Eighth-Ranked Lady Lancers Stay Unbeaten On Senior Night
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Josh Neuhart-
Two seniors scored and another had an assist to propel the Lady Lancers (10-0-1, 2-0-1 Crossroads League) on Senior Night at Miller Athletic Complex.
Despite taking 20 shots and 12 shots on goal in the match, Grace’s scoring was all done in an 18-minute span in the first half.
Mallory Rondeau opened the scoring in the 12th minute. The senior forward made a sneaky run to fool Huntington’s defense, beating two defenders and the Foresters’ goalkeeper to a loose ball and passing her shot into an empty net.
A nice run from Rondeau nearly produced a second goal minutes later. Her hard shot rebounded inside the penalty box and fell to the feet of Darcy Johnston, and Johnston’s shot forced a diving save by the Foresters (6-6, 0-3 CL).
Huntington nearly equalized in the 20th minute. A long shot by the Foresters took a deflection, and Grace goalkeeper Abby Schue slipped on the soaked turf. The shot rolled wide of the goalpost, however, preventing an unlikely equalizer.
In the 29th minute, Grace found an insurance goal. Carianne Sobey beat a defender on the left endline and squared a pass to Jordan Hairgrove, and the senior had a simple finish in front of the goal at the 28:39 mark. Sobey’s assist was the 42nd of her career, extending her program record for most assists.
The half ended 2-0 in Grace’s favor. The Lady Lancers had a 13-5 advantage in shot attempts.
Huntington stepped up its attack in the beginning stages of the second half, but Grace’s defense held firm. The Lady Lancers recorded their second straight shutout and seventh shutout of the year. Schue made nine saves in goal for Grace in 90 minutes.
Grace had a 20-12 advantage in shot attempts. Rondeau fired seven shots with five being on goal.
“We had a decent showing today on Senior Night. We were composed and creative executing our game plan well,” said Grace head coach Michael Voss. “The chance creation was creative and calculated. In general we just need to be sharper. The whole crew stayed the course this evening, and I’m proud of the women for that.”
The Lady Lancers face one of the biggest matchups of their season on Wednesday. Grace travels to No. 10 Spring Arbor on Wednesday night for an NAIA Top-10 rivalry game.
Men’s Soccer
Saturday in
Huntington
An acrobatic bicycle-kick goal from Dominic Harris was not enough to save Grace’s men’s soccer team from defeat on Saturday.
The Lancers (7-4, 2-1 Crossroads League) suffered their first loss of the league season, falling to Huntington 2-1 on the road.
Grace outshot the Foresters (6-5-1, 1-2 CL) 26-15 in the match, but Huntington made their shots count.
The opening half was scoreless despite a combined 16 shot attempts. The Lancers tried 11 shots in the first 45 minutes, but none found the back of the net. Grace also had a commanding 8-2 advantage in corner kicks, but each attempt went for naught.
Huntington pulled ahead less than 10 minutes into the second half, taking a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute.
In the 72nd minute, Grace was whistled for a foul in the penalty box. Huntington converted the penalty kick for a 2-0 lead.
The Lancers did their best to battle back. Grace took 15 shots in the second half, including eight on frame. Grace thought it had earned a PK of its own, but the Lancers’ penalty appeals were denied.
The breakthrough came too late for Grace. Dominic Harris trapped a high headed ball near the top of the box. After sensing some space, he attempted a bicycle kick. The ball looped high over the outstretched arms of the Foresters’ goalkeeper and into the back of the net at the 85th minute.
Harris’s magical moment proved to be too late, however. Grace was unable to find an equalizer before the final buzzer.
Grace had 11 more shots than Huntington in the match and also had eight more corner kicks. Harris had six shots to lead all players, and Kyle Hamlin and Nakilee Weni took three shots apiece.
“We had an opportunity to stay at the top of the conference, and we fell short. It’s not the end of the world, but we did miss a chance to prove some important things to ourselves. I felt like we controlled the game, but we fell short in the most important statistics. We need to regroup and refocus attention to the next match,” said Grace head coach Matt Hotchkin. “The officials had a major impact on this match. The PK call against us was questionable, and he also waived off what seemed to be an obvious PK for us against Damon.”
The Lancers welcome No. 24 Spring Arbor to Miller Athletic Complex on Wednesday.
Cross Country
Saturday in
Huntington
Grace’s cross country team got a preview of the Crossroads League Championships with a race at Huntington on Saturday.
The Lady Lancers placed fourth out of nine teams while the men were ninth out of 11 at the Huntington Invitational, ran at the same course as the CL Championships on Nov. 7.
Katelyn McCullough led all Grace runners with a fourth-place showing, ending the race in 19:34. Freshman sisters Ariel Arellano (20:26) and Raven Arellano (20:40) were second and third respectively for Grace, and Julia Neal crossed the finish line in 21:21.
Emma Mitchell, Karla Singer and Sarah Hoff also finished the race with sub-22 minute times. The ladies finished third among Crossroads League teams, beating out league foes Bethel, St. Francis and Goshen in the process.
“We had cool and windy conditions, but our ladies fought through it pretty well. Katelyn McCullough ran a very good race. Even though it wasn’t her best time, it might have been her best race when you factor in the weather and a fairly tough course,” said Grace coach Jeff Raymond. “I also want to compliment Julia Neal for her continued improvement and Sarah Hoff for a solid race after coming back from injury.”
The men’s team ran less than full strength as the team battled injuries. Only five players ran for the Lancers.
Joel Bertelsen had a strong race in 27:25 to finish in 13th place. Sam Hall was next in line for Grace in 28:41, and Tyler Houvener was not far behind in 28:54. Tim Drew (32:19) and Reid Fouty (33:36) completed Grace’s lineup.
“Joel (Bertelsen) went out with the leaders and remained in close contact throughout the race. I was very pleased that he was not afraid to run toward the front,” Raymond said. “We held out a few guys to protect some minor injuries which obviously affected our overall performance. We hope to be closer to full strength next week.”
The Lancers will travel north on Friday for the Bethel Invitational.[[In-content Ad]]
Two seniors scored and another had an assist to propel the Lady Lancers (10-0-1, 2-0-1 Crossroads League) on Senior Night at Miller Athletic Complex.
Despite taking 20 shots and 12 shots on goal in the match, Grace’s scoring was all done in an 18-minute span in the first half.
Mallory Rondeau opened the scoring in the 12th minute. The senior forward made a sneaky run to fool Huntington’s defense, beating two defenders and the Foresters’ goalkeeper to a loose ball and passing her shot into an empty net.
A nice run from Rondeau nearly produced a second goal minutes later. Her hard shot rebounded inside the penalty box and fell to the feet of Darcy Johnston, and Johnston’s shot forced a diving save by the Foresters (6-6, 0-3 CL).
Huntington nearly equalized in the 20th minute. A long shot by the Foresters took a deflection, and Grace goalkeeper Abby Schue slipped on the soaked turf. The shot rolled wide of the goalpost, however, preventing an unlikely equalizer.
In the 29th minute, Grace found an insurance goal. Carianne Sobey beat a defender on the left endline and squared a pass to Jordan Hairgrove, and the senior had a simple finish in front of the goal at the 28:39 mark. Sobey’s assist was the 42nd of her career, extending her program record for most assists.
The half ended 2-0 in Grace’s favor. The Lady Lancers had a 13-5 advantage in shot attempts.
Huntington stepped up its attack in the beginning stages of the second half, but Grace’s defense held firm. The Lady Lancers recorded their second straight shutout and seventh shutout of the year. Schue made nine saves in goal for Grace in 90 minutes.
Grace had a 20-12 advantage in shot attempts. Rondeau fired seven shots with five being on goal.
“We had a decent showing today on Senior Night. We were composed and creative executing our game plan well,” said Grace head coach Michael Voss. “The chance creation was creative and calculated. In general we just need to be sharper. The whole crew stayed the course this evening, and I’m proud of the women for that.”
The Lady Lancers face one of the biggest matchups of their season on Wednesday. Grace travels to No. 10 Spring Arbor on Wednesday night for an NAIA Top-10 rivalry game.
Men’s Soccer
Saturday in
Huntington
An acrobatic bicycle-kick goal from Dominic Harris was not enough to save Grace’s men’s soccer team from defeat on Saturday.
The Lancers (7-4, 2-1 Crossroads League) suffered their first loss of the league season, falling to Huntington 2-1 on the road.
Grace outshot the Foresters (6-5-1, 1-2 CL) 26-15 in the match, but Huntington made their shots count.
The opening half was scoreless despite a combined 16 shot attempts. The Lancers tried 11 shots in the first 45 minutes, but none found the back of the net. Grace also had a commanding 8-2 advantage in corner kicks, but each attempt went for naught.
Huntington pulled ahead less than 10 minutes into the second half, taking a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute.
In the 72nd minute, Grace was whistled for a foul in the penalty box. Huntington converted the penalty kick for a 2-0 lead.
The Lancers did their best to battle back. Grace took 15 shots in the second half, including eight on frame. Grace thought it had earned a PK of its own, but the Lancers’ penalty appeals were denied.
The breakthrough came too late for Grace. Dominic Harris trapped a high headed ball near the top of the box. After sensing some space, he attempted a bicycle kick. The ball looped high over the outstretched arms of the Foresters’ goalkeeper and into the back of the net at the 85th minute.
Harris’s magical moment proved to be too late, however. Grace was unable to find an equalizer before the final buzzer.
Grace had 11 more shots than Huntington in the match and also had eight more corner kicks. Harris had six shots to lead all players, and Kyle Hamlin and Nakilee Weni took three shots apiece.
“We had an opportunity to stay at the top of the conference, and we fell short. It’s not the end of the world, but we did miss a chance to prove some important things to ourselves. I felt like we controlled the game, but we fell short in the most important statistics. We need to regroup and refocus attention to the next match,” said Grace head coach Matt Hotchkin. “The officials had a major impact on this match. The PK call against us was questionable, and he also waived off what seemed to be an obvious PK for us against Damon.”
The Lancers welcome No. 24 Spring Arbor to Miller Athletic Complex on Wednesday.
Cross Country
Saturday in
Huntington
Grace’s cross country team got a preview of the Crossroads League Championships with a race at Huntington on Saturday.
The Lady Lancers placed fourth out of nine teams while the men were ninth out of 11 at the Huntington Invitational, ran at the same course as the CL Championships on Nov. 7.
Katelyn McCullough led all Grace runners with a fourth-place showing, ending the race in 19:34. Freshman sisters Ariel Arellano (20:26) and Raven Arellano (20:40) were second and third respectively for Grace, and Julia Neal crossed the finish line in 21:21.
Emma Mitchell, Karla Singer and Sarah Hoff also finished the race with sub-22 minute times. The ladies finished third among Crossroads League teams, beating out league foes Bethel, St. Francis and Goshen in the process.
“We had cool and windy conditions, but our ladies fought through it pretty well. Katelyn McCullough ran a very good race. Even though it wasn’t her best time, it might have been her best race when you factor in the weather and a fairly tough course,” said Grace coach Jeff Raymond. “I also want to compliment Julia Neal for her continued improvement and Sarah Hoff for a solid race after coming back from injury.”
The men’s team ran less than full strength as the team battled injuries. Only five players ran for the Lancers.
Joel Bertelsen had a strong race in 27:25 to finish in 13th place. Sam Hall was next in line for Grace in 28:41, and Tyler Houvener was not far behind in 28:54. Tim Drew (32:19) and Reid Fouty (33:36) completed Grace’s lineup.
“Joel (Bertelsen) went out with the leaders and remained in close contact throughout the race. I was very pleased that he was not afraid to run toward the front,” Raymond said. “We held out a few guys to protect some minor injuries which obviously affected our overall performance. We hope to be closer to full strength next week.”
The Lancers will travel north on Friday for the Bethel Invitational.[[In-content Ad]]
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