ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Whittier scored the last eight goals of the game Friday to hand Augustana a 16-8 defeat at Thorson-Lucken Field. The Vikings, who had a four-game winning streak snapped, fell to 6-6 on the season, while the Poets improved to 12-1.

 

The contest was tight through three quarters, with neither team building a margin of more than two goals. With 4:21 left in the third period, Trever Moore (Naperville Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) scored off an assist from Jason Van Dyck (Crystal Lake South HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) to pull Augustana even at 8-8—the first tie since early in the second quarter. However, Nate Heritage scored two minutes later and Ronan Dooney tallied a man-up goal with a minute left in the period and Whittier led 10-8 going to the fourth.
 
Six different Poets, including Heritage, scored in the last period, while the Vikings were held scoreless. Chandler Badon's goal with 1:24 to play accounted for the final.
 
Moore scored two minutes in to give Augustana a 1-0 lead. Sergei Jacobs and Dooney answered to put the Whittier up 2-1 before goals by Jack Preston (Morton HS, Morton, Ill.) and Shane Forsythe (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) gave the hosts a 4-3 lead. Jackson Draper's goal with 18 seconds left in the first quarter tied it at 3-3 heading to the second.
 
A Van Dyck goal early in the second quarter gave the Vikings their final lead at 4-3, but consecutive Billy Shaffer goals put the Poets back on top. A Jacobs tally made it 6-4 Whittier before Travis Hastings (Englewood HS, Littleton, Colo.) scored to trim the Augustana deficit to 6-5 at the half.
 
The teams traded goals coming out of intermission. Kevin O'Donnell and Jacobs scored for the guests and Forsythe and William Reece (Hudson HS, Hudson, Wis.), respectively, answered for the Vikings before Moore's tally forged the final tie.
 
Moore finished with two goals and an assist. Forsythe scored twice as well. Lee Whorwell (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) and Jacob Leffel (Glenbard West HS, Glen Ellyn, Ill.) each had two assists.  Goalie Tommy Angelos (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) had a team-high six ground balls and Matt Pierson (Montini HS, Downers Grove, Ill.) and Matt Balara (St. Charles East HS, Elburn, Ill.) each caused three turnovers.
 
Jacobs led the Poets with four goals and Dooney scored three times and added three assists. O'Donnell won 18 of 26 faceoffs and collected 17 ground balls.
 
Angelos recorded 14 saves, while Whittier's Dakota Turgeon had a dozen.
 
Coach Dan Torie's squad is in action next versus Carthage on Saturday, April 13. Faceoff at Thorson-Lucken Field is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.