POTSDAM, N.Y.—Clarkson University (4-3) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and held on for a 13-8 victory over the SUNY Potsdam men's lacrosse team (2-4) on a rainy Tuesday night. Senior midfielder Nick Orsini (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) led the Bears with a goal and three assists and senior attackman Eric Soderquist (Watertown, N.Y./Watertown) scored three goals. With the performance, Soderquist moved past Chris Cronin into eight place on the program's scoring list with 136 points on 87 goals and 49 assists. Junior goalie Zach Sheridan (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) was outstanding again for the Bears with a career-high 19 saves.
 
The Golden Knights got four goals from four different scorers in the opening 7:19. Junior attackman Marcus Lavarnway (Watertown, N.Y./Watertown) struck just 1:31 into the contest and sophomore attackman Connor Bartlett (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee) doubled the lead 54 seconds later. Senior midfielder Mark Uhlig (Castleton, N.Y./LaSalle Institute) made it 3-0 at 9:40 and junior midfielder Shane Kilday (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) closed the run at 7:41. However, Potsdam countered with three goals in a 3:12 span. Sophomore attackman Nick Slate (Saugerties, N.Y./Saugerties) got the Bears on the board with a helper from sophomore midfielder Josh Huiatt (Lisbon, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) at 3:40. Huiatt then set up sophomore attackman Tayte Murray (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) 41 seconds later. Orsini connected with senior attackman Lukas Baildon (Berlin, Germany/JFKS Berlin) for a man-up goal with 28 seconds left in the quarter and Potsdam trailed by just one after 15 minutes. Sheridan stopped eight shots in the quarter.
 
It was all Clarkson in the second quarter as the Golden Knights scored the only four goals. Bartlett added two more goals to his total at 10:28 and 3:17. Senior midfielder Sam Groves (Milton, N.Y./Ballston Spa) netted Clarkson's only extra-man tally at 7:23 and Lavarnway gave the Golden Knights an 8-3 advantage heading into the break. Sheridan made six more saves in the quarter.
 
Uhlig netted his second of the game 30 seconds into the third to extend the lead to six, but again the Bears rallied. Orsini fed Murray at 7:36 and Huiatt assisted on Orsini's marker at 1:14.
 
Orsini connected with Soderquist at 13:59 of the final 15 minutes and Potsdam was threatening, down just 9-6. The Golden Knights rose to meet the challenge a final time with three goals in 2:31. Uhlig completed the hat trick at 12:15 and sophomore attackman Pierce Currie (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) scored at 11:39. Barlett buried his game-high fourth with 9:44 left. Just 11 seconds later, junior long-stick midfielder Colby Chapman (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City) found Soderquist to close the gap to 12-7. At 8:10, Soderquist launched a rocket from the left side of the net and Potsdam trailed by four. The Golden Knights were able to run the clock down the rest of the way and Currie scored again at the 1:36 mark for the 13-8 final.
 
Clarkson junior midfielder Colin Holt (Delmar, N.Y./Bethlehem) made nine saves to earn the win.
 
Chapman and junior defender Cole Zeller (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) each collected four ground balls and sophomore Luke Vitale (Fairfield, Conn./Ludlow) won 11 faceoffs.
 
The Bears are back in action on Saturday when they host Kean University at 1 p.m.