ST. DAVIDS, Pa.– Playing its third game in five days, a shorthanded Eastern University Men's Soccer scored three times in the secodn half to earn a 3-0 win over the visiting Swarthmore College Garnet.

The Eagles had more of the play throughout the opening half, but four or five good chances went unfinished against a tightly packed Garnet defense.

"I think we did a good job of executing a game-plan," Head Coach Jeremy Payne said after the game. "For the most part we had our tactics right, but we just needed to a do a little better job protecting the ball in the back half."

The game changed in the first minute of the second half. Sean Dougherty flicked a Billy Walenda throw toward the scoring area. The redirection hit a Swarthmore player's outstretched hand, and the referee pointed to the spot. Jake Sankey snapped a flawless shot past the Swarthmore goalkeeper for his first goal of 2017.

A heavy challenge in the 59th minute produced another chance for the Eagles. Jacob Myers lofted a serve to the back post. Walenda directed the initial serve across the face of the goal where Dennis Cosgrove was in the right spot to stuff home his first career tally. With the injuries the team had coming in, Cosgrove was playing up top today.

"Dennis has ideas," Payne said after the match. "He was strong in the box for us today and he made a lot of interesting things happen. It was good to see him get a goal."

Sam Sutherland added the insurance goal in the 71st minute. The rookie midfielder has been knocking on the door and setting up chances throughout the early part of the year. He finally found his first goal on a clever lofted serve from Colin Furlong.  Sutherland bent his run into the vertical ball and beat the goalkeeper to it and flipped a touch with the outside of his right foot into the open goal.

"We are starting to see guys get healthier," Payne noted, "We hope that we can be back to full strength for next week. It was good to see Jadon [Ramsing] get in for a few minutes today. We are fortunate to have some guys who are really versatile. Jake Sankey has been really good as a center back, but we will be stronger when he gets to play a more natural role. Our guys are working to execute game plans and we are getting better. I'm pleased with where we are."

The Eagles (4-1) will play at Centenary on Saturday.