LIVONIA, Mich. – Top-seeded Madonna University weathered a furious late rally and delivered in the game's biggest moment, defeating Indiana Tech, 15–14, to secure the WHAC Tournament Championship Saturday afternoon.
The victory capped an outstanding postseason run for the Crusaders, who improved to 18-1 overall and added a conference tournament title to their undefeated WHAC regular season. Indiana Tech, the tournament's No. 2 seed, closed its season at 12-9 after mounting multiple comeback bids.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Madonna was tested early as Indiana Tech struck first just over five minutes into the contest. The Crusaders responded immediately and emphatically, unleashing a six-goal run over the final seven minutes of the opening quarter to seize control.
Goals from
Benjamin Reidy,
Carter Borsos,
Spencer Guppy (short-handed),
Reid Dunavant,
Elvis Syroka, and
DeMario Williams powered the surge, turning a 1–0 deficit into a commanding 6–1 lead. Madonna's ability to score in transition and capitalize on Indiana Tech mistakes proved decisive in the frame.
Indiana Tech refused to go quietly, producing a high-scoring second quarter that tightened the championship contest. Madonna continued to generate quality looks and added goals from
Rico Hart and
Benjamin Reidy, but the Warriors' man-up execution and offensive depth cut steadily into the lead.
Despite trailing 7–2 early in the quarter, Indiana Tech scored seven times in the period, forcing an 8–8 tie at halftime. The Crusaders entered the break facing their first true pressure of the postseason.
Madonna opened the third quarter assertively, reclaiming momentum with an early goal from
Rico Hart, who finished a feed from
Cooper Regimbal just 40 seconds into the half. Indiana Tech answered quickly to re-tie the contest, but the Crusaders continued to stay poised.
Goals by
Reid Dunavant and
Benjamin Reidy helped Madonna build an 11–9 advantage, though Indiana Tech trimmed the margin to one before the end of the period. Entering the fourth, Madonna held a slim 11–10 lead with everything still to be decided.
The final 15 minutes showcased the intensity of a title game. Indiana Tech tied the score early, but
Cooper Regimbal answered with a conversion off a draw play to restore Madonna's lead at 12–11.
The Warriors continued to answer, tying the game four different times in the quarter, including a late man-up goal by Cam Fewster with 3:21 remaining that evened the score at 14–14.
Moments later, Madonna delivered the defining play of the afternoon.
With just over two minutes remaining,
Spencer Guppy finished his third goal of the game, converting an assist from
Jackson Gradstein to give Madonna a 15–14 lead. The Crusaders' defense took over from there, denying Indiana Tech clean shooting lanes and controlling possession down the stretch to close out the championship victory.
Key Performers
- Spencer Guppy led the Crusaders with three goals, including the game-winning strike.
- Benjamin Reidy recorded a hat trick and added an assist, while Rico Hart matched him with three goals and two assists.
- Reid Dunavant added two goals as Madonna showed balanced scoring across its attack.
- In goal, Jonathan Bendfeldt earned the win with 20 saves, including several key stops during Indiana Tech scoring runs.
Team Notes
Madonna held a slim edge in faceoffs (20–13) and ground balls (31–26), helping control possession in critical moments. The Crusaders also tallied a short-handed goal and limited Indiana Tech opportunities late, despite the Warriors converting multiple man-up chances earlier in the contest.
UP NEXT:
The win secured another WHAC Tournament Championship for Madonna, reaffirming its place atop the conference after a dominant regular season. The Crusaders will prepare for the NAIA National Championship Tournament which will take place May 12-16. Their time and opponent for the first round of the tournament will be announced on May 4th at 5:00 PM CST. This can be found on the NAIA YouTube page where there will be a selection show stream.
