LISLE, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) – The Marian University men's soccer team squandered a 1-0 lead to first-place Benedictine University and fell 3-2 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference finale at the Sports Complex, this evening Oct. 26.

Nate Peltonen scored in the seventh minute to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead, but the top team in the NACC came storming back to score three unanswered goals in the second half. David Reinke added his team-leading 13th goal of the season in the 86th minute, but the Eagles proved too much to overcome.

The Sabre fall to 5-9-2 overall, 2-7-1 in the NACC with the loss, while Benedictine clinches the top seed in the NACC tournament, moving to 9-7-1 (8-1-1 NACC).

Early on, Peltonen cracked the scoreboard with his seventh goal of the year after stealing a pass and putting away the score to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. It was Peltonen's sixth point in his last five games, which includes five goals.

That goal would stand through halftime as the Sabres seemed poised to hand the top team in the league their second loss of the season. However, the Eagles weren't ready to bow down that easily.

Ante Markotic tied the game in the 57th minute with his seventh goal of the year on a header off an assist from Julio Lopez. A little more than 22 minutes later, Anes Kadiric netted his fifth of the year on another header off a cross from Hector Valiencia.

The Eagles added to their lead yet again when Markotic scored his second of the game in the 83rd minute. Markotic made it 3-1 when he hammered home the rebound off a build up from teammates Edgar Reyes and Kadiric.

The Sabres cut the deficit to 3-2 when Reinke headed in a goal in the 86th minute on an assist from Michael Ekstrom, but it wasn't enough to top the Eagles on their home turf.

The Sabres outshot the Eagles 15-9 overall, 10-6 on goal and registered three corner kicks to Benedictine's one.

Marian will wrap up the regular season with a road test at sixth-ranked UW-Oshkosh Tuesday, Oct. 26. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Titan Stadium.