WATERBURY, Conn. -- It seemed like no deficit was insurmountable for Post University Women's Lacrosse on Saturday afternoon against St. Thomas Aquinas College at LaMoy Field. After hosting its pregame Senior Day ceremony and falling behind by three goals on four occasions, the Eagles answered the call every time, tying the game at 10 in the closing moments of the fourth quarter before graduate midfielder Hailey Galison scored twice to hand Post a narrow 12-10 loss. 

THE BASICS

Post University 10, St. Thomas Aquinas College 12

Post University (0-9)

St. Thomas Aquinas College (4-11)

HOW IT HAPPENED
After sophomore attacker Meghan Tarantino and senior midfielder Alyssa Hebb exchanged goals less than a minute apart, three goals in less than a minute between the 5:26 mark and 4:54 mark by the Spartans gave them that three-goal lead that they held on to for a majority of the first half. Graduate midfielder Katelyn Cerrato, freshman midfielder Morgan VanDover, and junior midfielder Jada Garcia all scored in that stretch, only for junior midfielder Anna D'Angelo to answer back 16 seconds after VanDover's goal. 

Only three goals would be scored between the two sides in the second, allowing the Spartans to up their lead back to three goals, 7-4, heading into the halftime break. Up to that point, Galison had just one goal, and it was Garcia leading the charge, pocketing two past graduate goalie Lauren Bain. St. Thomas Aquinas College made the most of a myriad of Post penalties as they were hit with six penalties, leading to three goals for the Spartans, who also won 8-of-11 draw controls. 

However, graduate midfielder Jessica Krupnikoff turned the game on its head, scoring three quick goals around a score from freshman attacker Lily Schommer, making it just a one-goal game, 7-6, with 10:34 left in the third quarter. Post would end the third still trailing by one, 9-8, as after Galison regained a two-goal lead for the Spartans, junior attacker Rylee Patfield and Hebb led a 2-0 run for the Eagles to tie the game up for the first time since the first quarter. Cerrato's second goal of the game, with 6:49 left in the frame, would be the final score of that 15-minute session, in which the Eagles scored five times and won seven of the nine draw controls.

Scoring her first of three goals in the fourth quarter, Galison's quick start to the fourth helped the Spartans go up by two, 10-8, but Post would once again respond to tie it up at 10. After Hebb's goal with 8:20 left in regulation, a free-position shot from D'Angelo with 3:15 remaining tied the game, giving the Eagles a shot to take their first lead of the affair. In total, Post took 11 free-position shots on the day, connecting on just three, while outshooting the Spartans, 37-25 overall and 21-20 in shots on goal. 

But as quickly as the Eagles won the battle on draw controls, losing it 5-1 in the fourth would result in the Spartans taking advantage down the stretch, including on the very next possession when Cerrato secured the draw control against Hebb. Running in transition the other way, Cerrato found Galison for the score only 29 seconds later, and she would go on to tally an insurance goal after another draw control win for St. Thomas Aquinas College. 

Sophomore goalie Lilah Magenheimer got the win in net for the Spartans, making 11 saves and allowing 10 goals, while opposite of her, Bain made eight stops and allowed 12 goals in the 12-10 loss. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Alyssa Hebb recorded her second hat trick as an Eagle, scoring three goals offensively for Post University in today's game, while Jessica Krupnikoff had her first hat trick, all of which came in the third quarter
• Hailey Galison accounted for five Spartan goals, including the game-winner in the waning moments of the fourth quarter for St. Thomas Aquinas College as part of her five-point day 
• Dating back to last season, Post University has lost 11 consecutive games -- The last win for the Eagles came on April 20th, 2024, against Chestnut Hill College, in which it was a 1-0 forfeit win 
• As a team, Post University scored a season-best 10 goals, surpassing its previous high of six goals against the University of Bridgeport earlier this season 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University closes out the 2025 campaign against nationally-ranked Dominican (N.Y.) at home on Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 PM. The Eagles have never beaten the Lady Chargers in program history, sitting at 0-19 all-time and coming off a 21-1 loss to them at the end of last season.