LAKEWOOD, N.J. –  Freshman midfielder Will Brien tied his career-high in goals with five on the day for Post University Men's Lacrosse against Georgian Court University on Saturday afternoon, but a 5-0 run by the Lions in the third quarter would prove too much for the Eagles to overcome, dropping their first conference game of the season and snapping their three-game winning streak with the 14-10 defeat. 

THE BASICS

Post University 10, Georgian Court University 14

Post University (5-4, 2-1 CACC)

Georgian Court University (6-5, 3-0 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Brien got the Eagles on the board first, just under four minutes into the first quarter, in what would be one of only two leads that Post had during the game. Junior attacker Brodie Seaborn answered back with his first of two goals on the afternoon to tie it up less than a minute later followed by junior attacker Brett Bridges, giving Georgian Court the lead back, 2-1. Despite trailing 3-2 after one, the final lead of the afternoon for the Eagles would come via back-to-back goals to start the second by junior attacker Leighton Cooke and Brien's second goals. 

Cooke had a trio of first-half goals for Post before going quiet in the second half, but it would be enough to give him his eighth straight game with a hat trick as he finished the game with three goals and three points while helping the Eagles trail by only one, 7-6, heading into the break. Graduate attacker Hunter McCarty's lone goal of the game tied things up at the start of the third before that 5-0 Georgian Court run would be the difference maker in the outcome.

Seaborn, Bridges, junior attacker Doug Mackenzie, and two goals from junior midfielder Harrison Jordan led that game-changing run, making it a 12-7 game with still 5:21 left in the third. In response, a 3-0 run by Brien looked to give the Eagles a chance with 13:37 remaining in regulation, but Bridges and Mackenzie put things out of reach for Post, extending the Lion lead back to four in the eventual 14-10 victory. 

While Brien led Post with five goals, Mackenzie and Bridges accounted for 13 of the 26 points that Georgian Court had as they both scored four goals each, while Mackenzie had three assists to Bridges' two assists. A trio of players for the Lions contributed two goals each against what would be three different goalies for Post in freshmen Aiden Waller, Liam McCurry, and Dominick Zichelli. Waller took his first collegiate loss in net for the Eagles, lasting 32:14 in which he made just one save and allowed eight goals. 

Junior goalie Vincent Burkhart picked up the win for the Lions, making 11 saves on 21 attempts for Post as Brien, Cooke, McCarty, and senior attacker Robbie McGrayne made up the scoring while junior attacker Ryan Denike tacked on three assists. 

BY THE NUMBER

• Will Brien tied his career-high for goals in a single game, scoring five times against Georgian Court University for five points -- Brien had five goals and five points against Franklin Pierce University at home just over a month ago 
• Recording two points today, Hunter McCarty continues his pursuit of 200 career points and now sits at 180 career points following the game 
• Leighton Cooke has now scored a hat trick in each of his last eight games for Post University after being held scoreless in the season opener against Assumption University -- Cooke had three goals for three points against Georgian Court University
• Currently on pace to break another record, Robbie McGrayne needs to play in at least one more game this season for Post University to become the all-time leader in career games played by three different players, in Jack Kearney, Frank Nichols Jr., and Peter Naboka with 55 games played each 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University returns home to LaMoy Field this Wednesday to face Dominican (N.Y.) at 2:00 PM. The Eagles have won three straight games against the Chargers since the beginning of the 2023 season, two of which have been at home, with last year's game coming on the road with a 24-10 victory.