MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – Grace's men's soccer team lost for the first time in six games on Saturday, falling 2-1 in overtime at Mt. Vernon Nazarene.
Despite the loss, the Lancers (9-9, 6-3 Crossroads League) still grabbed the No. 2 seed in next week's Crossroads League Tournament. Grace will host Taylor on Saturday at 1st Source Bank Field in a doubleheader. Grace's women's team will also host a quarterfinal matchup on Saturday with the times to be determined.
Grace was riding a five-game winning streak and held a 1-0 lead until the 71st minute on Saturday. But a comeback by the Cougars forced OT where MVNU claimed a golden goal winner.
Neither team could score in the opening half. Grace tried eight shots with a corner kick before halftime, including three shots from Ethan Vigario.
The scoreless drought quickly expired in the second half. Just two minutes into the second half, the Lancers scored.
Josh Angel-Craven passed to Martim Cardoso, who beat MVNU's goalkeeper for his team-leading 11th goal of the season.
Vigario tried a shot on goal two minutes later, but the Lancers' attack was largely quieted for the middle portions of the half. After Vigario's attempt was saved, Grace did not try another shot for the next 26 minutes.
During that time, MVNU ramped up its offense. The Cougars had four corner kicks as they pressed for an equalizer, eventually finding one in the 71st minute.
Neither side could produce a late winner in regulation despite chances on each end of the field.
The match headed to overtime where Grace struggled to generate opportunities. The Cougars took three shots with a corner kick in the first five minutes of the extra period, finding the golden goal winner on a quick counterattack in the 96th minute.
Vigario tried four shots with two on goal, Felipe Gruber had two shots on goal, and Cardoso shot three times for Grace.
The Lancers will have their eyes set on winning the CL Tournament in the next two weeks. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships. Grace is hoping for a return trip to the NAIA tournament after competing last year.
