Ft. Wayne, Ind. — The further a season goes, the more every game starts to feel like a referendum on who you really are.
For Aquinas, that identity continues to sharpen.
The Saints are getting stronger as the season rolls on, but championship teams also understand one dangerous truth: the second you look past an opponent, the game will humble you. That was never going to happen Wednesday night anyway, because the Warriors of Indiana Tech — the No. 7 team in the NAIA — had every intention of defending their home turf and making the No. 3 Saints earn every inch.
And did they ever.
What followed was a top-10 heavyweight fight that demanded grit, poise, and in the final minute, one unforgettable save and one final dagger.
#3 Aquinas 10, #7 Indiana Tech 9
This had the feel of a March match-up in April clothing from the opening whistle.
Braeden Williams powered the Saints offense with four goals and an assist, consistently finding seams in the Warrior defense and setting the tone in the early back-and-forth.
TJ Murphy was once again sensational, finishing with three goals and two assists, while Mitchell Pridgeon added two goals and an assist as AQ's top unit kept Indiana Tech under constant pressure.
The opening quarter was pure chaos in the best possible way.
Williams struck twice, Murphy found the net, and Pridgeon added another as the two nationally ranked programs traded blows to a 4-4 deadlock after one.
Then came Aquinas' best stretch of the night.
The Saints blanked Indiana Tech in the second quarter, while Williams scored twice more and Murphy added another to help AQ surge ahead 7-4 at halftime. Oliver Modderman's steady distribution and Ian Wright's off-ball movement helped the Saints control tempo during that decisive run.
Pridgeon pushed the margin to 8-4 early in the third, but as expected, the seventh-ranked Warriors refused to fold.
Indiana Tech chipped away possession by possession, finally knotting the match at 9-9 with 2:02 left, setting the stage for a finish worthy of two top-10 teams.
What kept the Saints in position to survive was the work done everywhere between the goals. Collin Wildman, Blake Syzmanski, CJ Russell, Isaiah Ramirez, and Cooper Croskey all came up with critical caused turnovers and ground-ball wins in the second half, repeatedly disrupting Warrior possessions and helping AQ reset. The Saints were also sharp in transition, successfully completing 15 of 17 clears, while William Larriuz battled to an even split at the faceoff X, helping Aquinas survive the possession war late.
Then came the play that may define the regular season.
With just over a minute to play, Indiana Tech had the ball and a golden look that could have changed everything.
Instead, Austin Hynote made the save of the year.
At 1:09 remaining, the Saints keeper came up with a point-blank stop, one of his 14 saves on the night, preserving the tie and flipping the momentum completely. It was the kind of save that doesn't just stop a shot — it changes belief.
AQ cleared.
Timeout Saints.
Fifty-five seconds to script one final possession.
And when the moment arrived, the Saints put the ball in the hands of their biggest playmakers.
As the clock melted toward the horn, TJ Murphy attacked, drew the slide, and delivered a perfect feed to Ian Wright cutting toward the crease.
Wright finished.
10 seconds left.
The Aquinas sideline erupted.
Indiana Tech never got another real chance, as the Saints won the final faceoff and slammed the door on one of the best wins of the season.
With the win, Aquinas improves to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in WHAC play, while Indiana Tech falls to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in conference action.
Saints Snapshots
• Top-10 Test Passed — A road win over the No. 7 team in the NAIA is the kind of result that shapes postseason belief.
• Murphy to Wright — When the game demanded one final championship play, AQ's stars delivered it in the final 10 seconds.
• Hynote's Defining Save — The stop at 1:09 may go down as the biggest save of the Saints' regular season.
• Defense Won the Details — Caused turnovers, ground balls, and 15-of-17 clears kept AQ alive when the pressure peaked.
• Williams Set the Tone — Four goals from Braeden Williams gave AQ the offensive edge early.
• Road Grit Travels — AQ proved it can win when style points disappear and only toughness remains.
Coach's Comments
Head Coach Peter Treppa emphasized after the game that ranked wins only matter if they sharpen the Saints moving forward.
"We can't get caught up reading our own headlines," Treppa said. "This was a tremendous test against a top-10 opponent, and it showed how quickly things can tighten if you lose your edge. I loved our response late, especially the poise in the final minute, but our focus has to stay on finding ways to be sharper and more consistent every single time out."
Up Next
The Saints will be back on the road Saturday when Aquinas battles the Wolverines of UM-Dearborn. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
Be sure to visit AQSaints.com for live stats, streaming links, and full postgame coverage of AQ Men's Lacrosse and all Saints sports.
