Lancers net five against Rams
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Grace’s men’s soccer team ended its trip to South Carolina with a 5-1 win at Columbia International.
Five different players scored for Grace on Friday to improve the team’s record to 2-1-1.
The Lancers scored four of their five goals before halftime and had a 17-11 shot advantage overall.
The first goal was a clinical finish from Ulisses Miranda. Grace patiently built an attack from the back, then quickly penetrated through the middle. Ze Maria Goncalves sent a leading pass to Miranda near the top of the penalty box, and Miranda cleverly stopped and fired the ball past the goalkeeper in the 20th minute.
The Rams managed to tie the game against the run of play seven minutes later, scoring from an impossibly tight angle on the endline.
Grace responded with a flurry, netting three goals in the final six minutes of the half. Jonny Mora scored the go-ahead goal in spectacular fashion.
A corner kick was headed back-and-forth in the penalty box and eventually bounced to Mora at the 18-yard line. Mora unleashed a one-time volley that gave the goalkeeper no chance and went just inside the goalpost for a 2-1 lead.
Felipe Gruber netted three minutes later, cutting on his defender and scoring from close range for his first goal as a Lancer.
Grace scored again almost immediately after the ensuing kickoff. The Lancers won possession and quickly countered. Gruber chipped a pass into the box toward Marcelo Talamas, and Talamas fired low to score Grace’s fourth of the half.
Less than 10 minutes into the second half, Grace was fouled in the penalty box. Ivan Santagiuliana converted the penalty kick for the final 5-1 scoreline.
Talamas led all players with six shots, Miranda had three shots, and Gruber, Goncalves and Jordan Jayapuram each shot twice.
Gonzalo Salo earned the win by making four saves in 90 minutes.
The Lancers are off next week. Grace’s next game is Sept. 8 at Thomas More in Kentucky.