BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Graduate midfielder Pablo Tenorio and senior midfielder Lukas Glade each scored a goal for Post University Men's Soccer on Tuesday afternoon in a conference matchup featuring the top two teams in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, who entered the day tied for first in the standings. That two-goal lead that Tenorio and Glade gave the Eagles would not hold up against the University of Bridgeport, as two unanswered goals between the two halves of action kept the top of the CACC deadlocked following a 2-2 tie, the third consecutive for Post.

As it stands now, four matches remain on both the Eagles and Purple Knights schedules, with both of them holding 3-0-4 records and 13 points atop the standings. Jefferson University, which has played one more game than both teams, sits tied with them at 3-1-4, while both Felician University and Dominican (N.Y.) have identical 3-3-1 records with 10 points. 

THE BASICS

RV Post University 2, University of Bridgeport 2

RV Post University (4-0-7, 3-0-4 CACC)

University of Bridgeport (3-4-6, 3-0-4 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Everything about Tuesday afternoon's match was nearly even on the scoresheet when all was set and done. While Post initially held a 9-3 edge in shots on goal in the first half, Bridgeport turned things around in the second half to outshoot Post, 10-1, helping them complete their two-goal comeback to force a tie. The Purple Knights finished the affair leading 13-10 in shots overall, but both teams had six shots each on goal with their respective goalies making four saves each. 

For Post, that was junior goalkeeper Leopold Dufaut, who allowed a season-high two goals in the tie, making four saves, as it was the first time since the Round of 16 last season against Felician University in which the Eagles allowed more than one goal in a match. In that matchup, both teams scored three goals apiece, heading into penalty kicks where the Golden Falcons came out on top narrowly, 5-4. 

Sophomore goalkeeper Viktor Masek also made four saves on six attempts for Bridgeport, making all of them in the first half, before the Purple Knights' defense clamped down on the Eagles in the second half, allowing Masek to face no shots on net. The opposite was true for Dufaut, who faced two shots on goal in the first half, making one save on two attempts, before making three saves on four attempts over the final 45 minutes of action. 

Tenorio, who had his first multi-point match since November 1st, 2023, against Felician on the road when he scored a goal for two points, opened the scoring with his goal in the 15th minute with the help of Saturday's hero in graduate midfielder Luis Rodrigues. Tenorio would go on to assist Glade less than eight minutes later in giving the senior his first goal of the season and Post's second match of the year, in which they scored more than one goal.

Holding that 2-0 lead, the Eagles' dominance in the first half spanned even into the corner kicks, where they led Bridgeport, 5-0, a number that would be reversed in the second half when the Purple Knights did the same in 5-0 fashion. Despite this, junior midfielder Calvin Paulick found a way to get a shot by Dufaut with the help of sophomore defender Cam Celik in the 41st minute, cutting the Bridgeport deficit going into the second half, 2-1. 

Working their way to the 2-2 tie, graduate forward Loik Poder's 55th-minute goal was the equalizer in the first tie between the two teams since they first opened conference play against each other back on October 12th, 2022, in a 1-1 tie at LaMoy Field. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• With seven ties this season, this is the first time in program history that Post University has had seven ties in a single season — The Eagles had six ties during the 2023 season
• Unbeaten through 11 matches to start the season, this is the best start Post University has had in program history – The previous best for the Eagles was nine matches during the 2011 season, when they were 5-0-4 to start the year before losing 4-0 to Wilmington University
• Post University's unbeaten streak has been extended to 14 consecutive games dating back to the start of the NCAA Tournament last fall
• Since the University of Bridgeport has joined the CACC, they are 0-3-2 against Post University in their five matches

WHO'S NEXT
Post University closes its two-game road trip on Saturday afternoon when it heads to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to take on Chestnut Hill College at 2:30 PM. The Eagles are 7-0-1 in their last eight matches with the Griffins, beating them 3-0 last season at home.