Joshua Clemitson 09/21/24
2
Winner Madonna MADONNA (5-1-2, 2-0-0)
0
Aquinas (MI) AQUINAS (4-3-0, 0-2-0)
Winner
Madonna MADONNA
(5-1-2, 2-0-0)
2
Final
0
Aquinas (MI) AQUINAS
(4-3-0, 0-2-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Madonna MADONNA 2 0 2
Aquinas (MI) AQUINAS 0 0 0

Game Recap: Men's Soccer | | Cam Harper, Director of Athletic Communications

(RV) Crusaders Capitalizes on Early Opportunities to Take Homecoming Joust Against (RV) Saints

Madonna scored the only two goals of the game in the first 16.

Grand Rapids, Mich. – The (RV) Aquinas men's soccer team kicked off AQ's slate of homecoming games at noon on Saturday (Sept. 21) against the (RV) Madonna Crusaders. Madonna scored a pair of early goals to start the game and those proved to be the difference in a 2-0 result. The Saints' three-game skid now has the team at 4-3-0 with a 0-2-0 conference record. Madonna improved to 5-1-2 this season with a 2-0 conference record.

(RV) Madonna 2, (RV) Aquinas 0

Ren Suzuki scored an early goal for the Crusaders in the fifth minute to give the visitors some quick momentum. Just 11 minutes later, Madonna managed to double the lead with an impressive shot from the left side of the box to put AQ behind by two in the 16th minute.

The Saints nearly found a response just a couple of minutes later, but a double save by the Crusaders kept Aquinas off the scoreboard. Madonna managed to hold possession of the ball well following AQ's scoring chance and generated several good scoring opportunities of their own. Once again, Aquinas nearly scored their first goal of the game in the 30th minute with a great counterattack, but Mason Sills was stopped once more by the Madonna goalkeeper.

The game quieted down a bit over the final 15 minutes of the first half until the last minute when Suzuki put a shot over the crossbar. The score remained 2-0 at the halftime whistle.

Madonna continued to apply strong pressure in the second half with AQ looking to cut the deficit on the counterattack. Both teams had several scoring chances throughout the half, but neither side could beat the keeper. A crazy series near the end of the game saw Gerardo Jose Montanez make a couple of defensive saves to keep the Crusaders at two goals. However, that was the final chance for either team with the contest concluding at 2-0.

By the Numbers
  • Madonna has gotten the best of AQ over the last couple of years, taking the last four contests against the Saints.
  • The Crusaders outshot the Saints 25-12 and put 10 shots on target to AQ's seven.
  • Ivan Radovic made two saves and Peyton Huffman made three saves in his Aquinas debut.

Up Next

Aquinas will look to get back into the win column on Wednesday (Sept. 25) when the Saints return to the AQ Athletic Field. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 PM. 
 
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