POTSDAM, N.Y.—Senior attack Bailey Weigel (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville East) scored the game-winning goal with 27 seconds left as the SUNY Potsdam women's lacrosse team (4-7) completed its 10-9 comeback victory over SUNY Canton (7-3) on Thursday afternoon. Weigel finished with three goals and an assist and junior attack Bri McClusky (Watertown, N.Y./Immaculate Heart) contributed a goal and three assists. Senior captain Margaret Wall (Rochester, N.Y./Aquinas) scored twice for the 100th and 101st points of her career. Sophomore goalie Devan Olschewske (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) made 11 saves, including nine in the second half to help the Bears to their third straight win.

The teams cautiously felt each other out over the opening five minutes, but Kangaroos sophomore midfielder Hannah Christiansen (Lake View, N.Y./Frontier) broke the stalemate with a goal at 24:32. McClusky set up sophomore attack Michaela Cole (Parishville, N.Y./Parishville-Hopkinton) 24 seconds later to tie the score. At 21:42, McClusky gave Potsdam its first lead at 2-1 with an assist from sophomore midfielder Murphy Newman (Canton, N.Y./Berkshire School). Christiansen answered with two straight, the first on free position at 20:11, and the Roos were back up 3-2 at 18:27. McClusky set up Weigel nearly four minutes later to tie the game at three all.

Canton junior midfielder Robyn Carroll (Bowmanville, Ontario/St. Stephens) and Bears sophomore midfielder Alyssa Ferenczy (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) traded the next two goals, before the Roos closed the half on a 3-1 run. Canton sophomore attack Katelynn Nutter (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) started the run and Carroll scored the final two. Wall reached the 100-point plateau on a pretty pass from sophomore attack Katie Lapinski (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) at 5:50 and Potsdam trailed 7-5 at the break.

Chritiansen scored her fourth of the game 1:55 into final half and the Bears were down three goals and on the ropes. Fortunately, Olschewske raised her game when her teammates needed her most. Carroll picked up the ensuing draw control and went straight for the goal. Olschewske shut her down and then did it again a minute later. She then picked up the ground ball and started a successful clear that resulted a Newman goal to close the gap to 8-6. Weigel assisted on the play. Four minutes later, Olchewske stymied Canton's leading scorer Tressa Goolden (Canton, N.Y./Hugh C. Williams) and Weigel capitalized with a free-position goal to get the Bears within one. Olschewske stopped Carroll again with just over 18 minutes remaining, and Newman tied the game at 17:24 with a man-down, free-position attempt.

The teams went at each other without scoring for the next 12 minutes, largely due to excellent goaltending at both ends of the field. Olschewske racked up four more saves during the stretch including a stop of Carroll on a free position. Canton sophomore goalie Becca Kieffer (Lee Center, N.Y./Rome Free Academy) was nearly as good, recording two saves and a stop of Weigel on a free position.

It was Wall who finally broke the draw on a pass from McClusky with 6:28 left, but the Kangaroos weren't done. After another Kieffer save, Carroll connected with Nutter to get the Kangaroos even with 5:35 to play. Olschewske stopped a Goolden free position at 4:29 and Kieffer returned the favor for sophomore defender Hannah Keggins (Watertown, N.Y./Watertown) at 2:58. Kieffer made one final save with a minute to go, but with 27 seconds remaining, Weigel fought her way through crowd and fired the ball into the top of the net for the decisive tally. Keggins scooped up the final draw control and ran out the clock.

Kieffer finished with a game-high 12 saves.

The Bears topped the Kangaroos in shots (32-23), ground balls (22-14) and draw controls (14-7).

Potsdam is back in action when the Bears host Brockport at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Potsdam will honor seniors Wall, Weigel, Emily Petit (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury), Katie Putnam (Chittenango, N.Y./Chittenango) and Cheyenne Lazore (Akwesasne, N.Y./Salmon River) for Senior Day prior to the game.