Bangor, Maine: The SUNY Cobleskill men's lacrosse team overcame an early six goal deficit to post their first 2023 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) victory of the season on Friday evening scoring with two seconds remaining in regulation to defeat the host Eagles of Husson University by a 14-13 margin. With the comeback victory the Fighting Tigers are now 4-1 overall on the year with 1-1 mark in NAC play while the Eagles drop to 5-4 overall including a 1-1 mark versus league opponents. The win also surpasses the team's overall victory total for the entire 2022 season.
 
After falling behind 8-2 early, The Fighting Tigers trailed 9-4 at the half then rallied in the third period when senior attackman Kerry Blackwood, Johnstown, N.Y., Johnstown High School/Hudson Valley Community College, keyed a comeback effort scoring three times in the stanza with senior midfielder Jake Giess, Victor, N.Y., Victor High School/Finger Lakes Community College, cutting the lead to 10-9 with a goal with only 12 seconds remaining.
 
However, with 1:49 remaining in the period; Fighting Tiger sophomore goalkeeper John Williams, Smyrna, Del., Smyrna High School, was knocked out of action on an illegal hit to the head by the Eagles incurring a three-minute major for the violation. The Cobleskill goalie had posted 22 saves up to that point in the contest.
 
The fourth period began with the Eagles moving out to a 13-10 lead with 6:42 left to play when the Fighting Tigers began to rally cutting the lead to 13-11 with 5:20 left on a goal by sophomore midfielder Albert Sippio, Syracuse, N.Y., Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central, then with Kerry Blackwood scoring his fourth goal of the contest with 3:52 remaining in regulation to make it 13-12.
 
With the clock going under a minute, the Cobleskill defense forced a turnover which led to the team's leading scorer junior midfielder Sean D'Amaro, Northport, N.Y., Northport High School, to find the back of the net with only 20 seconds left to play to tie the score at 13-13.
 
On the ensuing face-off the Eagles won the draw and were heading for the net when the Cobleskill defense recorded another steal and cleared the ball to the Husson side of the field with Fighting Tiger Head Coach Greg Valachovic calling a time-out to set up a play from in front of the team's bench.

When play resumed it was Sean D'Amaro attacking the Eagles cage and unleashing a laser to the upper right side of the goal past the Husson goalie to make the score 14-13 Fighting Tigers with two seconds remaining to secure the comeback win.
 
Leading the way for the Orange & Black were Kerry Blackwell with four goals and four groundballs and Sean D'Amaro with four goals, including the game winner, and three groundballs. Jake Giess added a pair of goals and an assist while senior midfielder William Bockhaus, Southampton, N.Y., Southampton High School, had a goal, two assists and five ground balls on the evening.  
 
Junior reserve goalie Sean McMahan, Clifton Park, Shenendehowa High School, recorded the victory posting a save over the final 16:49 of the contest while positioning the Fighting Tiger defensive effectively down the stretch.
 
Cobleskill will conclude their conference Maine road trip on Sunday April 2 when they travel to Castine, Maine for a NAC meeting with the Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy beginning at 12:00 p.m.