VICTOR, N.Y.—After a back and forth first quarter, St. John Fisher College (2-0) pulled away for a 23-8 victory over the SUNY Potsdam men's lacrosse team (0-1) on Friday afternoon. Junior midfielder Josh Huiatt (Lisbon, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) led the Bears with four goals and an assist. Junior faceoff specialist Luke Vitale (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlow), freshman attackman Cam Talcott (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam), senior midfielder Josh Bradford (Whitney Point, N.Y./Limestone College) and freshman attackman Keenan O'Gorman (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) also scored for Potsdam.
 
After a few calm minutes to open the contest, the Cardinals struck three times in 48 seconds. Ian Evans opened the scoring at 9:48 and added a second at 9:13. Chance Gates finished the burst at 9:00 to make it 3-0. Potsdam countered with five of the next eight in the first quarter. Huiatt scored at 7:35 to get the Bears on the board. At 6:42, Zach Wagner scored a man-up goal and a 4:24 Danny Turck extended Fisher's lead to 5-1. Huiatt buried his second at 4:07 and Vitale won the ensuing faceoff and went the distance himself at 4:00 to close the gap to 5-3. Huaitt scored again at 2:43 followed by a Jack Mulvihill strike at 0:54. Talcott then connected on a pass from senior Kyle Smith (Theresa, N.Y./Indian River) for his first collegiate goal at 0:36 and the Bears trailed just 6-5 after 15 minutes. Sheridan turned aside seven shots in the first quarter.
 
The Cardinals controlled the play in the second, scoring all four goals in the quarter. Mitch Rein scored at 12:22 and Evans added his third and fourth of the day at 12:03 and 4:04, the second while a man-up. Wagner scored his second man-up goal of the day at 1:37. Fisher took a 10-5 advantage into the break.
 
The Cardinals added eight more goals in the third quarter. Nicholas Miller scored four goals including one on the man advantage. Evans added his fifth of the game, while a man-up. Wagner scored his third. Gates scored his second in the quarter and Roger Panara also found the back of the net.  Bradford scored his first goal as a Bear at 7:03. Potsdam trailed 18-6 after three quarters.
 
Fisher outscored Potsdam 5-2 in the fourth. O'Gorman scored his first collegiate goal with 8:20 left with an assist from Huiatt and then Huiatt notched his fourth of the game at 2:42 to close the scoring.
 
Senior captain Zach Sheridan (Clay, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) finished with 19 saves and 21 goals allowed in the first 52:21. Freshman Jack Corcoran (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) allowed two goals in the last 7:39. Darin Eakins picked up the win with four saves and six goals allowed for Fisher in the first 48:11. Brandon Moore closed out the game for the Cardinals with two goals allowed and one save in the final 11:49.
 
Now that Potsdam's Tuesday game with Canton has been postponed until April 3, the Bears are off until March 9, when they travel to Utica College for a 1 p.m. contest.