Bangor, ME: The SUNY Cobleskill men's lacrosse team opened North Atlantic Conference (NAC) play on Saturday afternoon, falling to Husson University 17-9 in a hard-fought battle at Boucher Field.

Second-year attacker Alex Baker (Guilford, VT/Brattleboro Union) tied his career high with four goals on seven shots, adding four ground balls and one caused turnover. Fellow second-year playmaker Rob Staubitz (East Rockaway, NY) turned in an all-around effort, leading the game with three assists while scooping a team-high 11 ground balls and causing one turnover. Senior Albert Sippio (Syracuse, NY/ITC) netted two goals while contributing three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Noah Palange (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton) added two goals for Cobleskill.

In goal, James Meier (Guilderland, NY) made 12 saves with a .414 save percentage. At the faceoff X, Sippio found success, winning 9-of-14 battles, while Chris Sgueglia (Rochester, NY/Greece Athena) chipped in three wins on 15 attempts.

Husson controlled possession with a 47-30 shot advantage and a 29-17 edge in shots on goal, keeping the Fighting Tigers' defense under constant pressure. Cobleskill battled for ground balls, collecting 32, but Husson's 43 recoveries helped fuel their transition game. The Eagles also held a slight edge at the faceoff, winning 18-of-30 draws. Turnovers proved costly for the Tigers, who committed 30 giveaways compared to Husson's 21. Cobleskill's defense was active, forcing nine caused turnovers.

Husson struck first with two quick goals in the opening four minutes before Cobleskill earned an extra-man opportunity at the 8:22 mark. However, the Tigers couldn't capitalize, and Husson extended their lead to 3-0. Cobleskill answered with back-to-back strikes from Baker and Noah Palange less than a minute apart, cutting the deficit to 3-2. But the Eagles closed the quarter strong, scoring three times in the final two minutes to take a 6-2 lead into the second.

Meier made a clutch one-on-one save early in the second quarter to keep Cobleskill within striking distance at 7-2. Baker responded with a highlight-reel dodge and finish to get the Tigers back on the board. Owen Martin (Olivebridge, NY/Onteora) added another goal, trimming the deficit to 9-4, before both teams traded late tallies to send the game into halftime with Husson leading 10-5.

The Eagles struck quickly out of the break, scoring twice in the first two minutes of the third quarter to push their lead to 12-5. Baker and Sippio found the net late in the frame, but Cobleskill still faced a 14-7 deficit heading into the final quarter.

Both teams added two goals in the fourth, with Palange and Baker finishing strong for Cobleskill, but Husson maintained control to secure the 17-9 victory in the conference opener.

Up Next:
The Fighting Tigers return to action on Wednesday, March 26, traveling to Long Island to face Saint Joseph's University in a non-conference matchup at 4:00 p.m. in Patchogue, NY.