Indiana Tech advances at MLAX Nationals, Aquinas sees season end
PENSACOLA, Fla. - (NAIA Release) - Top-seeded Indiana Tech won its semifinal match against No. 4 Cumberlands (Ky.) 11-8, but No. 6 Aquinas fell to defending champion and second-seeded Reinhardt 14-4 in the other semifinal of the 2022 NAIA Men's Lacrosse National Invitational Tournament at Ashton Brosnaham Park. Indiana Tech now faces Reinhardt at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14 in a rematch of last year's championship game.
Reinhardt advances to the championship against #1 Indiana Tech on Saturday, May 14, at 1 p.m. CST.
No. 1 Indiana Tech def. No. 4 Cumberlands (Ky.) 11-8
Indiana Tech used the middle two quarters to pull out the win, scoring seven goals during the 30 minute timeframe. Cumberlands struck first with a goal just four minutes into the game before the Warriors added two goals to take a 2-1 lead, but the Patriots knotted the game with a late score to end the first. UC went up by two after a pair of goals midway through the second, but Samual Bodley sparked a three-goal run to put IT up 5-4 at the half.
Andrew Ryan extended Tech's lead to 7-4 with a goal and an assist to open the third quarter and Tech lead 9-6 by the start of the final period. The Warriors added two more goals, which Cumberlands matched but could not overcome.
Bodley and Ryan both tallied a hat trick along with an assist to lead the undefeated Warriors. Kyle TwoBulls made 11 saves in the win to push IT to a 18-0 record.
Thomas Fogarty had four goals for the Patriots and Will Settel recorded 15 saves as Cumberlands ended the year at 13-5.
No. 2 Reinhardt (Ga.) def. No. 6 Aquinas, 14-4
An eight-goal second quarter by Reinhardt and two scoreless quarters from Aquinas proved to be the difference in the game. Reinhardt struck first just over a minute into the game and Aquinas answered with three goals, including two from Mitch Haggart, for a 3-1 lead at the end of the opening period. Both teams notched another goal early in the second, but then the Eagles scored seven unanswered goals for a 9-4 lead at the break
The third quarter saw just one goal scored as RU increased its lead to 10-4 while keeping the Saints out of the cage. Reinhardt scored four more goals in the fourth for the win.
The Saints were led by Haggart with two goals and Clayton Boerighter made 16 saves as AQ ended the season at 11-5. Reinhardt saw three players net multiple goals while Liam Wright made 11 saves to improve to 12-1.