SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- The Oneonta men's lacrosse team fell to No. 17 nationally ranked Skidmore on the road Monday afternoon in non-conference play. Oneonta held a 4-2 lead after the first quarter before Skidmore pulled away in the second and third quarters for a 15-9 decision. The result moved the Red Dragons to 5-6 this season and the Thoroughbreds to 9-2 overall.
"Tough game today against a very good Skidmore team," Head Coach
Pete Owens commented. "They showed us a few areas where we have to get better, and that's why you play good teams."
Senior
Jamie O'Neil (Bath, N.Y./Haverling) finished with the game-high seven points off five goals, two assists, and he became the program's all-time leading scorer. The senior Red Dragon attackman has scored 162 career goals, breaking the previous record of 160 set by Matt Puerta '02.
"Jamie breaking our program record was a shock to no one," said Coach Owens. "He has been a leader in every facet of life on our team: wall ball, weight room, community service, in the classroom. Jamie goes above and beyond in everything he does."
O'Neil is currently third all-time with 274 career points and is three points away from breaking the career points record of 276 set by Brian Dooley '00. The Bath, N.Y. native is 19 assists away from becoming the program's career assists leader, which is held by Dooley with 130, and, as of now, O'Neil is on pace to become the program's points per game leader. He currently averages 4.72 points per game.
"Breaking the career goals record is just the latest in a series of amazing things he's done during his time here at Oneonta," Coach Owens continued. "We are all lucky to share a field, a locker room with him, and we're all better for it."
Junior
Thomas Hnis (Smithtown, N.Y./Kings Park) finished the game with four goals and an assist for five points. Hnis is currently fourth in program history with 145 career goals and is fifth with 193 career points.
The Red Dragons started off strong and took a 4-2 lead after the first quarter. Hnis scored the first goal of the game before he was with the ball behind the net and found O'Neil cutting towards the goal to take a 2-0 lead at 12:40. Sophomore
Hunter Busch (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon) cleared the ball for Oneonta then sent a deep pass to O'Neil on the left side of the attack zone, and he side-stepped his defender for the goal and a 3-1 edge at 4:37. With 20 seconds remaining, O'Neil received a pass from senior
Daniel Macchiarella (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) and beat the Thoroughbred goalie up high for his third goal of the game and the Red Dragons two-goal advantage.
Skidmore used the second quarter to go on a 6-1 run to take an 8-5 lead into halftime. Hnis scored the lone goal for Oneonta in the period at 6:22 when he got the ball at the top of the zone, sprinted towards the net, slipped between two defenders and scored his second of the game.
The Thoroughbreds kept the momentum going and outscored the Red Dragons 5-2 in the third quarter to go up 13-7. Hnis tallied both goals, his 42nd and 43rd goals of the season, in the period for Oneonta with both coming off an assist from O'Neil.
With 5:47 remaining in the game, O'Neil scored the record-breaking goal. He got the ball on the left side of the attack zone from freshman
Ryan Babikian (Jamesville, NY/Jamesville-Dewitt), then O'Neil overpowered his defender to get past him for a direct shot on goal. Two minutes later, with 3:13 left, O'Neil used a screen from senior
Shakim Carr (Brooklyn, N.Y./John Dewey) and cut towards the net to score his 20th goal of the season.
Sophomore
Mark Restivo (Merrick, NY/Sanford H. Calhoun) started the first 54:20 in net for the Red Dragons and finished with 13 saves and three ground balls for a .500 save percentage. Junior
Ben Thayer (South Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville) played the last 5:40 and totaled two saves and a .500 save percentage.
Senior
Aidan Greene (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) caused the game-high five turnovers and collected five ground balls. Busch caused four turnovers and gathered two ground balls, and junior
Ryan Lussier (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills Ballston Lake) picked up three ground balls.
Marc Gadbois started for 54:46 in goal for the Thoroughbreds and recorded 11 saves for a .579 save percentage. Ethan Pham played the final 5:14 and made a save for a .500 save percentage.
Skidmore outshot Oneonta 51-27 in total shots, 30-21 on goal, and finished with a 50-37 ground ball margin. The Red Dragons were 20 of 29 on clear attempts, 0-for-2 on man-up advantages, and the Thoroughbreds were 20 of 22 on clears and 1-for-4 on the extra man opportunity.
Oneonta is back in action on Wednesday, April 8, for a SUNYAC road match against New Paltz starting at 3 pm.
