GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Kicking off the first round of the 2024 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Tournament, the No. 8 seeded Madonna Crusaders (6-9-3, 4-6-2) headed to the west side of the state to face the No. 1 seeded and No. 4 nationally Aquinas College Saints (14-0-1, 11-0-1). After locking down the Saints in the first half and holding them to no shots on goal, the No. 4 ranked Saints would eventually get the better of the Crusaders in the second half. The Saints would win 4-0 to move on to the next round of the WHAC Tournament, capping off the 2024 season for the Crusaders.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Going against one of the best teams in the nation, the Crusaders brought the energy right out of the gate. Just under four minutes into the game,
Vitoria Sia got the Crusaders the first shot on goal of the game. The Crusaders' defense would lock down the high-powered Saints offense, holding them to zero shots on goal in the first half. The Crusaders absolutely stunned the Saints team and crowd as they went into halftime tied 0-0.
After the break, the Crusaders would continue to hold off the Saints for the first 15 minutes of the half. However, their bend-don't-break strategy would eventually bust, leading the Saints to go on to win the game 4-0.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- Sia led the team with two shots and one shot on goal.
- Mackenzie Fifer had three saves as the goalkeeper.
UP NEXT:
The Crusaders will head into the offseason and begin preparations for next season. They will be back in action in the fall of 2025.
