UPPERCLASSMEN PROPEL NO. 15 SAINTS TO

14-5 WIN OVER POTSDAM STATE

April 2: Senior Kevin Russell recorded his fourth straight game with six points, while junior Peter Carroll chipped in five points and senior Ben Buskey tallied a goal and two assists as the No. 15 St. Lawrence University men’s lacrosse team burst out to a 7-0 first quarter lead and held on for a 14-5 road victory over Potsdam State on Wednesday evening.

The Saints (4-2) won their fourth straight game thanks to a fantastic first quarter that saw the visitors score six goals in the opening 3:22 of regulation for a 6-0 lead. The Scarlet and Brown were clicking on all cylinders in the early going, as Carroll scored only 12 seconds into the game to give the Saints a lead they’d never relinquish.

Sophomore Scott Smith, Russell (2), Buskey, junior John Allen and sophomore Will McKee would follow with goals in the opening frame against Potsdam State netminder Billy Richards. Though he was tested only three times in the opening period, St. Lawrence junior goaltender Thomas Hollingsworth was impressive, making all three saves to shut out the Bears and send his team into the second quarter with a 7-0 advantage.

St. Lawrence would make it 9-0 on goals by Russell and McKee in the first 1:17 of the second quarter before Potsdam would get on the board with a goal from Kevin Green. However, senior Ben Prime would close the first half with a goal with only 2:25 remaining before the buzzer, capping the scoring and giving St. Lawrence an impressive 10-1 halftime cushion.

Despite having a comfortable lead on their side, St. Lawrence continued to work hard on both ends of the field in the second half. Carroll picked up his third goal of the game only 15 seconds into the third quarter to make the score 11-1 off of a great pass from Russell.

Potsdam State would make a small run midway through the third, as Dan MacRae, Justin Wilson-Kirby and Corey Reinhart would score consecutive goals on senior goaltender Frank Maguire, who replaced Hollingsworth at the half, to cut the deficit to 11-4 with 8:37 remaining in regulation.

Maguire would shut down the Bears in the remaining portion of the quarter, though, as he made three of his four saves in that third to ensure the Saints of the win.

Sophomore Dillon Simpson and juniors Alex Slauson and Collin Moon continued to add to St. Lawrence’s lead, with Moon completing the team’s scoring with 12:52 remaining in the contest with the Saints on top

14-4. Potsdam State’s Zac McIlmoyle would score an unassisted goal with 2:05 remaining to bring the score to the final of 14-5.

“We really grabbed the momentum early, and in these tough, windy conditions, I was happy with the way we got after them offensively,” said Saints’ head coach Mike Mahoney. “ Potsdam State is an improved team this year, and I thought our defense did a solid job in protecting Thomas (Hollingsworth) and Frank (Maguire) this afternoon.”

The Saints finished with a 34-19 advantage in shots on goal, and were a perfect 19-of-19 on clears. Richards suffered the loss for the Bears, while Hollingsworth improved to 4-2 on the season with a three save performance.

Buskey, who scored the second of his career in the first quarter, had a career day offensively for the Scarlet and Brown with three points. The long stick middie, known for his outstanding defensive effort, also picked up assists on goals by Russell and Slauson.

St. Lawrence will turn their attention back to Liberty League play this weekend as they travel to Clinton, NY to take on Hamilton College. The Saints and Continentals will meet at 2:30pm on Saturday, April 5.

NO. 15 SAINTS OVERCOME FIRST QUARTER DEFICIT

TO DROP PLATTSBURGH STATE

Mar. 31: Senior attackmen Kevin Russell collected one goal and five assists, while junior midfielder Alex Slauson scored a game-high four goals as the No. 15 St. Lawrence University men’s lacrosse team overcame a three-goal first quarter deficit to drop Plattsburgh State, 20-7, on Monday evening at North Country Field.

The Saints (3-2, 1-0) used runs of seven and eleven goals to put away the Cardinals (4-4, 0-0), and junior goaltender Thomas Hollingsworth settled in after a rough first quarter to record nine saves and earn the victory.

Plattsburgh State came out blazing in the opening quarter, building a 5-1 cushion only 10:35 into the game. Frank Sangiovanni opened the scoring for the visitors, and after St. Lawrence tied it at 1-1 on a goal by junior Peter Carroll, Bryan Copius scored three straight goals to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead with 6:18 to play in the first. After a man-up goal by Tom Cerny, Plattsburgh had a 5-1 lead, forcing St. Lawrence head coach Mike Mahoney to use a time out.

The break in the action served the Saints well, as Russell scored only 46 seconds later to complete the first period scoring, but give the home team the momentum into the second quarter trailing 5-2.

Hollingsworth, who made only two saves in the opening 15 minutes, came through with four clutch stops in the second stanza including one on Sangiovanni from point-blank range. Thanks to the goaltender’s play and the defensive efforts by senior Ben Buskey and junior Nick Stefans, the Saints were able to outscore the Cardinals 5-0 in the second and carry a 7-5 lead into the half.

Carroll opened the second quarter scoring for St. Lawrence, while Slauson and sophomore Dillon Simpson tallied goals to tie the game at 5-5. Junior Kyle Benton would score his first goal of the game at 10:30 of the second quarter, giving the Saints a lead they would not relinquish at 6-5. Sophomore Will McKee capped off the first half scoring with a fantastic move around a defender and scoring on Plattsburgh goaltender Billy Hughes with only 12 seconds left on the clock for a 7-5 St. Lawrence lead.

After the teams exchanged goals twice early in the third quarter to bring the score to 9-7, the Scarlet and Brown flexed their high octane offense and finished the game on an 11-0 run. Benton, senior Ben Prime and McKee all added goals in the third quarter to bring the score to 12-7 after three quarters of play.

The fourth quarter belonged to the home team, as they managed to out-shoot their opponents 14-3 in the frame and out-scored them 8-0 as well. Insurance goals for St. Lawrence came from Slauson (3), sophomore Scott Smith, Carroll, senior Mike Long and sophomores CP Rahe and Adam Boghosian, bringing the score to its final of 20-7.

“After getting off to a tough start, I was happy with the way Thomas (Hollingsworth) and our defensive unit responded tonight,” said Coach Mahoney. “Kevin (Russell) has been playing very well for us offensively, and he set up five goals tonight to help us pick up our third straight win.”

Russell, who scored six points for the third consecutive game, was named the Liberty League’s Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Oswego State and Vassar.

The Saints finished with a 53-23 advantage in shots, a 45-38 edge in ground balls and successfully completed 21-of-24 clears. The Scarlet and Brown were also 2-of-3 on man-up opportunities.

St. Lawrence will have very little time to relax, as they will take on another North Country rival, Potsdam State, on Wednesday, April 2 at 4:00pm in Potsdam, NY.