MONTGOMERY, Ill. — In a game in which the Illinois Tech men's lacrosse team suffered a 22-4 loss to Aurora University (8-3, 7-0) on Wednesday at Spartan Athletic Park, the Scarlet Hawks were able to uncover a bright spot, as freshman defender Jonah Brenner tallied his first career goal with 7 seconds remaining in the contest. Connor Montgomery also added a pair of goals to reach 20 goals scored on the season.

Illinois Tech has a record of 5-8 overall and 5-2 in conference play. Aurora holds an 8-3 overall record and is undefeated in the conference at 7-0.

How It Happened

The game began with Aurora taking control early, as Tyler Foerstel scored the first goal just 17 seconds into the quarter. Foerstel continued to dominate, adding another goal at 13:15 during a man-up opportunity. Aurora extended its lead to 4-0 with back-to-back goals from Dylan Kranzush at 12:17 and 12:02. Despite multiple saves by Illinois Tech's goalie Ryan Littler, Aurora's offensive onslaught persisted, with Griffin Joas and Dylan Kranzush each contributing to an 8-0 advantage. Illinois Tech finally got on the board when Connor Montgomery scored with 1:09 left in the quarter, ending the first quarter with an 8-1 deficit.

Aurora extended its lead in the second quarter with a series of successful scoring plays. Owen Spencer opened the quarter's scoring with a goal at 13:41, assisted by Griffin Joas. Aurora capitalized on a man-up situation when Chris Bucci scored at 12:38, assisted by Nolan Hartman, following a penalty on Illinois Tech's Duwayne Aikins. Despite Illinois Tech's efforts, including a goal by Diego Sosa at 7:37 assisted by Alexander Stokrp, Aurora maintained control, adding goals from Owen Meyer and Dylan Kranzush. The quarter ended with Aurora leading 13-2.

Aurora extended its lead in the third quarter with a series of goals, starting with Caden Bunes scoring at 11:51. Chris Bucci added another goal at 8:54, followed by Gabe Zapf's goal at 6:22, assisted by Griffin Joas. Aurora continued its scoring streak with Griffin Joas and Travis Weischadle contributing goals at 4:46 and 2:55, respectively, the latter assisted by Caden Bunes. Owen Spencer capped Aurora's offensive push with a goal at 1:29. Illinois Tech's Connor Montgomery managed to score a goal with just three seconds left in the quarter, assisted by Will Von eyser, reducing the deficit as the quarter concluded.

Aurora capitalized on a man-up situation early in the fourth quarter with Owen Meyer scoring at 14:04, assisted by Luke Smith. This was followed by a goal from Nolan Hartman at 13:06, with Charlie Kirkland providing the assist, extending Aurora's lead. Hartman found the net again at 11:24, assisted by Travis Weischadle, pushing the score further in Aurora's favor. Illinois Tech managed to respond with a goal from Jonah Brenner at 00:07, but it was not enough to overcome Aurora's dominance in the quarter, which ended with a final score of 22-4 in favor of Aurora.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Connor Montgomery
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- 2 goals
- 3 shots
- 2 shots on goal

Jonah Brenner
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- 1 career goal
- 1 shot
- 1 shot on goal

Canyon Kuchel
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- 10 faceoffs won
- 4 faceoffs lost


Aurora Top Performers

Tyler Foerstel
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- 4 goals
- 2 assists
- 6 shots on goal

Griffin Joas
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- 2 goals
- 3 assists
- 1 game-winning goal

Dylan Kranzush
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- 4 goals
- 7 shots on goal

Chris Bucci
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- 2 goals
- 1 assist
- 6 shots on goal

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech fell to 0-8 lifetime against the Spartans.
- Team - Achieved 18 faceoffs won in the game, surpassing their season average of 12.25.
- Team - Collected at least 31 ground balls in 2 consecutive games.
- Jonah Brenner - Scored this first career goal
- Connor Montgomery - Scored at least 2 goals in back-to-back games.

Up Next
In their next game, Illinois Tech will face Cornell College on Saturday, April 11, at 5 p.m. The matchup will take place in Mount Vernon, Iowa.