RINDGE, N.H. – A defensive battle for Post University Men's Lacrosse on Tuesday afternoon at Sodexo Field up in New Hampshire saw three unanswered goals late in the fourth quarter by Franklin Pierce University, propelling the Ravens to a narrow 9-7 win over the Eagles who fell to 1-2 on the season after being held to just four second-half goals and top-scoring junior attacker Robbie McGrayne being held to just two goals in the affair. 

THE BASICS

Post University 7, Franklin Pierce University 9

Post University (1-2)

Franklin Pierce University (2-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Offense came at a premium in the contest as each team scored just three goals through the first half with McGrayne scoring his only two goals of the game in that span while senior defenseman Malcolm Nordquist registered his first goal of the season to send the game into the break tied at three all. Junior midfielder Jackson Hale netted two of the three first-half goals for the Ravens while senior midfielder Conor Rooney chipped in the other.

Neither side led by more than a goal until the fourth quarter as sophomore midfielder Leighton Cooke added his name to the scoring sheet to start the third and so would senior midfielder Noah Piette around a Franklin Pierce goal to keep the Eagles ahead by one, 5-4. Following two unanswered goals by the Ravens, senior attacker Dylan Heald and senior midfielder Hayden Hindman each scored with Hindman's goal coming at the start of the fourth to put Post back in front, 7-6, with 13 minutes to play in regulation.

The rest of the way would be all Franklin Pierce with Rooney answering back to Hindman's score just 11 seconds later and then tallying the go-ahead goal with 8:48 left before Hale's man-up goal just outside of the one-minute mark gave the Ravens the two-goal cushion they needed to finish their 9-7 come-from-behind victory over the Eagles. 

Senior goalie Cole George made a season-high 18 saves in net while junior goalie Mike Masterpolo got the win for Franklin Pierce after stopping 11 shots. The Ravens held a narrow 38-34 edge in shots overall while both teams turned the ball over 17 times apiece and each won 10 faceoffs. While the Eagles held a 22-16 advantage in ground balls, the Ravens made the most of their man-up opportunities, converting on 3-of-6 while Post was 0-for-1 on the day. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• Robbie McGrayne continues to lead Post University in goal scoring after netting two goals on four shots, bringing his season total to 12 goals on the year 
• Post University was a perfect 19-for-19 on clear attempts, marking the second straight game in which they cleared the ball 100% of the time as they were 19-for-19 against D'Youville University the other week -- This marks the first time in program history in which the Eagles were perfect on clear attempts in back-to-back games 
• The last time both Post University and their opponent finished with less than 10 goals in a game was March 8th, 2023 when the Eagles defeated St. Thomas Aquinas College at home by an identical score to today's game of 9-7 
• This is the first time since April 23rd, 2022 against Wilmington University in which Post University has been held to seven goals in a game -- The Eagles were held to seven goals three times during the 2022 season and it marks the first time since March 5th, 2022 against the College of Saint Rose in which they were held to seven goals on the road 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University gets right back to it on their five-game road trip this Sunday afternoon when they take on the College of Saint Rose at 12:00 PM. The Eagles have never beaten the Golden Knights, holding an 0-6 record in the all-time series. However, in the last matchup between the two teams in 2023, Post was their closest to a victory before allowing three goals in the final two minutes and then the game-winner in overtime to drop the matchup, 16-15.