Nashville, Tenn. — In a nail-biting non-conference showdown on Friday, Illinois Tech narrowly fell to Bridgewater College, 11-10. After a promising start with a 4-1 lead in the first quarter, Illinois Tech saw Bridgewater's third-quarter surge tip the scales. This marks Illinois Tech's season opener, putting them at 0-1, while Bridgewater kicks off with a 1-0 record.

How It Happened

The Scarlet Hawks came out strong in the first quarter, with Connor Montgomery striking first just 1:39 into the game. Montgomery doubled down with another goal at 9:18, solidifying Illinois Tech's early advantage. Bridgewater's Ryan Linn, assisted by Connor Warren, retaliated at 7:48, but Illinois Tech kept pressing. Diego Sosa found the net at 6:34, and Cooper Leonard added another at 4:02, wrapping up the quarter with a 4-1 lead despite Bridgewater's attempts, including key saves by Ryan Littler.

In the second quarter, Illinois Tech picked up right where they left off. Kevin Konopacki scored 35 seconds in, with an assist from Sosa. Sosa then scored his own goal at 11:50, thanks to a setup by Alexander Stokrp. Bridgewater, however, started to turn the tide with a quick goal from Killian Krapfl at 11:43, sparking their comeback. The Eagles continued to chip away at the lead with goals from Tristan Lee, Alex Garbarino, and Luke Wendler, closing the gap to 6-5 by halftime.

Bridgewater dominated the early third quarter, with Tyler Pinto scoring at 11:27 from a Wendler assist. Pinto struck again at 7:10, followed by a goal from Jake Wagner at 6:29, assisted by Garbarino. Illinois Tech struggled to capitalize on opportunities, but Sosa's late goal at 00:43, assisted by Will Von eyser, brought the score to 9-7, still in Bridgewater's favor.

The fourth quarter saw Illinois Tech fighting back. Leonard, assisted by Montgomery, tied the game at 12:06, and Andrei Gran, with help from Drake Doubek, pushed the Scarlet Hawks ahead 10-9 at 11:12. Yet, Bridgewater wasn't finished. Isaac Beals scored at 5:40, tying the game again, and Lee's man-up goal at 3:34, assisted by Wendler, sealed the deal for an 11-10 Bridgewater victory.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Diego Sosa
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- 3 goals
- 1 assist
- 12 shots

Connor Montgomery
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- 2 goals
- 2 assists

Duwayne Aikins
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- 10 faceoff wins

Ryan Littler
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- 13 saves

Bridgewater Top Performers

Luke Wendler
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- 2 goals
- 3 assists
- 5 shots

Tristan Lee
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- 2 goals
- 1 game-winning goal
- 6 shots

Tyler Pinto
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- 2 goals
- 4 shots

Jake Wagner
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- 1 goal
- 3 shots

Game Notes:
- This was the inaugural clash between the Scarlet Hawks and Bridgewater College.

Up Next

Illinois Tech is set to play Transylvania University in their closing match of the Music City Classic on Saturday, Feb. 14, with the game scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Nashville, Tennessee.