Throwback Thursday: 10 Years Ago in Cortland Men's Lacrosse
CORTLAND, N.Y. – With the Cortland Red Dragons men's lacrosse team sitting in the number one spot early this season, the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) is throwing it back ten years ago to 2008 when the Cortland Red Dragons took down the Geneseo Knights, 19-6, for the conference title.
At the end of the post season the Red Dragons found themselves ranked second and hosting the SUNYAC men's lacrosse championship final. They would play this game at their very own Cortland Stadium Complex against the 11th ranked Geneseo Knights.
The Red Dragons knew what they were after the moment they took the field. They started the game posting an early 4-0 lead within the first four minutes of the game, and by the end of that first quarter hely held an 8-3 lead. In the second quarter the Red Dragons continued to be relentless opening with five straight goals to up their lead to 13-3.
Late in the second quarter Geneseo's, junior at the time, Justin Rand posted a goal for the Knights but this was quickly returned by Cortland's Billy Fuchs 49th and 50th goals of the year. These two goals gave the Red Dragons a 15-4 lead at the half.
With the second half of the game underway the Red Dragons developed their biggest lead of the game. Juniors at the time, Joey Morgan and Cody Hoyt would both posted goals for the Red Dragons in the third quarter to make a 17-4 lead. Geneseo's, junior Mike Ryerson finished the third quarter scoring an unassisted goal, closing the quarter at 17-5.
There is no doubt that the Knights fought a hard battle to the end, as they posted one more goal in the fourth quarter. That goal was matched by Red Dragons, senior at the time, Hyde and Fuchs who scoreed goals just 27 seconds apart early in the fourth quarter.
In this game the Red Dragons outshot the Knights 49-26, held a 54-30 advantage in ground balls and won 23 of 28 face-offs.
This victory over the Knights was the Red Dragons 11th consecutive win for the season and it gave them an automatic NCAA berth. This was the programs 16th conference title and head coach Steve Beville's first.
