The SUNY Oneonta men's lacrosse team has certainly kept the fans in the stands in the early season.  Today, a valiant comeback in the final minutes of the game fell just short in a 9-8 loss at No. 13 Ithaca College.
 
Trailing 9-5 with 7:12 remaining in the fourth period, Oneonta 3-3, scored three unanswered to cut Ithaca's lead to a single goal with 22 seconds left.  Freshman Hunter DeLuca (Medford/Patchogue Medford) found classmate Charles Montgomery (Pleasantville/Pleasantville) in front of the goal and Montgomery finished off the play with a shot to the back of the net.
 
DeLuca scored his second of the game unassisted with 1:25 to go to bring the Red Dragons to within a pair at 9-7.  Junior Mike Metzger (Colonie/Colonie) made the game 9-6 when he scored an extra man goal for Oneonta off an assist from Robert Neubert (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem East) at the 4:14 mark.
 
Oneonta jumped out first in today's game with back-to-back goals by DeLuca and Neubert.  DeLuca's goal came with an assist from Montgomery while Neubert tallied an unassisted goal.
 
Justin Bird scored an unassisted goal for Ithaca (5-2) at the 5:31 mark of the opening period.  The Red Dragons would hold its one-goal advantage entering the second period.
 
Back-to-back goals by James Manilla gave the Bombers its first lead of the game.  Manilla's scored an unassisted goal to tie the game and then added a man-up goal at the 9:59 mark to give Ithaca a 3-2 lead.
 
After an unassisted goal by junior Calvin Bollar (Huntington Station/Huntington) tied the score for Oneonta, the Bombers closed the second period with three unanswered to grab a 5-3 lead at halftime.
 
Sophomore Ryan Adler (Smithtown/Smithtown West) made 12 saves today in goal for Oneonta.  His counterpart made nine stops.
 
Ithaca outshot Oneonta, 40-29, while also winning 15-of-21 face offs.
 
Oneonta will be back on the road this Friday night when they play in Uniondale, NY against Marywood University beginning at 7pm at the Mitchell Athletic Complex.
 
ONEONTA SCORING:
Goals: Hunter DeLuca (Medford/Patchogue Medford) (2); Mike Metzger (Colonie/Colonie) (2); Charles Montgomery (Pleasantville/Pleasantville) (1); Robert Neubert (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem East) (1); Calvin Bollar (Huntington Station/Huntington) (1); Anthony Laureano (Holtsville/Sachem East) (1)
Assists: Charles Montgomery (Pleasantville/Pleasantville) (1); Robert Neubert (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem East) (1); Ben Hylka (Cortlandt Manor/Lakeland Panas) (1); Hunter DeLuca (Medford/Patchogue Medford) (1)
 
ITHACA SCORING:
Goals: James Manilla (3); Jack Shumway (2); John Januszkiewicz (2); Justin Bird (1); Steve Danylyshyn (1)
Assists: Jack Shumway (3); James Manilla (1); John Januszkiewicz (1); Stephen Morrell (1)