Box Score Aug. 29: A three-goal second half helped push the No. 7 St. Lawrence men's soccer team past SUNY Cortland, as the Saints downed the Red Dragons 5-2 in the opening game of the 2014 Lotto Classic Tournament on Sandy MacAllaster field.
 
Senior captain Mark Provost, the team's top returning scorer from a season ago, and juniors Seyefe Brouk and Morgan Smith each finished with a goal and an assist on the day, while Rob Brandell and Harry Copeland also added goals for the Saints.
 
It was Smith who got St. Lawrence on the board in the 16^th minute when he took a through ball from Provost just outside the box and split the defenders before beating Red Dragon keeper Tim Beauvais.
 
Just over a minute later, Brandell extended the St. Lawrence lead to 2-0 when he tucked a shot inside the far post. Praveen Balakumaran assisted on the play.
 
Cortland cut the Saints lead in half in the 40^th minutes when captain Darren McCormack hit a flat cross from along the end line into the box that fooled keeper Aaron Costello, who was anticipating a touch from a crashing Red Dragons striker. Instead, the ball snuck by him and trickled inside the far post to put Cortland on the board and send the teams to the half with the Saints leading 2-1.
 
It didn't take long for the Saints to find a rhythm in the second half, as Provost tallied his first of the season in the 50^th minute to give his team the 3-1 advantage. The Toronto, Ont. Native managed to come away with the ball after a scramble on the penalty line with the help of Brouk, who was also in the mix, and hit a hard strike from close range that fooled Beauvais.
 
In the 64^th minute, junior Morgan Smith played a perfect corner kick into the box right along the goal line to an unmarked Copeland, who simply redirected the ball behind Beauvais to push the Saints lead to 4-1. Less than 30 seconds later, Brouk concluded the scoring adding his first of the season when he volleyed a Rob Brandell cross from the middle of the box.
 
The Red Dragons scored in the 87^th minute on set piece from the corner of the box. Nick Tata took the free kick for Cortland and found teammate Ole Daumann on the far side of the box who beat an outstretched Costello in the top right corner.
 
The Saints keeper finished with two saves on the day, while Beauvais made seven stops for the Red Dragons.
 
The Saints, now 1-0-0 on the season, return to Sandy MacAllaster field at 1 p.m. on Saturday for a game against Moravian College to close out the Lotto Tournament. Cortland travels to Potsdam to take on Clarkson in its own 1 p.m. matchup.