Grace Roundup: Balanced Lancers Rout Bluefield
September 4, 2018 at 4:59 p.m.
Grace Roundup: Balanced Lancers Rout Bluefield
By Josh Neuhart-
Despite wild weather conditions, the Lancers controlled the match for most of the afternoon. The day was filled with heavy downpours and hot, humid conditions, seemingly alternating climates throughout the match.
Grace applied consistent pressure on Bluefield's goal for much of the first half. In the 11th minute, Breno Oliveira played a pass in front of goal to Damon Binkley, but Binkley's shot went wide.
Minutes later, Ulisses Miranda nearly scored on a counterattack. He beat two defenders but shot wide. Tyler Brueckman almost finished the missed attempt, but his sliding shot went into the side netting.
At the 18:51 mark, Grace scored off a corner kick. A loose ball was headed high in the air, and Colin Cape headed the ball toward goal. His attempt took a perfect bounce over the Rams' goalkeeper and into the net.
Grace nearly scored again shortly after. Joshua Coupar unleashed a dangerous shot that forced a diving save. The Lancers put the rebound into the back of the net, but Grace was ruled to be offside.
Kurt Hamlin was strong in goal for Grace, making two diving saves before halftime to keep the Rams off the scoreboard.
Immediately into the second half, Coupar scored his first collegiate goal for the Lancers. He made an aggressive attack from the left side and smashed in a long-range shot past the goalkeeper.
Coupar then teed up Ivan Santagiuliana for Grace’s third goal in the 56th minute. Cole Voss and Brueckman almost scored on separate plays in the ensuing minutes.
The lead blossomed to 4-0 in the 66th minute. Togo Narusawa made a pass at the top of the box to Oliveira, who calmly beat the goalkeeper.
Grace eased up on its attack after the fourth goal, and the Rams took advantage. Bluefield scored twice in a five-minute span, quickly cutting Grace’s lead in half at 4-2.
In the 82nd minute, Grace tacked on its fifth goal. Oliveira played a dangerous ball near the goal. Damon Binkley was at the right spot to deftly redirect the cross into the net at the 81:47 mark.
“We are getting there slowly but surely. I thought we started with good energy given the heat and rain,” said Grace head coach Matt Hotchkin. “We had good defensive shape throughout with a lapse in the last 20 minutes where our positioning and communication dropped. Our offense has started to create better opportunities, and we still need to improve in that area. Thanks to everyone who showed up to support us on a very hot and muggy Labor Day.”
Grace held a 28-11 advantage in shots. Twelve of Grace’s shots were on goal, and the Lancers also added 15 corner kicks.
The Lancers are on the road for their next three matches, starting Friday with a match against Roosevelt at Chicago’s Toyota Park.
Women’s Soccer
WINONA LAKE – Grace’s women’s soccer team maintained its undefeated streak to start the year, beating Lindenwood-Belleville 3-2 on Saturday.
The Lady Lancers (4-0) used goals by Anna Kuhl, Joana Schimmel and Allison Vroon to beat Lindenwood at 1st Source Bank Field.
Grace dominated possession for nearly the entire 90 minutes of play, only surrendering a pair of goals on counterattacks. The Lady Lancers racked up 14 shots, which included nine on frame.
The fans at 1st Source Bank Field did not have to wait long for the first goal. Grace earned a free kick after a handball violation by the Lynx (0-4).
Kuhl lined up to take the 27-yard free kick and bravely launched a shot towards goal. Kuhl’s shot sailed perfectly above the goalkeeper’s gloves but just below the crossbar for the opening goal.
Just over 10 minutes later, Grace’s lead was doubled. Shelby Fort made a leading pass to Joana Schimmel in the middle of the field. Schimmel quickly ate up the open space and unleashed a shot at the top of the penalty box, which took a deflection on its way into the net in the 14th minute.
The rest of the half was controlled by Grace’s ball movement. The Lynx had four shots before halftime, but only one of which was truly threatening.
The Lynx managed to pull back a goal in the 75th minute against the run of play. That goal was the first tally surrendered by Grace, snapping a 345-minute scoreless streak by Grace’s defense.
With two minutes to play, Allison Vroon effectively ended the Lynx’s threat. Jenni Phillips crossed a pass toward the penalty box. Vroon trapped the ball and lofted a well-placed shot over the goalkeeper just before Vroon was chopped down on her follow through.
Vroon’s goal proved to be critical as Lindenwood managed to produce a goal off a scrum in the last 40 seconds for the final 3-2 scoreline.
Schimmel led all players with five shots, and Sacia Hanson and Corinne Villalobos also had two shots.
Bethany Blackwood picked up her fourth win of the season as goalkeeper, saving three shots in the process.
The Lady Lancers hit the road next week with a road trip to Arizona. Grace will play No. 14 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on Sept. 8 and Arizona Christian on Sept. 10.
Women’s Tennis
WINONA LAKE – Grace’s women’s tennis team had little trouble with Goshen on Saturday, winning 9-0 at Miller Athletic Complex.
The Lady Lancers (2-0, 2-0 Crossroads League) only dropped two games across three doubles’ courts, and Grace won every singles’ match in straight sets.
Carrie Copeland and Molly Fitzpatrick won 8-1 at No. 1 doubles, and Jenna Jackson and Jayna Armstrong won by the same score at No. 2.
Morgan Mast and Shelby Bankson blanked their opponents 8-0 at No. 3 doubles, and they were nearly unblemished in singles’ play as well. Mast at No. 5 singles and Bankson at No. 6 both won by the scoreline of 6-0, 6-1.
Jackson was perfect at No. 2 singles (6-0, 6-0), and Fitzpatrick was victorious 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4 singles. Armstrong won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3 singles, and Copeland secured the sweep with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles.
“I’m very pleased with our intensity and focus from the start of the day. I thought we had an excellent warm-up to prepare us for a much improved Goshen team,” said Grace head coach Marcus Moore. “We had very solid play, specifically from Shelby and Morgan today, and our seniors led our charge from the onset.”
The Lady Lancers continue play at home on Tuesday against Indiana Tech at 4 p.m.
Women’s Golf
MARION – Sydney Abbott made history for Grace’s women’s golf team on Friday at the IWU Invitational.
Abbott set the program record for best round, carding a two-under 70 on Saturday. The previous record was 73, set by Anna Marshall in 2017.
Abbott charged up the individual leaderboard after shooting 80 on Friday. Her second-round 70 was second-lowest among all participants in the tournament, propelling her to a runner-up finish.
Kristin Holt also enjoyed a highlight with a two-day total of 163, tied for second-best on the squad. She shot a 79 on Friday, marking her first round in the 70s.
Lauren Keiser also shot a 163, including a 79 on Saturday.
Kara Godsey (91-84) and Rachel Harvey (90-85) each improved between rounds to finish tied with a 175.
The Lady Lancers placed sixth out of 13 teams, beating out three other squads in the Crossroads League.
The Lady Lancers’ next tournament is the Huntington Invitational on Sept. 10-11.
Despite wild weather conditions, the Lancers controlled the match for most of the afternoon. The day was filled with heavy downpours and hot, humid conditions, seemingly alternating climates throughout the match.
Grace applied consistent pressure on Bluefield's goal for much of the first half. In the 11th minute, Breno Oliveira played a pass in front of goal to Damon Binkley, but Binkley's shot went wide.
Minutes later, Ulisses Miranda nearly scored on a counterattack. He beat two defenders but shot wide. Tyler Brueckman almost finished the missed attempt, but his sliding shot went into the side netting.
At the 18:51 mark, Grace scored off a corner kick. A loose ball was headed high in the air, and Colin Cape headed the ball toward goal. His attempt took a perfect bounce over the Rams' goalkeeper and into the net.
Grace nearly scored again shortly after. Joshua Coupar unleashed a dangerous shot that forced a diving save. The Lancers put the rebound into the back of the net, but Grace was ruled to be offside.
Kurt Hamlin was strong in goal for Grace, making two diving saves before halftime to keep the Rams off the scoreboard.
Immediately into the second half, Coupar scored his first collegiate goal for the Lancers. He made an aggressive attack from the left side and smashed in a long-range shot past the goalkeeper.
Coupar then teed up Ivan Santagiuliana for Grace’s third goal in the 56th minute. Cole Voss and Brueckman almost scored on separate plays in the ensuing minutes.
The lead blossomed to 4-0 in the 66th minute. Togo Narusawa made a pass at the top of the box to Oliveira, who calmly beat the goalkeeper.
Grace eased up on its attack after the fourth goal, and the Rams took advantage. Bluefield scored twice in a five-minute span, quickly cutting Grace’s lead in half at 4-2.
In the 82nd minute, Grace tacked on its fifth goal. Oliveira played a dangerous ball near the goal. Damon Binkley was at the right spot to deftly redirect the cross into the net at the 81:47 mark.
“We are getting there slowly but surely. I thought we started with good energy given the heat and rain,” said Grace head coach Matt Hotchkin. “We had good defensive shape throughout with a lapse in the last 20 minutes where our positioning and communication dropped. Our offense has started to create better opportunities, and we still need to improve in that area. Thanks to everyone who showed up to support us on a very hot and muggy Labor Day.”
Grace held a 28-11 advantage in shots. Twelve of Grace’s shots were on goal, and the Lancers also added 15 corner kicks.
The Lancers are on the road for their next three matches, starting Friday with a match against Roosevelt at Chicago’s Toyota Park.
Women’s Soccer
WINONA LAKE – Grace’s women’s soccer team maintained its undefeated streak to start the year, beating Lindenwood-Belleville 3-2 on Saturday.
The Lady Lancers (4-0) used goals by Anna Kuhl, Joana Schimmel and Allison Vroon to beat Lindenwood at 1st Source Bank Field.
Grace dominated possession for nearly the entire 90 minutes of play, only surrendering a pair of goals on counterattacks. The Lady Lancers racked up 14 shots, which included nine on frame.
The fans at 1st Source Bank Field did not have to wait long for the first goal. Grace earned a free kick after a handball violation by the Lynx (0-4).
Kuhl lined up to take the 27-yard free kick and bravely launched a shot towards goal. Kuhl’s shot sailed perfectly above the goalkeeper’s gloves but just below the crossbar for the opening goal.
Just over 10 minutes later, Grace’s lead was doubled. Shelby Fort made a leading pass to Joana Schimmel in the middle of the field. Schimmel quickly ate up the open space and unleashed a shot at the top of the penalty box, which took a deflection on its way into the net in the 14th minute.
The rest of the half was controlled by Grace’s ball movement. The Lynx had four shots before halftime, but only one of which was truly threatening.
The Lynx managed to pull back a goal in the 75th minute against the run of play. That goal was the first tally surrendered by Grace, snapping a 345-minute scoreless streak by Grace’s defense.
With two minutes to play, Allison Vroon effectively ended the Lynx’s threat. Jenni Phillips crossed a pass toward the penalty box. Vroon trapped the ball and lofted a well-placed shot over the goalkeeper just before Vroon was chopped down on her follow through.
Vroon’s goal proved to be critical as Lindenwood managed to produce a goal off a scrum in the last 40 seconds for the final 3-2 scoreline.
Schimmel led all players with five shots, and Sacia Hanson and Corinne Villalobos also had two shots.
Bethany Blackwood picked up her fourth win of the season as goalkeeper, saving three shots in the process.
The Lady Lancers hit the road next week with a road trip to Arizona. Grace will play No. 14 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) on Sept. 8 and Arizona Christian on Sept. 10.
Women’s Tennis
WINONA LAKE – Grace’s women’s tennis team had little trouble with Goshen on Saturday, winning 9-0 at Miller Athletic Complex.
The Lady Lancers (2-0, 2-0 Crossroads League) only dropped two games across three doubles’ courts, and Grace won every singles’ match in straight sets.
Carrie Copeland and Molly Fitzpatrick won 8-1 at No. 1 doubles, and Jenna Jackson and Jayna Armstrong won by the same score at No. 2.
Morgan Mast and Shelby Bankson blanked their opponents 8-0 at No. 3 doubles, and they were nearly unblemished in singles’ play as well. Mast at No. 5 singles and Bankson at No. 6 both won by the scoreline of 6-0, 6-1.
Jackson was perfect at No. 2 singles (6-0, 6-0), and Fitzpatrick was victorious 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4 singles. Armstrong won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 3 singles, and Copeland secured the sweep with a 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles.
“I’m very pleased with our intensity and focus from the start of the day. I thought we had an excellent warm-up to prepare us for a much improved Goshen team,” said Grace head coach Marcus Moore. “We had very solid play, specifically from Shelby and Morgan today, and our seniors led our charge from the onset.”
The Lady Lancers continue play at home on Tuesday against Indiana Tech at 4 p.m.
Women’s Golf
MARION – Sydney Abbott made history for Grace’s women’s golf team on Friday at the IWU Invitational.
Abbott set the program record for best round, carding a two-under 70 on Saturday. The previous record was 73, set by Anna Marshall in 2017.
Abbott charged up the individual leaderboard after shooting 80 on Friday. Her second-round 70 was second-lowest among all participants in the tournament, propelling her to a runner-up finish.
Kristin Holt also enjoyed a highlight with a two-day total of 163, tied for second-best on the squad. She shot a 79 on Friday, marking her first round in the 70s.
Lauren Keiser also shot a 163, including a 79 on Saturday.
Kara Godsey (91-84) and Rachel Harvey (90-85) each improved between rounds to finish tied with a 175.
The Lady Lancers placed sixth out of 13 teams, beating out three other squads in the Crossroads League.
The Lady Lancers’ next tournament is the Huntington Invitational on Sept. 10-11.
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