Grace Opens Season with Program-Record 13 Goals

WINONA LAKE, Ind. - The season opener was a smashing success for Grace's women's soccer team on Thursday.

The Lancers blitzed St. Mary-of-the-Woods 13-0, setting a new record for most goals scored in a single game.

Despite their goal-scoring spree, Grace shared the wealth and did not have a player score more than two goals. Overall, nine players found the back of the net. 

Grace immediately asserted itself in the match at 1st Source Bank Field. The Lancers' first three shots were denied, including an early attempt from Rylee Burns that hit the goalpost.

The opening goal came after nine minutes when an Audrey Abel corner kick connected with Zoe Mueller for the first goal of the season.

Cassidy Felger jumped into the action with two goals in quick succession. Felger was aggressive, stealing the ball inside the penalty box and pounding in her shot from close range. Two minutes later, she received a pass from Ellie Grieser and slashed her attempt past the goalkeeper from beyond the edge of the box.

Burns found her goal midway into the half. She echoed Felger's deep shot, also benefitting from a Grieser assist in the play.

Nora Pollock entered the game as a sub and made an instant impact. Less than two minutes into her collegiate debut, she connected on a few give-and-go passes from Felger, using a left-footed effort to score Grace's fifth goal of the half.

Pollock then promptly collected her first assist. Three minutes after her goal, Pollock crossed a pass in front of the goal, and Katie Witte slammed in her shot for Grace's sixth tally.

The goals kept coming as the first half wore on. Witte finished off another cross (this time from Abel) for her second goal of the half.

Barely a minute afterward, Rosalie Gefrorer scored two goals of her own in quick succession. Her first goal was assisted by Felger, finishing off a strong run of possession. Her second was a lightning-fast attack, completing a double assist from Pollock and Witte.

Grace's 10th goal of the half was perhaps the best strike of the day. Joya Lienammer launched a one-time volley from outside the box, sending her shot inside the far post to give Grace a stunning 10-0 lead.

The Lancers took 25 shots before halftime while holding the Pomeroys without an attempt.

Grace utilized its entire healthy roster throughout Thursday's match, and the Lancers managed to score three more after halftime. 

Midway into the second half, Pollock scored her second goal. A quick switch of fields centered around Oertel and Lienammer, allowing Pollock to beat the keeper from inside the box.

With 16 minutes to go in the match, Grace found its record-tying goal. A corner kick resulted in a loose ball outside the box. Elizabeth Maciejewski ran up to the ball with confidence and curled her shot just beneath the crossbar to make the score 12-0; it was the senior Maciejewski's first career goal as well.

The record-breaking moment came in the final five minutes. Keely Bauer was instrumental in the build-up, finding space to run on the left side and threading a pass to Grieser. After her first shot was saved, Grieser struck the rebounded effort beneath the keeper's legs to give the Lancers their 13th goal of the match.

Grace topped its previous program record of 12 goals (vs West Virginia Tech, 2022).

The Lancers finished the game with a 39-0 advantage in shots and 9-0 in corner kicks.

Felger tallied two goals and two assists, and Pollock also matched that total off the bench. Gefrorer and Witte each nabbed two goals and an assist, and Grieser had a goal and two assists.

Oertel and Abel handed out two assists apiece, and Lienammer had a goal and an assist.

Ivy Cline and Noelle NieKamp combined for the shutout performance as Grace's goalkeepers in the match. 

Grace is back home on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. against Graceland.