CHARLESTON, W.V. - Grace's men's soccer team wrapped up its road trip with a 2-2 tie at Salem International on Monday.

The Lancers (1-1-1) played three matches in four days. They will return home on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest against Trinity International, the team's fourth game in a six-day span.

"This was a physical match, and it took awhile for our guys to adapt. For the first 25 minutes, we struggled with their physicality. But we gained the upper hand as the game wore on because we had more energy," said Grace head coach Matt Hotchkin.

The Tigers (0-1) shocked the Lancers right after kickoff. Salem managed to score both of its goals in the first 16 minutes, including one penalty kick.

But Grace began to assert control of the match soon after. The Lancers were not able to score, but the team remained optimistic at halftime.

"At halftime we talked about how to deal with the pressure and how to be more effective with men on our backs," Hotchkin continued. "The guys played with a lot of anticipation from then on, and we controlled the second half in every category."

The Lancers, despite more possession and shots than the Lions after halftime, still faced a 2-0 deficit entering the 89th minute.

Finally, Grace got on the scoreboard to give the visitors hope. Joshua Coupar served in a cross from the right side of the field, and Marcelo Talamas finished off a scramble in the box with 1:28 remaining in regulation.

Grace continued to press for an equalizer and incredibly found it. Nikola Djordjevic made an aggressive run into the 18-yard box and was fouled to earn a penalty kick.

Breno Oliveira calmly converted the penalty kick with 20 seconds on the clock to cap off a furious comeback.

While the Lancers created multiple chances in overtime, Grace was unable to win the game in either of the extra periods.

"We are not satisfied with a tie, but I do view this as a victory at the same time," Hotchkin explained. "This game moves us one step closer to figuring out how to position and set up our guys to succeed. We had multiple players demonstrate a constant motivation to win, including Brayton Taylor, Blake Meyers, Thomas Tydeman and Marcelo Talamas. But our man of the match was Nikola [Djordjevic] who kept our intensity up on the pitch the entire game."