Oneonta, NY – Russell Sage College's men's lacrosse team traveled to Hartwick College for their 2023 Empire 8 opener. Hartwick used a strong second half to pull away before the Gators scored goals in the fourth quarter but is was not enough as Hartwick  triumphed, 17-10. RSC is now 4-7 and 0-1 in the league, while the Hawks  improve to 3-3 overall and is now 1-1 in the E8.

Freshman attackman Nate Kettle (Killbuck, NY/Salamanca) had another big performance as he had three goals with one assist.

Graduate performer Shea Obado (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) and junior midfielder Adam Willig (Buffalo, NY/Amherst Central) each scored twice, while graduate performer Bailey Martin (Syracuse, NY/Onondaga Central) added three points on one goal with two assists.

Rookie goalie Andrew Collora (West Babylon, NY/West Babylon), this week's Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Week, made 19 saves, bettering his previous career high from last week. Those 19 saves stand third best in single game performances at Sage.

The Gators will host Alfred University on April 1 in a 4 p.m. Empire 8 game at ACP Stadium.