KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Illinois Tech (0-4) came up just short against Kalamazoo College (3-1) in a tight 10-9 battle on Saturday afternoon at MacKenzie Field, as a furious fourth quarter comeback by the Scarlet Hawks ran out of time. Will Von Eyser paced the Hawks with 4 goals, and 5 other players had solo scores.

How It Happened

The game kicked off with both teams testing their goalies, Ryan Littler for Illinois Tech and Tony Valade for Kalamazoo. The Scarlet Hawks got on the board first with Connor Montgomery finding the net at 11:09, putting Illinois Tech ahead early. Kalamazoo answered back with a trio of goals—Max Plesscher struck at 8:19, followed by Tate Bless at 6:59, and another from Plesscher at 4:55. The Hornets took advantage of crucial face-offs to hold a 3-1 lead as the first quarter ended.

The second quarter saw the Scarlet Hawks surge ahead. Diego Sosa scored at 9:36, assisted by Montgomery, and Joseph Beaudoin added another at 8:07, set up by Sosa. But Kalamazoo soon tied it up with goals from Luke Burzynski and Dylan Adkins. Illinois Tech regained the lead with a man-up goal by Cooper Leonard at 3:11, assisted by Beaudoin. However, Kalamazoo responded with a power-play goal from Plesscher at 0:27 and a late strike from Burzynski at 0:05, finishing the half up 7-4.

In the third quarter, Ronin Honda's goal at 9:35, with an assist from Adkins, pushed Kalamazoo's lead to 8-4. The Scarlet Hawks fought back with a late goal by Will Von Eyser at the 14-second mark, cutting the deficit to 9-5. Littler was pivotal with several crucial saves, including attempts from Honda and Payton Nowak. Despite turnovers, Illinois Tech's Duwayne Aikins dominated face-offs, but Kalamazoo held a 9-5 advantage going into the final quarter.

The Scarlet Hawks came out firing in the fourth, with Von Eyser scoring twice in the opening minutes, including a goal set up by Montgomery at 14:39. Even after a penalty on Brody Quinn, Von Eyser capitalized on the extra-man opportunity. The Hornets responded at 11:12 with a goal from Burzynski, tightening the contest. Illinois Tech pressed on with a man-up goal by Alexander Stokrp, assisted by Beaudoin, with just 34 seconds left. Despite the late push, Kalamazoo edged out a 10-9 win.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Will Von Eyser
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- 4 goals
- 7 shots

Joseph Beaudoin
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- 1 goal
- 2 assists

Connor Montgomery
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- 1 goal
- 2 assists

Duwayne Aikins
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- 15 faceoff wins

Ryan Littler
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- 15 saves

Kalamazoo Top Performers

Max Plesscher
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- 3 goals
- 3 shots on goal
- 1 power play goal

Dylan Adkins
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- 1 goal
- 2 assists
- 6 shots on goal

Luke Burzynski
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- 3 goals
- 5 shots on goal
- 1 game-winning goal

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech is now 0-2 all-time against the Hornets.
- The team achieved a season-high 40 ground balls.
- Von Eyser set a season-high with 4 goals.
- Owen Dewysockie recorded a season-high 6 ground balls.
- Montgomery has taken at least 5 shots in four consecutive games.

Up Next
Illinois Tech is set to host DePauw University on Saturday, March 7 at Stuart Field in Chicago, Illinois. The game kicks off at 2 p.m.