SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Union College men's lacrosse team had its postseason hopes take a hit with a 12-8 loss to Skidmore College in a Liberty League matchup at Wachenheim Field on a brisk Wednesday evening.
 
The loss leaves Union (3-9, 1-4 Liberty League) in a tie for sixth place in the conference standings with two games remaining. The Garnet Chargers will need to win their final two regular-season games and receive some help to find their way back to the postseason.
 
Junior Walker Popko recorded a game-high five points on four goals and an assist for the Garnet Chargers, followed by first-year Finbar Holland with two goals on three shots. Senior Luke McHugh won 14 faceoffs and grabbed a game-high 12 ground balls, while first-year Luke Foster led the defensive effort with six ground balls and senior Shaine Luzietti added three grounders and three caused turnovers.
 
Senior Peter Kip opened the scoring on the game's first possession, and Skidmore's first four opportunities resulted in three saves by sophomore Nick Lynch and a turnover. After two Thoroughbred tallies, Popko tied the score with his 26th of the year with 3:49 left. Skidmore netted the final two goals of the first and the only tally of the second to take a 5-2 lead into halftime, and then added the first goal of the third to match the largest lead of the day at 6-2.  
 
The visitors did not quit, however, charging back with five of the next six goals to even the score at seven. Popko scored two goals in 12 seconds as part of a personal three-goal streak to get Union back within a goal at the midway point of the third, and Holland scored back-to-back tallies soon after a Skidmore goal to get the Garnet Chargers back to even. Senior Emmett Lyne evened the ledger again early in the fourth on a man-up goal with 12:04 on the clock.
 
Despite the comeback effort, the combination of four Collin Keuster saves and four costly turnovers kept Union off the scoreboard for the remainder of the game and allowed Skidmore to score four unanswered tallies the rest of the way and pull out the win.
 
Skidmore outshot Union by a 51-35 margin on the night. Lynch kept Union in the game with 17 saves, while Keuster made six of his 10 saves in the fourth quarter for the home team.
 
Union will look to keep its postseason hopes alive on Saturday with a noon matchup at Vassar College.