KEUKA PARK, N.Y. - The SUNY Poly men's lacrosse team is Championship bound for the first time in program history. The Wildcats advanced in a thrilling 13-12 win at Keuka College. The Wildcats took a first-half lead but the Wolves did not give in, tying the game late in the third quarter. The Wildcat defense held strong in the fourth, allowing just one goal. The Wildcats will play the #1 seed Morrisville State Mustangs in the NEAC Championship game on Saturday, May 4th at 5:00 PM.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Keuka College's Ryan Bates scored the game's first goal to give Keuka an early lead. SUNY Poly would answer back with two goals of their own. Robert Pollock (Fulton, N.Y.) scored the first goal for the Wildcats and Edward Rosaschi (Highland Mills, N.Y.) scored the second. Rosaschi would add a second goal in the final minute of the quarter to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead.

In the second quarter, the Wildcats opened up with a goal by Chase LaCava (Jamesville, N.Y.) to take a two-goal lead. The Wildcats would tack on four more goals in the quarter and would hold Keuka to three goals taking an 8-5 lead into the locker room at the half.

Keuka had a big third quarter, led by a pair of goals by Connor Cupp. Chase LaCava scored two of the Wildcats three goals in the quarter. Keuka ended the third with a 3-0 run to tie the game at 11.

The game was decided in the fourth quarter. Daniel Rivie scored his second goal of the game to give Poly back the lead. The Wildcats would strike again with five minutes left in the game when a Daniel Cuddihy (Eden, N.Y.) pass found Edward Rosaschi in front of the net to give the Wildcats a much-needed insurance goal. That goal would prove to be important as Keuka scored a goal late in the quarter to bring the game within one. Keuka had a solid opportunity to tie the game man-up with possession in the offensive half, but the last second shot went wide sending the Wildcats to the NEAC Championship game for the first time in program history.

NOTABLES:

• Edward Rosaschi had a game-high six points on a game-high four goals and two assists. He also had two ground balls.
• Chase LaCava scored three goals and had four ground balls.    
• Daniel Rivie (Ossining, N.Y.) scored two goals for the Widlcats. He also caused two turnovers.
• Tyler Schmitz (Eden, N.Y. had a team-high four caused turnovers.
• Ryan Mead (Churchville, N.Y.) had a goal, six groundballs, and went 8-12 in the face-off circle.
• Charles Rosaschi (Highland Mills, N.Y.) earned his sixth win of the season in goal. He made six saves.
• Mark Shattuck and Connor Cupp each had three goals for the Wolves.
• Cody Nitzke had a game-high six caused turnovers and a team-high six ground balls.
• Nikoli Biljanoski made 12 saves in goal for Keuka but was on the losing side of the decision.

QUOTE FROM COACH MISIASZEK:

"It was a gutsy performance by our guys in a tough game. We are proud of the way they answered back after Keuka tied the game in the fourth. We need to keep working hard for what will be a great match-up with Morrisville on Saturday"

UP NEXT:

The Wildcats will take on the Morrisville State Mustangs in the North Eastern Athletic Championship on Saturday, May 4th. The game is set for a 5:00 PM start at Morrisville's Drake Field. This will be the Wildcats first appearance in a NEAC Championship game. The last time these two teams met, Morrisville earned a narrow two-goal win in a tightly contested regular season game.

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SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) is New York's globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem, formed from the merger of the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering and SUNY Institute of Technology. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany location and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome location. Thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world's most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and over 300 corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.