WATERBURY, Conn. –  Senior attacker Leighton Cooke had a team-high six points with four goals and two assists for Post University Men's Lacrosse as the Eagles saw a 4-1 halftime lead against Wilmington University evaporate at home on Saturday afternoon at LaMoy Field. Nine second-half goals from the Wildcat offense, paced by three from senior attacker Andrew Dzubak, helped Wilmington overcome the three-goal deficit for its ninth consecutive win in the all-time series against Post, 10-7.

THE BASICS

Post University 7, Wilmington University 10

Post University (3-3, 1-2 CACC)

Wilmington University (5-3, 3-0 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
In one of the most dominant halves of the season for the Eagle defense, they held the top scoring offense in the conference in Wilmington to just one goal with sophomore goalie Aiden Waller between the pipes. Waller stopped three shots, allowing just one that squirted through his legs in the second from Dzubak with 12:36 remaining in an otherwise perfect half.

Junior goalie Daniel Flynn was equally as impressive through two quarters for the Wildcats, making four saves on eight shots, as it was Cooke who kept finding ways to break through him with a trio of first-half goals. The senior played a role in all four of the first-half goals that Post had en route to their 4-1 lead, helping freshman attacker Cameron Maunders score the second goal of the contest.

As a team, Post's defense held a 21-14 edge in ground balls and an 8-7 lead in caused turnovers, while Wilmington committed 12 turnovers through 30 minutes. At that point, sophomore long-stick midfielder Gavin Lee had the team lead in caused turnovers with two, as well as ground balls with three.

But the offense would go cold for the Eagles in the third quarter, which would end up being the difference maker in the affair. Outshot 13-5 overall and 10-2 on goal, Post was held scoreless while turning the ball over six times, leading to Wilmington's 6-0 run, which extended to a 7-0 run into the fourth, to take a four-goal lead, 8-4. While four different players scored for the Wildcats in that stretch, it was Dzubak who led the way with three goals in the third, as that run alone propelled Wilmington to its victory on Saturday.

Looking to breathe some life into the offense and forge a comeback, the second goal of the day for Maunders and fourth for Cooke brought the Eagles back to within a pair of goals, 8-6, with 10:33 left in regulation, but a two-goal response from junior midfielders Josh Weston and Carter Earl shut down the threat, giving the Wildcats some breathing room with a four-goal lead. Senior attacker Ryan Denike would add one more before the end of the fourth, bringing the game to a close with Post falling in a 10-7 final.

After making three saves in the first half, Waller closed with 10 saves on 20 shots for the Eagles in the loss, while Flynn had seven saves on 14 attempts for Wilmington. Post's defense continued to be led by Lee, who had a team-best six caused turnovers, which tied the program's single-game record, and seven ground balls, while senior defender Julian Businsky led Wilmington's defense with three caused turnovers.

BY THE NUMBER

• For the second consecutive game, Leighton Cooke led the way offensively for Post University with four goals and two assists for a total of six points, registering his third hat trick of the season -- Cooke took 15 total shots, nine of which reached the goal in the defeat 
• This is the first time this season in which Post University has lost when allowing 10 goals or fewer to an opponent, as they came into the day a perfect 3-0
• Gavin Lee's six caused turnovers tied the program record set by James Sproul three times during the 2024 and 2025 seasons
• Being held to only eight goals, this is the sixth time in the last two seasons in which Post University has scored fewer than 10 goals in a game
• In the all-time series, Post University has now lost nine consecutive matchups to Wilmington University after winning the inaugural matchup during the 2018 season, 9-5

WHO'S NEXT
Post University plays its next five games on the road as they kick things off with a non-conference matchup against Point Park University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, next Wednesday at 2:00 PM. This will be the first game between the two teams in program history.