Garden City, N.Y. - What was perhaps the last-ever chapter in a longstanding lacrosse rivalry got the ending it deserved on Wednesday night.

Senior Gordon Purdie, Jr. scored the game-winning goal with 1:27 remaining in the fourth quarter and the top-ranked Adelphi University men's lacrosse team defeated fifth-ranked LIU Post in front of a raucous crowd at Motamed Field, 13-12.

The regular-season men's affair was the two programs' final scheduled meeting before Long Island University merges its Brookville and Brooklyn campuses as One LIU next academic year in Division I athletics.

In a game in which the Panthers (7-0) never trailed, the top team in the Division II national rankings held off a game effort from a Pioneer team that was looking to upset its second No.1-ranked team this season, having defeated the Merrmiack College Warriors on March 9 in overtime in a 17-16 game that helped Adelphi ascend to the top spot.

Adelphi led 3-0 early on the strength of two first-quarter goals from John Arcidiacono, and a third from Angelo Caiazzo, who each scored three apiece for the game. However, with Adelphi leading 4-1 to begin the second following a goal from Nicolas Racalbuto, the Pioneers battled back with three straight tallies to tie the game, a run which saw Jake Gillis score two of his game-high six, at 4-4 for the first time. 

Caiazzo went back-to-back to put the Panthers back in front by two once more, as the Brown and Gold scored four of the last five until halftime to lead 8-5 at the break, and eventually Adelphi moved ahead by as many as five in the third period twice, on scores from Michael Zito (10-5, 11:50) and Racalbuto (11-6, 10:15).

Gillis then proceeded to put the Pioneers (4-2) on his back, as he scored four more over the final 9:10 to send the visitors into the final period with some momentum, which they duly rode through to two more goals to begin a low-scoring finale.

Thomas Liantonio tallied his first of the game 1:34 into the fourth, and William Snelders (4G, 2A) following him with the game-tying effort over 10 minutes later with just over three minutes left in regulation. 

A pushing penalty on LIU's Frank Ranfone gave the Panthers the opening they needed in the dramatic waning minutes, in which both teams combined to take eight shots. After Purdie, Jr. gave Adelphi the lead on a feed from Ian Kirby, the Pioneers' Connor Farrell won what was the game's final face-off to give the Green and Gold a chance to force extra lacrosse. 

However, Adelphi's defense and Brendan McDougal in goal stood tall, as none of the Pioneers' five shots over the final 60 seconds found the back of the home net. McDougal notched two of his 13 saves for the game in the final 30 seconds, helping close the book on the rivalry - which could only happen again should both teams advance to and meet in the NCAA tournament - with an Adelphi win.

The Panthers return to Northeast-10 Conference action on Saturday afternoon, as they welcome the Southern New Hampshire University Penmen to Motamed Field at noon.

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About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.

Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.

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