Indiana Tech Finishes as Men's Lacrosse National Runner-Up

PENSACOLA, Fla. - (NAIA Release) - Indiana Tech finished the season as the 2023 NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Runner-Ups after falling 15-8 to Keiser (Fla.) in the championship game. Keiser proved why it was the top seed with only one loss on the year as the Seahawks controlled the contest from start to finish.

AJ Badlik put the Seahawks on the board first when Cole Stassi found him in front of the cage two minutes into the opening quarter. Indiana Tech responded with a man-up goal as Samuel Bodley shot just inside the far post. Badlik scored again as Keiser regained the lead and another Seahawk goal put the score at 3-1 to close the first quarter.

Badlik scored his third goal of the game in the opening minutes of the second quarter for a 4-1 Keiser lead before Emmett Coleman found Nate Langille for a bouncer to pull Indiana Tech to within two at 4-2 with 12:58 remaining in the half. The Warrior defense didn't have an answer for Badlik as he put one between the pipes with 10 seconds left to push the lead to 5-2 at the end of two. 

Indiana Tech went cold on the offensive and defensive fronts in the third as Keiser scored the first four goals before Bodley found the net at the 3:37 mark. Badlik notched two more goals in the quarter to spark a 10-3 Keiser lead heading into the fourth. 

The Seahawks ripped off three more goals to start the final period before Indiana Tech made run. The Warriors put up five unanswered goals over the next five minutes to close the gap to 13-8, but two late Seahawk goals staved off the Warriors. 

Badik led the way for Keiser with a tournament-best eight goals in the win. Jack Gillen added four goals and two assists, while Stassi dished out a tournament-best seven assists in the win. Cam Provines went 18-23 on faceoffs and scooped 12 ground balls, while Kylle Epstein tallied three caused turnovers. Christian Tomei made 14 saves between the pipes in the win.

Coleman and Bodley both tallied a pair of goals for Tech. Sam Anderson scooped a team-high six ground balls, while Grant Seaman notched two caused turnovers and a pair of ground balls. Kyle Twobulls made 11 saves in the cage for the Warriors. Tech finished the year at 17-4. Bodley and Coleman earned All-Tournament Team honors along with Tom Piotrowski and Sam Anderson.

2023 NAIA All-Tournament Team

Tournament MVP: AJ Badick, Keiser (Fla.) 
Samuel Bodley, Indiana Tech 
Chase Jackson, Webber International (Fla.)
Tanner Popovich, Cumberlands (Ky.)
AJ Badik, Keiser (Fla.)
Emmett Coleman, Indiana Tech
Jack Gillen, Keiser (Fla.)
Tom Piotrowski, Indiana Tech
Cam Provines, Keiser (Fla.)
Sam Anderson, Indiana Tech
Jackson Marshall, Keiser (Fla.)
Christian Tomei, Keiser (Fla.)