Grace Soccer: Hollar Leads Way In Win
WINONA LAKE – A first-half brace from Meredith Hollar gave the Grace College women’s soccer team a 2-1 win over Houghton College on Friday.
The victory moves Grace into the NCCAA Regional Finals on Saturday. Grace will play Indiana Wesleyan on the road at 5 p.m. for a chance at an automatic berth into the NCCAA National Championships.
All three goals on Friday were scored in the first 30 minutes of the match. Hollar’s goals both came within the first 12 minutes.
The Lady Lancers (7-7-4) started sharply, attacking Houghton’s net from kickoff. Grace’s aggressiveness paid off with an early goal.
Joana Schimmel gained space on the left side of the penalty box and squared a pass to Hollar, who tapped in the finish at the 3:28 mark.
Eight minutes later, Grace led by two. Hollar made a run into the box and was fouled as she attempted to make a cut to earn a penalty kick. Hollar stepped up and placed her PK beyond the reach of the diving goalkeeper for her second goal in the first 12 minutes.
The Highlands (10-7-3) cut Grace’s lead in half in the 30th minute when a through ball broke down Grace’s backline.
The Lady Lancers tried two more shots before halftime to no avail, taking a 2-1 lead into halftime.
The second half saw Grace hold a dominant 11-3 advantage in sots. Liz Van Wormer had two early chances in the half, having one shot saved and one go high.
Midway into the half, Grace had another good opportunity. Kaitlyn Hayes sent in a cross to Hannah Miller directly in front of goal, but the pass went just above her head.
The final 20 minutes of the contest were dominated by Grace. The Lady Lancers held the Highlanders without a shot while taking six of their own.
For the game, Grace outshot Houghton 17-8. Abby Schue got the win in goal for Grace, making three saves in 90 minutes.
Hollar had six shots, and Van Wormer tried three shots. Corinne Villalobos had two shots and one on goal.
The winner of the NCCAA Regional receives an automatic berth to NCCAA Nationals. Teams can still get into the national tournament with an at-large invitation.