ITHACA, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo junior attacker Kevin Cook scored three goals, but the Knights fell short against host Ithaca, 11-10, at Higgins Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Geneseo opened the game with three-consecutive goals to take a 3-0 lead. Junior midfielder Sean Byrne scored the first goal and it was assisted by senior attacker Tim Fallo. The Knights second and third goals came within a minute of each other. Senior defender Tyler Bushnell scored the second, assisted by Byrne before Fallo netted a goal off an assist from sophomore midfielder Joe Luconte. 
• Ithaca tallied four-straight to take the lead before sophomore midfielder William McCumiskey scored at the 13:40 mark of the second quarter to tie the game at 4-4.
• Geneseo and Ithaca traded goals in the second quarter as senior attacker James Pratt scored with 12:37 left in the second to tie the game at 5-5. After an Ithaca tally, Cook scored his first of the game at the 10:46 mark to tie the game at 6-6. Ithaca closed the first half with a pair of goals to take an 8-6 lead into the halftime break.
• Geneseo only scored only one goal in the third quarter. Pratt got rocked by two Ithaca defenders, but still managed to put the ball in the next to cut the Ithaca lead to 8-7.
• The Knights tried to rally late, scoring the last three goals of the game in the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell short. Cook tallied a goal on a Fallo assist with 11:34 to play, cutting the Bombers' lead to 11-8. Ithaca took a three-minute unreleasable penalty with 4:33 remaining and the Knights man-up unit went to work as senior attacker Connor Griffin and Cook each scored to draw within one goal, 11-10, with 1:57 to play.
• The Knights had a pair of shots for the game-tying goal in the final minute but could not convert as Ithaca held off the rally, 11-10.

QUICK FACTS

• Sophomore goalie Mark Pav made 21 saves on 32 shots faced (.656%) while junior defender finished with a pair of caused turnovers and two ground balls.
• Cook scored the first Knights hat-trick of the season after missing the team's season opener.
• Nine Knights registered a point, as Fallo finished with a goal and a team-high three assists. 
• Geneseo and Ithaca have played close games in each of the last three seasons, with the three games being decided by a combined four goals. Geneseo defeated Ithaca, 12-11, in 2020 and the Bombers defeated the Knights, 11-9, in 2019. 

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Knights begin State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) play with a third-straight road game at Cortland on Friday (Mar. 26th) which is set to faceoff at 4:00 P.M.