GOSHEN, Ind. - The match between Grace's men's soccer team and Goshen was filled with drama, including a late-game winner by the Lancers.
Tyler Brueckman's 82nd-minute header lifted the Lancers to a 3-2 road win at Goshen.
With the win, the Lancers (6-8, 3-2 CL) continue their climb up the Crossroads League standings. Grace now sits in a three-way tie for second place with four regular season matches remaining.
The Lancers will put their winning streak to the test on Saturday, hosting rival Bethel for a 7 p.m. showdown at 1st Source Bank Field. It will be the team's first meeting since Grace's NCCAA championship win over the Pilots a year ago.
Wednesday's match was filled with action, featuring 27 shots, 32 fouls, 5 goals and 3 yellow cards.
Grace held the lead three times in the match; twice the Maple Leafs (5-6-4, 1-4 CL) were able to rally.
The first goal came in the 11th minute. A cross from Jules Peycelon found the head of David Koch, and Koch redirected in the game's opening goal.
Sixteen minutes later, Goshen tied the score. The Maple Leafs stole a pass and quickly struck in the 27th minute to make the score 1-1.
The Lancers scored again before halftime. Marco Poliani stole a key pass and quickly moved the ball to Martim Cardoso. Another leading pass put Felipe Gruber in a scoring position in the box, but he was tackled from behind to award the Lancers a penalty kick.
Gruber stepped up and buried the PK to give Grace a 2-1 lead at halftime.
The Lancers held an 8-5 shot advantage at halftime and also had a 6-1 edge in corner kicks.
Grace remained in front until the final frenetic 20 minutes.
The Maple Leafs capitalized on another missed pass by Grace's backline to tie the match. Almost immediately after the dispossession, Goshen scored in the 71st minute on a long-range strike.
But Grace had the final say on the night. Ze Maria Goncalves made a bold move to steal the ball in the attacking end of the field. After shielding away a defender, he quickly crossed in front of the goal to Tyler Brueckman, and Brueckman headed his shot past the goalkeeper for the winner.
The Maple Leafs were not able to produce a shot over the final 11 minutes of the match as Grace's possession and defending proved tough to unlock.
Matteo Conci made six saves in the victory as Grace's goalkeeper.
