The bad news is that the host Devils handed Eastern a 1-0 loss in the regular season finale to knock the Eagles out of the top spot in the Freedom Conference standings. The Devils played their way into the post-season with the win today and will travel to St. Davids as the 3rd seed on Tuesday at 2:00 pm.

The Devils broke a scoreless tie in the 54th minute on a Josh Corpuz goal. Corpuz was in the right spot to bury a strong cross from Manny Almeida. 

The Eagles, however, had several chances to tie the game in the waning moments. It appeared that Drew Lamparter had leveled the score with a neat volley finish on a Kyle Richards serve, but a raised flag indicated that the first year midfielder had made his run too early.

The next best chance of the game came in the final seconds. Ben Faro earned the end line and served a ball into the mix. The initial cross was contested equally by both teams and popped straight up in the air. Richards attacked the floating ball and directed a header toward the upper corner of the goal. Time seemed to stand still as the ball caromed off the inside of the upright directly below the crossbar. Somehow, the ball stayed out of the goal, and an FDU defender hoofed it clear to secure the win.

"I give credit to FDU, " Eastern Head Coach Mark Wagner commented, "They played well as did we. It was a good college game, and we look forward to playing them at our place on Tuesday for the Conference Semifinal."

The Freedom Conference playoffs will have a new look this year as the top three seeds in the field all missed the Championships last year. With Eastern's loss today, DeSales moves into the top seed, they will face fourth seeded Misericordia on Tuesday at DeSales.

Admission will be charged for entry into Tuesday's game. Eastern University Student Development has agreed to pay the cost of admission for any Eastern University student with a  valid Eastern ID to see the game.

Box Score