POTSDAM, N.Y.—Senior captain Josh Huiatt (Lisbon, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) scored at 3:09 of the second overtime to lift the SUNY Potsdam men's lacrosse team (6-3, 4-1 SUNYAC East) to a 14-13 victory over Oneonta State (4-2, 4-1) and into the SUNYAC Playoffs on Friday afternoon. Huiatt had a career day with five goals and six assists for 11 points. Junior midfielder Alex Burley (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) scored three goals, while junior attackman Cam Talcott (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) and sophomore midfielder Peyton Walsh (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston  Spa) each had two goals. Freshman attackman Cobie Cree (Akwesasne, N.Y./Salmon River) registered a goal an assist.
 
Huiatt now has 169 points on 101 goals and 61 assists in his career. He ranks fourth in program history in scoring, fifth in goals scored and eighth in assists. He played a part in each of Potsdam's first nine goals and scored the Bears' last two.
 
Potsdam looked strong early, controlling the play and opening up a 3-0 lead. Huiatt set up Burley and Talcott for the game's first two markers at 13:38 and 7:08. Huiatt netted the third himself at 2:59. The Red Dragons finally got on the board with 43 seconds left in the first quarter on a goal from senior midfielder Thomas Fay (Nanuet, N.Y./Nanuet).
 
At the 11:46 mark of the second quarter, Huiatt set up Walsh to give the Bears their biggest lead of the game at 4-1. Oneonta caught fire shortly after, going on a 7-1 run that extended into the second half. Red Dragons freshman attackman Luke Maslin (Owego, N.Y./Owego Free Academy) scored two in-a-row, the second on while a man up. Junior attackman Dean Cannon (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) tied the game at 5:22. Just 54 seconds later, Huiatt went in all alone on Oneonta junior goalie Jordan Berson (Old Bethpage, N.Y./JFK) and ripped a shot into the back of the net to put Potsdam back in front 5-4. However, Fay and senior midfielder Ryan McDevitt (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville) netted the final goals of the half and the Red Dragons led 6-5 at the break.
 
Sophomore attackmen Connor Gallagher (Montrose, N.Y./Hendrick Hudson) and David Guest (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskauna) opened the third quarter with goals and gave Oneonta its biggest lead of the day at 8-5. With Potsdam on the ropes, Huiatt led the Bears back into the game by igniting a 4-0 run. He set up Talcott's second at 8:31 and scored his third at 8:24. Cree tied the game at 2:18 with another assist from Huiatt and Burley put Potsdam back up 9-8 with a sixth helper from the captain. The Bears held the one-goal advantage after 45 minutes.
 
The Red Dragons began the fourth on a 4-1 run, with two goals from Cannon and Guest divided by a man-up goal from Walsh on an assist from junior assistant captain Henry Reber (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) at 12:08. Oneonta led 12-10 with 7:33 left in regulation. Again Potsdam countered. Cree set up junior midfielder Alec Miller's (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) tally at 4:09 and Burley battled his way around a defender to tie the game at 12 with 2:45 on the clock. Gallagher gave the Red Dragons a final lead with a goal at 1:37, but Huiatt willed the Bears to overtime with his fourth goal at 0:41. With just seven seconds remaining Talcott forced an Oneonta turnover, raced the length of the field, but fired just high as time expired.
 
Potsdam out shot the Red Dragons 8-2 in the first overtime, but stellar play from Berson kept the Bears out of the net.
 
Potsdam won the faceoff to start the second extra session and never gave up possession. At 3:09, Huiatt picked up a ground ball off his own blocked shot and buried it to send Potsdam to the postseason.
 
Sophomore goalie Ben Fuchs (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Calvary Christian) started the game for the Bears and allowed 11 goals and made 10 saves in the first 48:36. Freshman Liam O'Neil (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) picked up the win in relief, making three saves and allowing two goals in the final 18:15. Berson stopped 15 shots.
 
Junior defender Ethan Clark (Seven Valleys, Pa./Spring Grove) finished with six ground balls and four caused turnovers. Junior assistant captain Trent Woodroe (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) also stood out defensively with three caused turnovers.
 
Potsdam is now tied for first place with Oneonta. Each team has one conference contest left. A Potsdam win over Plattsburgh in one week, combined with Oneonta loss at New Paltz would give the Bears the top seed in the Eastern Division and a home playoff game. Should both teams end up tied in the standings, Oneonta owns the head-to-head goal differential tiebreaker, having beaten Potsdam by two back on March 26.

The contest also marked Senior Day for Potsdam. Prior to the game Huiatt, Keenan O'Gorman (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) and Dominic Butera (Hamburg, N.Y./St. Francis) were honored for their Bears careers.
 
The Bears face the Cardinals on the road a week from today at 4 p.m. to wrap up the regular season.