POTSDAM, N.Y. – Ten different players scored goals as the Cortland men's lacrosse team opened its season with a 14-6 non-conference win at Potsdam Tuesday afternoon. The game qualifies as non-conference due to the realignment of SUNYAC teams this spring as the Red Dragons are part of the West Division with Brockport, Geneseo and Oswego, while the Bears (0-1) have been placed in the East Division with New Paltz, Oneonta and Plattsburgh.

Senior Brandon Stiles (Mastic/Eastport-South Manor) led Cortland with three goals and one assist. Senior Zak Jones (East Quogue/Westhampton Beach) and sophomore Luke Kilner (Highland Falls/James I. O'Neill) each netted two goals, and juniors Troy Morris (Long Beach) and Dante Yacavone (Homer) and sophomore Sean Barrett (Lynbrook) tallied one goal and one assist apiece.

Senior Anthony LaRosa (East Meadow) and junior Tim Grosso (Hauppauge) each scored a goal, while junior Pat Doyen (Miller Place) and sophomore Matthew Thrasher (Vestal) picked up their first career goals in the debut game for the Red Dragons.

Senior Brian Williams (Holbrook/Sachem East) won 13-of-14 faceoffs and scooped up nine ground balls for Cortland. Sophomore Jake DiBenedetto (Lynbrook) secured all four of the faceoffs he took. Senior Jack Schenker (Lagrangeville/Arlington) caused two turnovers and secured three ground balls, senior Jacob Rivers (Homer) collected four ground balls, and Stiles and senior Mike Nicholson (North Babylon/St. Anthony's) recorded three ground balls.

Junior goalie Marc Esposito (West Babylon) turned aside seven shots and allowed just three goals in 26:35. Senior goalie Charlie Ricottoni (Dix Hills/Half Hollow Hills West) made six saves and surrendered two goals in 27:48, while junior Jack Corcoran (Camillus/West Genesee) played 5:37 in his first action as a Red Dragon.

Peyton Walsh led Potsdam with a pair of goals. Josh Huiatt registered a goal and an assist, and Cobie Cree, Cam Talcott and Alex Burley each netted a goal. Cree, Huiatt and Trent Woodroe paced the Bears with three ground balls apiece. Goalie Ben Fuchs made 14 saves in 53:04 before Liam O'Neil finished the game with three saves in 6:56.

Cortland opened up a 3-0 lead just past the midway point of the first quarter as three different players scored. Trailing 4-2 after the first period, the Bears made it a 4-3 game before the Red Dragons ended the half with a three-goal run for a 7-3 advantage and stretched the lead to 10-3 through three quarters and finished off an 8-0 scoring binge to build a commanding 12-3 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Bears tallied three of the final five goals for the final of 14-6.

Cortland returns to action with its home opener on Saturday, hosting nationally top-ranked RIT at 1 p.m.
 
Cortland 14, Potsdam 6

GAME SUMMARY:

Team                1-2-3-4  Final
Cortland           4-3-3-4    14
Potsdam          2-1-0-3      6

Scoring (Goals-Assists):
Cortland: Brandon Stiles 3-1, Zak Jones 2-0, Luke Kilner 2-0, Troy Morris 1-1, Dante Yacavone 1-1, Sean Barrett 1-1, Pat Doyen 1-0, Tom Grosso 1-0, Anthony LaRosa 1-0, Matthew Thrasher 1-0
Potsdam: Peyton Walsh 2-0, Josh Huiatt 1-1, Cobie Cree 1-0, Cam Talcott 1-0, Alex Burley 1-0

Goalkeepers:
Potsdam: Ben Fuchs, 14 saves (12 GA in 53:04), Liam O'Neil, 3 saves (2 GA in 6:56)
Cortland: Marc Esposito, 7 saves (3 GA in 26:35), Charlie Ricottoni, 6 saves (2 GA in 27:48), Jack Corcoran, 0 saves (1 GA in 5:37)

Shots: Cortland 60, Potsdam 33
Ground Balls: Cortland 42, Potsdam 26
Turnovers: Potsdam 14, Cortland 11
Caused Turnovers: Cortland 4, Potsdam 4
Clears: Cortland 15-of-19, Potsdam 15-of-20
Faceoffs Won: Cortland 18, Potsdam 4
Penalties: Cortland 8-8:00, Potsdam 5-3:00
Extra-Man Offense: Cortland 2-4, Potsdam 2-8

Records after game: Cortland (Red Dragons) 1-0; Potsdam (Bears) 0-1