Canton, NY – The SUNY Canton men's soccer team took an early lead as senior Nick Escalante (Whittier, CA) found the back of the net for his 30th time in a Roo uniform but host SUNY Canton fell 2-1 to Route 11 rival SUNY Potsdam on Tuesday evening in the season opener for both teams.

Escalante's 79th point at SUNY Canton was set up on a beautiful play by captain Hunter Mowery (Elizabethtown, NY). He used a quick burst of speed and pinpoint dribbling to split the Potsdam defense and draw three defenders. Mowery slipped a pass to his left finding Escalante who used a quick spin and rocketed a low liner just inside the left post to beat Bear keeper Nick Davies.

Potsdam picked up the pace following the score and threatened with some scoring opportunities. The Roos nearly took a 2-0 lead when Mowery drilled a shot from outside the 18 yard box that went just over the top of the crossbar. SUNY Canton took a 1-0 lead into intermission.

The Bears found the equalizer in the 60th minute when senior Tom Benedetto ripped a shot at Roo goalie Austin Lamay (Malone, NY). Lamay seemed to be screened by a defender on the play and picked the ball up late as it slid between his legs after what looked like an initial stop.

Minutes later Escalante nearly regained the lead for the hosts as his shot curled just wide of the post. In the 69th minute the Bears got their first lead of the game when Ben Firlit beat the defense down the right side. The senior ripped a shot across goal into the left corner of the net as Potsdam held on down the stretch for the victory.

Lamay made five stops on the night for the Roos, while Davies turned aside four SUNY Canton shots. The men's soccer team is back in action on Friday when it opens play in the Oswego State Tournament against the host Lakers at 3 p.m.

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About SUNY Canton
SUNY Canton is Northern New York's premier college for career-driven bachelor's degrees, associate degrees and certificate programs. The college delivers quality hands-on programs in engineering technology, health, management and public service. Faculty members are noted for their professional real-world experience in addition to outstanding academic credentials. SUNY Canton OnLine offers hundreds of flexible and convenient courses, as well as 10 exclusively online bachelor's degrees. The college's 14 athletic teams compete as provisional members of the NCAA Division III and the USCAA.