College roundup: SUNY Potsdam upsets SUNY Cortland in conference semifinal, ends 32-game losing streak to Dragons
May 2—CORTLAND — SUNY Potsdam snapped a 32-game losing streak to SUNY Cortland by winning a State University of New York Athletic Conference semifinal against the top-seeded Red Dragons, 8-7, on Wednesday to advance to the SUNYAC men's lacrosse championship for the second time in program history.
Owen Walsh scored the eventual game-winner with 6 minutes, 10 seconds left in the fourth quarter and finished with four goals and an assist for the Bears, who hadn't beaten Cortland since 1999.
Former Salmon River athlete Cobie Cree recorded a goal and three assists for No. 4 Potsdam, which will play No. 2 SUNY Geneseo for the title at Geneseo at a time to be announced. The Bears last reached the SUNYAC title game when it defeated Geneseo 18-17 in 2011.
Walsh assisted on a man-up goal by Tyler Gould with 11:07 remaining that gave Potsdam an 8-7 lead. Walsh followed with his fourth goal on a feed from Cree to put the Bears (10-5 overall) up two.
Peyton Walsh and Ryan Assmer also scored for Potsdam. Goalie Saka Thompson, formerly of Salmon River, made 11 saves.
Bears faceoff specialist Drew Costello, of Ogdensburg, won 10 attempts and gathered six ground balls.
Bradley Cunningham and Caden Yancey each scored twice for the Red Dragons (11-5). Goalie Travis Wagner made 15 saves.
It's the first time since the SUNYAC men's lacrosse tournament began in 2002 that Cortland has not made the final.
SOFTBALL
SUNY POTSDAM 14-9, SUNY CANTON 6-1
Former Hammond standout Kelsey Bennett went 4-for-7 over two games with five RBIs and a pair of doubles as SUNY Potsdam swept a nonleague doubleheader against SUNY Canton in Potsdam.
The two wins gave Potsdam 13 for the season, equaling the program record.
Kaylee Dobransky went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs for the Bears in the opening 14-6 win. Bennett was 2-for-4 with both doubles and three RBIs. Rebecca Holmes went 3-for-4 and drove in a run and winning pitcher Lexie Cottrill was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
In the second game, which was five innings, Bennett went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Holmes hit a double. Anna Brown pitched the win, allowing three hits and striking out four.
For SUNY Canton, Talor Ferrucci drove in three runs and Sophia Gundersen tripled in the first game. Caitlyn Reed doubled and drove in a run. In the second game, Ferrucci doubled.
