Eagles Finish Out Regular Season Home Game with Huge Win

David Finney | photo by Sommer Quinn

Waleska, GA - There was a lot going on at Ken White Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. The Eagles were welcoming in Tennessee Wesleyan who was bringing with them an impressive season resume'. The Bulldogs had a 12-1 overall record coming into tonight's game and they had knocked off top-ranked teams like Keiser University and The University of the Cumberlands. The game had a lot of hype surrounding it and to add to it - it was also senior night. This senior class has had an outstanding four years with conference and national championships.  They are looking to add to their past successes and winning the conference is part of their goals. 

The start of this game ended up dictating how the whole game would go. Reinhardt came out firing on all cylinders as they would outscore the Bulldogs 5-0 in the first quarter. Titus Thind would pick up where he left off with Friday's game with Cumberlands. Thind scored the final two goals of that game which tied and won the game for the Eagles. He scored just before the ten-minute mark of the first quarter setting the tone for the game. He was followed by goals from Cameron Cochran, Tyler Wilkinson, and Dillan Bousquet. Bousquet would score two in the first quarter, which should have struck fear in the Bulldogs, When Bousquet gets going, it can be devastating for the opposing team.  

Liam Wright had a great night in the goal stopping 10 shots on 17 attempts by the Bulldogs. Wright has solid players in front of him like Jack Hollis, Fisher Nuss, Jacob Pinson, and Matt Povin. Each help protect the goal and get the ball moving upfield into the attack. Often the defensive and midfield get overlooked, but Reinhardt has a solid group to protect their goal area.

Tennessee Wesleyan would finally get on the board early in the second quarter and then they would not score again until the final minute of the quarter. Between the Bulldog goals, the Eagles were able to add three more goals to increase their total to eight. JR Sess and Stefan Duckett would get on the scoreboard along with Wilkinson who got his second of the game in the second quarter. Wilkinson was assisted by Cochran for his goal and the team would go into the halftime break leading, 8-2.  It was somewhat of a shock to have this big of a lead on a team that had taken out Keiser and Cumberlands, but the Eagles were on a mission.

The third and fourth quarters would see Reinhardt outscore Tennessee Wesleyan in each quarter. The Bulldogs scored two goals in the third to the Eagles three and in the fourth, it was Reinhardt putting away four goals to the Bulldogs three.  Tyler Wilkinson would score two more in the third quarter and Brady Hanak would get the other. Cochran would assist Wilkinson on another one of his goals that quarter. Thind, Bousquet, Hanak, and Wyatt Maddox would all score in the fourth quarter bringing their game total to 15 goals.  Wright and his defensive crew would do the rest of the work holding the talented Bulldog squad to just 7 total goals.

It was another playoff atmosphere type game similar to the Cumberlands game from the previous Friday night, however, the Eagles dominated this one from start to finish.  They put Tennessee Wesleyan down early in the first quarter and then never brought their foot off the gas. The game speed and pressure were constant and persistent and this seemed to overwhelm the Bulldogs. With the tournament starting in about a week and a half, look for teams like Tennessee Wesleyan, Cumberlands, and a few others to work their way to the semifinals to face the Eagles. Because of the win, the Eagles get to enjoy a bye around the quarterfinals and they can focus on the semifinals. They will have to wait to see who they play after the opening weekend. The schedule will be posted once an opponent is known.