PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Behind five-point performances from sophomore midfielder/attacker Jamie Gipe (Baldwinsville, N.Y. / C. W. Baker), sophomore attacker Dylan Ruland (Medford, N.Y. / Patchogue-Medford), and sophomore midfielder/attacker Peter Urso (Bay Shore, N.Y. / Bay Shore) the Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team picks up a 14-10 non-conference win over the New England College Pilgrims. Gipe's five points were a new career-high as he led the way with a career-high five goals, while Urso had a career-high five points off a career-high four goals and an assist, and Ruland had a career-high three assists and two goals.

Senior midfielder Donald Woods (Rocky Point, N.Y. / Rocky Point) also had a multi-goal day with two, while first-year attacker Brayden Shattuck (Queensbury, N.Y. / Queensbury) also had a goal for Plattsburgh. Ely Bruhns (Clifton Park, N.Y. / Shenendehowa) recorded two assists, and Fynn Whitlock (Middlebury, Vt. / Middlebury Union) and Tim Keenan (Poughquag, N.Y. / Arlington) both had one assist. Whitlock also had five ground balls and two caused turnovers on the day. Senior face-off specialist Jimbo Farrelly (West Nyack, N.Y. / Clarkstown South) tied his career-high in faceoff wins with 19 and picked up a team-high 13 ground balls.

For the Pilgrims, Daniel Varga led the way with six points off three goals and three assists while Matt Daley also had three goals. Henri Pfeifle had two goals and two assists, and Duncan Fleming had three assists.

The Cardinals dominated the shot battle 52-21 with 30 shots on goal to the Pilgrims' 14, won the game on the ground with 39 ground balls to the Pilgrims' 30, and had a 20-7 advantage in faceoffs. Both teams were 50.0% on extra-man opportunities as Plattsburgh went 5-10 and New England College went 3-6. On clears, the Cardinals were 17-21 while the Pilgrims were 15-23.

Plattsburgh State rises to 4-3 with the win and next opens up conference play on Saturday, Mar. 29, when they travel to Oneonta for a 12 p.m. opening faceoff. New England College falls to 3-5 with the loss and returns to conference play when they host Anna Maria College on Saturday, Mar. 29.

After Varga opened the scoring for the Pilgrims just 30 seconds into the opening quarter, Plattsburgh responded with three straight goals. Urso opened the game with back-to-back goals, followed by Gipe as Plattsburgh took a 3-1 lead at the 6:32 mark. However, a non-releasable penalty on the Cardinals allowed the Pilgrims to get back in the game as they scored back-to-back man-up goals and tied the game at 3. The Cardinals responded as Gipe tacked on his second goal at the 3:04 mark off the assist from Urso, scoring the last goal of the quarter and putting Plattsburgh ahead 4-3 after one quarter of play.

The Pilgrims scored the first goal of the second quarter as well and tied the game at 4, but Plattsburgh countered with a three-goal run led by Woods with two man-up goals and pushed their lead to 7-4 halfway through the quarter. Daley ended the run, scoring a man-down goal at the 7:00 mark, and also scored the last goal of the quarter with less than a minute remaining as the Cardinals' lead was cut to 8-6 going into halftime.

It was Gipe again as he netted the first goal coming out of the break off the assist from Bruhns, extending the Cardinals' lead to 9-6 just a few minutes into the third quarter. Varga responded with an unassisted goal and made the score 9-7 at the 11:50 mark as the Pilgrims were within two goals yet again. After 10 minutes of scoreless play, Urso cushioned Plattsburgh's lead to 10-7 off the dish from D. Ruland at the 4:49 mark before the Pilgrims ended the quarter with back-to-back goals and made the score 10-9 Cardinals at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was all Plattsburgh as the Cardinals outscored the Pilgrims 4-1 using a three-goal run that made the score 13-9 at the 11:02 mark. The Cardinals' defense stood tall, not allowing a goal until the 3:13 mark as Daley got one past the Cardinal goalie after Fleming found him for the score and made the score 13-10. However, the Cardinal defense didn't give up any more shots and sealed the win after a caused turnover by Whitlock led to a goal from Shattuck, giving the Cardinals a 14-10 victory.

Sophomore goalie Cole Orehosky (Hauppauge, N.Y. / Hauppauge) made four saves in 60 minutes of action and earned the win for Plattsburgh. Nate Finn recorded 16 saves in the loss for New England College.