WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's men's soccer team was stifled offensively on Wednesday in a home defeat.
The Lancers were blanked 2-0 to Madonna at 1st Source Bank Field.
The Lancers possessed the ball consistently across the first half but struggled to find the finishing pass in Madonna's end of the field.
The Crusaders rarely had an extended moment with the ball as Grace seemed to own possession, switching sides fluidly. But Madonna's organized defense proved difficult for Grace to break down.
Grace's most dangerous moments came off a header from a corner kick and another dangerous cross from Marco Poliani that nearly connected with Ethan Vigario in the penalty box.
Felipe Gruber sparked a run into Madonna's end of the field, eventually resulting in a shot from Vigario that was pushed wide by the goalkeeper.
The Lancers finished the half scoreless, entering halftime with a 0-0 scoreline. Grace had a 5-2 shot advantage, and the Lancers also amassed five corner kicks in the half.
Grace seemed to lose its assertiveness to begin the second half, and a lapse in judgment in the backfield put the Crusaders in front.
Madonna crossed in front of Grace's goal; the Lancers were unable to clear the pass, allowing for a clean shot which put Madonna ahead 1-0 with 33 minutes remaining.
While Grace still owned large swaths of possession during the second half, the Crusaders' air-tight defending refused to allow clear chances for Grace.
The Lancers had just two shots across the entirety of the second half.
With eight minutes remaining, Madonna dealt a deadly blow. A lack of focus by Grace's defenders resulted in a foul in the penalty box. The Crusaders converted the ensuing penalty kick for a 2-0 lead.
Grace could not muster a response and had to settle for the defeat. Madonna found revenge for last season's 4-1 win by Grace during the spring.
The Lancers remain at home on Saturday for a marquee doubleheader at 1st Source Bank Field. Grace will host No. 4 Columbia on Saturday at noon while Grace's women's team will host No. 13 Columbia at 2:30 p.m.
