BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Apr. 23, 2016) - Senior attackman Matt Bellando (Miami, Fla.) scored the game-winning man-up goal with 1:39 left in regulation Saturday to lift the No. 8/8 LIU Post men's lacrosse team to a 10-9 win versus East Coast Conference rival Mercy College at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.

Tied 9-9 in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the Pioneers (9-3, 6-1 ECC) were awarded a 30-second extra-man opportunity for a push by Mavericks' (9-4, 5-3 ECC) freshman midfielder Luke Baron (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.).

The nation's top man-up unit then went to work and converted for the eventual clincher. Just as the penalty concluded, graduate midfielder Jeremy Morgan (Ridge, N.Y.) made a pass to the top of the crease, where Bellando finished for the goal.

LIU Post led by as much as a four-goal margin early in the contest. Nearly five minutes into the second quarter, senior attackman Matty Beccaris (North Babylon, N.Y.) got the hosts' second EMO tally of the day, increasing their lead to 6-2.

The Mavericks, who trailed 8-5 at the intermission, battled back though in the second half. Junior midfielder Nick Wilcox (Hamburg, N.Y.), who had three assists in the first 30 minutes, evened the score at 8-all at the 5:53 mark of the fourth quarter.

Following Bellando's heroics, Mercy was given a 30-second man-up chance of its own to try and re-tie it. However, the LIU Post defense held their opposition without a shot in the last 34 seconds to secure the victory.

Bellando led all scorers on the afternoon with five points (4 G, 1 A). Beccaris added three goals and one assist for four points. Morgan allocated four assists. Sophomore midfielder Dylan Harned (Selden, N.Y.) chipped in two goals.

Between the pipes, junior goalie Matthew Liantonio (Miller Place, N.Y.) made six saves for the Pioneers, who outshot the Mavericks by a near 2-to-1 margin (44-23). LIU Post was also a near-perfect 13-of-14 (92.8 percent) on clears.

Head Coach John Jez and the Pioneers round out their 2016 regular-season schedule next Saturday (Apr. 30), when they host University of the District of Columbia in an ECC clash at 2 p.m. at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium.