Over the past five years, the Aquinas athletic department has continued its storied tradition of athletic success in the form of individual national championships, incredible postseason runs, WHAC championships, record-breaking performances, and a tremendous number of athletic and academic All-America honorees.
 
We wanted to provide our fans with an enjoyable look back at some of the best moments from all of our athletic programs since 2015. Over the next two months, we will highlight a few programs each week - 25 programs in total - and provide a reminder of why it's great to be an Aquinas Saint.

The 2019 Aquinas College men's soccer team entered their third game of the season, a trip to the Chicago-area to take on Trinity International, looking for their first win of the season and the first win for first-year head coach Luke Ruff.

The Saints started slowly, being outshot 10-5 in the first-half and trailing 1-0 after conceding a goal late in the half. Freshman goalkeeper Antonio Strassioto was big in the first 45 minutes, keeping the Saints in the game with seven first-half saves. Freshman forward Bailey Whalley equalized for the Saints with an assist from fellow freshman Fin Pittock. Less than two minutes later, Whalley struck again to give the Saints a sudden 2-1 lead. It was all Saints in the second, a complete reversal of the game flow from the first 45 minutes. The Saints earned nine corner-kicks and outshot their hosts 13-4 in the second and it looked like they had the game all wrapped up. However, Trinity International came up with a late charge, putting pressure on the Saints defense. After two tremendous saves by Strassioto, the home team pounced on a loose ball in the box and and found the back of the net, scoring with just over two minutes to go in the game. It looked like Trinity International had broken the Saints' heart and earned a draw.

However, the Saints would find themselves with one last chance to make magic happen. After winning a defensive header and gaining possession, the Saints attacked and Mohammed Mustapha was fouled outside the box with just three seconds remaining. Junior forward Alberto Teatin, in just his third game in a Saints uniform, stepped up to the ball to try to deliver a free kick. Teatin curled the ball up and over the TIU wall towards the back post, where it found freshman Jai Tahlan, who in turn found the back of the net. The clock struck zero right after Tahlan scored, a rare "buzzer-beater" on the soccer field. The 3-2 win was the first on the year for the Saints and first in the head coaching career of first-year coach Luke Ruff. It also stopped a nine-game winless streak dating back to 2018 and jumpstarted a season that saw the Saints improve to a 5th-place finish in the WHAC standings.

Next Moment: Monday, September 14th

Previous Moments:

Women's Volleyball: Saints Capture First WHAC Title in 22 Years
Men's Cross Country: Aquinas Men Earn 2018 WHAC Championship
Women's Soccer: Saints Women Pick Up First National Tournament Win
Women's Cross Country: Saints Win 2017 WHAC Championship for Fourth Straight Title