Late Fourth Quarter Goal Sends Indiana Tech to NAIA MLAX Championship Game

PENSACOLA, Fla. - (NAIA Release) - Second-seeded Indiana Tech won a 7-6 thriller over third-seeded University of Cumberlands in the semifinals of the 2023 NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Invitational. Devin Macomber bookended the game, scoring the Warriors' first and last goal to put Indiana Tech in the championship game for the third consecutive year. Tech will face top-seeded Keiser (Fla.) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 13.

Cumberlands struck first when Dom Lulow found Christina Vaover at the 10:56 mark. The lead didn't last long as Devin Macomber countered for Indiana Tech two minutes later. The back and forth continued as Cumberlands posted another goal and the Warriors answered. Indiana Tech took its first lead of the game when Khanan Bodley scored with 1:27 left in the opening quarter for a 3-2 score. Tanner Popovich evened the score early in the second quarter and then scored again less than a minute later to recapture the lead for the Patriots. The lead held for seven minutes until Samuel Bodley found the net off a set up Josh Bramlery to knot it at 4-4 at the end of two. 

After nearly 10 minutes of scoreless play in the third, Nick Kava started a scoring frenzy when he put the Patriots up off an assist by Will Rogers at the 5:28 mark. True to form, when one team scores the opponent quickly responds, this time IT’s Emmett Coleman slipped one through a minute later to tie it at 5-5. Rogers then scored one of his own for 6-5 Cumberlands lead once again with 3:21 remaining in the third only to see Bodley take a ball from Devin Macomber with three seconds left in the quarter to tie it at six.

The fourth quarter was a battle with neither team having an advantage until Macomber put it between the pipes at the 2:30 mark for the game-winner in just the Warriors second lead of the game.

Cumberlands was led by Rogers with a team-high four points and Popovich and Lulow tallied a pair of points each. Chrystian Coleman and Gabe Schwaiger each accumulated two caused turnovers and a pair of ground balls. Michael Toohey notched 13 saves in the game. The Patriots end their season at 13-6.

Macomber was the hero for Indiana Tech (17-3) as he tallied two goals and an assist. Bodley netted three goals in the win. Tristan McKneely went 12-17 on faceoffs with seven ground balls as Grant Seaman notched a pair of caused turnovers. Kyle Twobulls made six saves in the win.