Grand Rapids, Mich. By the time the Saints kicked off Homecoming Saturday, the rain had already made its presence felt. The turf gave Aquinas and Cleary a playable pitch, and the WHAC opener gave the Saints a chance to change a frustrating early-season pattern. Aquinas had lost four games by a single goal apiece: three by 1-0 scores and the other 2-1. When Cleary struck first, Luke Ruff's squad was behind the eight ball again. This time, in the conference season it had been building toward since 2025, the Saints dug deep and passed an early-season gut check.
Aquinas 2, Cleary 1
Cleary made Aquinas work from the start, putting three shots on goal in the first 12 minutes. Dario Cela stopped all three, denying Mason Booth, Jack Flower and Callum Johnson. Fikret Hasovic forced a save at the other end, but the Cougars struck first when Johnson finished a Dexter Todd assist at 31:10. Cela added three more first-half saves to keep the deficit at one. Aquinas found some life just before the break as Adam Flanders and Jackson Rittner tested Flower, while Marcos Real delivered two late corner kicks.
The Saints returned with an answer that changed the afternoon. After Cela turned aside another Booth shot, Real scored at 51:34 to bring Aquinas level. Chase Jacobs Gries nearly followed with a header, and the pressure continued through attempts from Hasovic, Evan Goodfellow and Flanders. Hasovic also sent a shot wide as Aquinas searched for the goal that would complete the comeback. The chances were there, but Ruff's team still needed someone to finish one.
The match grew heated down the stretch. Officials showed yellow cards to Aquinas' Maurice Chandler Jr., Hasovic, Trae Collins and Flanders, along with Cleary's Jack Heald, Johnson, Flower and Daniel David. At 78:53, Cleary's Booth and Dami Obakayo and Aquinas' Jacobs Gries received red cards. Still, the Saints kept attacking, with Joseph Farhat sending a header high and Hasovic forcing Flower into another save. Aquinas earned two late corners, and Collins headed an attempt high as the clock moved toward the final five minutes.
Then came the opportunity from the penalty spot. Hasovic stepped up at 84:11 and converted, and the huge Homecoming crowd that had stayed through the constant threat of heavy rain erupted as Aquinas took a 2-1 lead.
Cleary managed one more attempt, but Heald's shot went high and the Saints saw out the victory. Cela finished with seven saves, his work in the first half giving Aquinas the chance to win it in the second. Real supplied the equalizer, Hasovic supplied the winner, and a team that had spent months pointing toward WHAC play opened it with a Homecoming comeback.
Aquinas improved to 3-4 overall and 1-0 in the WHAC. Cleary fell to 1-5-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Saints Snapshots
- One-Goal Game. Different Ending. After four narrow losses, the Saints came from behind to win their WHAC opener by the same margin.
- The Second-Half Spark: Real erased Cleary's lead less than seven minutes after the break, giving Aquinas time to chase the winner.
- The Homecoming Moment: Hasovic converted from the spot in the 85th minute, bringing a rain-defying crowd to its feet.
- Cela Gave Them a Chance: The Saints' goalkeeper kept Cleary within reach through a difficult first half and finished with seven saves.
- WHAC Play Starts Here: The conference season Aquinas had been preparing for since 2025 began with a comeback win.
Coach's Comments
The Saints had been close in their losses. Ruff pointed to finishing chances as the next step for a team that believes it can make a run in the WHAC.
"We've been close in these games, and our record tells us we still have to finish the job," Aquinas head coach Luke Ruff said. "Our defending and goalkeeping continue to give us a chance every time we step onto the pitch. Now we have to be more clinical and turn those quality opportunities into goals. Everything we have done since the beginning of the season has been focused on preparing for the WHAC. We believe we can compete in this conference, put ourselves in position to make a run and earn an opportunity to play in the NAIA postseason."
Up Next
The Saints will look to reach .500 when they travel to Rochester Hills, Michigan, to face Rochester Christian on Wednesday at 3 p.m. A nonconference match with crosstown rival Calvin follows Saturday.
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It's a great day to be a Saint.
