CORTLAND, NY (607NewsNow) — Coming off a dominant 2025 campaign, expectations were high this season for SUNY Cortland’s men’s lacrosse. As the team begins SUNYAC conference play, the Red Dragons find themselves searching for answers after a difficult stretch of losses.

Cortland opened the season with a win against RPI, the 8th-ranked team in D-III. However, the Red Dragons lost five of their next eight games. That stretch ended with three consecutive losses against non-conference opponents, before Cortland began its in-conference schedule with a 34-2 win over Canton.

James Sullivan is a sophomore defenseman and captain for the Red Dragons.

“I think the biggest factor during these losses has been not playing a full 60 minutes of lacrosse and keeping the same energy during the entire game,” said Sullivan. “We’ve struggled with finishing out games and managing the clock properly and unfortunately have been slipping up late game on both the offensive and defensive sides of the field.”

One-goal losses to St. Lawrence, Skidmore, and Muhlenberg, along with a tight two-goal defeat to St. John Fisher Cardinals men’s lacrosse, highlight just how close the team has been to turning its season around.

In each of those contests, the Red Dragons were within reach late in the game, but small mistakes and missed opportunities ultimately made the difference.

Another senior defenseman and captain, Dino Bowen, said the captains take the responsibility of keeping the team positive through a stretch of tough losses.

“After a loss, I make sure the team puts that game in the past and look forward to our next game,” said Bowen. “I also like to encourage everyone the next practice to go 100% and work on things they have messed up on as well as making sure they are having fun doing it.”

Despite the setbacks, Cortland’s strength was on display in their easy win over Canton on Saturday, and the Red Dragons expect to be at the top of their conference.

The only remaining non-conference game of the regular season is at Ithaca on April 15. After starting their season with two losses, the Bombers won five straight in their early season non-conference games. Cortland beat Ithaca in overtime in last year’s meeting.

As Cortland looks ahead to conference play and the Ithaca matchup, Sullivan said the team remains confident. As Sullivan sees it, their struggles are more about execution than ability.

“What I’ve learned the most about this team is that we don’t quit. No matter what the score is, we still play until that clock hits triple zeros,” said Sullivan. “These guys work their butts off day in and day out and will never stop fighting. It’s great to see especially from such a young group.”

With conference standings and postseason positioning on the line, Bowen said every game matters as the Red Dragons try to reestablish their dominance.

“We need to trust and believe in each other more, hold everyone accountable, and understand that there is always room for improvement,” said Bowen.

Cortland travels to Potsdam for their next game, Friday, April 3rd at 4 p.m.

Cali Brancato is a SUNY Cortland junior majoring in communications. She worked on this article in her current Sports Journalism class, which is taught by Paul Arras, a professor in the Communication and Media Studies Department.