SUNYAC CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS – #5 BUFFALO STATE BENGALS VS #1 OSWEGO STATE LAKERS
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 – 6:00 PM
Laker Turf Stadium – Oswego, NY
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LAST TIME OUT… Last time out, the Bengals used a second-half surge to defeat the #4 SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons, 16-12, advancing to their first semifinal appearance since 2012.
Vanessa Willick (Williamsville, NY/Williamsville East) led the Bengals with an eight-point performance, scoring six-goals and adding two assists to her day.
Kira Grzechowiak (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca West) would follow suit with a hattrick, while
Lauren Rinow (Lakeview, NY/Frontier) and
Sage Running Rabbit (Siksika, AB, Canada/Strathmore) added two-goals, with Running Rabbit also picking up two assists. Rounding out the scoring for the Bengals were
Emilee Josker (Hamburg, NY/Frontier),
Anna Cinquino (Conesus, NY/Livonia) and
Bri Struck (Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan Academy) all netting a goal in today's first round matchup. Defensively, Willick led with nine draw controls and four groundballs.
Dejah Evans-Murphy (Auburn, NY/Auburn) led the Bengals with three caused turnovers, with Willick and
Syrianna Running Rabbit (Siksika, AB, Canada/Outreach) backing her up with two caused turnovers. In net,
Brielle Lum (Niagara Falls, NY/Niagara-Wheatfield) and
Moira Penot (Clifton Heights, PA/Upper Darby) split time, with Penot picking up the win, and Lum leading the goalies with six saves. As a team, the Bengals outshot the Red Dragons, 43-27, while winning the draw control battle, 16-15.
Making their first SUNYAC Championship playoff appearance since 2018, the Buffalo State Bengals sought redemption against the SUNY Oneonta Red Dragons after a heartbreaking overtime loss in the regular season. The Bengals wasted no time setting the tone, striking first within the opening two minutes. They kept the pressure on, adding two more goals to build an early lead. Although the Red Dragons got on the board late in the quarter, the Bengals controlled much of the action and carried a two-goal advantage into the second quarter.
Riding the momentum into the second quarter, the Bengals looked to extend their lead, but it was the Red Dragons who seized control, rattling off five unanswered goals to flip the game in their favor. While the Bengals managed to break the run with a goal to trim the deficit to two, but the Red Dragons countered with three straight goals, leaving the Bengals staring at a five-goal hole heading into halftime.
Needing a spark, the Bengals came out strong after the break, outscoring the Red Dragons 4–1 by the midway point of the third quarter. After the Red Dragons briefly pushed the lead back to three, a crucial goal from Grzechowiak reignited the Bengals' rally. The Bengals' defense stiffened, holding the Red Dragons to just two goals in the quarter to set the stage for a fourth-quarter push.
The Bengals struck first in the final frame, cutting the deficit to one before the teams traded goals. Willick's game-tying goal with eight minutes remaining shifted the momentum, and from there, the Bengals surged ahead. Willick and Grzechowiak combined for the final five goals of the game, completing a stunning comeback and securing a first-round road victory. The win marked the Bengals' first playoff victory and semifinal appearance since 2012.
Cassidy Moore led the Red Dragons with six points, scoring four goals and two assists. Margot Haring led the Red Dragons with 12 saves in net.
THE MATCHUP/HOW WE GOT HERE… After their first-round win over the Red Dragons, the Bengals will continue their quest for their first SUNYAC Championship appearance since 2012, with their matchup with the #1 Oswego State Lakers as the next obstacle in their path.
LAST TIME WE MET… The Buffalo State women's lacrosse team lost to the Lakers, 17-8, in their home finale.
The Bengals battled to the end, trimming the deficit with a pair of fourth-quarter goals, but the Lakers' steady pressure, including two more scores midway through the period, kept the game out of reach. The Bengals fell in their home finale but not without a silver lining: the effort capped off a successful regular season that secured the program's first SUNYAC Championship berth since 2018, and the first playoff appearance under Head Coach
Ashley Holdridge and Assistant Coach Bean Minerd.
THE BENGAL BREAKDOWN… With their first playoff win over the Red Dragons since 2012, the Bengals kept their season alive for a semifinal matchup with the Lakers.
In that matchup,
Vanessa Willick and
Kira Grzechowiak carried the Bengals with a second half surge that saw these two young ladies score the final five goals for the Bengals. This will be the first matchup between the Bengals and the Lakers in the SUNYAC playoffs, with the Lakers winning the last 12 matchups against the Bengals.
CHIPPING AWAY AT HISTORY… Vanessa Willick's 2025 campaign has been nothing short of historic. Following an eight-point performance against the Red Dragons, tallying six goals and two assists, Willick is now just five goals away from tying Katie Henderson (2009) for second-most goals in a single season. In addition, she has cemented another place in the Buffalo State women's lacrosse record book, currently tied for fifth all-time in single season points with 96.
Also making a historic run this season is
Sage Running Rabbit, whose 53 assists place her just one shy of tying Kendall Skuse (2009) for fifth-most assists in a single season. However, the bigger story for Running Rabbit is her overall career as a Bengal. Her 110 career assists has secured the fourth spot all-time in Buffalo State women's lacrosse history.
A LOOK AT OSWEGO STATE… The Lakers enter the SUNYAC semifinal following a first-round bye, having secured the top seed with a 13-2 (9-0 SUNYAC) record. They ride an 11-game winning streak into the matchup, including a regular-season finale victory over the Bengals.
Madison Davis leads the Lakers with 68 points, totaling 30 goals and 38 assists. Right behind her is Mackenzie Winn with 67 points, recording 18 goals and a team-high 49 assists. Alexis Hill paces the team in goals, netting 42 on the season.
SCHEDULES/RESULTS…
#5 BUFFALO STATE BENGALS: 11-6 (5-4 SUNYAC)
#1 OSWEGO STATE LAKERS: 13-2 (9-0 SUNYAC)
