Fort Wayne, Ind. -- A week after watching a halftime lead disappear at Davenport, No. 16 Aquinas found itself in another road fight Saturday, this time against unbeaten No. 15 Indiana Tech. With the teams separated by one spot in the NCR Division I coaches poll, the Saints supplied the final answer on the field. AQ scored four tries, made its opportunities from the kicking tee count and defended the closing minutes with the composure needed to bring home a 32-29 victory.

No. 16 Aquinas 32, No. 15 Indiana Tech 29

The Warriors struck first, but Dominic Zavala put the Saints on the board with a try in the 22nd minute. Liam Inman converted to pull Aquinas even at 7, then kicked a penalty to give AQ a 10-7 advantage.

Aquinas found another opening just before halftime. Liam Scott-Pages scored in the 40th minute, and Inman's conversion sent the Saints into the break leading 17-7. Indiana Tech pushed back in the second half, cutting the margin to two before Zavala crossed for his second try in the 50th minute. Inman converted again, stretching the AQ lead to 24-15.

The Warriors kept coming. Shane Poni gave the Saints another timely response with a try in the 65th minute, pushing their lead to 29-22. Inman later added his second penalty kick of the afternoon to make it 32-22, and those three points proved crucial when Indiana Tech closed the gap to 32-29.

Head coach Lance Hohaia felt his team began to gain the upper hand in the final 15 minutes. Aquinas created two chances to put the game away but could not finish either one, leaving the outcome in its defense's hands. The Saints held firm, protected the lead and walked off the field with a hard-earned win over a team that had entered the weekend unbeaten.

Aquinas improves to 2-1 following three consecutive road matches.

Saints Snapshots

• A different ending: After losing a halftime lead at Davenport, the Saints answered every second-half Indiana Tech challenge and finished this road test with a win.
• Zavala delivered twice: His tries in the 22nd and 50th minutes gave AQ a response in each half.
• The points that mattered: Inman's two penalty kicks included the final Aquinas points in a three-point victory.
• Four tries, one team effort: Zavala, Scott-Pages and Poni crossed the line as AQ kept finding ways to score.
• Defense closed the door: With two late attacking chances left unfinished, the Saints protected their lead in the final minutes.

Coach's Comments

Hohaia saw a match that demanded patience throughout and composure at the finish. While he wanted sharper execution on AQ's late scoring chances, he praised the defense for making sure those missed opportunities did not cost the Saints the win.

"I thought we played well for large parts of the game and it was a really even contest for the most part. In the final 15 minutes, I felt like we started to make some real inroads and gain some ascendancy. We had at least two good opportunities to ice the game and score, but we couldn't quite nail that final execution piece.

"Thankfully, we defended really well at the back end of the game and showed some composure in those final few minutes to protect the lead. Indiana Tech came into the weekend unbeaten, so they've clearly been playing some good rugby this year. Overall, we can be pleased with a tough road win." — Aquinas head coach Lance Hohaia

Up Next

Aquinas faces Ball State on Saturday, Oct. 3, in Holland, Michigan. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

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