Soccer Results: Sept. 23
Grace Men 1, Huntington 1
Grace’s men’s soccer team opened the 2020 season against Crossroads League foe Huntington on Wednesday.
The match ended 1-1 after two overtime periods against the Foresters, who are receiving votes in the NAIA poll.
Grace held a 17-10 edge in shot attempts. But Huntington scored an equalizer in the 70th minute, which ultimately produced the draw.
Grace kept the ball for almost the full first five minutes of the match — Grace’s first minutes of the season. The Lancers (0-0-1, 0-0-1 CL) built possession with Huntington content to counter.
The Foresters had two strong chances in the first 10 minutes, however. One shot resulted in a low save by goalkeeper Joe Bowles, and the second shot glanced off the crossbar.
The half was evenly played after the opening minutes. Grace’s best two opportunities early came off a header by Kyle Smith and a sliding effort by Blake Burns.
Late in the half, Grace generated a stretch with four straight corner kicks. The closest chance came off a headed shot from Korry Hamlin, which was parried wide by the goalkeeper.
The Lancers finished the half with a 6-3 edge in shots.
The second half saw much more action as the sides pressed to find a goal.
Marcelo Talamas was the key figure for Grace’s attack in the second half. The senior struck the goalpost with 30 minutes remaining in the game, but he would not have to wait long to find his goal.
Five minutes later, Jonny Mora served a cross into the box. Frederik Christmann trapped the cross and calmly passed to Talamas, who drilled his shot into the back of the net.
The Foresters responded almost immediately, leveling the score five minutes later by finishing a scrum in the box.
Grace had chances to win the game in regulation. Talamas had a close-range effort in the final minutes saved, and Jules Peycelon tried two shots as well. But the game headed to overtime.
The overtimes became increasingly physical in the pursuit of a golden goal. Grace nearly won the match with one minute left in overtime thanks to another Mora cross, but Talamas’s shot was off the mark.
The Lancers remain at home Saturday, hosting Bethel at 7 p.m.