EDWARDSVILLE – Senior Kyle Bentz (Camp Hill, PA/Camp Hill) tied the game in the 79th minute for the Wilkes University men's soccer team on Senior Day at Bruggeworth Field but it was visiting Eastern University that scored the game-winner 2:05 into the second overtime period to leave with the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) victory Saturday afternoon.

Wilkes dropped to 6-6-2 overall and to 1-3-0 in the MAC Freedom while Eastern improved to 8-7-1 overall and remained unblemished in conference play at 4-0-0.

The Eagles controlled the majority of the action in the first half as the visitors held a 12-1 shots advantage over the 45 minutes. Sam Sutherland gave the Eagles an early 1-0 lead with his 10^th minute tally. Following the goal, Zach Tone (Easton, PA/Easton Area) made two saves and Gabriel Crowley (Cape May, NJ/Lower Cape May Regional) also stopped an Eagles shot on the line as the Colonels entered halftime down by a goal.

Jeffrey Eager-Heffner (Blandon, PA/Fleetwood Area) made a play up the right side and fired a shot that Anthony Hitchcock got a hand to and tipped the effort over the goal in the 55th minute. Tone came up big for the Colonels in the 63rd minute with two consecutive saves on great chances.

The Colonels worked toward the tying-goal and found the opportunity at the 78:03 mark when Eager-Heffner worked his way to the end line and beat his defender on the right side of the field. He then played a pass to the near post where Bentz was waiting to chip the ball past Hitchcock as Wilkes tied the game at 1-1. It was the fifth goal of the season and the 17th of the senior's career.

Wilkes pressed for the go-ahead goal in regulation as they had the next three shot attempts in the game off the feet of Seth Fowler (Mechanicsville, MD/Chopticon), Matthew Horwedel (Delanson, NY/Schalmont Senior) and Cole Hefner (East Greenville, PA/Southern Lehigh). Tone then made two more stops in the 84th and 90th minutes to keep the game knotted. Wilkes outshot Eastern 10-7 in the second half.

Eastern had a shot blocked and another go wide in the first 10-minute overtime period as the game crept into the second overtime. Jake Sankey then connected on the game-winning goal in the 103rd minute on a shot from the left side of the box off assists from Derek Burhman and Nik Kokolios.

Tone made a career-high seven saves in goal for the Colonels while Hitchcock made four for the Eagles.

The Colonels will remain home at Bruggeworth Field for a Tuesday night MAC Freedom clash with cross-town rival King's College at 7:00 p.m.