Lisle, IL. — Men's Lacrosse was unable to keep up with Benedictine Wednesday dropping the NACC contest 11-4. Despite a strong faceoff performance with 16 wins, Illinois Tech could not overcome Benedictine's offensive efforts. Illinois Tech has a record of 6-9 overall and is 6-3 in its conference. The Eagles have a record of 10-4 and 6-3 in the conference.
How It Happened
The game commenced with
Ryan Littler guarding the net for Illinois Tech, while Owen Johnson was the goalkeeper for the Eagles. Benedictine struck first with Aiden Elliot scoring the opening goal at 8:07. Despite several attempts by the Scarlet Hawks, including shots by
Diego Sosa and
Alexander Stokrp, they were unable to get past Johnson. Elliot found the net again with just 14 seconds remaining in the first quarter, assisted by Jack Dardis, giving the Eagles a 2-0 lead at the break.
Illinois Tech started the second quarter with momentum, winning the faceoff and making early offensive attempts, including a shot by Sosa that hit the post.
Joseph Beaudoin scored for the Scarlet Hawks at 11:58, leveling the score at 2-2. However, Benedictine responded strongly, with Oliver Hulbert and Dylan Langley scoring to take the lead. Dardis extended Benedictine's advantage with a goal at 5:59, assisted by Langley, making the score 5-2 in favor of the home team by the end of the quarter. Illinois Tech's efforts to close the gap were thwarted by several saves from Benedictine's goalkeeper, Johnson.
Benedictine extended its lead with a strong third quarter, beginning with a goal by Dardis at 13:19. Dominick Flores followed with a goal assisted by Elliot at 11:56, capitalizing on a turnover. Elliot then scored at 5:28 with an assist from Moussa Diallo. Despite multiple turnovers by Illinois Tech, Benedictine's Luke Grant added another goal at 2:39, bringing the score to 9-2 by the end of the quarter.
In a tense fourth quarter, Illinois Tech's offense showed persistence despite a strong defensive performance from Benedictine's Johnson, who made several critical saves. Hulbert scored for Benedictine at 4:10, extending its lead. However, Illinois Tech responded swiftly with goals from
Cooper Leonard at 3:37 and Sosa at 3:26, tightening the scoreline to 10-4. Langley added another goal for the Eagles at 1:48, solidifying their lead and concluding the quarter with an 11-4 victory.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Diego Sosa
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- 1 goal
- 11 shots
- 6 shots on goal
Duwayne Aikins
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- 14 faceoffs won
- 3 faceoffs lost
Ryan Littler
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- 8 saves
- 36 shots faced
Connor Montgomery
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- 1 goal
- 5 shots on goal
Benedictine Top Performers
Owen Johnson
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- 19 saves
- 37 shots faced
Jack Dardis
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- 2 goals
- 1 assist
- 4 shots
Aiden Elliot
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- 3 goals
- 1 assist
- 8 shots
Dylan Langley
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- 2 goals
- 1 assist
- 9 shots
Oliver Hulbert
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- 2 goals
- 3 shots
Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech fell to 3-4 lifetime against Benedictine.
- Team - Recorded at least 37 shots in 2 consecutive games.
- Team - Achieved at least 37 ground balls in 2 consecutive games.
-
Duwayne Aikins went 14-17 on faceoffs.
-
Altan Brown led the team with 6 ground balls and had 1 caused turnover.
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Owen Dewysockie paced the Hawks with 3 caused turnovers.
Up Next
Looking ahead, Illinois Tech will host the University of Dubuque at Stuart Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, April 18. The match is set to begin at 4 p.m.
