Grand Rapids, MI – It's been a while since the Men's Lacrosse team played a home game. In that stretch, the Saints have won four times, dropped a battle to the nationally ranked #5 team, and, more importantly, shown clear signs of growth. As the regular season winds down, Aquinas looks like a team determined to play deep into May. On 'Youth Night,' the Saints not only celebrated the future of AQ LAX—they also delivered a dominant 16-6 win over Taylor.

Aquinas 16, Taylor 6
The Saints wasted no time setting the tone, pouring in four unanswered goals in the opening quarter before Taylor could respond. Brady Waling and Collin Wildman led the early charge, with both attackers finding the net to establish control. Nico Kittredge opened the scoring with a man-up goal, while long-stick middie Dillon Wieschhorster added a key assist and delivered a strong defensive effort.

Aquinas extended its lead in the second quarter with another offensive burst, outscoring Taylor 5-2 in the frame. Waling completed his hat trick before halftime, while Cade Linnemeyer scored twice—including a slick unassisted finish. Oliver Modderman chipped in a goal and an assist, helping the Saints build a commanding 9-3 edge at the break. TJ Murphy also picked up a helper in the quarter before adding a goal of his own later, continuing his steady two-way presence in the midfield.

Taylor briefly cut the lead to 10-5 in the third, but Aquinas responded with a back-breaking flurry—scoring three times in the final 50 seconds of the quarter. Modderman and Wildman each found the net before Linnemeyer capped his own hat trick with a sharp finish off a Kittredge assist, just one second before the horn. That stretch proved to be the dagger, as Aquinas entered the fourth quarter with a 13-5 lead and full command. Senior defenseman Noah Benoit added an assist on a fast-break sequence, continuing the Saints' success in transition.

In total, Aquinas had four players record hat tricks—Waling, Modderman, Wildman, and Linnemeyer—highlighting the team's depth and balanced firepower. Kittredge added a pair of goals, while Rolands and Murphy rounded out the scoring. Seven Saints found the back of the net, with five different players registering assists in a well-rounded, team-first effort.

Inside the Numbers
• 4 different Saints finished with a hat trick: Brady Waling, Oliver Modderman, Collin Wildman, and Cade Linnemeyer.
• 7 Aquinas players scored at least one goal, and 5 players recorded assists.
• 3 goals in the final 50 seconds of the third quarter swung momentum permanently in Aquinas' favor.
• 2 man-up goals were scored by Nico Kittredge, highlighting the Saints' sharp execution on special teams.

Coach's Take
Head coach Peter Treppa was pleased with the performance, but remains focused on continued improvement as the postseason approaches:

"Today, we played pretty well on both ends of the field and did an excellent job fighting for extra possessions at the faceoff X. When the ball hit the ground, we worked hard as a three-man unit to secure the extra possession, which ultimately led to us dominating the ground ball battle, 31-14.

A major focus over the past two games has been maintaining our energy and staying disciplined throughout the game. One chaotic quarter can shift momentum, and I credit the guys for trusting the systems and staying true to our style of play. When we play complementary lacrosse for all four quarters, we're a tough team to compete with.

That being said, we now need to reset and focus on a strong Madonna team that will challenge us all over the field. We haven't yet reached our full potential as a team, and I'm excited for the mid-week match-up."

Up Next
The Saints return to action on Wednesday afternoon at the Aquinas Athletic Field. Madonna comes to town for a pivotal WHAC conference match-up, with face-off set for 4:00 PM. For updates, recaps, and stats, visit AQSaints.com for complete coverage of Aquinas athletics.