Box Score Calvin scored two goals in the final five minutes of the second half to defeat John Carroll, 2-0, in second round of the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship Saturday night at Don Shula Stadium.
All bundled up to face the weather and their opponents, the Knights of Calvin College and the Blue Streaks of John Carroll University both came out of their locker rooms ready to fight.
Right off the bat, both teams learned quickly how to adjust their play against each other. The game became feisty, with JCU and Calvin putting speed on the ball.
The Knights saw their opportunity to end the first half with an advantage with two corner kicks in a row in the final minute, but the Blue Streaks had a different plan as McIntosh punched the ball out of the net with only thirty seconds left to end the first half 0-0.
John Carroll found themselves in Calvin's end early in the second half, but could not make it count as
Jake Lombardo's shot was blocked by Calvin's strong defense.
Shot after shot, the Streaks kept getting closer to the back of the net. In the 65th minute, Jake Giradot had a strike sail high. In the 67th minute,
Jesse Marinaro also got underneath a close range try. Hayden Parente nearly sent the home crowd into a frenzy in the 72nd minute, but missed wide.
The missed opportunities came back to haunt the Blue Streaks. Calvin broke the scoreless tie in the 85th minute when Dillon Weldy took a shot that ricocheted off of the goal post right to Matt Hinds, who put the ball in the back of the net.
Hoping to turn their luck around, Lutz took a corner kick that landed in the hands of Calvin's goalkeeper. With JCU presuing up field, a counter was bound to happen and the Knights sealed the deal in the 89th minute. Weldy added another assist when Mitch Stark placed the ball in the back of the net.
This goal would send Calvin to the Sweet 16Â and would end John Carroll's season at 16-3-2.
The 16 wins were one shy of tying the program record of 17 set in 1993, 2003 and 2014
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