NEWTON, Mass.—The SUNY Potsdam men’s soccer team rallied to tie Lasell 1-1 in the Championship of the Lasell Kickoff Classic, then claimed the title on penalty kicks.

Freshman forward Cliff Bondi (Guilderland, N.Y./Guilderland) scored in the 68th minute and junior goalkeeper Joe Glackin (Latham, N.Y./Shaker) finished with 12 saves through two overtimes.

Freshman forward Stephen Auyer (Oswego, N.Y./Oswego) was named tournament MVP.

The Bears were outplayed for much of the contest. The Lasers kept the pressure on throughout the first half, but Glackin and Potsdam’s defenders kept them off the board.

Lasell finally broke through at the 53:52 mark of the second half as Evan Giaccione set up Mike Skelton for the 1-0 lead.

The uneven shot advantage continued, but the Bears made the most of their chances as Bondi buried Potsdam’s second shot at 67:50. Battling the heat and the Lasers, the Bears willed themselves to overtime. Glackin made eight saves in the second half.

“It was hot out there and our defenders were exhausted the last 25 minutes, but I’ve got to say, we gutted it out,” said Bears Head Coach Adam Parker.

The teams fought through two scoreless 10-minute overtime periods, but couldn’t find the game-winner. Scoring came easier in the penalty-kick round, as both teams converted on their first three attempts.

After the Bears had missed their fourth, Glackin stopped Lasell’s fifth shooter with a chance to win. Senior defender Victor Colasacco (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside) and junior defender Sean Atkinson (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem East) scored on Potsdam’s fifth and sixth attempts and Glackin sealed the title with another save on the Laser’s final chance.

“The guys are happy because we’ve achieved something even though we might not have played as well as we would have liked,” added Parker. “It’s nice to win something and get the program moving in the right direction.”

The Bears were outshot 32-9 on the afternoon. Lasell goalie Aren Moorman finished with five saves.

In addition to Auyer, Glackin, senior midfielder A.J. Ramirez (Glens Falls, N.Y./Glens Falls), and senior defender Chris Mack (South Glens Falls, N.Y./South Glens Falls) were named to the All-Tournament Team.

Next weekend the Bears host the first SUNY Potsdam Men’s College Soccer Cup. Potsdam (1-0-1) faces D’Youville College in the first round on Saturday, Sept. 10, at 3 p.m.