Athens, TN – The Aquinas men's lacrosse team hit the road for a weekend doubleheader in Athens, Tennessee, beginning with a tough match-up on Friday afternoon against No. 5-ranked Reinhardt. The Saints started strong but ultimately fell 9-6, marking their first loss of the season.

Reinhardt 9, Aquinas 6

Aquinas came out firing, trading early goals before building a 5-2 lead in the second quarter. TJ Murphy paced the offense with a hat trick, while Brady Waling added two goals of his own to help establish the early advantage. Nico Kittredge added a goal on five shots for the Saints.

However, the nationally ranked Eagles found their stride in the second half. Reinhardt outscored Aquinas 7-1 after the break, capitalizing on key possessions and a stifling defensive effort. Despite a hard-fought battle, the Saints couldn't fend off the late surge, as the Eagles pulled away for the victory.

Defensively, Aquinas held its own against Reinhardt's high-powered attack, with goalie Austin Hynote making 10 saves to keep the Saints competitive. AQ also dominated the ground ball battle, securing a 36-28 advantage. However, struggles in the clearing game and a scoreless fourth quarter proved costly in the final outcome.

The loss drops Aquinas to 4-1 on the season, but the Saints won't have much time to dwell on it as they prepare for another top-tier opponent on Saturday.

By the Numbers:

• 6 – TJ Murphy led the Saints with six total points (three goals, three shots on goal).
• 36 – Aquinas won the ground ball battle, finishing with 36 to Reinhardt's 28.
• 10 – Austin Hynote recorded 10 saves in net to keep AQ in the game.
• 0 – The Saints were held scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Coach's Take:

Head coach Peter Treppa reflected on the team's performance and the lessons learned from facing an elite opponent.

"We played a strong first half and showed we can compete at the highest level. Unfortunately, we lost some key possessions in the second half, and against a team like Reinhardt, that makes all the difference. We'll take this as a learning experience and come back stronger tomorrow."

Up Next:

The Saints will look to bounce back on Saturday afternoon against another NAIA powerhouse in No. 8-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan. Aquinas aims to return to the win column when they take on the Bulldogs at 3:30 PM. Stay tuned to AQSaints.com for game recaps and stats.