PURCHASE, N.Y. – The Purchase College men's lacrosse team secured their first win of the season, defeating Cairn University, 7-6, in triple overtime on Saturday afternoon. The victory also marked the first career win for head coach Jake Fitzgerald.

With the result, the Panthers improved to 1-2, while the Highlanders dropped to 0-4.

Cairn opened the game with two goals in the first quarter and added another early in the second to build a 3-0 lead. The Blue and Orange responded with back-to-back goals from Kevon Joseph (JR/Brooklyn, NY) and Jack Saueracker (SR/Old Bethpage, NY) to narrow the gap, but the guests struck again in the final seconds of the half, taking a 4-2 advantage into the break.

Undeterred, Purchase came out strong in the third quarter. Joseph found the net again, assisted by Saueracker, bringing the hosts within one. In a dramatic fourth quarter, Joseph scored twice more, including a go-ahead goal with just over four minutes left. Cairn answered with a last-second goal to force overtime.

After two scoreless overtime periods, the Panthers sealed the win in the third extra frame. Zach Collins (SR/Victor, NY) buried the golden goal — a behind-the-back finish off a feed from Arthur Nelbach (JR/Queens, NY) at 1:22 — igniting a wild celebration on the field.

Individually, Joseph led Purchase with four goals and five ground balls, while Saueracker tallied two goals, two assists, and two ground balls. Collins added a goal, an assist, and four ground balls to round out the scoring.

Cameron Savoca (SO/Nesconset, NY) went 6-18 on the faceoff while collecting four ground balls and causing three turnovers.

In goal, Sam Erlich (SO/Plainview, NY) anchored the defense with 17 saves, two ground balls, and one caused turnover, delivering clutch stops to secure the victory.

Overall, Purchase was narrowly outshot 41-39 but held strong, collecting 29 ground balls and successfully clearing 27 of 31 attempts.

Up next, the Blue and Orange will host Rosemont College on March 12th at 7 p.m.

For the latest news on the Panthers, visit the official site of Purchase College Athletics. Also, become a follower of the Panthers on Instagram (purchasemlax), Twitter (@PC_Panthers) and TikTok (@purchasecollegeathletics) and "LIKE" Us on Facebook (@purchasecollegeathletics).