SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – For the first time since 2018, the Skidmore College men's lacrosse team secured a much-needed conference victory over Union after holding off a furious second-half comeback bid to come out on top, 12-8, as the buzzer sounded at Wachenheim Field on Wednesday afternoon.

Now in the driver's seat for a postseason berth, the Thoroughbreds (7-5, 3-2 Liberty League) received monster offensive performances from sophomore Jon Byrne and freshman Mike Aiello, with the two combining for seven goals and an assist. On the defensive end, senior goalie Collin Kuester recorded his 20th career victory as he anchored a swarming defensive unit that caused 24 turnovers by the Garnet Chargers (3-9, 1-4 Liberty League) and held the road team to a pedestrian 24-of-31 on clear attempts.

With a 3-2 Liberty League record with two games left on the regular season schedule, the Thoroughbreds stand in sole fourth place of a five-team playoff field and have a one-game lead over fifth-place Ithaca in the standings.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• After the Garnet Chargers struck first with an unassisted goal in the opening minutes, Skidmore responded with a pair of quick goals from freshman Charlie Schutta and Byrne to take a 2-1 lead with 6:04 left in the first quarter.
• Union tied the game up with another score at the 3:49 mark, and would get shutout the rest of the first half, as the Thoroughbreds scored twice more in the end of the first off, the sticks of Byrne and Aiello to take a 4-2 lead entering the second quarter.
• In a low-scoring second quarter, the Thoroughbreds landed the lone goal of the period off a shot from junior David Koffler to take a commanding 5-2 lead into halftime.
• At intermission, the home team outshot Union by a 26-to-17 margin while also forcing 15 Garnet Charger turnovers. The Thoroughbreds also held the advantage on clears, after finishing a perfect 14-of-14 while limiting Union to just 14-of-19.
• The Garnet Chargers made a furious rally to tie the game up in the third quarter. After senior Ryan Connolly found the back of the net in the opening seconds to take a 6-2 lead, the road team ripped off three-consecutive goals, all off the stick of Walker Popko, to cut the advantage down to 6-5 with 8:05 on the clock.
• After Byrne momentarily stopped the run with a solo goal at the 5:57 mark to push the lead back up to two scores, 7-5, the Garnet Chargers answered back with consecutive goals to tie things up with 3:34 left in the quarter.
• Within the final two minutes, Aiello delivered again on a sensational goal from way outside to help Skidmore take a narrow 8-7 lead into the final quarter of play.
• Union began the fourth quarter with a man-up score to tie things up at 8-8 with 12:04 mark, but it was all Thoroughbreds the rest of the way as Skidmore scored the final four goals of the game off the sticks of Aiello, Byrne, Marty McFadden and Koffler to clinch the 12-8 victory.

STANDOUT THOROUGHBREDS

• Byrne finished with a team-high four goals to go with four groundballs.
• Aiello scored a hat trick to go with an assist and four groundballs.
• Kuester filled the stat sheet with ten saves, seven groundballs, three caused turnovers and a goalie assist.
• McFadden recorded a team-best four caused turnovers to go with seven groundballs to go with his late-game goal.
• Senior Brian Gonsalves finished with a pair of assists to go with two caused turnovers and two groundballs.
• Senior Jon Bouvier recorded a pair of assists.

UP NEXT
Skidmore is back on the road Saturday to take on No. 5 RPI in a 1 PM matchup.