PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The Plattsburgh State men's lacrosse team gave itself a big boost in its quest to qualify for and nab a top-two seed in the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Tournament on Saturday afternoon, as the Cardinals topped The College at Brockport, 7-4, in conference action on Senior Day at the Field House Complex.
 
Brockport scored three unanswered goals across the second and third quarters to tie the score at 4-all, but the Cardinals responded with three unanswered markers of their own in the fourth quarter to come away with the win.
 
The Golden Eagles outshot the Cardinals, 34-29, and went 9-for-15 at the X, but Plattsburgh State fared better in transition, going 15-for-17 on clears compared to Brockport's 12-for-18 performance. Brockport also won the ground ball battle, 31-26, and both teams successfully killed off all penalties assessed to them, with the Golden Eagles going scoreless in seven chances with the extra attacker and the Cardinals going 0-for-2 with the extra-man advantage.
 
Plattsburgh State rises to 4-8 overall (3-1 SUNYAC) with the win and hosts SUNY Oneonta in its final regular-season home game on Wednesday, April 25, at 4 p.m. at the Field House Complex. Brockport drops to 5-7 overall (3-2 SUNYAC) with the loss and visits Oneonta in its regular-season finale on Saturday, April 28, at 1 p.m.
 
Senior attackman Ryan Hubbard (Aquebogue, N.Y./Riverhead) scored 3:02 into the contest to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead, and Hubbard struck again with 3:02 left in the first quarter with another unassisted goal. Freshman attackman Stephen Kane (Hampden, Mass./Minnechaug Regional) found twine with just 25 seconds remaining in the first to hand Plattsburgh State a 3-0 advantage through 15 minutes of play.
 
Freshman attackman Liam O'Connor tallied unassisted midway through the second to put Brockport on the board, but senior midfielder Billy Moller (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields) scored unassisted with 2:28 before halftime to extend the lead to 4-1. Brockport's freshman attackman Patrick Sheridan cashed in on a feed from senior midfielder Zach Cook with 1:37 to go in the second quarter to cut the deficit in half heading into the intermission.
 
Brockport scored the only two goals of the third quarter, as senior midfielder Colton Oliver found freshman midfielder Brendan Halleran for a goal midway through the stanza before Sheridan tallied on a pass from Coppola with 2:37 to go in the period to tie the game.
 
Moller buried his second goal of the game 5:05 into the fourth quarter, while sophomore midfielder Kevin Litchauer (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Arlington) gave the Cardinals some breathing room with an unassisted score less than three minutes later. Hubbard completed the hat trick with 1:02 left in regulation, scoring unassisted after running time off the clock.
 
Hubbard and Moller led the Cardinal offense with three and two goals, respectively, while Hubbard also scooped up six ground balls. Six different Cardinals caused a turnover.
 
Sheridan posted the lone multi-point game for the Golden Eagles with two goals, while senior face-off specialist Michael Caternolo went 9-for-15 at the X. Senior defenseman Steven Gurin had a strong game for the defense with five ground balls and three caused turnovers.
 
Senior goalie Donald Tesoriero (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) turned aside 13 shots in the win for Plattsburgh State, while senior goalie Dallas Meyers made 10 saves in the loss for Brockport.
 
Prior to the start of the game, the Cardinals honored their 14 seniors: goalie Austin Graham (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown), defenseman Sean Hayes (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue), face-off specialist Travis Mauro (Northport, N.Y./Northport), Hubbard, defensive midfielder Brad Johnston (Altamont, N.Y./Guilderland), Moller, defenseman Tyler Copius (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford), midfielder John Nessim (Levittown, N.Y./Division Avenue), attackman E.J. Suris (Kings Park, N.Y./Smithtown West), long-stick midfielder Sean Guzzetta (East Islip, N.Y./East Islip), defensive midfielder Nicco Narbutas (Holbrook, N.Y./Miller Place), midfielder John Lennon (Sea Cliff, N.Y./North Shore), midfielder Peter Ciacelli (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) and Tesoriero.