First half explosion fuels Lancers’ victory

By Press release submission

Oct 23, 2022

Grace College's men's soccer team picked up a 5-0 win over Taylor on Saturday evening.

Martim Sequeira powered the Lancers offensive in the victory with a hat trick performance that brings his season goal total to 16.

The win puts Grace (9-1-5, 4-1-2 Crossroads League) in second place in the Crossroads League with just two games remaining in the season. The Lancers next contest will be against IWU (10-3-3, 4-2-1 CL) who sits just one point behind Grace.

The Lancers did not have to wait long to find their first marker of the game, striking just 5:07 into the game.

Juan Camilo Garcia sent a cross into the box, and after a failed clearing attempt from the Trojans (3-8-5,1-4-2 CL), David Marquez curled a shot past the keeper and into the corner of the net to draw first blood for Grace.

The Lancers kept up the offensive pressure as Nelu Calcai and Kyle Holwerda each put a shot on goal that forced a save from the Taylor keeper to keep his team's deficit at just one in the early stages.

Grace's attack was suffocating as Taylor managed just one shot in the first half of action.

The Lancers threatened to extend their lead at the mid-point of the half as Daniel Santos Rosa and Felipe Gruber had a flurry of chances but each time they were denied goal.

Moments later Sequeira would net his first of three goals to double Grace's lead. Frederik Christmann sent a long lead pass which found the senior forward in perfect stride. Sequeira put the ball into the net with a perfect touch, putting the Lancers ahead 2-0 with 14 minutes left in the half.

The Lancers were not finished there however, as they would find the goal three more times before the intermission.

Grace's third goal came after Sequeira settled a bouncing ball and slid a pass to Santos Rosa who sliced the ball into the net from 18 yards away.

Sequeira added to the scoring barrage with his second of the game. The Lancers were awarded a corner kick and Flavio Cruz played it into the box as Sequeira capitalized with Grace's fourth goal.

Sequeira put the finishing touches on his three-goal outburst with a long run to beat a defender before finishing with confidence to put Grace ahead 5-0 heading into halftime. The Lancers final four goals of the half came in a span of just 9:27.

Grace continued to control the pace in the second half, but with a five goal lead the urgency for goal was subdued.

Grace would try seven shots in the final frame but did not extend on their five-goal advantage.

The Lancers out shot the Trojans 24-5 in the game and held a 6-2 corner kick advantage. Grace was whistled for 18 fouls in the contest compared to Taylor's four.

Matteo Conci made three saves in the win and also tallied his eighth clean sheet of the season.

Grace will close out the regular season with a pair of home contests. The Lancers will host IWU on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a game that will have major implications in the Crossroads League standings.

Grace will wrap up the schedule with senior night next Saturday against Mt. Vernon.