WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's men's soccer team continued its strong run of form, defeating Taylor 2-0 on Saturday for the Lancers' fourth straight victory.

Martim Cardoso starred for Grace, scoring both goals in the victory. The Lancers (8-8, 5-2 Crossroads League) maintained their grip on second place in the conference standings.

The Lancers end the regular season next week with a pair of road matches. Grace plays at Indiana Wesleyan on Wednesday and at Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Saturday.

The top-four finishers in the league standings will host a quarterfinal match in the CL Tournament.

Grace controlled much of the match in terms of possession and had a clear advantage in goal-scoring opportunities. The Lancers finished the match with a 14-6 shot advantage, and only two of the Trojans' attempts were on goal.

The first 15 minutes saw both teams take turns in possession. Neither side had the upper hand in possession with each team trying one shot.

But in the 15th minute, head coach Arron Patrick inserted a trio of substitutes which made an immediate impact on the game.

Within three minutes, substitutes Cardoso and Ze Maria Goncalves connected for the opening goal. Goncalves lofted a perfect cross to Cardoso in the penalty box, and Cardoso's shot sliced past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead.

That lead held for the rest of the half. The Lancers seemed to gain a significant upper hand in possession until halftime. Grace created several dangerous chances but could not score again.

Cardoso had the closest moment. His header from close-range was saved by the Trojan goalkeeper to keep the 1-0 scoreline.

The Lancers held a 6-2 shot advantage at halftime. Grace also had the only three corner kicks of the half.

The story was essentially the same in the second half. The Lancers were more threatening in their attacks after halftime, but again scored once.

Ethan Vigario, Jonny Mora and Jordan Jayapuram had dangerous chances that were thwarted.

But Grace's offense largely targeted Cardoso. The junior missed on two chances earlier in the half that could have given Grace a cushion. But he made good on his last attempt.

Mora placed a cross beyond the reach of Taylor's defense, and Cardoso headed his effort inside the far post for the insurance goal.

The Trojans struggled to generate chances as they sought a goal. Matteo Conci needed to make just one save after halftime and two saves overall to record Grace's shutout.

David Koch, Flavio Cruz and Dan Allen put up an impenetrable defensive front for the Lancers as they recorded their fifth shutout of the season.

The Lancers, winners of four straight, are the hottest team in the league. No other team in the league has a current winning streak greater than one.

Grace finished the match with 14 shots, 6 shots on goal and 7 corner kicks. Taylor had 6 shots, 2 shots on goal and 2 corners.

Cardoso had five shots with three on frame, and Vigario, Jayapuram and Goncalves each shot twice.