Grace Tops Trolls To Reach NCCAA Finals
December 4, 2021 at 5:28 a.m.
Grace Tops Trolls To Reach NCCAA Finals
By Josh Neuhart-
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Grace’s women’s soccer team put four goals past Trinity Christian to win 4-1 in the NCCAA national semifinals on Friday.
The Lady Lancers (14-7-1) now sit one game away from making history. Grace will play for the NCCAA title on Saturday against Ottawa (Ariz.) at 7:30 p.m. The game will be played at Austin-Tindall Regional Park in Kissimmee, Fla.
Grace is in pursuit of its first national championship in team history. Grace has twice made the finals in the past, including last year’s double overtime defeat to NCAA Div. II Dallas Baptist.
JJ Aalbue and Madison Tuma provided a goal and an assist apiece to spark Grace’s attack.
The opening 20 minutes was evenly played. Trinity Christian (18-6-1) pressed Grace early, which slowed Grace’s possession attack.
The Lady Lancers had a sustained buildup 15 minutes into the match. The play resulted in a shot by Tuma that was saved.
As the half progressed, Grace’s possession seemed to improve.
With 16 minutes left in the half, Grace found its breakthrough. Madison Tuma passed ahead to Aalbue, who shielded off two defenders and poked a low shot beyond the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.
Five minutes later, Grace’s lead had doubled. Alexis Larimore beat her defender on the right side of the field. She angled into the box and fired a ball into a dangerous position that the Trolls could not stop. The ball crossed the goal line, handing Grace a 2-0 lead.
Trinity had one of its best chances with three minutes left in the half. The Trolls’ curling shot was stopped by a diving save from Bethany Blackwood.
The Lady Lancers took a confident two-goal lead into halftime.
A minute into the second half, Grace proved to be the aggressor again. Larimore sprinted at the goal from the right side of the field and fired a laser that was blocked out for a corner kick.
Grace continued to find success on the sidelines early in the second half. Aalbue and Larimore were particularly dangerous against Trinity’s outside defenders.
In the 63rd minute, Aalbue gained an edge on the right side of the field. She crossed into the penalty box, and Tuma finished under pressure to put Grace ahead by three.
The Trolls responded with immediate success. Trinity scored just 43 seconds later to keep their hopes alive.
But Grace turned to its possession to stem the tide. The Lady Lancers moved the ball fluidly and found threatening lanes to advance seemingly at will as the second half continued.
A goal seemed destined to come as Grace repeatedly advanced the ball, and it eventually did in the 83rd minute.
Sam Vondersaar provided the scoring, juking her defender multiple times as she moved into the penalty box. She slotted her shot past the goalkeeper and into the net, further guaranteeing Grace’s spot in the finals.
Blackwood registered four saves to earn the win in goal for Grace. She was protected well by defenders Kimberly Aalbue, Amber Meade, Victoria Lucido, Lea Moessinger, Anna Kuhl and Paiton Miller.
Grace’s Comeback Falls Short In NCCAA Semifinals
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The season for Grace’s men’s soccer team came to an end on Friday in the NCCAA national semifinals.
The Lancers’ comeback fell short, losing 2-1 to Campbellsville.
Grace was playing shorthanded without its two starting central defenders as well as leading goalscorer Martim Cardoso. Despite that fact, the Lancers put together a strong semifinal performance.
The Lancers outshot Campbellsville 18-9 in the game, but two first-half goals by the Tigers proved too difficult to overcome.
The first 15 minutes were a midfield battle. Neither team could produce a sustained buildup as the sides tried to figure each other out.
Grace had the edge in possession in the first half, but there was not a clear scoring chance for the first 23 minutes.
The first chance fell to the Tigers, who made it count. Grace lost the ball in the backfield, and CU capitalized with a fast goal in the 24th minute.
A similar story unfolded with nine minutes to go in the first half. CU won the ball deep in Grace’s end, and the Lancers paid by surrendering a second goal against the run of play.
A pair of headers by Ze Maria Goncalves late in the half were Grace’s best chances of the opening 45 minutes.
Grace trailed 2-0 at halftime despite a 9-6 advantage in shots. Grace also had the only corner kick of the half.
The Lancers responded well out of the halftime break, applying pressure immediately on CU’s goal.
After a lengthy buildup, Goncalves turned and drilled a shot off the goalpost. A minute later, Goncalves had a close-range header that was saved.
Two minutes after that, Jules Peycelon attempted a long-range shot that glanced off the crossbar.
Grace continued to build attacks, testing CU’s defense often after halftime.
With 19 minutes on the clock, another strong attack resulted in a shot by Daniel Santos Rosa that was saved.
With 17:13 remaining, Grace was rewarded with a goal. Jonny Mora weaved his way into a crossing position; his cross connected with Santos Rosa, who slammed his shot into the back of the net.
With eight minutes to play, Grace had its best chance at an equalizer. Connor Pugh made a direct run, received a lofted pass, and fired a volley under pressure. But his shot was parried out of bounds for a corner kick.
The Lancers ran out of time in pursuit of the equalizer as the Tigers’ defense withstood Grace’s comeback.
Goncalves led all players with five shots, and Felipe Gruber and Santos Rosa tried three shots apiece.
At the end of the game, TJ White was honored with a spot on the NCCAA All-Tournament Team as he concluded his sterling Lancer career.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Grace’s women’s soccer team put four goals past Trinity Christian to win 4-1 in the NCCAA national semifinals on Friday.
The Lady Lancers (14-7-1) now sit one game away from making history. Grace will play for the NCCAA title on Saturday against Ottawa (Ariz.) at 7:30 p.m. The game will be played at Austin-Tindall Regional Park in Kissimmee, Fla.
Grace is in pursuit of its first national championship in team history. Grace has twice made the finals in the past, including last year’s double overtime defeat to NCAA Div. II Dallas Baptist.
JJ Aalbue and Madison Tuma provided a goal and an assist apiece to spark Grace’s attack.
The opening 20 minutes was evenly played. Trinity Christian (18-6-1) pressed Grace early, which slowed Grace’s possession attack.
The Lady Lancers had a sustained buildup 15 minutes into the match. The play resulted in a shot by Tuma that was saved.
As the half progressed, Grace’s possession seemed to improve.
With 16 minutes left in the half, Grace found its breakthrough. Madison Tuma passed ahead to Aalbue, who shielded off two defenders and poked a low shot beyond the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.
Five minutes later, Grace’s lead had doubled. Alexis Larimore beat her defender on the right side of the field. She angled into the box and fired a ball into a dangerous position that the Trolls could not stop. The ball crossed the goal line, handing Grace a 2-0 lead.
Trinity had one of its best chances with three minutes left in the half. The Trolls’ curling shot was stopped by a diving save from Bethany Blackwood.
The Lady Lancers took a confident two-goal lead into halftime.
A minute into the second half, Grace proved to be the aggressor again. Larimore sprinted at the goal from the right side of the field and fired a laser that was blocked out for a corner kick.
Grace continued to find success on the sidelines early in the second half. Aalbue and Larimore were particularly dangerous against Trinity’s outside defenders.
In the 63rd minute, Aalbue gained an edge on the right side of the field. She crossed into the penalty box, and Tuma finished under pressure to put Grace ahead by three.
The Trolls responded with immediate success. Trinity scored just 43 seconds later to keep their hopes alive.
But Grace turned to its possession to stem the tide. The Lady Lancers moved the ball fluidly and found threatening lanes to advance seemingly at will as the second half continued.
A goal seemed destined to come as Grace repeatedly advanced the ball, and it eventually did in the 83rd minute.
Sam Vondersaar provided the scoring, juking her defender multiple times as she moved into the penalty box. She slotted her shot past the goalkeeper and into the net, further guaranteeing Grace’s spot in the finals.
Blackwood registered four saves to earn the win in goal for Grace. She was protected well by defenders Kimberly Aalbue, Amber Meade, Victoria Lucido, Lea Moessinger, Anna Kuhl and Paiton Miller.
Grace’s Comeback Falls Short In NCCAA Semifinals
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The season for Grace’s men’s soccer team came to an end on Friday in the NCCAA national semifinals.
The Lancers’ comeback fell short, losing 2-1 to Campbellsville.
Grace was playing shorthanded without its two starting central defenders as well as leading goalscorer Martim Cardoso. Despite that fact, the Lancers put together a strong semifinal performance.
The Lancers outshot Campbellsville 18-9 in the game, but two first-half goals by the Tigers proved too difficult to overcome.
The first 15 minutes were a midfield battle. Neither team could produce a sustained buildup as the sides tried to figure each other out.
Grace had the edge in possession in the first half, but there was not a clear scoring chance for the first 23 minutes.
The first chance fell to the Tigers, who made it count. Grace lost the ball in the backfield, and CU capitalized with a fast goal in the 24th minute.
A similar story unfolded with nine minutes to go in the first half. CU won the ball deep in Grace’s end, and the Lancers paid by surrendering a second goal against the run of play.
A pair of headers by Ze Maria Goncalves late in the half were Grace’s best chances of the opening 45 minutes.
Grace trailed 2-0 at halftime despite a 9-6 advantage in shots. Grace also had the only corner kick of the half.
The Lancers responded well out of the halftime break, applying pressure immediately on CU’s goal.
After a lengthy buildup, Goncalves turned and drilled a shot off the goalpost. A minute later, Goncalves had a close-range header that was saved.
Two minutes after that, Jules Peycelon attempted a long-range shot that glanced off the crossbar.
Grace continued to build attacks, testing CU’s defense often after halftime.
With 19 minutes on the clock, another strong attack resulted in a shot by Daniel Santos Rosa that was saved.
With 17:13 remaining, Grace was rewarded with a goal. Jonny Mora weaved his way into a crossing position; his cross connected with Santos Rosa, who slammed his shot into the back of the net.
With eight minutes to play, Grace had its best chance at an equalizer. Connor Pugh made a direct run, received a lofted pass, and fired a volley under pressure. But his shot was parried out of bounds for a corner kick.
The Lancers ran out of time in pursuit of the equalizer as the Tigers’ defense withstood Grace’s comeback.
Goncalves led all players with five shots, and Felipe Gruber and Santos Rosa tried three shots apiece.
At the end of the game, TJ White was honored with a spot on the NCCAA All-Tournament Team as he concluded his sterling Lancer career.
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