GENESEO, N.Y. - SUNY Geneseo junior attacker Kevin Cook finished with three goals and a pair of assists to lead the Knights to a crucial 10-9 victory over visiting Cortland in both teams' State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) opener on Friday night at College Stadium

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Cortland struck first but Cook rattled off back-to-back goals to give the Knights a 2-1 lead with 9:07 remaining in the first quarter. After another Cortland goal, senior attacker Connor Griffin and senior defenseman Tyler Bushnell each tallied first-quarter scores, giving the Knights a 4-2 lead after the opening period. 
• Junior attacker Sean Byrne gave the Knights their largest lead of the game with a goal in the early second quarter, making the score 5-2. The Red Dragons reduced the Knights' lead to 5-4 with 5:45 left in the second quarter, but senior attacker James Pratt finished off a pass from Cook to extend the Geneseo lead. Cortland netted two in the final two minutes of the first half to draw level, 6-6, at the halftime break. 
• Cook opened the second half scoring with a snipe to the top-left corner on an assist from senior attacker Tim Fallo to give Geneseo the lead, but Cortland responded with a game-tying goal under a minute later. Later in the third quarter, sophomore goalkeeper Mark Pav made a huge save and found Bushnell on a long outlet pass. Bushnell ran forward, beat a defender and bounced a long-pole goal past the Cortland keeper to give the Knights an 8-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter. 
• Fallo extended the Geneseo lead with 6:49 to play in the fourth quarter, finishing a goal off an assist from Cook, but Cortland cut the lead down to one goal with 5:59 to play. 
• With 2:50 to go, Pratt used a tremendous individual effort to generate an insurance goal, sending the Knights ahead, 10-8. Cortland scored in the final minute and had a chance for the tie, but the Geneseo defense stood tall as junior defenseman forced a Cortland turnover in the final seconds to seal the victory. 

QUICK FACTS 

• Pav finished with 16 saves to earn his first collegiate win in net. He also registered five ground balls and an assist. 
• Pratt and Bushnell finished with two goals each while Fallo recorded a goal and an assist.
• Byrne and Griffin each tallied a goal while senior defenseman Jimmy McGrath notched an assist, five ground balls and three caused turnovers.
• The Knights lost the faceoff battle, finishing just 3-for-23 in the circle, but committed 15 turnovers while forcing Cortland into 16. 

WHAT'S NEXT? 

Geneseo (1-2, 1-0 SUNYAC) will travel to Brockport on Friday, April 9 for a 4:00 p.m. faceoff with the Golden Eagles.