ONEONTA, N.Y. -- For the first time since 2021, the Oneonta men's lacrosse team is hosting a SUNYAC Tournament semifinal match on Wednesday, April 29, against Potsdam at 3 pm at Red Dragon Field. The price of admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 5-12, and free for children four years or younger, and SUNYAC students with valid ID. Ticket purchases are cash only. 

The Red Dragons clinched the two seed in the tournament with an overall record of 9-7 and a 6-1 record in the SUNYAC, while the Bears secured the three seed after going 10-4 this year with a 5-2 conference record. In league play, Oneonta scored at least 20 goals in five of their victories, averaging the league's second-best 18.43 goals a game and allowing 9.00 goals against on a .545 save percentage. Potsdam is fourth in the SUNYAC with 12.00 goals a game, allowing 9.14 goals against on a .552 save percentage, the conference's second highest.

SUNYAC BRACKET | LIVE STATS | LIVE STREAM

During the regular season, the two teams opened conference play against one another, where Oneonta outlasted Potsdam in a thrilling 12-11 win. The SUNYAC battle consisted of six lead changes and nine ties, where, after the Bears tied the game with 7:11 left, the Red Dragons scored twice in the final three minutes to go up 12-10. Potsdam made it a one-goal game with 90 seconds left, but Oneonta held them off.

The Red Dragons offense is led by a one-two punch of senior Jamie O'Neil (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) and junior Thomas Hnis (Smithtown, N.Y./Kings Park). Hnis leads the SUNYAC in goals (65), man-up scores (11) and is second in the conference in points (87), while O'Neil leads the league in assists (52) and is third in points (83).

If opposing teams try to shut down the Red Dragon duo, Oneonta has several other options for offensive production including junior Aidan Boyle (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) and freshman Ryan Babikian (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt). In SUNYAC play, Boyle is tied for seventh in the league with 17 goals and eighth with 24 points, while Babikian is 16th in the conference with 11 goals. This season, Boyle is third on the team with 27 goals, 12 assists, and 39 points, and Babikian is fourth with 20 goals and 21 points.

Seniors Daniel Macchiarella (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland), Shakim Carr (Brooklyn, N.Y./John Dewey), junior Finn Morris (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach), and sophomores Riley Royals (New Hyde Park, NY/Herricks) and Cody Sharp (Ballston Lake, N.Y./Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) are also key contributors to the Red Dragons offense. Macchiarella has totaled 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points, recording one point in five of the past six games. He totaled two assists against Potsdam earlier this season. Morris has scored 18 points off 10 goals and eight assists, and he has registered a point in the past five games. Royals has scored a point in the past five games, had a goal against the Bears, and enters the postseason with 13 goals and two assists for 15 points. Carr recorded three points on one goal and two assists against Potsdam. He has recorded a point in four of the last five games, totaling eight goals and six assists for 14 points. Sharp also found the back of the net against the Bears, finishing the regular season with 11 goals and an assist for 12 points.

Sophomore Mark Restivo (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) has manned the net for Oneonta this season. He is fifth in the SUNYAC with a .532 save percentage, totaling the second-most 182 saves with 28 ground balls. Sophomore Sean Grimes (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y./Croton Harmon) leads the team on faceoffs, winning 117 for a .616 win percentage this season, and he has collected 60 ground balls. Junior Nathan Nurse (Brooklyn, N.Y./Uncommon Collegiate Charter) has won 99 faceoffs for a .483 faceoff percentage while picking up 49 ground balls. Senior Aidan Greene (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) has caused the team-high 26 turnovers and gathered 52 ground balls, the second most on the team. Junior Ryan Lussier (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) is tied for third with Nurse with 49 ground balls, has caused six turnovers and, offensively, Lussier has recorded four goals and an assist for five points.

Defensively, juniors Trey Fee (White Plains, NY/White Plains), Johnny Terrana (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown East), David Trahan (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna), and sophomore Hunter Busch (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon) surround Restivo. Busch caused a career-high six turnovers against the Bears as he has caused 25 this season and gathered 21 ground balls. Terrana has caused 16 turnovers and scooped up 24 ground balls, while Trahan totaled 13 caused turnovers and 26 ground balls. Fee has caused a turnover in the past four games and caused nine this season with 24 ground balls.

Potsdam is led by Billy Kozloski, Rowisonkies Barnes, and Braydon Goddard. Kozloski leads the team with 41 goals and 19 assists for 60 points, while Barnes is right behind with 36 goals and 20 assists for 56 points. The two Bears combined for 14 points against the Red Dragons as Kozloski had three goals with five assists and Barnes with five goals and an assist. Goddard totaled two assists in the game, totaling 22 goals and 19 assists for 41 points. Drew Costello is the Bears primary faceoff specialist. Costello has won 229 faceoffs for a .732 win percentage, and he has collected the conference-best 157 ground balls. 

Saka Thompson is the main goalie for Potsdam. Thompson leads the SUNYAC with an overall save percentage of .598, saving 168 shots for the third most in conference. He also allowed the league's second-lowest 8.45 goals against him this season. Thompson has Damyn LeClair, Alex Farben-Griggs and Ryan Wassmer helping him defensively. LeClair leads the SUNYAC with 53 caused turnovers, while collecting the team-high 80 ground balls. Farben-Griggs has caused 29 turnovers and picked up 68 ground balls, and Wassmer has gathered 41 ground balls and caused 18 turnovers.

The winner of this game will advance to the SUNYAC Championship on Saturday, May 2, and will face the winner of top seed Cortland and fourth seed Plattsburgh. The top remaining seed will host the Championship on Saturday at 1 pm.