal at the 11:57 mark off a pass from Barnosky while Barnosky scored an unassisted goal, Fitzgerald scored back-to-back goals both assisted by Barnosky, and Francis Cubb and Dickinson ended the run on two unassisted goals.

Queeney ended the Gators scoring drought with a goal three minutes into the fourth. Francis-Chubb responded a minute later with a goal that made the score 16-5. The Gators got one more goal on the board from a Rodriguez shot and then the Cardinals scored the final two goals of the quarter and closed the game with an 18-5 victory.  

First-year goalie Jess Loch (Tappan, N.Y. / Tappan Zee) made five saves in the first 45 minutes of action in the win for the Cardinals while first-year goalie Hannah Lowder (Rome, N.Y. / Rome-Free Academy) made two saves in the final quarter. The Gators' sophomore goalie Jaia Caron turned away seven shots in the loss.