Fort Wayne, Ind. -- Want to find out where you stand? Take your game on the road against the No. 4 team in the nation. The Aquinas men's soccer team has been building momentum in conference play, with its sights on making noise in the WHAC and working toward the NAIA tournament. Saturday's trip to Indiana Tech offered the Maroon and White a measuring stick — and a reminder of how much work goes into taking that next step.
No. 4 Indiana Tech 2, Aquinas 0
The Saints battled defensively throughout Saturday's conference matchup, but a pair of first-half goals and limited opportunities on the attacking end resulted in their first WHAC defeat. Dario Cela answered the first early test, stopping Gui Moreira at 3:39 to keep the match scoreless. With Maurice Chandler Jr., Joseph Farhat, Evan Goodfellow, Chase Jacobs Gries and Miguel Gonzalez among the starters, AQ held Indiana Tech without a goal through the opening 34 minutes.
Carter Hagan entered at 13:00, followed by Emmanuel Bedolla at 20:26, as Coach Luke Ruff began turning to his bench. Adam Flanders produced the Saints' lone shot at 22:33, putting his attempt on target before Warriors goalkeeper Marvin Kopp made the save. Fikret Hasovic delivered consecutive corner kicks at 26:33 and 27:07, giving Aquinas opportunities to challenge the Indiana Tech defense.
The Warriors held firm through that stretch, preventing the Saints from turning either corner into another shot. Indiana Tech's defensive organization consistently limited the opportunities available to Hasovic, Trae Collins and the Aquinas attack. At the other end, the Saints kept the opening half scoreless until Robin Vezinhet broke through at 34:48.
Just 2:49 later, Matthew Takawira finished off an assist from Jack Kennedy to give the Warriors a 2-0 advantage. Ruff made extensive changes at 41:11, bringing on Ivan Radovic in goal along with Brian Mosqueda, Logan McClure, Owen Dibling, Ignacio Creamer, Carson Tucker and several other Saints. Aquinas reached halftime facing a two-goal deficit after allowing only four first-half shots.
The defensive workload increased considerably after the break, with Indiana Tech recording 12 shots over the final 45 minutes. Radovic and the Saints answered that pressure with a scoreless second half, keeping the match within reach. After Vezinhet struck the crossbar at 54:02, Radovic stopped Fabian Hauer at 56:06 and denied Filip Maksimovic at 59:53 and 65:43.
Radovic added saves against Hauer at 71:39, Isaac Coppinger at 74:24 and Hauer again at 83:41 to finish with six stops in 48:49 of scoreless relief. Marcos Real, Jackson Rittner, Christian Trunk, Jaiden Collins, Ismael Gutierrez, Andi Gashi, Austin Tucker and Jareth Balcaraz-Alvarado also saw action as Aquinas searched for a way to turn defensive stops into attacking opportunities. Indiana Tech never allowed that response to develop, holding AQ without a shot or corner kick throughout the second half.
Bedolla received a yellow card at 52:34, and Hagan was cautioned at 85:42, with Aquinas committing eight fouls to Indiana Tech's seven. The Saints' defensive resolve prevented the Warriors from extending their lead, but a 16-1 shot disadvantage underscored the difficulty AQ faced in generating the offense needed to climb back into the match.
Aquinas moves to 7-6 overall and 4-1 in the WHAC, sitting third with 12 points behind Madonna (14) and Lawrence Tech (13). NAIA No. 4 Indiana Tech improved to 10-2-2 overall and 3-1-1 in conference play, holding fourth with 10 points.
Saints Snapshots
- Still in the thick of it. Four wins through five WHAC matches have put Aquinas firmly in the conference race, with the Saints just two points behind first-place Madonna.
- Forty-five minutes of fight. AQ faced 12 second-half shots from the nation's fourth-ranked team and kept the Warriors off the scoreboard through the final whistle.
- Called upon. Answered. Ivan Radovic stepped into a demanding road assignment and delivered six saves in scoreless relief, keeping the Saints within striking distance.
- The next gear is up front. Aquinas showed the resolve to withstand pressure; generating chances at the other end is the next challenge after finishing with one shot.
- Opportunity knocks Wednesday. Second-place Lawrence Tech comes to Aquinas Athletic Field with a one-point edge over AQ, giving the Saints an immediate chance to gain ground.
Coach's Comments
Following the hard-fought defeat, Coach Luke Ruff emphasized carrying the lessons into practice and directing the Saints' energy toward Wednesday's matchup with Lawrence Tech.
"We can acknowledge the work our guys did defensively and still be honest that we have to create more going forward. We cannot spend the next few days dwelling on this result. We need to learn from it, practice hard and come together with a clear focus on Lawrence Tech. Wednesday is another opportunity, and we need to leave everything we have on the pitch."
Up Next
The Saints will return to the friendly confines of Aquinas Athletic Field on Wednesday, Oct. 14, to host WHAC foe Lawrence Tech. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
Keep checking AQSaints.com for updates, stories, features and statistics on Aquinas men's soccer and all Saints sports.
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