Chicago, Ill. — Illinois Tech men's lacrosse erased an 8-4 halftime deficit, and edged the University of Dubuque 10-9 in a tense matchup on Saturday at Stuart Field. The Scarlet Hawks' Connor Montgomery scored the game-winning goal in overtime, one of five goals on the afternoon for the sophomore midfielder.

Illinois Tech has a record of 7-9 overall and 7-3 in conference play. The Spartans hold a record of 5-10 overall and 3-7 in conference play. The Scarlet Hawks have already clinched a berth in the conference post-season tournament, and have a chance to move up as high as the 4th seed and host an opening round game with a win against Lake Forest on Wednesday combined with a loss by Benedictine at Aurora.

How It Happened

The game commenced with Ryan Littler and Nolan Nagy in goal for Illinois Tech and Dubuque, respectively. Dubuque took an early lead with Nate Richardson scoring the first goal at 12:19. Illinois Tech responded with a goal by Diego Sosa at 10:47, assisted by Alexander Stokrp, tying the score. However, Dubuque's Tyler Johnson scored twice, at 8:02 and 4:01, giving the Spartans a 3-1 advantage. Connor Montgomery scored for the Scarlet Hawks at 1:25, narrowing the gap to 3-2 by the end of the first quarter.

The Spartans capitalized on a man-up advantage early in the second quarter, with Cambell Smith scoring at 14:17, assisted by Johnson. Dubuque extended its lead when Chris Wilson found the net at 12:50. Illinois Tech responded with a goal by Montgomery at 11:48, cutting the deficit. Johnson quickly regained the momentum with a goal at 11:16, prompting a timeout from Illinois Tech. Andrei Gran narrowed the gap for the Scarlet Hawks with a goal assisted by Stokrp at 11:03. Dubuque maintained its offensive pressure, scoring twice more with Richardson and Smith each netting goals, both assisted by Smith and Carter Nelson respectively, to close the quarter with the Spartans leading 8-4.

Illinois Tech mounted a strong comeback in the third quarter, highlighted by Montgomery scoring twice at 11:02 and 6:53. Montgomery also assisted Joseph Beaudoin's goals at 5:44 and 2:43, showcasing a pivotal offensive performance. The Spartans responded with a goal by Richardson at 10:03, assisted by Connor Lindauer, but struggled to maintain momentum as the Scarlet Hawks' defense tightened. Cooper Leonard added another goal for Illinois Tech at 2:05, tying the game at 9-9. Despite the Spartans' attempts, including a shot by Peter Schiess that hit the post at 1:20, the quarter ended with the Scarlet Hawks neutralizing Dubuque's advances.

The fourth quarter saw intense defensive play between Illinois Tech and the Spartans, resulting in a scoreless period. Dubuque initiated the action with a faceoff win by John Lewis, but was unable to capitalize as Beckett Mull's turnover thwarted their advance. Illinois Tech's Diego Sosa had a notable shot early on, but it was saved by Nagy at 14:23. Defensive efforts continued to dominate, highlighted by Owen Silverman causing a turnover and Littler making a crucial save against Richardson's shot at 1:31. Despite several attempts, including shots by Jaeger Breault and Sosa, the Scarlet Hawks could not break the deadlock before the quarter ended.

In overtime, Illinois Tech secured a critical faceoff win as Duwayne Aikins prevailed over Lewis at the start. Dubuque's Eric Brostek was penalized for holding at 4:44, giving Illinois Tech an extra-man opportunity. Capitalizing on this advantage, Montgomery scored at 3:02, extending the Scarlet Hawks' lead to 10-9. This goal proved decisive as the period concluded with Illinois Tech maintaining its narrow lead over Dubuque.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Connor Montgomery
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- 5 goals
- 2 assists
- 1 game-winning goal

Joseph Beaudoin
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- 2 goals
- 6 shots

Ryan Littler
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- 14 saves
- 49 shots faced

Dubuque Top Performers

Tyler Johnson
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- 3 goals
- 15 shots
- 8 shots on goal

Cambell Smith
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- 2 goals
- 2 assists
- 14 shots

Nate Richardson
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- 3 goals
- 9 shots
- 7 shots on goal

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech secured their first win over Dubuque and now stands 1-2 overall in the series.
- Team - Achieved at least 19 shots on goal in 3 consecutive games.
- Joseph Beaudoin - Recorded a season-high of 2 goals.
- Joseph Beaudoin - Achieved a season-high of 6 shots.
- Victor Bivona - Collected 4 ground balls, exceeding their season average of 1.93.
- Connor Montgomery - Scored 5 goals, surpassing their season average of 1.73.
- Diego Sosa - Recorded 9 or more shots in 3 consecutive games.

Up Next
In their next game, Illinois Tech will host Lake Forest College at Stuart Field in the team's regular season finale. The matchup is set for Wednesday, April 22 at 7 p.m.