WINONA LAKE - Grace’s women’s soccer team was efficient in a 1-0 win against Taylor on Saturday.

The Lady Lancers (2-0-1, 1-0-1 Crossroads League) were playing their first match in 17 days. Victoria Lucido was the hero, scoring the game-winning goal in the first half at 1st Source Bank Field.

The teams started patiently in the match. Grace chose its spots to attack while playing its first match after a two-week layoff.

The Lady Lancers fired the only two shot attempts during the first 20 minutes of the match. The first attempt from JJ Aalbue went wide; the second shot found the back of the net.

Sacia Hanson made a dangerous advance into Taylor’s end of the field. Hanson picked out Lucido who powered her shot past the goalkeeper in the 17th minute.

Grace’s 1-0 lead held throughout the rest of the half.

Aalbue nearly doubled Grace’s advantage late in the first half. She dribbled around one defender and rifled a rocket at Taylor’s goal. The shot clanged off the goalpost with 10 minutes left before halftime.

The Trojans had opportunities late in the half, including a long, looping attempt that glanced off the crossbar.

For the half, Grace outshot Taylor 7-6. The first half was cleanly and tactically played with just one foul committed between the teams.

The second half started with patience again for both sides. Neither team attempted a shot for the first 17 minutes until Taylor tried a deep attempt that was well off the mark.

Grace rested more than half of its starting lineup for the first 15 minutes of the second half, showcasing its depth while maintaining its 1-0 lead.

Over the first 30 minutes of the second half, each team shot just one time during a midfield battle.

Taylor did its best to push for a winner late, shooting five times in a six-minute span. But only two of those attempts were on frame, both of which were saved by goalkeeper Bethany Blackwood.

Madison Tuma almost added an insurance goal in the final five minutes, splitting two defenders and trying an angled shot that forced an athletic save.

Grace killed the time on the clock effectively with strong possession and ball control, resulting in the final 1-0 scoreline.

Blackwood registered six saves to earn the shutout for Grace.

Aalbue shot three times to lead Grace, and Ashley VandenBoom had two shots.

The Lady Lancers have a quick turnaround with a match at Huntington on Monday at 4 p.m.



Lancers’ offense unleashed at Taylor

UPLAND - The 2020 season began with three straight nailbiters for Grace’s men’s soccer team.

The Lancers made sure Saturday’s outcome would be different.

Grace defeated Taylor 4-0 on the road to pick up the team’s first victory of the season.

The Lancers (1-2-1, 1-2-1 Crossroads League) were dominant in the win, outshooting the hosts 24-8. Grace had 14 shots on goal and also took seven corner kicks in an offensive outburst.

Offense was slow for Grace at the start of Saturday’s match, but the onslaught was soon to come. The Lancers did not have a shot to their credit for the first 15 minutes.

Grace quickly sparked to life in the 16th minute, however, firing off five shots in a five-minute span. The Trojans momentarily withstood Grace’s rapid-fire attack.

In the 27th minute, however, Grace broke through. Jules Peycelon scored at the 26:55 mark on a long-range effort, assisted by Flavio Cruz.

The Lancers maintained the 1-0 lead into halftime. Grace pressed hard for a second goal before halftime, shooting five times in the last eight minutes.

The momentum carried into the second half for Grace. Ten minutes after halftime, Ze Maria Goncalves crossed to Ulisses Miranda. Miranda took care of the rest, netting Grace’s second goal.

In the 69th minute, Daigo Adachi scored after a cross from Blake Burns.

The scoring was concluded by Jonny Mora, tacking on an unassisted goal at the 73:53 mark for the final 4-0 scoreline.

Miranda led all players with five shots, and Goncalves added four shots. Joe Bowles and Colton Wottring combined for the shutout as goalkeepers.

Grace outshot Taylor 12-4 in each half, and the Trojans also were on the short end of corner kicks (7-2).

The Lancers will play their third-straight road match on Tuesday, traveling to Indiana Wesleyan for a 7 p.m. match.

Grace volleyball drops five setter at SAU

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. - Grace’s volleyball team could not complete the road win at Spring Arbor, falling in five sets on Saturday.

The Lady Lancers (6-3, 6-3 Crossroads League) recovered after losing the opening set to go ahead 2-1, but the Cougars rallied to win 3-2.

The loss snaps a seven-match winning streak for Grace in the series, a streak dating back to 2016.

Grace statistically outplayed the Cougars (5-3, 5-3 CL) in many categories. The Lady Lancers had more kills, fewer errors, a better attacking percentage and more assists. But the Cougars won three close sets to secure the match.

The Lady Lancers seemed poised to claim the opening set. Grace led 22-17, but a series of errors gave SAU hope. The Cougars ended the set on a furious 8-1 run, stealing the set 25-23.

Grace responded with its most dynamic offensive set in the second game. Grace had 15 kills on a .281 percentage, winning 25-21 to even the match.

The third set was even less competitive. Grace won by nine points to go ahead 2-1 overall.

But that proved to be the high point for Grace. The fourth set was hotly contested until the final point. The Lady Lancers rallied from a 22-18 deficit with four straight points, capped off with a block from Jenna Mueller and Paige Eakright.

But the Cougars responded with back-to-back kills and forced a fifth set with a 25-23 win.

Grace started the tiebreaker with a 4-0 surge. SAU battled back and tied the score at 5-5.

The Lady Lancers remained in front throughout the early points. Grace held an 11-8 lead which forced a timeout from SAU.

The timeout from the Cougars seemed to help; SAU ripped off four quick points to regain the lead, and Grace never recovered to lose 15-13.

Gabbey Harrington produced a season-high 50 assists in defeat, adding six digs and four kills.

Eakright tied for match honors with 13 kills, and Makaela Lochmueller added 11 kills.

Julia Nagy recorded a career-best 29 digs to lead all players, and Anna Frey added four kills and 13 digs.

Cassadi Colbert, Katie Swanson and Jenna Mueller each produced eight kills, and Emily Sharp tallied eight digs.

The Lady Lancers return home on Wednesday with a home match against Taylor at 7 p.m.

Grace tackles Huntington Invitational

HUNTINGTON - Grace’s cross country team continued the 2020 campaign with the Huntington Invitational on Friday.

The men placed third in the field, and the women were fifth overall.

Grace ran a strategic race, keeping its runners in tight packs. Logan Rufenacht, Isaac Beatty and Bryan Hernandez-Rios all finished at 27:51, and Hayden Mullett was only three seconds behind at 27:54.

Dakota Ames and Macallister Cheek crossed the finish line together at 28:19, and Maurice Macklin, Matt Halbakken, Peter Simmon and Dimitri Margaritidis finished in consecutive spots between 28:35 to 28:42.

The women were even more concise with their finishers. The Lady Lancers’ top seven runners all finished within a span of 22 seconds.

Makenzie Adams, Mallory Hiatt and Anna Hulstedt were the top finishers together at 21:38.

Ellie Wagoner (21:46), Heather Plastow (21:47) and Elizabeth Moore (21:48) were neck-and-neck, and Weslea Arthur was not far behind at 22:00.

“This was a great effort-based day for us. We rested some and had the rest of our runners tempo the race,” said Grace head coach Jake Poyner. “I’m proud of their efforts. We go again next weekend, and we will be in full force for that one.”

The Lancers’ next race is in South Bend on Oct. 9 for their fourth race of the season.