CORTLAND, N.Y.—Top-seeded SUNY Cortland (12-5) used two big runs two down the SUNY Potsdam men's lacrosse team (10-6) 22-7 in the SUNYAC Semifinals. The win was the Red Dragons' ninth in a row.
Senior midfielder
Brian Martin (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) led the Bears with two goals and an assist. Sophomore attackman
Eric Soderquist (Watertown, N.Y./Watertown) had two goals and senior captain
Ed Doherty (Amherst, N.Y./Amherst) registered a goal and an assist. Junior attackman
Berkley Stone (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) and senior midfielder
Matt Kennedy (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) accounted for Potsdam's other two goals. Sophomore midfielder
Nick Orsini (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) had an assist. Senior
Brandon Grace (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan) won 10 faceoffs on the day.
In goal, senior captain
Pete Gropp (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) closed his career with 14 saves in the first 50:34. Senior
Jackson Corcoran (Rochester, N.Y./Churchville-Chili) had a save in the next 3:34 and freshman
Zach Sheridan (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) added a stop in the final 6:14.
Martin and Kennedy were named to the All-Tournament Team.
With the game tied 1-1 2:01 into the contest, Cortland went on a 9-0 run to build a 10-1 advantage by the 10:41 mark of the second quarter. Doherty and Martin scored two in a row and the Bears trailed 10-3 at the break. The Red Dragons opened the second half with eight straight for an 18-3 lead 3:18 into the final quarter. The teams split the final eight goals of the game.
Cortland will now host two-seed Brockport. The Golden Eagles were 7-6 victors over SUNY Plattsburgh in the other semifinal.
The contest marks the end of the careers of 11 Bears seniors: Grace, Corcoran, long stick midfielder
Lindsey Pound (Henderson, N.Y./Immaculate Heart), attackman
Joe Hayes (Black River, N.Y./Carthage), midfielder
Pat Bonafede (Churchville, N.Y./Churchville-Chili), defender
Andrew Swords (Black River, N.Y./Carthage), Doherty, Kennedy, defender
Brandon Kemp (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua), Gropp and Martin.
