Bison men’s lacrosse went on the road against Colgate on Feb. 24 and sealed a statement Patriot League victory. The Bison held off the Raiders by a final score of 13-10. On the women’s side, Wagner got the best of the Orange and Blue at Staten Island, N.Y. The Seahawks beat the Bison by a score of 15-2, snapping their three-game winning streak against Wagner.

To begin the men’s game, Colgate ran off with a 3-0 lead. However, the Bison charged back with a run of their own to even up the score. Colgate soon responded but the Orange and Blue always provided an answer to get back into the game. Just before halftime, Tom Smith ’19 had a shot off the post and in to give the Bison their first lead of the contest.

The Bison’s man-down defense played a pivotal role in maintaining that lead. The Raiders were held scoreless on six extra-man opportunities. Goalie Christian Klipstein ’19 led the defense with 12 saves on the day.

The Bison’s best performance came from team captain Will Sands ’18, who tallied three goals and four assists. This effort placed Sands as the fifth player in program history to register 100 career assists. Sands also now has 195 points as a Bison, putting him in fourth place all time. Sands gives much of the credit for his milestone to his teammates.

“It is an amazing honor and one I won’t take for granted, but this is a huge testament to my teammates. Assists are a two-way street: I throw the ball but they need to catch it and bury it past the goalie,” Sands said.

The Bison men will next take the field on March 3 in the Christy-Mathewson Memorial Stadium when they host Navy.

“Navy is a hard working and very talented team. I am expecting it to be a battle,” Sands said.

For the women, the Bison fell to an early 4-0 deficit. Like the men’s team, the Bison women’s defense regrouped to take control of the game but they could not hold on long enough. Wagner ran off to a 8-1 halftime lead, a score the Bison could not come back from.

Goals for the Orange and Blue came from Audrey Walsh ’19 and Sarah Dohler ’20. Defensively, goalie Jamie DeWitt ’19 made six saves and gathered four ground balls. Katherine Doyle ’18 caused four turnovers, and only needs one more to gain a spot on the top ten program list for that category.

The loss moves the Bison women’s season record to 1-3. After 27 total turnovers against Wagner, the Bison look to clean up their performance for their next game. They will host University of Albany on March 3 for another non-league matchup. The Great Danes are 0-3, presenting the Orange and Blue a prime opportunity to get their season back on track with a win.