On Wednesday afternoon the Grand Rapids Community College men’s soccer team defeated Lake Michigan College, courtesy of four goals by four different players. The win marked three straight for the Raiders, who have quickly climbed to .500 on the season with a 3-3-1 record overall and 1-0 in conference play.
It didn’t take much time for the Raiders to get ahead of Lake Michigan College, thanks to a goal by sophomore midfielder Cristian Diaz, who scored within the first minute of the game to make it 1-0. It was the Raiders’ quickest goal of the season and helped set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
Much of the first half of the Sept. 18 game was a defensive battle between the two teams, with neither registering an abundance of shots, but more so fluent passing until the possession was lost. The Raiders controlled much of the possession and were having a better day on the attacking side of the ball.
The Raiders controlling possession paid off, after a second goal scored by freshman forward Sean Gieske. It was spectacular ball movement by the Raiders which led Gieske to have a clean look at the net, slotting it past the keeper in the top left corner to make it a 2-0 game.
The second half began similarly to the first half, after a goal from sophomore forward Jordan Marquez in the opening minutes made it 3-0 Raiders. It marked the second time the Raiders scored three or more goals in a game this season, with the other game being against Jackson College in a 7-0 victory.
Lake Michigan College was able to capitalize on a cross into the box for their first goal of the afternoon. The goal was the first allowed by the Raiders in five halves, dating back to their contest against Owens Community College back on Sept. 7.
Soon after, the Raiders were able to regain their three-goal advantage, after a thunderous strike from freshman forward Elvin Bajric extended the lead to 4-1 GRCC. The score remained at 4-1 as the final whistle blew, giving the Raiders a third straight victory to move the team’s record to 3-3-1 on the season.
“The team is starting to perform,” stated head coach Damiekco Smith after the game. “I think once they bought into my style of play and expectations, we started to gel.”
GRCC has now scored 13 goals in their last three games, averaging just over four goals per match. Gieske, who scored the second goal of the afternoon, spoke after the game about the team’s performance against Lake Michigan College.
“The team played amazing,” Gieske said. “We really connected and showed what we can do today. I think it’s all uphill from here.”
It was another stellar defensive performance for the Raiders, allowing just one goal. The Raiders have allowed two or less goals in five straight games, which has been a big reason for the successful turnaround.
“It’s good to keep our win streak going,” said sophomore defender Cole Drozdowski, who played every minute in Wednesday’s game.
Another player who played every minute for the Raiders was sophomore goalkeeper Brett Miller, who shared his thoughts on why he thinks the team is starting to click. “We finally started playing together,” Miller said. “We weren’t really playing as a team and now we are.”
After an 0-3-1 start to the season, GRCC find themselves at .500 on the year after the win against Lake Michigan College. Smith said he’s been most impressed by his team’s “positive energy” and teamwork during their three-game win streak.
The Raiders next three games will be on the road with one game in Michigan, one in Ohio, and one in Indiana. The games will cover the remainder of September for GRCC, with the next home game scheduled for Friday, Oct. 4 against Muskegon Community College at the Midwest United Complex.
