Chicago, Ill. – The Scarlet Hawks' home opener against Kalamazoo College was a back-and-forth affair early on that ultimately swung in favor of Kalamazoo, who outpaced the Hawks to secure an 11–6 victory. The Scarlet Hawks fall to 1-2 while Kalamazoo improves to 3-0.
How It Happened
Early Battle in the First Period
Illinois Tech jumped out of the gate when
Marc Rebusi scored at 10:18, giving the home squad an early lead. However, Kalamazoo quickly answered with three goals from Logan Gillis—his first coming just moments later at 08:46, followed by two more in the final two minutes, which gave the Hornets a 4–2 lead after the period.
Shifting Momentum in the Second Period
After an extra-man goal by Kalamazoo's Grayson Pratt opened the scoring in the second period, Illinois Tech clawed back into the game with two late-period goals from
Bodey Goertzen and
Diego Sosa, sending the Scarlet Hawks into the break trailing by just one goal, with the score at 5–4.
Kalamazoo Pulls Away in the Second Half
The second half saw Kalamazoo's offense pick up even more steam. Jake Asnis and Mitchel VanGalder found the back of the net to widen the gap. Despite a resilient effort from Illinois Tech—highlighted by a second goal from
Micah Manookian and a strike by
Yano Porter—the visitors built an 11–6 lead by the midpoint of the fourth quarter that the Hawks could not overcome.
Scarlet Hawks Standouts
Hornet Standouts
- Logan Gillis – Scored three goals, all in the first period.
- Dylan Adkins – Recorded two goals.
- Grayson Pratt – Scored two goals.
Inside the Box Score
- Shots: Kalamazoo 49, Illinois Tech 26
- Shots on Goal: Kalamazoo 27, Illinois Tech 22
- Faceoffs Won: Kalamazoo 12, Illinois Tech 9
- Ground Balls: Kalamazoo 29, Illinois Tech 25
Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks will travel to Indiana next Saturday, March 8, to face DePauw University in a non-conference match.
