Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Freshman Nick Gallo (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) scored on a follow-up with 21.9 seconds remaining Wednesday to lift Augustana to a 12-11 win over Aurora at Thorson-Lucken Field. Coach Dan Torie's Vikings improved to 6-5 on the year, while the Spartans suffered just their second loss in 10 contests.
 
Aurora scored two goals in a span of 34 seconds to pull even at 11-all with 1:10 to play. The Spartans won the ensuing faceoff, but Jack Peters (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) made a save on a Sam Hiss shot with just under a minute to play to give the hosts possession.
 
Junior Jared Hawkins (Everett HS, Everett, Wash.) pulled the trigger with 26 seconds left, but was stoned by Aurora goalie Tyler Lombardi. Senior Alexander Crescenti (Jacobs HS, Algonquin, Ill.)—who had already converted two put-backs in the game—gathered the loose ball, but Lombardi turned away his shot as well. However, Gallo was there for a third opportunity and found the back of the net with 21.9 seconds left to give the Vikings 12-11 lead.
 
The Spartans won the final faceoff, but the first of Jason Koziol's shots was deflected by an Augustana defender and his second was wide at the final buzzer.
 
The contest was a back-and-forth affair. Aurora led 2-1 after the first period. The Vikings' first goal came on a nifty backhand shot by senior Scott Davis (St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Overland Park, Kan.).
 
Crescenti scored twice early in the second quarter to give Augustana its first lead and Nick Zielinski (Huntley HS, Huntley, Ill.) added a goal to put the Vikings up 4-2. However, the Spartans answered with four straight scores and led 6-4 with less than a minute left in the half. That's when Crescenti followed up a Lombardi save on Kevin Gleason (Loyola Academy, Chicago, Ill.), scoring with two seconds on the clock to cut the deficit to 6-5 at the half.
 
Each team scored twice in the third quarter and Augustana trailed 8-7 going to the fourth.
 
Gallo scored off a Davis feed to draw the Vikings even and Crescenti converted another follow up at the 13:06 mark to give the hosts a 9-8 lead. With 9:23 to play, sophomore Cam MacKenzie (St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, Ill.) scored Augustana's fourth consecutive goal to put his team up 10-8.
 
Aurora's Bailey Smith and Crescenti traded goals before Spartans Matt Sammarco and Koziol each scored inside two minutes to tie the game at 11-all. That set the stage for Gallo's game-winner.
 
Crescenti finished with five goals and Gallo scored three times and dished out two assists. Zielinski added a pair of goals. Senior Jerrell Collymore (Homewood-Flossmoor HS, Flossmoor, Ill.) won 14 of 25 faceoffs and collected a game-high eight ground balls. Senior Tyler Amidei (Vernon Hills HS, Vernon Hills, Ill.) forced a game-high three turnovers.
 
Peters recorded nine saves and five ground balls and moved to 6-5 with the win.
 
The victory was the Vikings first in five meetings with Aurora all-time. The Vikings are back in action on Saturday, opening CCIW play with a 3:00 p.m. contest versus Carroll at Thorson-Lucken Field.