Lawrence Tech rally falls short in 15-11 loss at Indiana Tech

Lawrence Tech erased deficits twice Saturday afternoon, but Indiana Tech took control in the closing minutes and pulled away for a 15-11 win at Warrior Athl. Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The decisive stretch came late in the third quarter and carried into the fourth, when Indiana Tech broke an 8-8 tie, then outscored the Blue Devils 6-3 in the final quarter to seal the result.

The Blue Devils opened well, getting the first goal from Mason Christie at the 13:00 mark of the first quarter. After Jake Deacon answered for Indiana Tech, Luke Gannon scored a man-up goal with 7:48 left in the quarter to put Lawrence Tech back in front, 2-1. Indiana Tech responded with a three-goal run and led 4-2 by the end of the quarter, then pushed the margin to 5-2 early in the second before Lawrence Tech settled back in.

Andrew Halushka sparked that response. He scored at 12:40 of the second quarter to trim the deficit, then added another with 4:55 remaining to tie the game at 5-5. After Deacon gave Indiana Tech a 6-5 lead with 1:08 left in the half, Brendan Shinavier answered at the buzzer to send the teams into halftime tied 6-6. Lawrence Tech found another push in the third quarter when Shinavier converted a man-up chance at 3:40, then scored again just 32 seconds later to even the score at 8-8.

That tie did not last. Ryan Tedesco scored with 19 seconds left in the third quarter to put Indiana Tech ahead 9-8, and the home side carried that momentum into the fourth. Torben Aagaard scored at 13:17, Cam Fewster added a goal at 11:17, and Fewster struck again at 6:59 as Indiana Tech built a 13-9 lead. Collin Howard then converted a man-up goal with 5:14 remaining, stretching the margin to 15-9 and effectively ending Lawrence Tech's final comeback bid.

Halushka and Shinavier led the Blue Devils with three goals apiece, while Gannon finished with two goals, both on man-up opportunities. Lawrence Tech also got strong work at the faceoff spot, winning 18 of 29 draws, and converted three power-play goals. In goal, Dylan Porter kept the Blue Devils within reach for long stretches with 19 saves while facing 56 shots and 34 shots on goal.

Indiana Tech was paced by Deacon's three goals and three assists, while Fewster added two goals and three assists. Sam Park finished with 12 saves for the hosts. Lawrence Tech totaled 11 goals and six assists on 44 shots, but Indiana Tech's shot volume and late execution proved decisive before a crowd of 97, with Jack Koshko serving as the official.