POTSDAM, N.Y.—The SUNY Potsdam men's lacrosse team (6-1, 1-0 SUNYAC) scored a lopsided 21-9 victory over SUNY Oneonta (4-4, 0-1) on Sunday afternoon for its sixth straight victory. At 6-1, Potsdam is off to the third best start in program history. Only 2016 (9-1) and 1984 (7-1) have been better.
 
The reigning SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Week, graduate student midfielder Peyton Walsh (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), put on another show. He scorched the Red Dragons with a career-high 11 points on four goals and seven assists. He now has 169 points on 120 goals and 49 assists, placing him fifth on the all-time scoring list and fourth goals lists.
 
Sophomore goalie Saka Thompson (Akwesasne, N.Y./Salmon River) was outstanding for the Bears, making a career-high 23 saves to earn his eighth career victory.
 
Junior midfielder Drew Rose (Brasher Falls, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) scored a career-high five goals for the Bears. Junior attackman Owen Walsh (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) also had five points with four goals and an assist. Sophomore midfielder Tyler Gould (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) and senior captain Bryce Tyler (Camden, Maine, N.Y./Camden Hills) each had personal-bests with three goals. Junior attackman Cobie Cree (Akwesasne, N.Y/Salmon River) added a goal and two assists for three points and junior attackman Ryan Hughes (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) scored the other goal.
 
The Red Dragons struck first at 12:01 on a goal from senior midfielder Eric Nicholson (Nesconset, N.Y./University of Tampa). It was their only lead of the game. Back-to-back goals from Rose and Gould put Potsdam on top. With 15 seconds left in the opening quarter, Oneonta tied the game a final time with a marker from sophomore attackman Jamie O'Neil (Bath, N.Y./Haverling).
 
The Bears seized control of the contest with a 5-0 run to start the second quarter, leading to an 8-2 advantage over the 15 minutes and a 10-4 lead at the half. Peyton Walsh scored three times during the run, with Rose and Tyler netting the other two for a 7-2 lead at 5:11. Freshman midfielder Ryan Lussier (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills) slowed the run with a goal at 4:59, but Rose sandwiched two more goals around a strike from Owen Walsh for a 10-3 edge at 1:45. O'Neil got one back for Oneonta with 56 seconds left in the half.
 
Rose opened the third quarter with another goal to build a seven-goal lead at 13:21. Senior midfielder Matthew Krieg (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) got one back for the visitors before Hughes buried a feed from Cree at 9:40 and it was 12-5. Oneonta ramped up its pressure over the next few minutes and threatened to battle back into the contest. Senior attackman Evan Kelly (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) scored a man-up goal at 9:07 and O'Neil added another tally at 6:59. The Red Dragons continued to press, but solid play from Thompson kept them from getting closer. At 3:56, Peyton Walsh broke the siege with his fourth and started an 8-0 run to wrap up the contest. Owen Walsh scored the next two and Potsdam was up 13-7 after 45 minutes.
 
The Bears scored the first five of fourth quarter, including two from Tyler, a man-up goal from Owen Walsh and one goal each from Cree and Gould. Gould scored a man-up goal in between Oneonta's final two goals. Freshman attackman Thomas Hnis (Smithtown, N.Y./Kings Park) added a man-up goal for the Red Dragons and sophomore Danny Macchiarella (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) closed the scoring with 1:50 left.
 
Senior goalie Harrison Boukas (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge) allowed 20 goals and made eight saves in the first 54:18. Freshman Ben Thayer (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) allowed a goal and made a stop in the last 5:42.
 
The Bears are back in action on Wednesday afternoon when they head across town to face Clarkson University at 4 p.m.