WATERBURY, Conn. –  With only three conference games left entering the day, Post University Women's Lacrosse needed every win possible to give them a chance at getting into the final couple Central Atlantic Collegiate Tournament. Holding no tiebreakers with the teams closest to them in the standings, a win over Jefferson University would have gone a long way in the Eagles' quest to get back into the tourney.

However, a pair of seven-goal quarters for the Rams in the second and third would be more than enough for them to pull away for Post, 19-11, sinking the Eagles to 2-5 in the conference and on the brink of elimination. The only path left for Post to get in would be to beat Chestnut Hill College and Dominican (N.Y.) in their final two conference games while Holy Family University loses their final three conference games since the Tigers own the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Eagles.

THE BASICS

Post University 13, Jefferson University 19

Post University (4-7, 2-5 CACC)

Jefferson University (5-6, 5-2 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
A back-and-forth opening 15 minutes saw neither team take more than a two-goal lead on the other before they would tie it back up. Graduate attacker Carina Raymond and senior attacker Audrey Strock struck for the first two goals of the affair which were met with a pair of free-position shots by freshman midfielder Klara Domachowska and senior attacker Amber McGee within a minute of each other to re-tie the game at two.

While the Eagles would trail 5-4 after one, McGee would already have her second hat trick in her last three games and tacked on another in the second with Post trailing by four. Jefferson had opened up with three goals to start the quarter from Raymond, graduate attacker Ellie Lefton, and junior midfielder Gabby Modzeleweski making it an 8-4 game at the time. Around that fourth goal from McGee and a free-position one from graduate attacker Hailey McHenry, the Rams went on another 3-0 run to break open the game once more before McGee continued her career afternoon with a fifth goal in the first half.

By the half, Jefferson had a 12-7 lead with Raymond recording the only hat trick for the Rams with three goals. The offense for the visitors came from six different players Post was outshot 31-15 overall while both teams collected 13 ground balls a piece. With senior goalie Lauren Bain being heavily bombarded with shots, she would make 13 saves while the Eagles as a team made 13 turnovers compared to just four for the Rams.

Another seven-goal quarter for Jefferson in the third would be enough for them to extend their lead to a gaudy 19-8 edge as the Eagles were only able to manufacture one from sophomore midfielder Anna D'Angelo against freshman goalie Kalyn Ammerlaan. By the time Post solved Ammerlaan in the fourth with a pair of goals from McGee to bring her total to seven along with one each from freshman midfielder Roksana Debicka, senior defender Lotanna Nwabadu, and graduate attacker Gabrielle Fiora, the game would be too far out of reach.

Ammerlaan would finish with 16 saves on 29 shots from Post while Bain stopped 16 of the 35 shots she faced. In all, the Eagle offense struggled to hold onto the ball, and committed 18 turnovers compared to only nine for Jefferson while a majority of the other statistical categories were nearly even between the two teams.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Amber McGee had a career day for Post University, scoring a career-high seven goals – McGee was the only Eagle player with a multi-goal game as six other players recorded one goal
• With eight draw controls won today, Cara DiStefano now has 224 in her career, moving her 13 back of tying Miranda Polaski (2012-15) for most all-time at 237 draw controls
• Post is 0-7 this season when allowing 10-plus goals and 4-0 when allowing less than 10 goals so far this year
• Post University remains winless in 17 meetings all-time against Jefferson University – This is the first time since 2013 in which the Eagles have not lost by 10-plus goals against the Rams, snapping that nine-game streak

WHO'S NEXT
Post University gets ready for Senior Day Saturday this weekend against Chestnut Hill College at 11:00 AM on LaMoy Field. The Eagles started off 0-13 all-time against the Griffins but have won their last three matchups by double-digits, including last year's 17-3 win on the road.