WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's women's soccer team poured in six second-half goals in a 6-0 rout of Indiana Tech on Wednesday.
After a scoreless first half, No. 12 Grace ripped off six goals over the last 45 minutes to charge away from Indiana Tech. Overall six players scored a goal for the Lancers.
Wednesday's match entered an early pause when a lengthy lightning delay paused the action five minutes after the kickoff. The delay put the match on hold for more than 90 minutes.
Grace immediately began to take control of the match after the restart.
The Lancers passed the ball fluidly around the Warriors, and the team's goal-scoring chances grew as the half progressed.
Grace fired off five shots over a 12-minute span after the restart; only the fifth attempt of the series from Audrey Abel needed to be saved as Grace missed the goal frame.
Over the final 20 minutes, Grace's shots grew more dangerous. The Lancers ripped off five shots on goal, including a series of shots in the penalty box.
Rylee Burns was denied twice in front of goal by sterling saves from the Warriors' goalkeeper, and Nora Pollock's shots were saved twice in short succession as well.
But the Warriors managed to keep Grace off the scoreboard as the match reached halftime 0-0. Grace outshot the Warriors 11-2 in the half and had all five corner kicks.
The Lancers finally broke the deadlock two minutes into the second half. After a corner kick, Abby Hodkin and Hannah Medlin combined to quickly pass to Nora Pollock, who laced her shot inside the left of the goal for the opening goal.
A minute later, Grace's lead had doubled. Annika Finch touched a pass in the box to Burns, and Burns poked her shot into the net less than a minute after Pollock's strike.
The flood gates opened for the Lancers' offense. Five minutes later, Grace struck again. After a long string of possession, Abby Hodkin led Pollock with a pass into the box. Pollock skipped over a defender and crossed in front of the goal, where Annika Finch pounded in Grace's third goal.
It only took six more minutes for the Lancers to add a fourth goal. Audrey Abel sliced through the heart of the Warriors' defense, then curled her shot beyond the goalkeeper in the 59th minute.
In the 75th minute, Hodkin unleashed a deep shot that clanged off the crossbar. The rebound was tracked down by Sydney Millen, who laid off a pass to Feline Abbo. Abbo then drove a low shot under the goalkeeper to make the score 5-0.
The scoring was capped off with three minutes remaining in the match. Leana Oertel passed to Rosalie Gefrorer; the senior then found an inch of clearing and fired a rocket to the far post for the sixth and final goal.
Pollock and Finch each tallied a goal and an assist, and Hodkin tallied two assists.
Ivy Cline saved one shot to record the shutout in goal.
The Lancers finished the match outshooting the Warriors 26-4. Fifteen of Grace's shots were on target, and Grace had all eight corner kicks.
Grace remains at home on Saturday with a 7 p.m. clash against Northwestern Ohio, a team who is receiving votes in the NAIA poll.
