POTSDAM — The SUNY Potsdam men 's lacrosse team opens the 2024 season at 15th-ranked St. Lawrence University on Thursday at 4 p.m. The Bears posted a 7-8 record last season.

The campaign marks the 30th at the helm for three-time SUNYAC Coach of the Year Rick Berkman.

Former All-SUNYAC selection Cam Talcott '22 is back for his second season as assistant coach and is joined by former Bears Cole Zeller '20. Senior midfielder Bryce Tyler (Camden, Maine/Camden Hills) will serve a second season as captain for the team.

Junior attackman Cobie Cree (Akwesasne, N.Y./Salmon River), junior long-stick midfielder Ben Lagoner (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas), junior defender Cole Slavin (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) and junior goalie Liam O'Neil (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) are first time captains. The Bears are a veteran squad with 28 returnees and nine newcomers.

Offense

Potsdam returns it's top five scorers on offense. Graduate student midfielder Peyton Walsh (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa) is back to lead the offense. Last year he had 49 goals and 13 assists for 62 points. He also collected 22 ground balls and caused nine turnovers. Walsh's performance earned him second team All-SUNYAC honors.

Junior attackman Owen Walsh (Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa), a another former second team all-conference selection, wasn't far behind with 27 goals, 16 assists, 41 ground balls and eight caused turnovers. Junior midfielder Drew Rose (Brasher Falls, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) also had a career year with 25 goals and 12 assists to go with 18 ground balls and four caused turnovers. Cree was also a major contributor on the attack with a personal-best 24 goals along with two assists, 29 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers. Junior midfielder Ryan Hughes (Corning, N.Y./Corning-Painted Post) improved on his freshman campaign with 21 points last season on nine goals and 12 assists.

Sophomore attackman Crayton Cree (Hogansburg, N.Y./Salmon River) is back after seeing action in eight games last season, scoring a goal and recording an assist. Junior attackman Drew Talcott (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) also returns after season away. Sophomore faceoff specialist Drew Costello (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Ogdensburg Free Academy) had a strong debut campaign, winning 54.4-percent of his opportunities (136-250) and leading the team in ground balls with 61.

Sophomore attackman Rowisonkies Barnes (Akwesasne, N.Y./The Hill Academy) comes to Potsdam from Onondaga Community College where he scored five goals and assisted on two others inn three games. Freshman attackman Aiden Tice (Schenectady, N.Y./Guilderland) joins the offense from Guilderland this season.

Midfield

Tyler has played in every contest over the two seasons. Last spring he had three goals, three assists, 12 ground balls and four caused turnovers. Sophomore Tyler Gould (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) made his presence felt in his first season with seven goals and two assists along with six ground balls and two caused turnovers. Sophomore Jakob Lynch (Alexandria Bay, N.Y./Thousand Islands) played in all 15 games a season ago. He corralled 26 ground balls and had six caused turnovers. Seniors Gerald VanDeWalker (Syracuse, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse) and Casey Hooper (Massena, N.Y./Massena) are also back after seeing time in three games each. Sophomore Nick Long (Elbridge, N.Y./Jordan-Elbridge) played in nine games in 2023, collecting six ground balls.

Of the four new additions to the midfield corps, one is very familiar. Senior Ben Fuchs (Fort Lauderdale, N.Y./Calvary Christian) posted an 11-8 record and made 249 saves as a goalie in three seasons with the Bears. He'll now show his athleticism at a new position. Freshman Andrew Gubbins (South Pomfret, N.Y./Woodstock Union) will join the team after he completes his playoff run with Potsdam's men's hockey team. Freshman Morgan Fox (Clayton, N.Y./Thousand Islands) and Braden Fahey (Halfmoon, N.Y./Shenendehowa) join the Bears from Clayton and Halfmoon, respectively.

Long-Stick Midfield

Potsdam has four long-stick midfielders. Lagoner is the only returnee, playing in every game last season. He caused 12 turnovers and grabbed 19 ground balls along with winning five faceoffs. Sophomore Eriq Bowie (Hanover, N.H./Hanover) transferred from Castleton University, where he played in five games with the Spartans last year. Freshmen Thomas Long (Elbridge, N.Y./Jordan-Elbridge) and Noah Houle (Potsdam, N.Y./Frontier) give the Bears two more options at the position.

Defense

The Bears are very experienced in the defensive ranks. Junior Ben Welch (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) led the team with 20 caused turnovers along with 47 ground balls. Slavin played in 13 games, causing 10 turnovers and picking up 27 ground balls. Senior Sean Delaney (Victor, N.Y./Victor) was on the field in every game and had 16 ground balls and five caused turnovers. Sophomore Ryan Wassmer (Patchogue, N.Y./Patchogue-Medford) had 14 ground balls and three caused turnovers. Sophomores Tommy Storrin (Brasher Falls, N.Y./St. Lawrence Central) and Grayson Jackson (Carthage, N.Y./Carthage) each played in nine games and sophomore Alex Farben-Griggs (White Plains, N.Y./White Plains) saw action in eight. Senior Nicholas Parrish (Fulton, N.Y./G. Ray Bodley) and junior Owen Dunham (Whitney Point, N.Y./Whitney Point) each played in three games. Freshman Jack McCandless (Victor, N.Y./Victor) is another two-sport athlete that will join the team after the completion of hockey season.

Goal

The Bears are especially deep between the sticks. O'Neil was 5-6 in 12 games with a .561 save percentage and an 11.57 goals-against-average. Sophomore Saka Thompson (Akwesasne, N.Y./Salmon River) was also impressive in 11 games, posting a 2-2 mark with a 9.99 G.A.A. and a .607 save percentage. Senior Chris Wilk (Rutland, Vt./Rutland) also returns.

Schedule

After opening with the Saints, Potsdam heads to Utica University for a contest on February 28. The Bears open up at home against SUNY Poly at 1 p.m. on March 9. After a trip to Castleton on March 12, Potsdam is back home for three in a row. The Bears host Morrisville on March 16 and Canton on March 19. They open up SUNYAC play on March 23 when Oneonta comes to Maxcy Turf Field. Potsdam closes out its nonconference slate at Clarkson on March 27. After road games at Oswego (March 30) and Geneseo (April 5), the Bears host Cortland (April 13), New Paltz (April) 20 and Plattsburgh (April 24). They close out the regular season at Brockport on April 27.

Coverage

Live video and statistics of all home contests will be provided as they have in each of the last 12 seasons. Check potsdambears.com for all news and schedule updates.