SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – In a battle of top-10 titans, the No. 8 Aquinas men's lacrosse team came up just short in a nail-biting 12-11 loss to No. 9 Lawrence Tech on Saturday afternoon at Blue Devils Stadium.

Despite a furious comeback attempt and a standout performance from Cade Linnemeyer—who tallied three goals and two assists—the Saints were edged by a single goal in a contest that featured five ties and relentless pace from the opening whistle.

For Coach Peter Treppa's squad, it's gut-check time. This team has the talent to make a deep postseason run, but health and consistency will be key as the regular season winds down.

Lawrence Tech 12, Aquinas 11

First-Quarter Fireworks
Aquinas came out swinging, jumping ahead 4-2 midway through the first quarter thanks to goals from Alex Rolands, Evan Doan, Cooper Croskey, and Linnemeyer. Lawrence Tech, however, answered back with a trio of goals to tie it 4-4 at the end of the opening frame.

Holmes vs. Holmes: Duel of the Scorers
While Cory Holmes netted two key goals for Aquinas, Lawrence Tech's Grady Holmes stole the spotlight with a staggering seven-goal performance—including what proved to be the game-winner with 8:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Trading Punches
After falling behind 10-7 late in the third, Aquinas mounted a gritty rally. Nico Kittredge, TJ Murphy, and Cory Holmes all found the net in a tightly contested third quarter, closing the gap to just two goals entering the final frame.

Linnemeyer continued to lead the charge in the fourth, scoring twice—once unassisted and once setting up Holmes for his second of the day—to bring the Saints within one with five minutes to play. Despite multiple late looks, the Saints couldn't find the equalizer.

By the Numbers
• Aquinas outshot Lawrence Tech 40-39 and were even in ground balls (24 each)
• Evan Doan: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points; also grabbed 2 ground balls
• Austin Hynote: The AQ goalie stopped 12 shots on the day
• Cade Linnemeyer: 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points to lead AQ

Coach's Comments
Following the second straight loss, Head Coach Peter Treppa reflected on the setback and what's needed going forward:
"This was a hard-fought game between two top teams, and we had our chances late. We've got to clean up a few things defensively and keep getting healthier. I believe in this group—we're resilient and we'll bounce back strong at Siena."

What's Next
The Saints drop to 8-3 overall and 2-2 in WHAC play, with their eyes now set on closing the regular season strong as postseason play nears. Aquinas will hit the road on Wednesday to take on the Siena Heights squad in Adrian, MI. The two teams will battle with a starting time of 7:00 PM. Be sure to check out the aqsaints.com site for game recaps, stats, scores, and all the information you need about Aquinas athletics.