ONEONTA, N.Y. -- The SUNY Oneonta men's lacrosse team fell in their final game of the season against Oswego in overtime, 12-11, Saturday afternoon. Oswego tied the game with under 30 seconds left in regulation then scored with a minute remaining in the overtime period. Freshman
Thomas Hnis (Smithtown, N.Y./Kings Park) led the team with five goals and had two ground balls, while senior
Evan Kelly (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna) recorded four goals and collected two ground balls.
Oneonta jumped out to a 7-2 lead with 9:33 to play in the first half. Hnis and Kelly both recorded three goals during the stretch while senior
Matthew Krieg (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue) fired one in off a pass from junior
Vincent Tirino (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue). Tirino assisted on two of the goals during the early run while senior
Eric Nicholson (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East) and freshman
Aidan Boyle (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) tallied one. Oswego's Connor Aspinall scored twice to pull the Lakers within three at 5:03, however Krieg dished one to Kelly with a minute left in the half to go up 8-4 at the break.
Oswego pulled to within one with a 4-1 third quarter. Aspinall started the quarter with his third goal of the game, Liam Sexton had two, and Corey O'Connor scored the final goal in the third. Hnis netted one in the period for Oneonta to maintain a, 9-8, one-goal lead entering the fourth quarter. The Lakers took the lead off a goal from O'Connor with 11:54 to play. Krieg tied it up with his 14th goal of the season then Hnis put the Red Dragons up 11-10 with his 42nd goal of the season with 6:44 left. After holding off Oneonta in a two man-up opportunity, Oswego's Hayden Coney tied the game with 27 seconds remaining to force overtime. Max Brodman scored the game-winner for Oswego with a minute left in the overtime period.
Krieg finished with two goals and an assist, while Tirino had two assists. Senior
Harrison Boukas (North Massapequa/Plainegde) had 14 saves and a ground ball, junior
Stephen Barikyan (Tappan/Tappan Zee) was 15 of 27 on faceoffs and collected eight ground balls, and senior
Jesse AlfanoStJohn (Westhampton Beach/Westhampton Beach) caused seven turnovers and picked up five ground balls.
Seamus Hand had 18 saves for the Lakers, Sexton had two goals and three assists, Coney had two goals and an assist, and Aspinall scored three goals. Oneonta outshot Oswego 45-40, 29-26 on goal, and had a 37-29 ground ball advantage.
The Red Dragons finished the season 7-8 overall and 3-4 in the SUNYAC to finish fifth in the conference standings. Before the game, Oneonta recognized and celebrated the careers of their seniors for Senior Day. Those honored were
Jesse AlfanoStJohn (Westhampton Beach/Westhampton Beach),
Matthew Krieg (Port Jefferson Station/Comsewogue),
Andrew Guinto (Syracuse/West Genesee),
Ben Konak (South Salem/John Jay),
Evan Kelly (Niskayuna, N.Y./Niskayuna),
Harrison Boukas (North Massapequa/Plainegde),
Daniel Russo (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh),
Stephen Sommo (Floral Park/Floral Park),
Eric Nicholson (Nesconset, N.Y./Smithtown East),
Ray Raefski (Pleasantville, N.Y./Pleasantville),
Sean Mueller (Pleasantville, N.Y./Pleasantville) and
Ryan Nicholson (Smithtown/Smithtown East).
