FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason men's soccer team was more than up for a challenge in a high-scoring affair during a pivotal Atlantic 10 matchup.  

The Patriots notched a 4-3 victory over Saint Joseph's on Wednesday night at George Mason Stadium. Four players scored for Mason and junior Grant Robinson's late goal in the 83rd minute was crucial as Saint Joseph's scored with 10 seconds left.

Tunde Akinlosotu, Colin Brezniak and Pablo Pertusa also scored as the Patriots (5-6, 3-2 A-10) picked up three key points. With three regular-season games remaining, Mason currently sits in a tie for fourth with Saint Louis in the A-10 standings with nine points. The top eight teams make the conference tournament.

"Extremely important – we needed to get that third win," junior midfielder Matt Scoliere said. "We have to get those home wins. We just have to come out again on Saturday at VCU."

Mason head coach Greg Andrulis also recorded his 250th career victory as a collegiate head coach. He collected 134 wins in 12 years at Wright State (1985-96) and has registered 116 victories in the last 14 seasons with the Patriots.

Pertusa put Mason ahead for good late in the first half. The midfielder scored his first goal with the Patriots – and just his third collegiately – in the 43rd minute to break a 2-2 tie.

Redshirt senior Tolu Ibikunle uncorked a shot from the left side that hit the near post. Pertusa, a junior college transfer from Alicante, Spain, was there to grab the rebound and put a shot on goal but a Hawks' defender made a nice save at the goal line. But Pertusa followed up his own shot, tapping in the rebound.

Robinson scored what turned out to be the game-winner in the 83rd minute. Junior Raheem Lawal came off the bench and got the ball deep in the box on the left side. He turned away from his defender and booted a nice pass with his left foot to the center of the box. Robinson chased down the loose ball and ripped off a sliding shot that soared into the top right corner for his fourth goal of the season.

The Hawks (7-5-2, 1-2-2) added a late goal when Ritchie Barry scored his second goal of the night with 10 seconds remaining. It was too little too late as the Patriots defeated Saint Joseph's for the first time since 2013.

"That fourth goal was a sigh of relief for a lot of us," Scoliere said. "It was definitely comforting to get that two-goal buffer."

Akinlosotu netted his team-high fifth goal of the season in the 20th minute to start the scoring. Scoliere sent a pass up the near sideline. Fellow junior Ryan Mingachos corralled the ball in the far corner and delivered a cross into the box. Akinlosotu, a junior from Bowie, Md., ran up and flicked the ball over goalkeeper Joseph Boehm and off the crossbar and across the goal line from just a couple yards away.

Saint Joseph's responded 42 seconds later with the first of Barry's two goals. But the Patriots regained the lead just a few minutes later on a penalty kick. Akinlosotu drew a foul in the box. That provided a PK for Brezniak. The sophomore from Hanover, Pa., drilled a low kick into the left side of the net for a 2-1 lead. The Hawks again knotted the game up, with Alvin Dahn scoring his seventh goal of the season in the 34th minute.

But Mason never let the Hawks jump in front as Pertusa provided a big momentum boost before halftime with his goal.

"It was important to score because the mental war is important in halftime," Pertusa said.

Senior Clark Gronek made four saves as the Patriots fended off 16 shots and six corner kicks from the Hawks.

Mason hits the road to play conference leader VCU (8-4-1, 4-0-1) at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Richmond.