Box Score Ann Arbor, MI – No matter the sport, conference play is a grind—at times, downright brutal. To make a deep postseason run, teams must not only survive but find ways to thrive. The Aquinas men's lacrosse team has embodied that mindset, enduring a grueling stretch without a home game since March 11. In that time, the Saints have gone 4-1, climbed to No. 8 in the national rankings, and suffered their only loss to No. 5 Reinhardt.
Aquinas 11, Concordia 7
Facing arch-rival Concordia, the Saints found themselves in a back-and-forth battle before seizing control in the final quarter. The two teams traded early goals, with TJ Murphy opening the scoring for AQ before Concordia responded twice. Cade Linnemeyer and Murphy each found the net to even the score at 2-2 after one quarter. The second period remained tight, with Collin Wildman striking late to send the game into halftime tied 4-4.
Coming out of the break, Oliver Modderman and Wildman gave the Saints a 6-4 lead, but Concordia answered with two quick goals, setting up a dramatic fourth quarter. That's when Aquinas took over.
Murphy broke the deadlock just over two minutes into the final frame, igniting a dominant Saints run. Goals from Modderman, Dillon Wieschhorster, and Murphy pushed the lead to 10-6 before Concordia could respond. Wieschhorster struck again with 3:24 left, sealing an 11-7 victory.
The Saints' defense locked in down the stretch, shutting down Concordia's attack for the final 10 minutes. AQ outscored the Cardinals 5-1 in the fourth, controlling possession and dictating the pace to secure another key conference win.
Inside the Numbers
Coach's Take
Head coach Peter Treppa praised the team's fourth-quarter performance and their ability to rise to the challenge:
"I'm really proud of how our guys responded in the fourth quarter. We knew coming in that this was going to be a battle, and we challenged the team to win the final 15 minutes. They answered that challenge with great execution on both ends of the field. This was a big road win for us in a tough environment."
Up Next
Aquinas will finally return home after a month on the road, hosting Taylor on Saturday at 4:00 PM. The game will feature Youth Night, where young lacrosse players can attend and participate in pregame activities. For updates, recaps, and stats, visit AQSaints.com for complete coverage of AQ athletics.
