Today's season finale for the SUNY Oneonta men's lacrosse team was win or be done for 2015.  Trailing 13-10 with 7:24 left in the game against SUNY Potsdam, it appeared that the latter would be the conclusion for the Red Dragons.
 
Refusing to quit, Oneonta (7-7, 3-3 SUNYAC) not only overcame the deficit, but came out victorious 14-13 when sophomore Austin McAskill (Baldwinsville/C.W. Baker) took a pass from freshman Alec Solomito (Holtsville/Sachem East) and buried the game-winner with 13 seconds on the clock.  The goal was McAskill's third of the game and gave him six for the season.
 
The final run of four straight goals started with a Devon Casey (Garden City/Kellenberg) goal with just over seven minutes to go.  Sophomore Robert Neubert (Lake Ronkonkoma/Sachem East) brought Oneonta to within one goal before junior Connor Coyle (Centerport/Harborfields) tied the game with 1:59 left.  Solomito registered three assists during the final stretch and finished with a career high five helpers.
 
The win for the Red Dragons secured the fourth and final spot in the SUNYAC tournament, which begins for Oneonta this Wednesday when they face its rival SUNY Cortland at 4pm in Cortland.  Cortland got the best of Oneonta in its regular season meeting last weekend 18-4.
 
"I could not be more proud of the toughness that this team has shown all year," said head coach Dan Mahar after the game.  "We started the regular season with a one-goal overtime win and have been in these types of games straight through including today.  This team never gave up and that grit has earned us an opportunity to play in the conference tournament."
 
Oneonta was down by three goals on three other occasions in today's game, each time battling back.
 
Potsdam (7-7, 3-3 SUNYAC) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first 3+ minutes of the game.  The Red Dragons entered the second quarter down 4-2, but put together a four-goal second quarter to tie the game, 6-6, heading into halftime.  Solomito tied the game with his ninth goal of the year off an assist from Coyle with 14 seconds left in the second quarter.
 
The two teams combined for nine goals in the third quarter with Potsdam taking a slim 11-10 lead into the final quarter.  The Bears had an 11-7 lead late in the third quarter before the Red Dragons scored three unanswered in the final 1:26 to pull within one goal.  McAskill had a goal and one assist during the closing run.
 
Oneonta goalie Ryan Adler (Smithtown/Smithtown West) made nine saves today while his counterpart, Pete Gropp, made 19 saves for Potsdam.