Men's Lacrosse Comes Up Short at No. 15 Ithaca, 11-9

ITHACA, N.Y. – SUNY Geneseo sophomore midfielder James Pratt scored three goals, but it was No. 15 Ithaca holding off the visiting Knights, 11-9, Saturday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Ithaca scored the first four goals of the game and held Geneseo off the board until Pratt scored with 27 seconds on the clock as the Bombers carried a 4-1 lead after 15 minutes of play. 
• The Knights out-scored Ithaca, 6-1, in the second quarter to take a 7-5 halftime lead. Sophomore attackman Connor Griffin got things rolling at 11:29 before Pratt notched his second goal just over a minute later and junior attackman Matt Malone tied the game, 4-4, at 7:11. 
• Ithaca stopped the run with a goal at 4:14, but the Knights responded six-seconds later on a strike by junior attackman Patrick Morris. Pratt completed the hat-trick at 2:47 before senior midfielder Jack Centore tallied with 32 seconds on the clock for the two-goal edge at intermission. 
• Ithaca scored three unanswered goals in the third quarter and two more to start the fourth to re-take a three-goal lead, 10-7, with 7:59 left in regulation. 
• First-year midfielder Sean Byrne scored at 5:09 before Morris found the net again to make it a one-goal game with 4:13 left. However, the Bombers put the game out of reach with a final tally at 2:02 to hand the Knights their first loss of 2019. 

GAME NOTES

• Geneseo finished the game with a 45-38 advantage in ground balls, including a team-high five by senior defenseman Jack Crowley. 
• The Knights won 17-of-23 face-offs, including 12-of-14 by first-year midfielder Ryan Lee. 
• Junior goalie Tyler Wetzel was credited with 15 saves as Geneseo out-shot the Bombers, 44-39. 

WHAT'S NEXT
Geneseo heads to Morrisville this Wednesday (March 6) for a 4:30 p.m. faceoff with the Mustangs.