SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The No. 22 ranked Spring Arbor University men's soccer team dominated the majority of this contest from start to finish against Crossroads League rival Grace College on Saturday night. The teams went into halftime tied 0-0, but a goal midway through the second half from Jacob Crull was all the Cougars needed to secure a much needed league win.

THE BASICS

FINAL SCORE: #22 Spring Arbor 1, Grace 0

LOCATION: Cougar Soccer Complex | Spring Arbor, Mich.

RECORDS: Spring Arbor 10-3-3 (4-1-2 CL), Grace 7-6-2 (2-5-0 CL)

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A well-played first half by Spring Arbor yielded no fruit. The Cougars dominated the first half posting 14 shots to Grace's two. The home team also had seven corner kick opportunities.  
• The second half started much like the first half ended, heavy pressure from the Cougars. Michael Caccavo seemed to score early in the second half, but the goal was waived off on an offside call.
• The Cougars continued to press the Grace defense, creating multiple opportunities. In the 63rd minute, the Lancer defense finally cracked. A beautifully played ball from Janum Sailor found the head of Jacob Crull sprinting through the six giving Spring Arbor a 1-0 lead.
• Grace had a few chances down the stretch but the Cougar defense proved to be too much.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

• Spring Arbor continues their home unbeaten streak, marking 19 consecutive  games.
• The Cougars will host Bethel College on Wednesday in a game that could ultimately decide the Crossroads League regular season title, and home field advantage throughout the conference tournament.
• SAU dominated this game, posting 26 shots to the Lancers' five. Spring Arbor also had 11 corner kicks on the night.

FOR THE FOES

• Grace had two corners on the day.
• The Lancers had five shots but not a single one was on goal
• Grace falls to 7-6-2 and 2-5 in league play

QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH NATHAN MILLER

• "We are really proud of this team. They put in a dominant performance that took a lot of work. We are not at our best in front of the goal right now but they keep having the mentality to get in the right spots with no fear."
• "Grace is a tough team, as is this whole league, so we really take every game in stride and these guys prepared well this week."
• "Obviously this sets up a monster game with Bethel. Our guys relish big games and we will be ready."

UP NEXT

Spring Arbor stays home this week to host the Pilots of Bethel in a huge league tilt. The contest will begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening.

Men's Soccer Contact: Chris Bauman | 517-750-6504 | christopher.bauman@arbor.edu
SAU Athletics: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Men's Soccer: Twitter | Facebook