The Cortland men’s lacrosse team defeated Oswego 20-6 in SUNYAC action, securing their title as the conference’s regular-season champions in an impressive show of dominance. With this victory, the Red Dragons continued their perfect 6-0 conference run and improved to an outstanding 1-0-4 overall record. The Lakers, however, suffered a defeat as they fell to 9-5 overall and 4-2 in SUNYAC play.
From the first whistle, Cortland showed its strength, quickly silencing Oswego’s early 1-0 lead with a remarkable 12-goal burst. With four goals apiece from Sam Rothman and Ryan Scanlon, who put on outstanding performances, the Red Dragons demonstrated their clinical offensive power. Scanlon’s single assist and Rothman’s two added to the team’s potent offense. With three goals and two assists, Nick Stoeker also had a big influence, while Josh Michel added two goals to increase Cortland’s lead.
“This was a big game for us because we knew we had to win to get the home-field advantage for the SUNYAC playoffs”, said Scanlon. “I’m glad the boys were able to come together with some energy and enthusiasm to make sure that we got the job done and secured first place in the league.”
Cortland’s defense held firm, keeping the Lakers scoreless for an incredible 38 minutes between the first and third quarters, despite Oswego’s best attempts to rally. Travis Wagner, the goalkeeper, was essential to Cortland’s defensive triumph. In the 51 minutes that he was on the field, he made 11 saves and allowed just three goals to be scored. With one save to end the game, Charlie Falowski matched his outstanding performance.
“I thought that our defense did a tremendous job as a whole unit to be able to hold them scoreless for nearly 3 whole quarters,” said Wagner. “As a goalie, this gives not only me but the guys in front of me, protecting me, a lot of confidence as we make our push into the playoffs.”
Apart from their rampant offensive and defensive play, Cortland demonstrated their overall dominance on the field by dominating ground balls, turnovers, and faceoffs. The contributions of guys like Ryan Smith, Stefan Swedland, and Klay Stuver, in addition to Caden Yancey’s goal and two assists, highlighted Cortland’s depth and adaptability.
“It felt good after the game to know that we won the regular season conference title,” said Stuver. “I know the guys are happy to be able to play in front of our fans and not have to travel for the conference playoffs.”
Oswego put forth an effort, with goals from six different players, including Max Brodman and Logan Prescott, but they were ultimately defeated by Cortland’s strong roster. Oswego’s goalkeeper Seamus Hand made 14 stops, but it was insufficient to stop Cortland’s unrelenting offensive barrage.
Cortland feels confident going into their next match, having won the league title during the regular season. Oswego is trying to get back together and get over the loss as they prepare for Oneonta, in a game that is win or go home for both teams. Both teams will be surely trying to leave their imprint and compete for playoff glory as the SUNYAC tournament draws near.