Kalamazoo, Mich. - The Kalamazoo College men's lacrosse team hosted Aurora University in their home opener on Wednesday at MacKenzie Field, where the Hornets emerged victorious with a score of 12-9.
The match saw Cam VanGalder score the opening goal just under four minutes after the start, setting the tone for the game. Aurora quickly tied the match with a goal at the 9:47 mark, but Kalamazoo capitalized, regaining the lead only 44 seconds later. By the end of the first quarter, Kalamazoo was leading 3-1 and extended their advantage to 8-3 by halftime.
Aurora put up a strong effort in the third quarter, outscoring Kalamazoo 5-1, which narrowed the gap to just one goal at 9-8. The Hornets, undeterred, responded decisively by scoring the next three goals, securing their victory. Kalamazoo finished with 45 shots compared to Aurora's 32 and dominated face-off wins, securing 13 out of 24 attempts.
Cam VanGalder was the standout for Kalamazoo, finishing the game with four goals and one assist. His teammate Logan Gillis also had multiple contributions, netting three goals along with two assists and gathering five ground balls. Dylan Adkins added two goals, and Mitchel VanGalder also found the back of the net twice. Defensively, Jack Bungart recorded 10 ground balls alongside five caused turnovers. Charles Graves manned the goal for Kalamazoo, making 13 saves to keep his team on top.
The Hornets now look forward to their next game, scheduled against Illinois Tech on Saturday, March 1.
Meanwhile, the Aurora Christian Eagles faced off against Indian Creek in the semifinals of the Class 1A Indian Creek Regional. The tightly contested game ended with Aurora Christian winning 46-41, thanks to several key plays down the stretch.
Throughout the matchup, both teams struggled offensively, resulting in numerous turnovers. Aurora Christian junior guard Jacob Baumann led his team with 13 points, shooting 3 for 5 from beyond the arc. Reflecting on the game, Baumann pointed out, “A lot of stupid turnovers, a lot of stupid turnovers. We were like just calm down, get calm and cool and collected.”
The game saw a significant number of turnovers, with the teams combining for 39, 17 of which came from the Eagles. Shots were hard to come by, as Aurora Christian shot 34% from the field against Indian Creek's 25%.
Aurora Christian raced to an early 21-10 lead, but Indian Creek fought back, culminating in five consecutive points to close the first half with the score at 24-20. Indian Creek even took the lead at 28-27 early in the third quarter, but Baumann's free throws allowed the Eagles to reclaim the advantage, which they maintained through to the final whistle.
Booming contributions from Indian Creek’s Everett Willis were noteworthy, as he recorded 18 rebounds along with eight points and three steals, demonstrating dominance on the boards during the contest. Payton Huber led the Timberwolves with nine points, complemented by Tyler Bogle's eight rebounds.
Despite their loss, Indian Creek coach Nolan Govig praised his team's intensity and effort throughout the season, noting, “I think defensively we played awesome. We held them to 46 points.” With 20 wins over consecutive seasons, Govig reflected on the success of his program and the determination shown throughout the year.
Back on the victorious side, Aurora Christian’s coach Dan Beebe acknowledged Baumann’s growth as a player since starting as a freshman and his ability to perform under pressure. “He’s one of our leaders. He started downstate last year,” Beebe said, crediting Baumann’s experience for helping secure the win. Beebe added, “Our conference gets us battle-tested,” referring to the challenges faced during the Chicagoland Christian Conference.
Both teams showcased resilience and skills during their matches this week, with Aurora University on the lacrosse field and Aurora Christian on the basketball court, embodying the spirit of competition and the excitement of student-athlete performance.