South Bend, Ind. – Indiana Tech opened its second fall season of 15s rugby with a 29-29 exhibition draw against the University of Notre Dame on Saturday, as the Warriors erased a 24-point halftime deficit and tied the match on the final play.

The match continued the early-season partnership between the two programs, with relaxed substitution rules allowing both coaching staffs to rotate players, provide immediate feedback and get them back onto the field for valuable early-season minutes.

Notre Dame controlled much of the opening half with its experience and athleticism on both sides of the ball, carrying a 29-5 advantage into halftime. Indiana Tech's lone first-half score came in the eighth minute when German Gonzalez broke free down the sideline, powered through a defender and finished the run in the try zone off an assist from Ashton Skarie.

The Warriors found their footing after the break.

Dakota Faulkner opened the second-half scoring with a penalty kick in the 48th minute before Crew Kaylor crossed for a try 10 minutes later. Noah Hughes provided the assist, and Faulkner added the conversion to continue cutting into the Notre Dame advantage. Indiana Tech struck again in the 65th minute when Douglas Henry finished another break created by Faulkner. Faulkner's conversion brought the Warriors within one score and set the stage for a dramatic finish.

With time expired, Indiana Tech capitalized on a Notre Dame penalty and went to its scrum attack near the goal line. Skarie picked from the back of the eight-man scrum and dove across for the tying try. Faulkner then stepped up for the final kick of the match and calmly knocked through the conversion, completing the comeback and securing the 29-29 draw.

"We talked at halftime about settling down and playing our system of rugby," Indiana Tech head coach Sam DiFilippo said. "We weren't getting 24 points back in one possession. We needed to win the next moment, then the next one. What I liked was that our guys stayed composed, kept working and trusted each other. That's going to be a big part of who we are this year. Trust what we're doing, trust the guy next to you and keep playing. To finish the match that way was a really good early test for this group."

Saturday also offered another look at the continued growth of the Indiana Tech program.

Now entering its second fall season of 15s competition, the Warriors have 36 active players on the roster, giving the coaching staff greater depth and more opportunities to develop players across a wider variety of positions, skills and match situations.

"We're in a much different place than we were a year ago," DiFilippo said. "Having this many players available changes what we're able to do every day at practice. We can create more realistic situations, develop depth and challenge guys to compete for roles. There is still plenty for us to clean up, but that's exactly what you want to find out in a match like this. Now we've got the film, and we get to go back to work."

Next up, the Warriors head west to Fort Dodge, Iowa, for another exhibition matchup against Iowa Central Community College. The Warriors and Tritons are both members of the Big Rivers Conference, giving Tech another early opportunity to test itself against a conference opponent before the competitive portion of the season gets underway.

Final: Indiana Tech 29, Notre Dame 29

Tries: Gonzalez, Kaylor, Henry, Skarie
Conversions: Faulkner 3-for-3
Penalty Kicks: Faulkner 1-for-1
Assists: Skarie, Hughes, Faulkner