Grand Rapids, Mich. There are bumps in a long conference road, and then there are afternoons that leave a team looking in the mirror. Saturday at Indiana Tech fell squarely into the second category for Aquinas, where one shot on goal left the Saints with plenty to think about on the ride home. Wednesday brought Lawrence Tech to Aquinas Athletic Field and, with it, an opportunity to answer a question that mattered far more than how disappointed the Saints had been: What were they going to do about it? With positioning near the top of the WHAC and their postseason ambitions in the balance, the Maroon and White had an answer ready.
Aquinas 3, Lawrence Tech 1
Adam Flanders delivered twice, Fikret Hasovic contributed a goal and an assist, and Dario Cela anchored the response with 11 saves as Aquinas earned a consequential conference victory. The Saints scored twice before halftime, answered a late first-half setback and protected their advantage through a demanding final stretch.
Maurice Chandler Jr. supplied AQ's first attempt with a header wide in the fourth minute, while Cela made his first save at 11:46. Hasovic tested Lawrence Tech goalkeeper Noa Benallegue at 21:46 before giving Aquinas its breakthrough three minutes later. Stepping to the penalty spot at 24:53, Hasovic converted to put the Saints ahead 1-0.
Jackson Rittner and Marcos Real brought additional pressure off the bench, forcing saves just 14 seconds apart in the 36th minute. Cela answered at the other end by stopping a header at 38:16 to preserve the lead. Flanders then had an attempt blocked at 40:05 before finding the net nine seconds later off an assist from Hasovic. The finish doubled AQ's advantage and rewarded a first half in which the Saints put five of their eight shots on target.
Lawrence Tech interrupted that momentum with a goal just seven seconds before halftime, sending Aquinas into the break ahead 2-1. That left the Saints facing another test of their response, this time with a dangerous opponent carrying a fresh dose of belief.
Logan McClure entered to begin the second half, joining an AQ group that included Joseph Farhat, Owen Dibling, Evan Goodfellow and Chase Jacobs Gries. Cela immediately went back to work, recording a save at 46:32 as Lawrence Tech pressed for the equalizer. Chandler added another header attempt at 57:06, and Cela protected the narrow margin with another stop at 58:23.
After sending a shot high at 62:53, Flanders delivered the breathing room Aquinas needed less than a minute later. Trae Collins supplied the assist at 63:49, and Flanders finished his second goal to restore the Saints' two-goal cushion.
Lawrence Tech continued to challenge, but Cela stopped a header at 66:33 and made consecutive saves just eight seconds apart in the 72nd minute. Two more stops at 74:04 and 75:49 kept the Blue Devils from turning their pressure into a late comeback. Emmanuel Bedolla added an attacking opportunity off the bench, while Hasovic forced Benallegue into another save at 81:15.
Real, Rittner, Carter Hagan, Miguel Gonzalez and Ignacio Creamer also contributed minutes as Aquinas worked through the contest. Cela supplied two more saves in the closing minutes, completing a second half in which he turned away all nine shots on goal he faced. Lawrence Tech finished with a 26-14 advantage in shots and a 12-7 edge in shots on goal, but AQ's finishing and goalkeeping carried the afternoon.
Aquinas improved to 7-5 overall and 5-1 in the WHAC, while Lawrence Tech moved to 5-6-3 overall and 4-1-1 in conference play. The Saints stand second in the WHAC with 15 points, two behind Madonna's 17 with one fewer conference match played. Lawrence Tech follows with 13 points, while Saturday's opponent, Northwestern Ohio, sits fourth with 11, giving AQ another important opportunity to strengthen its position.
Saints Snapshots
- An answer with consequences. Wednesday gave the Saints more than a bounce-back victory. Against another team near the top of the WHAC, AQ protected second place and kept conference championship positioning firmly within reach.
- Flanders met the moment. His first finish built the lead; his second restored it when Lawrence Tech was pushing back. Both arrived at moments when Aquinas needed someone to turn an opportunity into control of the scoreboard.
- Cela stood his ground. The Blue Devils kept coming, and AQ's goalkeeper kept answering. His second-half performance gave the Saints the foundation to finish a match that remained demanding well beyond their third goal.
- More voices in the attack. Hasovic helped create the separation, Collins supplied a critical assist, and Rittner and Real challenged the goalkeeper off the bench. Aquinas found contributions beyond its goal scorers when the response required a collective effort.
- The standard travels forward. Beating Lawrence Tech matters, but Saturday brings another contender to Aquinas Athletic Field. The next step is making Wednesday's resolve something the Saints can count on every time they take the field.
Coach's Comments
Following Saturday's disappointment at Indiana Tech, Coach Ruff wanted a response that matched the importance of Wednesday's opportunity.
"We challenged our guys to respond with a performance that reflected what we expect from this group, and they took an important step today," Coach Ruff said. "Adam delivered in big moments, Fikret and Trae helped create the goals, and Dario gave us a tremendous performance when we needed him. We still have to do a better job limiting chances and managing stretches of the game, but we competed through the difficult moments. Now we need to bring that same commitment Saturday and keep raising our standard together."
Up Next
It's an AQ soccer doubleheader Saturday as the Saints welcome the Racers of Northwestern Ohio to the friendly confines of Aquinas Athletic Field. The women open at 1 p.m., followed by the men at 3:30 p.m. Joey Sutherlin will call both matches on the AQSaints YouTube Network.
Keep checking AQSaints.com for updates, stories, features and statistics on Aquinas men's soccer and all Saints sports.
It's a great day to be a Saint!
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