MVNU Bounces Grace From CL Tourney
November 7, 2021 at 8:54 p.m.
MVNU Bounces Grace From CL Tourney
By Josh Neuhart-
The Lady Lancers (11-6-1) fell 2-1 to Mt. Vernon Nazarene in the quarterfinals at 1st Source Bank Field. Grace lost the game despite outshooting MVNU 13-8 in the match.
Just one week ago, Grace trounced the Cougars 5-0 in Winona Lake. But Saturday’s quarterfinal match was a completely different story.
The first half saw Grace take more shots and have more goal-scoring opportunities. But Grace was unable to capitalize with an early lead.
Alexis Larimore was a constant threat at MVNU’s backline. The senior made a number of weaving runs from an attacking position, firing off five shots. Her closest moment was a 1-on-1 opportunity with MVNU’s goalkeeper that beat the goalie but whisked wide of the net.
Lea Moessinger also had a headed effort from a set piece that went wide, and Madison Tuma’s hard shot was saved.
The Cougars had one truly threatening moment that Grace withstood, and the teams went into halftime scoreless. Grace had an 8-5 edge in shots and 3-1 edge in corner kicks.
The game took a dramatic turn in the first eight minutes of the second half. MVNU stunned Grace with a goal just two minutes into the half.
Grace quickly recovered, tying the score seven minutes later. JJ Aalbue received the ball and cleverly created space for Larimore with a pass. Larimore’s low shot found the back of the net, making the score 1-1 after a dramatic opening eight minutes.
The game settled into a midfield battle after the two rapid-fire goals with fewer chances over the next several minutes.
The Cougars capitalized after a restart in play, shocking Grace with a second goal in the 73rd minute.
Grace did its best to find another equalizer. The best moment unquestionably was when JJ Aalbue earned a penalty kick after being tackled in the penalty box. But the ensuing PK attempt for Grace was off the mark.
The Cougars’ defense held firm over the final minutes, preventing another Grace goal and securing the 2-1 victory.
The Lady Lancers finished with a 13-8 advantage in shots and 4-2 edge in corner kicks. The Cougars had three shots on goal in the second half and scored on two of those.
“There are some days where everything is against you. We had to persevere through several obstacles in addition to controlling our own game, and we lacked the ‘futbol’ drive we had seven days ago when we beat this team 5-0,” said Grace head coach Michael Voss. “Amidst all that, the women still created several 1v1s as well as a PK. We had great moments that we didn’t convert, and we gave up two preventable goals. Positively, the break gives us time to get our whole crew, injured and otherwise, back into form.”
The Lady Lancers’ postseason is just beginning, however. Grace will still have a strong chance for an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championships in the coming weeks. Grace has the ability to compete in the NCCAA National Championships.
Grace Women's XC Runs to 3rd in Crossroads League
HUNTINGTON, Ind. - Three runners in the top 15 sparked the Grace women's cross country team to a third-place finish at the Crossroads League Championships hosted by Huntington University. The top-three team finish was the best in program history for the women.
On a hilly and rain-softened course, freshman Kylie Sauder paced the trio of Lancers in the front pack, finishing in 11th place in 19:06. Mallory Hiatt, a sophomore, was just behind Sauder in 12th place in 19:15, while senior Heather Plastow finished 15th with a time of 19:27 on the 5,000-meter course. The top 15 runners earn All-Crossroads League honors. This marks the second straight year for Hiatt and Plastow to earn All-League recognition.
"We had set high expectations heading into the race for what we wanted to do as a team," said Coach Jake Poyner. "They executed the race plan with courage and grit."
Sophomore Anna Huldstedt put together a strong race, finishing as the fourth Grace runner in 20:27. Katie Acker, a freshman, was next in 20:39. Elizabeth Moore (20:59) and Caroline Kolb (21:02) rounded out the top-seven for the Lancers.
Along with the new team standard of a third-place finish, the result may also bring the programs first-ever invite to the NAIA National Championships. The Lancers were ranked No. 15 in the most recent NAIA polls and should remain high enough in the rankings to receive an at-large bid to nationals. The national championship participants will be officially revealed on Tuesday evening.
"We know it only takes five to score a team, but this squad continues to impress me with the ways they go above and beyond to make it a full team endeavor," added Poyner.
Taylor University took the Crossroads League title, followed by Indiana Wesleyan in second. Huntington finished right behind Grace in fourth-place, while St. Francis was fifth. All five teams were ranked in the most recent NAIA Top 25 polls.
Before the potential trip to NAIA Nationals, Grace will compete at the NCCAA Championships on November 13 in Joplin, Missouri.
Grace Men's XC Ends Up 4th in Crossroads League
HUNTINGTON, Ind. - Bryan Hernandez-Rios raced with the front pack for the entire 8,0000-meter course, and ended up third in the Crossroads League Championships hosted by Huntington University. Hernandez-Rios' individual effort sparked the No. 22-ranked Lancers to a fourth-place finish as a team.
The race featured five teams ranked among the NAIA Top 25, including three ranked in the top ten. The result should solidify an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championships for Grace, which would be the first in program history. The NAIA championship field will be officially announced on Tuesday evening.
"This is an exciting day for Grace cross country," said Coach Jake Poyner. "I'm proud of the team for racing with composure on a challenging course. The stopwatch will not tell the full story."
Hernandez-Rios ran a time of 25:01 on the hilly course, the second-best of his career, and he earned All-Crossroads League honors for the second consecutive season. Dimitri Margaritidis just missed All-League recognition, finishing 16th with a time of 25:56. Logan Rufenacht was the third finisher for Grace, coming in 29th in 26:41.
A pair of freshmen completed the scoring for the Lancers, with Justin Van Prooyen finishing 35th in 26:54 and Brandon Kleber coming in 39th in 26:58. Isaac Beatty (27:30) and Macallister Cheek (27:31) rounded out the top seven.
"I'm grateful, more than anything, to be a witness to the collective comradery of the squad," added Poyner. "They've worked really hard all year for days like this."
Taylor University pulled a mild upset to take the Crossroads League title, followed by Indiana Wesleyan and Huntington.
Prior to a possible appearance at the NAIA Championships, Grace will compete in the NCCAA Championships next weekend, November 13 in Joplin, MIssouri.
The Lady Lancers (11-6-1) fell 2-1 to Mt. Vernon Nazarene in the quarterfinals at 1st Source Bank Field. Grace lost the game despite outshooting MVNU 13-8 in the match.
Just one week ago, Grace trounced the Cougars 5-0 in Winona Lake. But Saturday’s quarterfinal match was a completely different story.
The first half saw Grace take more shots and have more goal-scoring opportunities. But Grace was unable to capitalize with an early lead.
Alexis Larimore was a constant threat at MVNU’s backline. The senior made a number of weaving runs from an attacking position, firing off five shots. Her closest moment was a 1-on-1 opportunity with MVNU’s goalkeeper that beat the goalie but whisked wide of the net.
Lea Moessinger also had a headed effort from a set piece that went wide, and Madison Tuma’s hard shot was saved.
The Cougars had one truly threatening moment that Grace withstood, and the teams went into halftime scoreless. Grace had an 8-5 edge in shots and 3-1 edge in corner kicks.
The game took a dramatic turn in the first eight minutes of the second half. MVNU stunned Grace with a goal just two minutes into the half.
Grace quickly recovered, tying the score seven minutes later. JJ Aalbue received the ball and cleverly created space for Larimore with a pass. Larimore’s low shot found the back of the net, making the score 1-1 after a dramatic opening eight minutes.
The game settled into a midfield battle after the two rapid-fire goals with fewer chances over the next several minutes.
The Cougars capitalized after a restart in play, shocking Grace with a second goal in the 73rd minute.
Grace did its best to find another equalizer. The best moment unquestionably was when JJ Aalbue earned a penalty kick after being tackled in the penalty box. But the ensuing PK attempt for Grace was off the mark.
The Cougars’ defense held firm over the final minutes, preventing another Grace goal and securing the 2-1 victory.
The Lady Lancers finished with a 13-8 advantage in shots and 4-2 edge in corner kicks. The Cougars had three shots on goal in the second half and scored on two of those.
“There are some days where everything is against you. We had to persevere through several obstacles in addition to controlling our own game, and we lacked the ‘futbol’ drive we had seven days ago when we beat this team 5-0,” said Grace head coach Michael Voss. “Amidst all that, the women still created several 1v1s as well as a PK. We had great moments that we didn’t convert, and we gave up two preventable goals. Positively, the break gives us time to get our whole crew, injured and otherwise, back into form.”
The Lady Lancers’ postseason is just beginning, however. Grace will still have a strong chance for an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championships in the coming weeks. Grace has the ability to compete in the NCCAA National Championships.
Grace Women's XC Runs to 3rd in Crossroads League
HUNTINGTON, Ind. - Three runners in the top 15 sparked the Grace women's cross country team to a third-place finish at the Crossroads League Championships hosted by Huntington University. The top-three team finish was the best in program history for the women.
On a hilly and rain-softened course, freshman Kylie Sauder paced the trio of Lancers in the front pack, finishing in 11th place in 19:06. Mallory Hiatt, a sophomore, was just behind Sauder in 12th place in 19:15, while senior Heather Plastow finished 15th with a time of 19:27 on the 5,000-meter course. The top 15 runners earn All-Crossroads League honors. This marks the second straight year for Hiatt and Plastow to earn All-League recognition.
"We had set high expectations heading into the race for what we wanted to do as a team," said Coach Jake Poyner. "They executed the race plan with courage and grit."
Sophomore Anna Huldstedt put together a strong race, finishing as the fourth Grace runner in 20:27. Katie Acker, a freshman, was next in 20:39. Elizabeth Moore (20:59) and Caroline Kolb (21:02) rounded out the top-seven for the Lancers.
Along with the new team standard of a third-place finish, the result may also bring the programs first-ever invite to the NAIA National Championships. The Lancers were ranked No. 15 in the most recent NAIA polls and should remain high enough in the rankings to receive an at-large bid to nationals. The national championship participants will be officially revealed on Tuesday evening.
"We know it only takes five to score a team, but this squad continues to impress me with the ways they go above and beyond to make it a full team endeavor," added Poyner.
Taylor University took the Crossroads League title, followed by Indiana Wesleyan in second. Huntington finished right behind Grace in fourth-place, while St. Francis was fifth. All five teams were ranked in the most recent NAIA Top 25 polls.
Before the potential trip to NAIA Nationals, Grace will compete at the NCCAA Championships on November 13 in Joplin, Missouri.
Grace Men's XC Ends Up 4th in Crossroads League
HUNTINGTON, Ind. - Bryan Hernandez-Rios raced with the front pack for the entire 8,0000-meter course, and ended up third in the Crossroads League Championships hosted by Huntington University. Hernandez-Rios' individual effort sparked the No. 22-ranked Lancers to a fourth-place finish as a team.
The race featured five teams ranked among the NAIA Top 25, including three ranked in the top ten. The result should solidify an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championships for Grace, which would be the first in program history. The NAIA championship field will be officially announced on Tuesday evening.
"This is an exciting day for Grace cross country," said Coach Jake Poyner. "I'm proud of the team for racing with composure on a challenging course. The stopwatch will not tell the full story."
Hernandez-Rios ran a time of 25:01 on the hilly course, the second-best of his career, and he earned All-Crossroads League honors for the second consecutive season. Dimitri Margaritidis just missed All-League recognition, finishing 16th with a time of 25:56. Logan Rufenacht was the third finisher for Grace, coming in 29th in 26:41.
A pair of freshmen completed the scoring for the Lancers, with Justin Van Prooyen finishing 35th in 26:54 and Brandon Kleber coming in 39th in 26:58. Isaac Beatty (27:30) and Macallister Cheek (27:31) rounded out the top seven.
"I'm grateful, more than anything, to be a witness to the collective comradery of the squad," added Poyner. "They've worked really hard all year for days like this."
Taylor University pulled a mild upset to take the Crossroads League title, followed by Indiana Wesleyan and Huntington.
Prior to a possible appearance at the NAIA Championships, Grace will compete in the NCCAA Championships next weekend, November 13 in Joplin, MIssouri.
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