Blazic’s Winner Lifts Lancers
WINONA LAKE – Nikola Blazic scored a goal to remember for Grace’s men’s soccer team Wednesday, netting a free kick in double overtime to defeat St. Francis.
The Lancers (6-3, 1-1 Crossroads League) outshot St. Francis 29-10 overall, but the match was decided by one kick from Blazic in the second overtime to lift Grace to a 2-1 victory.
After Grace was fouled 23 yards from the goal, Trent Smith started Grace’s set piece with a touch to Blazic. Blazic took care of the rest, releasing a curling free kick through the defensive line and inside the corner of the net in the 104th minute.
Blazic’s game-winning goal sent the Miller Field crowd spilling onto the field in an impromptu celebration with the Lancers.
Kyle Hamlin had arguably the best goal of the game in the first half for Grace. After faking past a defender on the right side of the field, Hamlin shifted to the ball to his left foot, took two touches and unleashed a vicious 20-yard kick into the top-left corner of the net. His goal at the 10:43 mark opened the match’s scoring.
St. Francis waited just 10 minutes to find the equalizer, scoring on a free kick that tricked Grace’s defense. Blazic nearly gave Grace the lead back within a minute, but his shot from distance clanged off the crossbar.
Grace, who owned an 11-4 advantage in shots during the first half, possessed even more opportunities to score after halftime. The Lancers fired 13 shots with four corner kicks, limiting the Cougars (6-4, 0-2 CL) to two shots and zero corners over that same time. But the game would not be decided in regulation.
The first overtime period saw chances for both squads without a winner, and Blazic put the game to rest with his golden-goal winner with less than seven minutes left to play in the second overtime period.
Twelve different players recorded a shot for the Lancers, led by four shots apiece from Trent Smith, Danilo Carnelos, Austin Altimus and Gift Sibukome. Robbie Barnhill earned the win in goal, making four saves in nearly 104 minutes of action.
The Lancers will hope to ride their momentum into Saturday’s Homecoming match against Huntington at 2 p.m. at Miller Field.