FIGHTING TIGER LAX CLOSES SEASON WITH 17-5 WIN OVER DEAN COLLEGE

The SUNY Cobleskill men’s lacrosse team closed the 2007 season in style on Sunday afternoon traveling to Dean College in Franklin, MA, to record a 17-5 road victory to post their third victory in four games played over a five-day period. The victory gives the Fighting Tigers a 4-7 overall record for the season marking the program’s most wins since the 1994 season when the team finished with a 5-4 overall mark. The Fighting Tigers did not field a team during the 2006 season after finishing the 2005 campaign with a 1-9 overall mark under the direction of then head coach Todd Weil.

Playing in his last game for the Fighting Tigers senior midfielder Tom Cunningham, Skaneateles, NY, Skaneateles High School, was a devastating force offensively scoring four goals and passing out four assist in the game while freshman attackman Joe LaBadia, Bethel, CT, Bethel High School, notched a career high of five goals to go with two assists for the Orange & Black. Senior attackman/midfielder Matt Hughes, Wallkill, NY, Wallkill High School, was also a major factor in the victory with four goals and three assists.

Cobleskill also received scoring efforts from freshman attackman/midfielder Andrew Abbott, Onondaga, NY, Onondaga High School, with two goals and one assists and a one goal and one assist performance from freshman attackman Tim Clark, Utica, NY, Thomas R. Proctor High School. Freshman defenseman Jim McFadden, West Babylon, NY, West Babylon High School, chipped in one goal on the day and freshman midfielder/defenseman Blane Murray, Waterloo, NY, Waterloo High School, added an assist to the Cobleskill victory totals.

Once again the Fighting Tigers received a strong effort in the nets from freshman goalkeeper Brad Wilson, West Point, NY, James I. O’Neil High School, who made 13 saves in the game and did an excellent job of positioning the Cobleskill defensive unit throughout the game.

“This was an extremely emotional game for us because it was the last time Tom Cunningham and Matt Hughes would be playing for us,” said first-year Fighting Tiger Head Coach Ryan Gunzinger. “As a team we thoroughly controlled the game offensively and defensively. We dominated them in ground balls by a 71-19 margin, out shot them 37 to 18 and won every face-off in the game. We controlled the tempo offensively and did an excellent job of running our offense.”

With the Fighting Tigers having completed their best season in 13 years coach Gunzinger sees signs of continued improvement on the horizon for the Orange & Black.

“We’ve laid a solid foundation for the future this season and now we will look to use this momentum as a stepping stone to build on for next year. Earlier this year we talked about returning the program to a level of respectability and while I don’t believe we’re quite there yet, I think that we are headed in the right direction, and that the future is definitely brighter than it was a couple of years ago. We will now recruit and work to improve our returning players with that goal in mind.”