Eagles Outlast Firebirds, 18-10

WATERBURY, CT – Trailing by three at the end of the third quarter, the Firebirds were out-scored 8-3 in the final quarter as they fell to non-conference opponent, Post University, 18-10 on Sunday afternoon at LaMoy Field.

Sophomores Chase Fraser and Quinton Pavan scored three goals apiece to lead the Firebirds offensively, and Ben Taylor and Darien McPhail Millard each added two goals as well. Millard (3-of-4) and Teilen Celentano (15-of-26) combined to go 18-of-30 on faceoffs and they each tied for the team lead with seven ground balls.

Junior goalkeeper Pat Payne stopped 17 of 31 shots he faced before leaving the game with a little less than nine minutes remaining. Senior Zach Kjeldsen had to fill in and allowed four goals in 8:55.

The two teams traded goals early on, with UDC claiming its first lead, 3-2 on an unassisted goal by Pavan with 4:22 to play in the first quarter. Post's Colby Treat answered less than two minutes later to knot the score at 3 to end the quarter. The Eagles went on to out-score UDC 3-1 in the 2^nd quarter, including the last goal of the half with just 34 seconds remaining to take a 6-4 lead at the break.

Pavan scored his third goal of the day a little over two minutes into the 3^rd quarter and Taylor added another at the 12-minute mark to force a 6-all tie, but Post responded with a 3-0 run that included back-to-back goals by Trevor Buchas, and went up 9-6. The Eagles would lead 10-7 at the end of the third period.

The two teams traded goals early in the 4^th period, but the Eagles took the game over from there, out-scoring UDC 7-2 in the final 12 minutes of regulation. Buchas scored three goals and assisted another in that final period as Post erupted for eight goals as a team and went on to win by their largest margin of the day, 18-10.

The Eagles, who avenged last year's 13-11 loss to UDC in the nation's capital, improved to 4-5 on the season while UDC fell to 1-5 overall.

The Firebirds will visit Dominican next, on Tues., Mar. 31 at 4 p.m.