MEQUON, Wis. — The Illinois Tech men's lacrosse team (2-7, 2-1) faced a tough battle against Concordia University Wisconsin (8-1, 2-1) on Wednesday at Fitting Field, falling 12-5. Despite the loss, goalkeeper Ryan Littler was a standout with 26 saves, setting a new school single-game record, breaking the previous record of 24 saves by Zane Handy on May 2nd, 2023, also against CUW.

How It Happened

The game kicked off with Concordia Wisconsin taking charge right from the start, winning the opening faceoff and putting pressure on Illinois Tech's defense. Bryce Petersen put the Falcons on the board first at 12:24 with an assist from Blane Vrana. Even with multiple saves by Illinois Tech's Littler, the Falcons pushed their lead further with goals from Bryce Marval at 4:29 and Tyler Husby at 1:10, both assisted by Kaleb Weikel. The first quarter closed with Petersen scoring again at 00:19, putting the Scarlet Hawks in a 4-0 deficit.

The Falcons continued to dominate in the second quarter. Preston Meier scored at 14:02, assisted by Petersen, followed by another goal from Husby at 6:40. Meier found the net again at 5:49. Illinois Tech, with Littler anchoring the defense, managed several critical saves, but the Falcons took advantage of faceoff wins and turnovers to keep a 7-0 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Concordia Wisconsin kept the momentum with Petersen scoring at 11:06, assisted by Meier. Illinois Tech fought back with Bodey Goertzen scoring at 9:56. Despite a strong effort from the Scarlet Hawks, including more saves by Littler, Brayden Wilson extended Concordia's lead at 6:02 with Weikel's assist. Alexander Stokrp quickly replied for Illinois Tech with a goal at 5:49, ending the quarter at 9-2 in favor of the Falcons.

The fourth quarter saw Concordia extending their lead with Meier's goal at 11:46. Weikel added another for the Falcons at 7:29, assisted by Marval. Illinois Tech responded with a goal from Andrei Gran, assisted by Allen Rossignol, at 5:20. The Scarlet Hawks kept pushing with goals from Will Von Eyser, assisted by Connor Montgomery, at 2:53, and Cooper Leonard, assisted by Diego Sosa, at 2:15. Despite this late surge, the Falcons sealed their victory with a final goal by Marval, assisted by Husby, with 52 seconds left, concluding the game at 12-5.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Ryan Littler
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- 26 saves
- 69 shots faced

Alexander Stokrp
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- 1 goal
- 5 shots

Bodey Goertzen
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- 1 goal
- 1 unassisted goal

Andrei Gran
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- 1 goal
- 1 shot

Concordia Wisconsin Top Performers

Tyler Husby
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- 2 goals
- 1 assist
- 1 game-winning goal

Bryce Petersen
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- 3 goals
- 2 assists
- 8 shots on goal

Preston Meier
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- 3 goals
- 1 assist
- 15 shots

Nolan O'Malley
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- 12 saves
- 1 game started
- 25 shots faced

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech is now 3-6 all-time against Concordia Wisconsin.
- Faced a season-high 69 shots.
- Diego Sosa has recorded 6 or more shots in 5 straight games.

Up Next
Illinois Tech will travel to Appleton, Wisconsin, to take on Lawrence University. The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 28 at 2 p.m.