CORTLAND, N.Y. – The fourth-seeded Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team is set to travel to top-seeded Cortland for a State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament semifinal matchup at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, at Grady Field. This marks the Cardinals' first appearance in the conference playoffs since the 2019 season, when they fell to former SUNYAC member Geneseo in the semifinals.

TICKET PRICING: General admission tickets can be purchased online here. Adult tickets are $6 ($5 ticket plus $1 service fee), while youth tickets (ages 5-17) are $4 ($3 ticket plus $1 service fee). Children ages four and under, as well as SUNYAC students with valid identification, will be admitted free of charge. Please note that tickets will be sold online only. Cash purchases will not be accepted.

ABOUT THE SERIES: These two programs have met 30 times since their first matchup on May 6, 2000. The all-time series has been largely controlled by Cortland, who holds a 29-1 overall advantage, including a 25-0 mark in conference play. Plattsburgh's lone win in the series came on May 6, 2017, marking a breakthrough moment in an otherwise challenging matchup history.

The most recent meeting came on Saturday, April 25, as Plattsburgh fell 26-3 on the road. Despite the result and the current eight-game skid, the Cardinals continue to build on one of their strongest seasons since 2017, showing steady growth and competitiveness as they prepare to battle a consistently strong Cortland program.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Plattsburgh State finished the 2026 regular season 9-5 (4-3 SUNYAC), including a 4-3 record on the road, advancing to the conference playoffs for the first time since 2019. Now, the Cardinals begin their quest for their second conference crown in program history.

As a team, the Cardinals have been a productive offensive unit throughout the season, ranking sixth in total goals with 154. Some of that success has come in special teams situations, as they have also recorded 22 man-up goals, which ranks third in the league. In contrast, they have also shown effectiveness in shorthanded situations, as they are tied for first in the conference with two man-down goals.

The offense runs through junior attacker Peter Urso (Bay Shore, N.Y. / Bay Shore), who leads the team with 51 points (10th in the conference), including a team-high 32 goals (ninth in the league) and 19 assists (tied for seventh). He has also tallied four man-up goals, contributing to the Cardinals' third-place ranking in that category, while adding 20 ground balls.

Plattsburgh's offense features two additional scoring threats in junior attackers Jamie Gipe (Baldwinsville, N.Y. / C.W. Baker) and Dylan Ruland (Medford, N.Y. / Patchogue Medford). Gipe ranks second on the team with 36 points (23 goals, 13 assists), followed by Ruland with 34 points (26 goals, eight assists). Gipe has excelled at securing extra possessions, totaling 40 ground balls, which ranks fourth on the team, while Ruland has recorded 20.

Overall, the Cardinals have been one of the more disruptive and possession-driven teams in the conference this season. They currently rank fourth in the conference in ground balls with 519, demonstrating their consistency in winning loose-ball battles. In addition, they sit third in the conference in caused turnovers with 172, highlighting their aggressive and effective defensive pressure

The defense is headlined by junior Fynn Whitlock (Middlebury, Vt. / Middlebury Union) and senior Kevin Murray (Bellmore, N.Y. / Kellenberg Memorial). Whitlock leads the team with 33 caused turnovers (second in the league) and a team-high 62 ground balls (seventh in the league). Murray complements him with 24 caused turnovers (seventh in the conference), ranking third on the team in that category, and 36 ground balls, which is fifth on the team.

Sophomore midfielder Ethan Francey (Canton, N.Y. / Canton) has been a two-way threat, making an impact on both ends of the field. He has recorded 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) and ranks second on the team with 44 ground balls and 28 caused turnovers, which is fourth in the conference.

At the faceoff X, sophomore Owen O'Hara (Tappan, N.Y. / Tappan Zee) sets the tone with a .503 faceoff percentage and 87 wins, ranking eighth in the conference in faceoff wins. He has also collected a team third-best 43 ground balls.

The Cardinals' defense is backstopped by junior goalie Cole Orehosky (Hauppauge, N.Y. / Hauppauge), who holds a 9-4 record. Orehosky has a goals against average of 10.18, which ranks third in the conference, and has allowed the second-fewest goals across the season.

In his second year at the helm, head coach Zach Nedbalski will make his first SUNYAC Tournament appearance after leading Plattsburgh to its best overall record since 2017 and its best conference mark since 2019.

ABOUT THE RED DRAGONS: Cortland finished the 2026 regular season 12-5 (7-0 SUNYAC), posting a strong 5-2 record at home. The Red Dragons, last year's conference champions, enter the postseason looking to secure back-to-back SUNYAC titles.

As a team, Cortland leads the conference in scoring with 324 goals and has generated a league-high 925 shots. Sean Kavanagh paces the offense with a league-best 95 points, totaling 46 goals (third in the conference) and 49 assists (second). Nick Stoecker provides another scoring threat with 75 points (fourth) on 49 goals (third) and 26 assists (fourth).

Defensively, the Red Dragons have allowed just 130 goals, ranking second in the conference, while applying constant pressure with a league-leading 189 caused turnovers. Dino Bowen and James Sullivan lead the way with 20 caused turnovers each, highlighting a defensive unit that creates disruption through a committee approach.

At the faceoff X, Nicky Miltenberger holds a strong .704 faceoff percentage and has collected 159 wins (second in the conference), while also leading the team with 74 ground balls (fourth in the conference).

In goal, Charlie Falowski has been a steady presence, posting a 12-5 record with an 8.15 goals-against average, the best in the conference.

Cortland is led by eighth-year head coach Lelan Rogers, who guided the Red Dragons to five conference titles.

WHAT'S NEXT: The winner of the Plattsburgh State-Cortland semifinal will advance to face either second-seeded Oneonta or third-seeded Potsdam in the SUNYAC Championship on Saturday, May 2, at 1 p.m. at the highest remaining seed. The conference champion will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.